Yelena Myakisheva Landscape Design Portfolio

Index

Projects1. Brownfi eld Freeform: Berkeley Brickyard, CA. 2. Daylighting the Watershed: Fort Baker, CA.3. GIS Analysis Inspired Design: King Farm, Canada.4. Growth in Four Dimensions: Wurster Courtyard, Berkeley, CA.5. Ecological Center and School for Sustainable Design: Half Moon Bay, CA.6. Designing for Growth: Blake Garden, Kensington, CA.7. Z Bench: Rochdale Village Cooperative, Berkeley, Ca.8. Resume

1. Brownfi eld Earthwork: Berkeley BrickyardThe Berkeley Brickyard is entirely landfi ll: layers of municipal

waste covered with a clay cap and visible construction rubble.

There is a plan to add it to the bay park system. The challenge for this project is to create a landscape that

takes advantage of the malleability of earth while still meeting typical standards of accessibility, maintainability, and keeping

the clay cap covering the contaminated fi ll in tact.

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1. Brownfi eld Freeform: Berkeley Brickyard

entrance park office/bathrooms

path to the tower debris tower vista point board walk

covered picnic areabike path

prunus illicifolia grove

willow thicket

baccharis pilularis

sunken path

1. Brownfi eld Freeform: Berkeley Brickyard

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Human traffic is directed along designated paths to protect the landscape from too much human

interaction. The paths lead the visitors to experi-ence the landforms by taking them between,

into, and over hills and trees. Following the paths, the visitor is led to the tower and pen-

insula view points; the bay view is hidden from the approaching path until the end. Although

the landscape lacks rectilinear structure, it is

Entrance Path Peninsula Vista Point

tower willow thicket

still decipherably man made, with parts of the demolition debris still visible. Social spaces are found at path intersections, including a blacktop

painted with the map of the park system.

The plant palate includes native, condition toler-ant species, especially those that appeal to wild-life. Mostly the site would be covered by clump-ing grasses, like red fescue. Monterrey cypress

is common in the area and is used as a wind block for other trees. Coast life

oak is featured for it’s view blocking potential and is used only at higher

elevations because of aggressive roots. Arroyo willow is used in damp areas.

Rosa californica, ceanothus, pickle weed, aesculus californica, manzanita species,

and prunus illicifolia for color interest.

2. Daylighting the Watershed: Fort Baker

Plan

Fort Baker sits just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It used to be a military fort from 1850 to 2000 but was never in combat use. The fort is currently used as a fi rst class resort, a children’s museum, a marina, a restaurant, a fi shing pier, and a small piece closest to the bay bridge is still actively used by the coast guard. The existing programs need unifi cation for the space to have identity.

At the center, the fort’s parade ground and beach are man-made landscapes created when a marsh was fi lled with mud dredged from the bay. This design turns the empty parade ground into an interpretive hydrological park which focuses on water remediation. When fi rst visiting the site, I learned the water was contaminated from a recent spill at the nearest water treatment plant caused by a typical rain storm event.

This inspired the idea to use the site to process it’s own rain runoff and gray water in a way that would be informative to the visitors. Such lightly contaminated water could be fi ltrated using natural processes, turning pollution directly into fertilizer, and in doing so make the beach safe for activity. The creek that is currently buried under the parade ground becomes the unifying gesture in the landscape. Thus the water can be made legible and in places accessible.

2. Daylighting the Watershed: Fort BakerThis project was

analyzed at four levels:

Program: The design expands visitor services,

such as short-term rentable moors in the

marina, bike rental, and a visitor’s center. New

interpretive park features.

Circulation: New pedes-trian path placement is

based on worn out areas in the lawn of the parade

ground caused by cur-rent traffi c. The paths would help tie together the different programs

and visitors to Fort baker by encouraging travel to

other areas of the site. A section of road and parking is removed to unify the greenspace.

Drainage: The existing topography of the site is greatly modifi ed to reestablish the creek.

The creek is curvaceous to maximize the length of the creek within the site. Much of the area

would remain level to allow pedestrian access

to non-fragile areas.

Vegetation: Some of the existing eucalyptus would

be removed for safety concerns. The rees-

tablished creek calls for reintroduction of habitat-

forming vegetation.

program

circulation

drainage

vegetation

Stage I Stage II Stage III ReleaseCollection

Filtration System Diagram

Basic Stream Planting

2. Daylighting the Watershed: Fort Baker

The plant palate consists of species primarily native to the area. These plants are used to use up the nutrients in the water and promote native wildlife. Native plants would also be attune to the seasonal availability of water, as the pools would shrink in the dry season.

Along the creek, willow and blackberries provide a barrier against visitors and fruit for wildlife. The creeks are made extra rough with rocks and fallen trees in order to maximize the water/land surface on which the periphyton grow that aid the water cleaning process.

The stream is slowed by it’s curving path, pooled in places to allow particu-lates to settle. The last pool is designed to allow in the slightly salty water of the bay for plants that thrive in this condition. Educational panels are posted along the creek in order to warn about the dirtiness of the water and the remarkable process by which the water is made clean. In this way the creek is an extension of the museum in it’s role to educate the public.

2. Daylighting the Watershed: Fort BakerThe coast area is special

because it allows water traffi c connection to the bay. The moors become more acces-sible to the general public to

facilitate water travel, including day boat parking to allow day-

trips by boat to Fort Baker.

A new feature in this area is the combined pier and boat launch ramp. This feature creates a

viewpoint at the end of the main axis pointing out into the bay.

The waterfront area con-tains more drought tolerant

plants which attract birds for birdwatching.

The removal of unnecessary parking space allows the design

to restore the beach, which would now be safely accessible.

site, streams, roads, schools, buildings

stream buffer zone and alluvial soil zone

good siting for wind power generation

fl at slopes

3. GIS Analysis Inspired Design: King Farm

King Farm is a property near Sault Ste Marie in Ontario, Canada. This is a group project with Natalie Serdiuk and Brianna Weldon, to design a green-fi eld housing development using only GIS data and internet sources.

We analyzed the site based on infrastruc-ture, energy harvesting potential, and the pos-sible damage to and by the environment.

By narrowing down the areas, we discovered where it was most reasonable to cluster residential develop-ment and where we could place uses that do not require easy connection.

We discovered the diffi culties of working on a site where we could not simply gather the data we needed such as vegetation types and location, so that we could design more minimal damage to existing woodland.

3. GIS Analysis Inspired Design: King FarmWe chose to combine residential and

commercial buildings to lower exposure to the cold in winter. Apartment build-

ings were designed as with large atriums to allow for year round gardening for psychological benefi t. The light blue in the renderings denotes dedicated

commercial and public spaces.

The bulk of the residences are grouped in the south-east corner to make it

accessible to the existing neighborhood. The farming cooperative is placed in the

south-west corner so that it would not be encroached upon by other residents. In

the more remote north section, we placed more seasonal uses, including com-

munity garden plots and walking paths.

4. Growth in Four Dimensions: Wurster CourtyardWurster courtyard is located on the second fl oor of the building housing the college of environmental design. The design is an inspiration room for the design students by creating a space that plays tricks with the eyes and allows for students to experience the “aha!” state of mind when they realize that the jungle has an underlying rationale and can continue this feeling in their work. The vertical nature of the vines is also meant to get people to look upwards and straighten out their backs after their long days hunching over their desks.

4. Growth: Wurster CourtyardThe vines are planted small and grow quickly

enough to be plainly visible by the build-ing’s occupants. At the same time they are

deciduous and thus show seasonal variability. This design brings the concept of growth

and seasons back into a building where it is too easy to lose connection with time.

Over the long term the vines form a roof over the space and shade out lower parts, creat-

ing tree-like trunks that form a forest.

Because of the second fl oor location and the desire to have an inhabitable space, it is an intensive green roof. The simple plant palate consists of ipomoea alba, replaced over time with wisteria sinensis. These are under-planted with viola, cyclamen and oxalis oregana for a forest feel.

5. Ecological Center and School for Sustainable Design

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cantilevered overlook*

electricity is generated by large

wind turbines, these being slow enough

to reduce danger to birds, without lattice structure for roosting

This is a greenfi eld site on the coast of Half-Moon Bay. The project was to place the buildings for an ecological center and then design the surrounding gardens and experimental agricultural areas. The design is accessible to pedestrians and vehicles with minimal damage

to the landscape. The site gets a lot of summer fog and winter precipitation so the dune buildings face south for greatest warmth. The site also has strong coastal winds so the gardens and paths are sunken and surrounded

by tree windbreaks. Unused parts of the site are restored for native and migratory birds and other wildlife. Paved areas are kept to a minimum to avoid effecting runoff intensity and they drain to pools

used for irrigation. Dams are set up in the stream to mitigate construction runoff.

Overall, plant choice would have to be tested for such a coastal site, which is part of point of center. Best practice would be to use plants that are either native, edible, or near-native condition tolerant.

5. Ecological Center for Sustainable Design

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retention pool

tunnel

loggia edible garden fi re trail

amphitheaterexhibition centerexit and entrance roadsvegetated swale

plaza

warm court

covered bridge

raised pathagriculture

demonstration plot

orangery

creek retention pool dormitory buildings

exhibition centergreen house and cafe

parking

class room

The design arranges the structures and features in such a way as to break up the landscape into human scale spaces. The design

takes advantage of the mixture of new buildings and existing topography with tunnels and bridges for a variety of experience.

The buildings are tucked into the landscape so that their roofs transition directly into the slope and their green roofs merge

with existing vegetation. In the case of the exhibition center, this allows enough topography change to fi t in a amphitheater.

6. Designing for Growth:Blake GardenBlake Garden is a 10.6 acre garden that was gifted to the Landscape Architecture department of UC Berkeley in 1962. The project redesigns a section at the main pedestrian entrance that had gone fallow. This specifi c section is also the entrance point of a creek and storm runoff that are in culverts up to the site. This design greets the visitor with a mixture of fruit-producing and native plants. At the same time, the design shows off the hidden creek. The features and plant species of this spot refl ect those found in other areas of the garden for a sense of unity.

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Stage I: Plants have established. (1-5 years)

dry meadow

riparian

mulch service path

ceanothus ground cover

submerged

retention ponds with weirs.

Stage III: Large and slow-growing trees reach maturity. (about 30 years)

Arbutus marina

Sequoia sempervirens

Quercus agrifolia

Punica granatum

Malus domestica

Stage II: Shrubs and small trees reach maturity. (5-10 years)

Salix lasiolepis

Carpenteria californica

Cercis occidentalis

Arctostaphylos sp.

Vitis californica

The growth of plants allows the space to change over time in a controlled way. Instant effect would be wasted in

a garden that has the staff and the visitors to enjoy the gradual transformation of plants from seeds into giants.

Stage I: This stage includes hardscape modifi cations and all major planting, especially willow for bank stabilization. The area is covered

with a meadow mixture of plants propagated from seed and bulb. This stage includes intensive weeding to keep the current invasive

blackberries from reestablishing. The larger plants should be planted as young plants to reduce cost and promote plant health.

Stage II: All the plants become established, so all water-ing should cease. The meadow is still intact but the trees

begin to provide vertical interest. At this point, replace-ment of plants with shorter life spans begins.

Stage III: The plants reach maturity and the design now fi ts with the rest of Blake Garden in style. Large parts of the

meadow are shaded out by trees and should be mulched. Fruiting trees bare enough fruit for visitors to harvest.

6. Designing for Growth: Blake Garden

Entrance Elevation

6. Designing for Growth: Blake GardenA a The pedestrian entrance in on the site and is paid special atten-

tion. The design makes the entrance more formal by moving the gate away from the little-used vehicular entrance and creating symmetry around it. Californian wild grape is used dramatically to screen the view and add intense color in the fall. It also blocks the unpleasant parking lot view from inside.

Plant palate for the entrance is based on species that can be easily propagated at Blake Garden, especially those abundant nearby. “Native wild fl ower mix” refers to a mixture of native seeds includ-ing local fescue, poppy, clover, blue-eyed grass, and lupin species.

6. Designing for Growth: Blake Garden

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ing plants are primarily used in the design.

Many visitors come to the garden to get ideas for their own gar-dens. The focus in the plant palate is to emphasize the beauty,

cohesiveness, and potential of native plants, which are more appropriate for the local climate then similar looking foreign

plants. Native plants effi ciently respond to the local climate and seasonal variation in rain. The palate is also intended to be safe

for children and resistant to deer who frequent the garden.

The contaminated water infl ow is run through a weir to remove large debris. Marsh plants soak in the pollution in the

water. Their are ponds to retain water and slow it down.

Seasonal Interest January February March April May June July August September October November DecemberBark, TrunkShrub and Tree FlowersPerennial and Annual FlowersFruitFragrantLeaf color

7. Z Bench: Rochdale Village CooperativeThe ‘Z’ Bench is a design-build project I produced with Natalie Serdiuk. This was the fi rst construction project for both of us so it was a challenge to keep our design simple and forgiving enough for our skills while living up to our designing abilities.

There was need for a stepping ledge down from a pile of boulders and to make the neglected space more inviting and social. This led us to several designs which we proposed to the cooperative and the fi nal design was modifi ed to refl ect their feedback. The style of the bench is based on existing benches at the site, although it is modifi ed to be free-standing.

We chose to make the bench out of unpainted redwood to match nearby raised beds and because of sequoia trees nearby. Eventually the bench would be painted to cover graffi ti that is a common problem in the area.

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