...a selection of workLAURA ELIZABETH BARKER

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GREENANDBLUEHABITAT,exisng-verylileinteraconoccursbetweenaquacandterrestriallifeatthewaterfront.

GREENANDBLUEHABITAT-aswatermeetsland,aquacandterrestrialhabitatsmingleandareenrichedbyoneanother.

PROGRAMMING,exisng-thePioneerSquaredistrictisrichinacvityandprogramming,buttheAlaskanWayViaductpreventsthatfromcarryingovertothewaterfront.

PROGRAMMING-newprogrammingbuildsupontheexisngrichnessofthedistrict,bringingthatcharacteracrossAlaskanWaytoenliventhewaterfront.

CIRCULATION,exisng-theviaductbreaksuppedestriancorridorsandgreatlyrestrictsmovementbetweendowntownandthewaterfront.

CIRCULATION-previouslydisjointedpedestrianpathsarereconnectedandexisngonesareaugmented,connecngthewaterfrontbacktoitssurroundings.

the epicenter urban park at pier 48UW “Public Spaces, Public Life” Landscape Urbanism StudioSeattle, Washington, Fall 2010

I teamed up with another student to complete this I teamed up with another student to complete this project for an interdisciplinary landscape urbanism studio at the University of Washington. This “Public Spaces, Public Life” studio focused on the impending removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the opportunity to reconnect the Seattle Central Waterfront back into downtown Seattle.

Our pOur project site was Pier 48, at the southern end of the waterfront. The existing Pier 48 structure was constructed in the 1920s; since then, the pier has gone through many different uses and is currently abandoned. The Epicenter urban park is a proposal that redefines Seattle public space while creating an architectural and urban design solution that responds to its unique contits unique context: the Olympic Mountains to the west, the Port of Seattle cranes to the south, the Seattle skyline to the north, and the stadium district to the southeast. The Epicenter creates a southern bookend to the central waterfront, as the Olympic Sculpture Park is the bookend to the north. The pavilions, green folds that rise to create an outdoor amphitheater, provide seating to the theater oto the theater of life that is the city of Seattle. The different street access points at the urban interface respond to how different users at the regional, waterfront, and district scales will interact with each other here; the beach offers an enhanced natural habitat for wildlife as well as for humans.

Site analysis diagrams were produced using Adobe Illustrator. Site plan was drawn in AutoCAD and rendered in Adobe Illustrator.

Site Analysis Diagrams

Site Plan

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devereux meadows urban park projectNCSU Landscape Architecture Final StudioRaleigh, North Carolina, Spring 2006

This is a pThis is a project I undertook in collaboration with another student for a landscape architecture studio at NC State University. This major, semester-long project was largely self-directed, and we were allowed to work on any site of our choosing. We chose to undertake a stream restoration and park project, daylighting a culverted stream and creating a pacreating a park in downtown Raleigh, NC, and rethinking several of the surrounding roads, buildings, and land uses to create better pedestrian and vehicular connections to the park and to the downtown area. Another major aspect of this project was the redesign of Capital Blvd., which posed a significant barrier between the park and the rest oand the rest of downtown.

This project focuses on the contemporary roles that parks play in our urban environment, and also on how a park can function as a catalyst for increased density and improvements to the immediate and broader area.

Site diagram was put together in Adobe Photoshop; conceptual drawings at right were done by hand.

Schematic Site Diagram

...Capital Boulevard conceptual sketchesThe sketches at left explore different ways of connecting the new park to the rest of downtown Raleigh. At present, Capital Boulevard presents a significant barrier to pedestrian traffic. We selected a hybrid of the sunken boulevard and the traffic circle concepts in order to create an effective pedestrian connection.

Sunken Boulevard Concept

Bridge Concept

Traffic Circle Concept

devereux meadowssite layout + sections

The lThe layout drawing was produced in AutoCAD and rendered using Adobe Illustrator. The sections were cut in AutoCAD and rendered in Adobe Photoshop. The site overview was produced in Google SketchUp and elements were added in Adobe Photoshop.

A visible Raleigh skyline

Proposed light rail stop

Dawson Street Urban Plazaabove Capital Blvd.

2-lane traffic circle above Capital Blvd.at the intersection of Peace Street and

Dawson Street Plaza

The Capital Blvd. Tunnel would start herenorth of Peace Street, and would then

emerge on the other side of theSeaboard Railroad

Extra wide bridge over Capital Blvd.would help bring together the twosegregated sides of Capital Blvd.

Proposed new road appropriatelynamed Devereux Meadow Road

Proposed future TransitOriented Development

Raleigh’s first waterfronton Pigeon House Branch

Peace Street Bridge overPiegon House Branchrepresenting a gatewayinto the city

West Street redevelopmentwith a main street character

Allow Cleveland Street tocross the Norfolk-SouthernRailroad to link theGlenwood neighborhoodwith Devereux Meadows

Pedestrian tunnel under N-SRailroad to continue thegreenway from Fred FletcherPark to Devereux Meadowsand on into downtown

devereuxmeadow rd.

meadow entrance lower lawn pigeon house branchand pedestrian bridge

west street “mainstreet district”

amenity area stream access area urban entrance

terrace overlook stream + pocketwetland area

lower lawn upper lawn sidestreet

sunken capitalboulevard

urban entrance promenade lower lawn pigeon house branchand pedestrian bridge

CONCEPT DIAGRAM

SECTION A

SECTION B

SECTION C

SECTION D

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kelly’s mill pond park and visitors’ centerNCSU Landscape Architecture StudioKinston, NC, Fall 2004

KKelly’s Mill Pond, once the location of an active sawmill and gristmill, is now defunct, the old mill buildings dilapidated. However, the historic and potential recreational value of the pond to the city of Kinston is great. The city wants a recreational area that will attract locals and tourists alike. Some of the site amenities listed by city council members and townspeople as priorities are fishing access, boating access, a trail system, and restoration and preservation of historic remnants on the sithistoric remnants on the site. The trail on site will also eventually tie into the Mountains-to-Sea trail, which spans the state of North Carolina west to east, is slated to pass through Kinston, and is currently under construction. All graphics were produced by hand.

Section C: Through pond, restored sawmill, stream, and highway.

Perspective A: Boat ramp at visitors’ center.

Perspective B: Trail at restored grist mill.

to MTS Trail

to MTS trail

RestoredGrist Mill

CampingArea

B

A

Visitors’Center

BoatRamp

Canoe/Kayak/Bike Rental(existing barn)

RestoredSawmill

Visitors’ Center(see detailed plan,right)

CampingArea

Highway 70

A

C

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a serial vision experienceThe The experience of walking through this urban landscape from end to end is described in this sequence of views, defining it as a series of related spaces. While there is definite cohesiveness among the different spaces, each one has a unique character. This study moves from the Moore Square parking deck west ththrough the corridor toward Fayetteville Street, illustrating how the improvements have created an inviting, connected space for pedestrians.

Traveling through the parking deck from the transit station: this space, which had been empty, has been transformed into a pedestrian hub. A structure added under the parking deck houses a newsstand and cafe. Seating is also provided for patrons to wait comfortably for a bus.

The courtyard just beyond the parking deck provides a diversity of activities for users, including restaurant space with outdoor seating, an outdoor movie wall, and a seating patio that doubles as a stage. The moveable seating allows for a range of users and programming.

the link: an urban corridor in downtown raleighNCSU Landscape Architecture Urban Design StudioRaleigh, North Carolina, Fall 2005

This pThis project site is an important pedestrian connector in downtown Raleigh, forming a link between Fayetteville Street and the Moore Square Transit Station. Fayetteville Street is known as the commercial “main street” of downtown Raleigh, while the Transit Station includes the city’s main bus terminal and a deck providing parking for downtown visitors. This site is located two blocks south of the state capitol and spans two city blocks, crossing busy Wilmington Street in the middle of the site. This separation poses a challenge by severing the site, creating a definite lack of unity In addition, the site’s current features are unwelcoming, unused by pedestrians, and appear unsafe.

By pBy providing more comfortable human-scale spaces, including a safe pedestrian crossing at Wilmington Street, this design makes the space more conducive to pedestrian movement. The use of consistent details in pavings and furnishings across the site creates a sense of connection. A perceptible link is created by activating the space with dining, entertaining, and seating areas, making it safe and comfortable for use by pedestrians.

All graphics were hand-rendered.

This passage connecting the courtyard and Wilmington St. had been perceived by pedestrians as unsafe, as it was empty and poorly lit. Redeveloping the surrounding build-ings activates the space; provision of adequate lighting immediately makes it perceivably safe for pedestrians.

The Wilmington St. pedestrian mid-block crossing was poorly marked and dangerous. Raising the crossing to curb level creates a slowing mechanism for vehicles. Curb bump- outs, bollards, and a continuous paving pattern further slow traffic and enforce the pedestrian right-of-way.

Exchange Plaza, is situated in a shady spot between two tall buildings. Planters formerly ran down the middle of the plaza, breaking up the space. Creating a central pathway draws people into the space, and the view to Fayetteville St. is opened, creating a visual connection.

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wendell park expansionMilone & MacBroom, Inc.Wendell, North Carolina, 2008

This is a paThis is a park master planning project I undertook while employed with Milone & MacBroom, Inc. My office was tasked with planning for expansion of an existing 15-acre city park in the town of Wendell, North Carolina, onto an adjacent, recently acquired parcel of land which increased the total area of park land to 80 acres. The town desired a number of new sports fields and tand trails for recreation, as well as a regional baseball stadium for revenue generation, to be phased in over several years.

Working closely with the Wendell Parks & Recreation and Planning departments, we did site inventory and analysis to determine the most appropriate locations for fields, trails, and parking areas as desired by the town, for which I produced supporting analysis maps. I then produced a grading plan and a rendered site layout plan for the town.

The site analysis gThe site analysis graphics were produced in AutoCAD. The master plan was drawn in AutoCAD and was rendered using Adobe Photoshop.

Slope Analysis Map

Drainage Areas Map

Hydrology Map

Wendell Park Master Plan

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vista valley transit-orientedneighborhoodULI/Gerald D. Hines 2011 Student Urban Design CompetitionSeattle, Washington, Winter 2011

This is a pThis is a project I undertook as a member of a five-student team (one Master of Architecture student, one Master of Landscape Architecture student, two Master of Science in Real Estate students, and myself). The project was a submission for the annual, nationwide Urban Land Institute urban design competition, which is an interdisciplinary exercise in responsible land use for design and real estate students. The competition has a specific set of guidelines: teams must be interdisciplinary; no information on the site or its location is revealed until the day the competition begins; teams then have only two weeks to complete a master plan for the site, which includes a market feasibility analysifeasibility analysis, an appropriate ten-year phasing plan, and sources of financing and equity.

The project site was a 30-acre, multi-block area adjacent to the Mount Baker transit center and light rail stop in south Seattle. While my team did not place in the competition, it was a valuable, challenging exercise that stressed the merit of interdisciplinary cooperation under a strict time constraint, which has broad professional applicability.

The context maps were created using ArcGIS, and the buildout land use diagram was created in Google SketchUp. The statistic charts were created using Microsoft Excel. The phasing strategy base map was created in ArcGIS; buildings were drawn using AutoCAD; and final rendering was done in Adobe Illustrator.

Phasing StrategySite Analysis and Buildout Information

Phase 1The light rail station is the focal point of The light rail station is the focal point of the project, and development starts with the closest sites. A dynamic plaza welcomes light rail users when they enter the site. A guided, pedestrian-friendly path flows across the beautified transit center and then through the indoor marthrough the indoor market. McClellan Street transforms into a retail corridor featuring restaurants, bars, neighborhood retail uses, and amenities that serve the surrounding neighborhood. Existing neighborhood retail is reintroduced into more urban floor plates for grocerfloor plates for grocery, drug, and hardware stores. Above the retail the core of the neighborhood begins, introducing artist lofts and apartments. The QFC and Rite Aid remain temporarily, and the neighborhood adjusts to the new footprint.

Phase 2As dAs development moves farther away from the light rail station, the focus turns to multifamily residential. The guided path continues north and becomes a pedestrian priority street, Vista Promenade, with a series of alleys and pedestrian walkways connecting to pocpocket parks and leading residents to their doorsteps. A new street connects the site from east to west and Rainier Avenue continues to develop with a neighborhood community center. Structured parking is kept minimal to a 0.6 ratio, and design encourages a car free environment.free environment. Additional parking overflow during transition is absorbed by the existing surface lots and parking garage.

Phase 3Density increases with more Density increases with more multifamily and open space development. Uses become more varied with senior housing, condominiums, and family oriented developments. The new Olmsted Street adds to the east-west neighborhood connections.connections. Vista Promenade is completed, providing a pedestrian- priority connection from north to south through the site.

Phase 4Both sides of RainierBoth sides of Rainier Avenue develop, creating a strong neighborhood presence. Neighborhood commercial spaces line Rainier Avenue with multifamily, including condominiums and apartments, above and behind. Additionally, a lot is sold to the Seattle HousingHousing Authority in order to serve income needs below 50% AMI. Streets running east and west continue across Rainier Avenue. A path connects to the light rail station, crossing vibrant alleys and parks along the way. Partnerships with the City of Seattle and the Parks Foundation reduce the speed of traffic, Foundation reduce the speed of traffic, make sidewalks more pedestrian friendly, and create a public park with vehicular access.

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vista valley transit-oriented neighborhoodThe urban design plan was produced using ArcGIS and AutoCAD, and was rendered in Adobe Illustrator. The supplementary maps were produced in ArcGIS. Perspective images were produced in Adobe Photoshop, and sections were produced in Adobe Illustrator.

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photographyGreece, Spring 2008

PhotogPhotography of landscapes and urban spaces is one of my hobbies. Traveling a new place on foot can give one an interesting perspective on the place, and documenting that place through photography can often tell a often tell a wonderful story.

Acropolis Pine, Athens

Speed Limit, Santorini

Window, Athens Bicycle, Santorini

sketchesNCSU International Urban Design StudioPrague, Czech Republic, Summer 2005

Site sketches can often convey the character of a space in a way photography cannot.These sketches, all done in graphite pencil, were relatively quick, but are very evocative of the spirit of Prague.

Studio Courtyard, Prague Window Boxes, Prague

Vltava River and Most Legii, Prague

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