A B&W Taste of What's to Come

It's been a good long while since I've added any new material, so I thought I'd post something until I can make a date with the large-size scanner. The below graphic is the black & white version of my Studio L1 presentation board for our Valencia Street Park project. The project is located between the parallels 19th and 20th Streets / Valencia and Linda Streets. Will add the color version soon!

Henry's Backyard - Section A

Finally, I've rendered Section A of my design for Henry's yard. Because a portion of the house juts into the backyard, my cut went right through the home. You can see part of the design right through the window. Hopefully, this view provides a better - or at least an additional - sense of the space as I have designed it.

Henry's Backyard - The Corpse Comes to Life

My dream is to be to Planning and Landscape Architecture what Anthony Bourdain is to cooking. Not very good, but wildly successful. And damn proud of it.

Without belaboring the point, I have finally gotten around to scanning in my color rendering of Henry's Backyard Plan. Don't worry, I had this done over a week ago; I am much more prolific than it seems. ;)




PS - Please forgive the oversized Scale and lack of North Arrow and Title Block. This is a barely-working document.

ACAD I Final Project - Henry's Backyard

My good friend, Henry, recently moved into his new house. He's got a good-sized backyard blessed with warm weather and good soil. What would make Henry's place much more of a home would be a backyard that functions as an extension of the house. To create an inviting space - for outdoor dining, entertaining, outdoor play and relaxation - would be fitting for such a pleasant environment. With my AutoCAD project, I have undertaken the task to develop a preliminary plan for the site. And don't worry - no, I didn't design in ACAD from scratch; I drew it all out by hand first.

Below, please find a board showing existing conditions followed by the preliminary plan - the first figure does not include explanatory text while the second one does include text.

Existing Conditions:




No Text:



With Text:

Trees: The New Sewers

Here's a cool little article out of Portland (where else?) expounding the virtues of LID and value of our urban forests. Check it out here:

Trees: The New Sewers

National Rainwater Collection Conference - Portland Sep. 27-29

ARCSA 2011 National Conference

September 27 – 29

Portland, Oregon

REGISTER NOW!

Speakers:

Kenny Kurtzman, Senior Partner, Booz & Company
Billy Kniffen, ARCSA Lead Instructor and Education Chair
and more

Session Topics Include:

• Research in Rainwater Catchment
• Agricultural Rainwater Systems
• Rainwater Harvesting and Low Impact Development
• Water Treatment for Potable Uses
• Stormwater Mitigation
• Rain Water Harvesting Education
• Codes and Standards
• Technical Tours to residential, large agricultural, municipal applications and more

Networking Opportunities - time is built into the conference agenda to encourage informal meeting with presenters and conference attendees. Hosted hospitality in the vendor hall, dinner at Skamania Lodge, food and beverage breaks with the vendors are great times to network with colleagues.

Sponsors and Exhibitors - Lots of vendor exhibit hall time - including hosted reception on Tuesday night

Rainwater Harvesting Training Opportunities:

• 100-Level Sept 24
• 200-Level Sept 25-26
• 300-Level presentations during Conference
• 300-Level Design & Construction Workshop Sept. 29 – Oct. 1

Poster Session to highlight new research as well as your most innovative and uniquely designed catchment system.

Registration is now open!

Visit our website www.arcsa.org for more information.

Two Hands and a Shovel: A Series

My friend, Henry, recently purchased a house in San Bruno, a suburban community just south of San Francisco. Located just minutes from San Francisco International Airport, the property sits on fill as the city expanded into San Francisco Bay. As such, the property is in an area with a high water table and requires a constantly running sump pump. These wetland-like conditions, while challenging, are not all disadvantageous. The soil is rich, with a good balance of sand, silt, and clay. The proportions are conducive to good drainage, yet will promote nutrient retention. Combine these soil characteristics with the area's warm Mediterranean climate - think San Francisco's SE neighborhoods - and you have a fertile plot the envy of one certain San Franciscan.



Next up: Initial site assessment. Existing conditions.