Landscape Architecture Master's Projects

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Open Access
From Mines to Miles: Revitalizing Communities from a Post-Industrial Landscape to a Recreation Area
(University of Oregon, 2024-06-08) Phillips, Sarah
This project looks at the possibility of mined landscapes remediated into adaptive reuse spaces to provide equitable recreation opportunities for growing communities. These sites are a relic of time, and we can deploy placemaking and placekeeping practices to ensure the history of the site is not forgotten, and the character of these spaces are transformed for future generations. As a case study for one of those communities, Central Oregon should take into consideration its recreation economy and revitalize a previously strip - mined site as a new recreation park for its diametrically growing communities. This method of remediation of the Lower Bridge Mine will be broken into three phases: first, remediation through traditional ecological knowledge practices i ncluding crescent berms, branching on - contour swales, and trinchera dry stone masonry check dams. Second, creating a phyto - stabilization high desert planting plan and activation of a seedbank on the site will reduce the harmful effects of the mining indust ry. Finally, a monitoring program to ensure placemaking and placekeeping techniques are deployed for a successful project. By transforming a wasteland into an enjoyable and habitable site there could be a perceived illusion that the past has been erased, b ut through signage and other remnant relics the history of the site and the lessons learned in remediation will not be forgotten. In conclusion, the site can become a case study for placemaking and placekeeping practices for future mine remediation to crea te adaptable landscapes.
Open Access
Seeds Sense Place: Reconciling Access and Cultivation at Howard Buford Recreation Area
(University of Oregon, 2024-06) Cummings, Tressa
This project investigates the potential impact of universal access infrastructure on stewardship and the cultivation of native plant material at Howard Buford Recreation Area (HBRA). The Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah, a non - profit organization, manages a native plant nursery within the park . This nursery sources seeds from the park and nurtures them to increase the availability of native seeds for restoration efforts. With ongoing universal access trail improvements scheduled for summer 2024 in the landscape surrounding the nursery , this project explores how the form and materiality of th at trail can delineate area s of heightened stewardship . These areas function as wild sources of desired plants and as traditional landscape design which f rames visitor experience , bring an experience of greater ecological richness to visitors of all abilities.
Open Access
Extended Engagement: A Novel Approach to Sustained Relationships with Designed Landscapes
(University of Oregon, 2024-06) Phares, Holly H.
Most landscape architects rarely continue to engage with sites after the formal completion of a project, and thus are typically unaware of the long-term outcomes that result from natural and human-centric processes of change. Because of this, they forfeit their ability to guide those changes, as well as valuable feedback on the design and management decisions that were made. While others in the field have previously advocated for designers to expand their relationships with completed sites, few if any sources address the systemic barriers that make this difficult or offer actionable suggestions on how such barriers could be overcome. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many in the field are already interested in the long-term outcome of projects, but that efforts to “keep in touch” often become unpaid work on the part of designers. This paper introduces “extended engagement” as a new conceptual framework that advocates for a holistic approach to the relationship between designers and designed spaces over the lifespan of the project. It details a study that used interviews and surveys to explore landscape designers’ interest in tracking long-term site outcomes, as well as their current and desired levels of participation in extended engagement activities. Finally, it suggests actions that individuals and organizations could take to make extended engagement a more meaningful part of professional practice in contemporary landscape architecture.
Open Access
Rural Flush: Harnessing Multifunctional Constructed Wetlands to Play a Winning Hand in Blue River, OR.
(University of Oregon, 2024-06) Meyer, Ted
This project applies a new model for rural wastewater treatment in Blue River, an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon. Blue River’s destruction in the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire created both a legal imperative to modernize the community’s sanitation and an opportunity to rethink rural wastewater treatment. The model combines basic mechanical primary treatment with extensive secondary treatment by constructed wetlands. Replacing mechanical secondary treatment processes with constructed wetlands considerably reduces the operating costs of centralized sanitation, lowering a critical barrier to treating wastewater offsite in low-population areas of the United States. Constructed wetlands additionally restore threatened habitats and provide recreational opportunities, making them dynamic community assets. The efficacy of treatment wetlands have been widely demonstrated in research and practice worldwide, and are beginning to be adapted in the United States. Landscape architects are uniquely suited to act as ‘aesthetic ambassadors’ for this intervention, which can provide a sustainable and affordable model for rural wastewater treatment.
Open Access
Following Hobbit Trails: A Stakeholder Driven Approach to School Yard Design
(University of Oregon, 2024) Glastonbury, Griffin G.
Hi there, thanks for reading this document! My project is about some hobbit trails I followed over the course of 6 months. My name is Giffin and this is a stakeholder driven approach to school yard design. This booklet includes, background context, my design process, my proposed design and some reflection and discussion.
Open Access
The Power of Oregon Prison Gardens: Agrivoltaics at Warner Creek Correctional Facility
(University of Oregon, 2024) McKone, Mikayla
Research has shown that there are many physical and mental benefits from having gardens in prison. Gardens provide Adults in Custody (AICs) the opportunity to connect with nature, learn new skills, build relationships, and access fresh healthy food, among many other benefits. With the introduction of renewable energy to an existing prison garden, this project explores how solar panels can expand the current benefits of the existing prison garden at Warner Creek Correctional Facility. Through a literature review, case study analysis, and site visits, this research proposes a new site for agrivoltaic implementation which overlaps with Oregon Department of Corrections Sustainability Plan. Although landscape architects cannot solve issues of mass incarceration or climate change alone, they can help promote renewable energy to maximize mutual benefits to increase land use efficiency, improve the human experience of incarceration, and address food security inside prison.
Open Access
Beyond the Glow: Embracing Darkness & Reconciling Nocturnality in More-than-human Cities
(University of Oregon, 2024) Chuang, Phoebe
"Beyond the Glow" explores the pervasive issue of light pollution, particularly its impact on the environment and nocturnal migratory birds. It highlights how urban areas contribute significantly to light pollution, and emphasizes the cultural shift caused by excess artificial light at night, which disrupts our connection to natural darkness and its therapeutic benefits. By focusing on Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, the project showcases design strategies to mitigate light pollution, enhance nighttime experiences, and create habitats for nocturnal wildlife. The implementation of dark infrastructure, including a migration night trail and Mirror Stone installations, represents nocturnal bird migration and reflect natural lights for visitors. The project's ultimate goal is to reconnect people with natural darkness and improve urban environments for both humans and wildlife, demonstrating how design can address the root causes of light pollution, the lack of connection to natural darkness.
Open Access
#Insta-Structure: Designing for Instagram to Protect Local Ecologies on the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
(University of Oregon, 2024) Sinclair, Katie
In the age of increased use of social media and Instagram comes the increased urge to replicate photos seen. Many of these photos are outdoor lifestyle photos, and many of those photos are, or could be located in sensitive ecological areas. That could mean the landscape itself or the way the photo is framed by stepping off trail. In the case of the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, it’s both. This project also looks to the problem for the solution. By designing with Instagram in mind the narrative can be driven in a positive direction. Designing six site-specific landscape interventions is a way of keeping Instagram influencers, other visitors using the space, and local ecologies happy. These interventions enable influencers to create amazing content without having to step off trail to frame the view. One specific intervention is the “Scope”, which is designed to frame a photo with a kaleidoscope border. When the Scope is mounted to a permanent footing it forces people to stand and walk where it is desirable. In other words, they stay on the trail. The Scope also provides a way for people to view the surrounding landscape and take in its beauty, not just look at it. With the completion of this project, hopefully it will spark interest in other designers to spread this concept and use it in other landscapes. #Insta-Structure.
Open Access
The New Suburban Dream: The Intersection of Aesthetics & Ecology in Residential Planting Design
(University of Oregon, 2024) Harrison, Katherine
This project investigates the intersection of ecology and aesthetics in residential planting design, with the aim of developing a new suburban aesthetic that inspires homeowners to embrace ecological initiatives in their front yards. In particular, this project looks at planting design for the Lucas Valley Neighborhood in Marin County, California, which affords many unique opportunities for ecological connectivity at the neighborhood scale. Best practices for biodiversity, fire-smart landscapes, and water- wise landscapes are discussed and evaluated for synergies and trade-offs. Three unique planting plans are presented, each showcasing a different opportunity to be found in ecologically minded residential design initiatives.
Open Access
The Garden Hospital: Reinventing the Healthcare Landscape using Principles of Gardens and Sustainability to Create a Visual Guidebook for Human Design
(University of Oregon, 2024) Jeffs, Caitlin
Healthcare landscapes, such as hospitals, medical complexes, and clinics, are not known for being pleasant spaces for the human user to engage with. Often, these spaces are associated with sickness, loss, and death, and are sources of significant stress for their users. The western concept of medical spaces is in need of a redesign, with the increased incorporation of nature and community showing great promise in reducing stress and improving health outcomes. This project seeks to explore this concept further through design, investigating the role of Landscape Architecture in developing the Garden Hospital: medical landscapes that are designed for multi-functionality, biophilia, and community. The site for this design project is the Kaiser Permanente Medical Office Building in Santa Cruz, Ca. The full hospital landscape will be transformed, including facades, rooftops, interior and outdoor spaces to explore the Garden Hospital typology and demonstrate theoretical ways in which it could be accomplished. In doing so, the Kaiser Permanente site will go beyond a medical space, becoming a central point in the lives of the local community. This shift in healthcare, backed by research into human health and wellbeing, could not only improve our experiences within and relationship to medical landscapes, but help to improve the health outcomes of the community.
Open Access
Field Goals: A Framework for Integrating Sustainable Design Methods to Retrofit Existing Sports Park Infrastructure
(University of Oregon, 2024) Khalid, Basil
As climate change and its impact on heat island effects, water scarcity, and loss of biodiversity all become increasingly more pressing from year to year, designers and planners play an integral role in managing the effects of these impacts to provide a more sustainable way forward for future generations. One of the ways in which designers and planners can contribute to more sustainable design solutions is through improved land use management practices. While occupying large footprints in regard to land use, sports parks and fields have long been considered an essential feature for communities. Sports parks can be defined as public outdoor spaces that serve the primary function of providing organized physical activity and sports opportunities to a wide variety of users1. Ranging from rural to urban centers, sports parks promote health and wellness through exercise and physical activity, stimulating economic development and benefits, as well as supporting social inclusion and cohesion. Although the health, economic, and social benefits may be apparent through sports parks and fields, what is often a challenge to incorporate into the design of these spaces is an environmental and multifunctional benefit to the land they encompass. This project seeks to integrate sustainable design principles and practices into the planning of sports parks and fields. Incorporating a multifunctional landscape approach to the design of sports parks and fields can allow planners and designers to employ innovative methods to addressing specific sustainability challenges related to land use efficiency, along with storm water management, renewable energy sources, and habitat restoration, while promoting social and health benefits for communities.
Open Access
A Trail for the Masses: Trails to Educate, Celebrate, and Inspire
(University of Oregon, 2024) Coronado, Cameron
A trail for the masses demonstrates how a trail system can re - connect people with the land, appreciate the value of timber products, and better understand how sustainable sourcing can improve forest health, lower carbon emissions, and bring economic prosperity to local communities. Newly developed methods using GIS, R hino , and Grasshopper w ere used to spatial ly analyze stand - level data in the Elliot Forest . Th is de sign project explored how 3D modeling softwa re can aid in forest ste wa rdship practices , specifically focusing on souring small - diameter trees to produce mass timber products. Through mass timber demonstrations, hiking paths that weave visitors through forest stands in different phases of treatment, and interpretive signage, these trails can educate, celebrate, and inspire the masses.
Open Access
Par Bee: From Harmful to Helpful. Guidelines for a Sustainable Golf Course Through the Promotion of Biodiversity.
(University of Oregon, 2024) Goldstein, Sarah
The ecological reality of a golf course is not quite as beautiful as its intriguing aesthetic. Similarities to note here include turfed green open space marked by the red hexagon pattern. Canopies of trees that appear to lack a progression of ecological communities, marked here by the yellow dots, and patches of bunch grasses - arguably rather uninteresting - can be spotted and marked by the vertical purple stripes. The scenery is often repetitive from course to course and appears to lack biodiversity. All of this is not to disparage golf courses, or a call to swear them off, but rather to open discussion about the opportunities available for enhancing an underutilized landscape to support wildlife. While golf courses are in fact highly engineered landscapes, their lack of built structures combined with acres of open space provides a place for more diverse habitat. By providing more land for pollinators to thrive in a space that does not currently provide much ecological value, the pairing has the potential to create a functional landscape for human and non-human species to cohabitate.
Open Access
Wings of Change: Zoo Design Strategies for Raptor Rehabilitation Centers
(University of Oregon, 2024) Brotsis, Jake
This master’s project explores the adaptation of zoo design principles to wildlife rehabilitation centers, specifically focusing on the Cascades Raptor Center in Eugene, Oregon. The aim is to create speculative design solutions that prioritize animal wellness, visitor education, and environmental stewardship. Through extensive research, expert collaboration, and design development, this project presents a comprehensive vision for the Cascades Raptor Center’s future expansion, demonstrating the potential for integrating zoo design principles into a wildlife rehabilitation setting. The project includes a comprehensive analysis of the raptor center’s expansion plans and site conditions, proposing innovative approaches to designing new aviary habitats and human-occupied spaces. Using the award-winning Eagle Passage aviary at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park as a design precedent, the project explores alternative ways to meet the principles of landscape immersion and animal husbandry requirements while providing an educational experience for visitors through interpretive programs. The concept of “flex enclosures” is introduced, offering adaptable spaces that allow for controlled movement and rotation of raptors between enclosures, enhancing the immersive appeal and reinforcing educational interactives. Guided by a conceptual framework centered on Integrated Habitat Design and Interpretive Engagement, the project emphasizes the synergistic relationship between enclosure design and education. By replicating natural habitats and providing immersive educational experiences, the design aims to foster emotional connections and a deeper understanding of raptor conservation among visitors. This project provides valuable insights for landscape architects and students on designing species-appropriate habitats and educational programs within the parameters and goals set by the client, exemplified by the Cascades Raptor Center.
Open Access
Cohousing to Catalyse Social and Ecological Networks of Reciprocity
(University of Oregon, 2023-06) Hagen-Botbol, Sabina; Ribe, Rob
In an effort to live with a deeper sense of community, this design project seeks to explore the concept of cohousing, with the intention to integrate social and ecological reciprocity. In applying the lens of landscape architecture, this interconnection would extend to the landscape, and ecosystems. By consciously recognizing this broader, more encompassing, view of community, forming cohousing communities becomes an endeavor that incorporates our inherent responsibilities of being a good neighbor socially and ecologically, forming relationships of reciprocity rather than systems of commodification. These concepts are applied to create a concept design for a cohousing community in Fall Creek, Oregon. This project aims to design a site to promote living with a deeper sense of community by integrating social and ecological relationships for enhanced quality of life.
Open Access
Ecological design of an urban meadow informed by contemporary approaches to lower-intensity management
(University of Oregon, 2023-06) Dorkina, Natalie; Ribe, Rob
Green spaces are an essential part of the urban environment. They should provide multiple benefits, including enhancing people’s well-being and affording ecological benefits. Rapidly changing economic conditions often lead to significant shortages of maintenance funding and skilled labor resources (Sutton 2022). This promotes a greatly disturbed urban environment due to neglect and climate change, and a decrease in biodiversity. The design of green spaces in the urban environment becomes more challenging. It was calculated that currently, potentially one hundred sixty-three thousand and eight hundred (163,800 km2 (± 35,850 km2) of land are cultivated with turf grasses in the continental United States, which is three times larger than any irrigated crop (Milesi et al., 2005). “A 2017 projection by the California Air Resources Board cautioned that, beginning in 2020, the most ubiquitous instruments of landscape care—gasoline-powered landscape maintenance equipment, —could generate more ozone pollution than all the cars in the state of California combined”(Sutton, 2022).One of the approaches to these challenges that is gaining more attention is to incorporate into more urban environment ecological planting with low-intensity management (Dunnett and Hitchmough 2004) such as meadow. My project seeks to design a pollinator meadow near the new site of the Urban Farm Riverfront as an alternative land cover type to mown amenities to increase the overall productivity of an ecosystem and create space for activities and exploration.
Open Access
Indigenous Resurgence on the University of Oregon Campus: Reclamation through Relational Landscape Design
(University of Oregon, 2023-06) Graham, Grace; O'Neal, Jennifer
This project engages with issues of Indigenous recognition, resurgence, and futurity at the University of Oregon through the lens of landscape design. By applying a relational approach to the design process that is grounded in Indigenous research methods, Grace uncovers the principles at the root of the University’s current campus planning structures and empowers Indigenous community members to reimagine them through their own lived experiences. Through this work, Grace hopes to ignite a larger conversation about the need to center Indigenous knowledge and leadership at institutions of higher education, and across the landscape architecture discipline.
Open Access
Integrating Urban Acupuncture and the Triple Bottom Line to Revitalize Portland's Downtown Core
(University of Oregon, 2023-06) Rycewicz, Audrey; Ribe, Rob
This urban design methodology combines two complementary theories: the Triple Bottom Line framework and Urban Acupuncture. The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) emphasizes equal consideration of social, environmental, and economic impacts in decision-making processes, while Urban Acupuncture draws parallels between discrete interventions in the urban realm and the practice of acupuncture. The research focuses on Portland, OR, a city facing common urban challenges, including homelessness, safety, economic repercussions of COVID-19, climate change, and overemphasis on personal vehicles. Informed by the TBL and Portland's specific issues, 15 goals were identified across environmental, social, and economic categories. Urban Acupuncture guided the translation of these goals into tangible interventions in the urban context. To select a research site, an overlay analysis was conducted using ArcGIS Pro, considering the following factors: street tree density, proximity to parks, the urban heat island index, and the vulnerability index. The resulting "Environmental Vulnerability" index led to the selection of a 5 by 5 block area in Downtown and Old Town Chinatown as the research site. The research site is characterized by notable challenges, including a significant number of surface parking lots contributing to environmental vulnerability, low canopy cover (6%), and a presence of individuals experiencing homelessness. It also holds cultural importance, hosting beloved events such as the Rose Festival, Blues Festival, and Portland Saturday Market. Based on potential use types, synergies, and conflicts among the 15 goals, six site types were identified: Ecological Landscapes, Blue Infrastructure Landscapes, Personal Vehicle Landscapes, Community Landscapes, Small Business Landscapes, and Residential Landscapes. Each site type was assigned specific goals, and the conceptual design of each site was informed by those goals. Placement of site types within the research area considered site conditions and opportunities. Each design was evaluated based on its effectiveness in addressing assigned goals and additional serendipitous achievements. By adopting a district-wide approach and utilizing sustainable small-scale landscape interventions, the methodology aims to generate greater benefits compared to a traditional site-by-site approach. By considering district-wide opportunities and conditions, designers can identify site types that prioritize synergies among goals while avoiding conflicts. However, it is crucial to address the housing needs of the area, as neglecting issues of affordable housing and homelessness may undermine the effectiveness of landscape improvements in achieving triple bottom line goals. Incorporating these findings and considerations, future urban design planning and design endeavors can strive towards creating sustainable, socially inclusive, and economically vibrant urban environments.
Open Access
Large Wood, Long Legacy: Carving Timbers for Regional Environmental Interpretation
(University of Oregon, 2023-06) Vierck, Ian Escher; Borden, David Buckley
Large Wood, Long Legacy is a series of landscape installations and experiences that explores the role of large wood in different ecosystems in Western Oregon.
Open Access
Reworking Evaporation: New Energy Canals for Farms and Fish in Klamath Falls Oregon
(University of Oregon, 2023-06) Gonzalez, Sean (McClean); Ribe, Rob
This project seeks to further explore P.V. over canals specifically in urban contexts. I will begin by giving a more detailed overview of climate, water, and energy within the Klamath Basin, focusing specifically on the A-Canal, my project site located in Klamath Falls, Oregon. I will then provide a brief overview of the current state of P.V. over canal and discuss why I chose to focus specifically on this urban canal. Then, I will switch to the process I took to develop objectives and identify the constraints to designing an urban P.V. over canal system in Klamath Falls. Then, I will walk through three design exercises where I explored the role that a landscape architect could play in a P.V. over canal project on the A-Canal or other urban canals. At the end, I will provide an overview of what I learned from this process, including specific strategies that could be used to adapt P.V. over canal to more urban contexts.