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ALEX J. MCCAY
DESIGN PORTFOLIO
Selected Works
Alex J. McCay
GRADUATE PROJECTS
INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
PHOTOGRAPHY
Ag-Riparian Planning
Counts Studio
Beijing Expo + Qianshan New City
WWI Memorial (Competition Finalist)
337 GardenHappy Valley Garden (Competition Winner)Expo Georgia Masterplan
Counts Studio
Personal Photography
Bellefonte Waterfront Masterplan
Magombera Elephant Corridor
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State College, PA
Brooklyn, NY
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5
15
21
25
222324
Fall, 2013
May - July 2014
Sept 2015 - Feb 2016
Projects:
Projects:
Spring, 2014
Graduate CapstoneFall 2014 - Spring 2015
Prof. Tim Baird, Prof. Tim Murtha
Landscape Design Intern
Landscape Designer
Prof . Christopher Counts, Prof. Maria Counts, Prof. Barry Kew
Prof. Larry Gorenfo, Prof. Brian Orland
Selected Works 2013 - 2016Graduate + Professional [email protected]
724.914.38771001 Meadow Lane, Apt 104Canonsburg, PA 15317
Spring creekwatershed
Public propertyWhitehall Road Farm
ParksBuildings
101’-150’ Buffer>150’ Buffer
50’-100’ Buffer<50’ BufferNo buffer
AG-RIPARIAN PLANNINGProf. Tim Baird, Prof. Tim MurthaSpring Creek Watershed, Centre County, PA Fall, 2013
Ag-Riparian Planning is a landscape solution to water quality concerns in the agrarian landscapes of central Pennsylvania. The creation of a comprehensive, tri-faceted approach focuses on the entire agrarian landscape rather than solely the stream bed and improves not only water quality but conservation and agricultural production.
The implementation of this initiative on public property encourages a greater connection to local communities through outdoor activites and education.
Buffer quality in Spring Creek watershed overlain with public property and development reveals areas for implementation that offer larger community connection potential
N2 50mi1
Riparian Buffer Quality and Public Land
Ag-Riparian planning re-shapes the agrarian landscape in 3 segments so ecology and economic production work together.
Habitat strips are introduced between rows to promote yield-increasing pollinators and pest-managing species that lessen the need for pesticides while also serving as primary water filtration
Agricultural Intervention
A 3-tiered stream buffer provides dual-function water quality and habitat measures
Growing season Winter coverFieldsHabitat strip
Fields are reconfigured into evenly spaced (and combine-width) rows separated by habitat strips, and employ conservation tillage and cover crops to minimize erosion and fertilizer needs
1: Uniform Field Orientation + Cover Crops
3: Multi-Functional Buffers2: Insectary Habitat Strips
WildflowersGround-nest Flowering shrubs50’
Habitat Creation
Field Orientation Conservation Tillage + Cover Crops
Existing Proposed
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3
1
2
The implementation of Ag-Riparian Planning on university-owned farms allows for recreational intervention that connects local communities through outdoor activities and conservation education that changes with the seasons.
Partnering with local conservation organizations to create site stations provides greater community connection through education and involvement on the farm.
Community ConnectionWhitehall Road Farm
Conservation Stations
A variety of trails and workout stations provide exercise opportunities, connections to the state forest, and the opportunity to connect through educational signage.
Trail Networks & Exercise Stations
Pedestrian Multi-Use
0’ 200 400N
Scott Twp
Rothrock State Forest
3
250’
500’500’
Summer
Autumn Winter
Sweet Corn
Wagon Rides Pumpkin
Picking Mountain ViewsHarvest Fall ColorsWildlife
Nature Walks Nature Walks
Fishing
Open ViewsHunting
Christmas TreeCutting Syrup
Tapping Fishing
Bonfires
DecorationGathering
BikeRiding
RunningWildflowers
HoneyProduction
Plant IDClasses Nature
Walks
PicnicsMushroom
Picking
FishingSwimming
Bird WatchingMountain
Views
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BELLEFONTE WATERFRONTMASTERPLAN
Bellefonte was founded on the ability of Spring Creek, Big Spring, and the surrounding mountains to provide the foundation for industry and economic prosperity. The decline of industry and rise in flood events has left the historic waterfront largely derelict.
The design of the new waterfront aims to celebrate the historic and natural elements of Bellefonte through the creation of 3 distinct but connected landscapes: an urban plaza, a civic park, and a nature park. Each of these focuses on the revitalization of the waterfront’s lost prominence. The use of topography to celebrate the water and manage flood conditions creates a new and dynamic landscape experience within Bellefonte.
TOP RIGHT: Existing conditions model30-scale (8’x4’) model of the waterfront and surrounding neighborhoods was created in Rhino and routed out of MDF. I supervised the testing and presentation of materiality and construction of the model.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Revitalized WaterfrontView of the new waterfront park from the edge of the historic downtown.
Prof. Christopher Counts, Prof. Maria Counts, Prof. Barry Kew,Bellefonte, PA Spring, 2014
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Inventory + AnalysisFocus on the relationship between the development of land-use and topography.
Land Use Separation
Land Use vs. Topography
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Residential
Commercial
Public Park
Historic Downtown 100yr Floodplain
Historic Downtown100yr FloodplainCommercial
Existing ParkSpring Creek
Residential
Design Development The use of topography as a design engine and flood-management tool was tested through back-and-forth studies of hand grading and models at various scales. This allowed the design to be tested and improved at both master planning and site specific levels
PAGE LEFT - TOP: Master planning and site program models
PAGE LEFT - BOTTOM: Hand drafted grading and pathway studies
PAGE RIGHT: Models testing site topography, program, and planting strategies
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30-scale (8’x4’) model of the waterfront and surrounding neighborhoods was created in Rhino and routed out of MDF. I supervised the testing and presentation of materiality and construction of the model.
View of the new waterfront park from the edge of the downtown.
The Bellefonte Waterfront Masterplan features 3 connected, but individual, spaces to inspire a live-work-play atmosphere: an urban plaza celebrating the former industrial center of the town surrounded by new and renovated architecture, a civic park to revitalize the former public park, and a nature park to connect to the local mountain context and Big Spring. The concept of varying topography connects the individual spaces through prospects and connections to the water that are ever-changing as the water levels rise and fall.
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Bellefonte Waterfront Masterplan
Site Spaces
N100 2000’
Mill-Race Plaza
Willow Civic Park
Big Spring Nature Park
Site Elements
Water Level + Site Accessibility
Architectural Program 10
Average Annual High 100 Year Floodplain 200 Year Floodplain
Plantings
Architecture
Pedestrian Circulation
Vehicular Circulation
Topography
Spring Creek
Mill-Race
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2
3
6
5
7
4
1) Mixed office/res/retail
3) Mixed residential/retail
5) Civic center/retail/residential
4) Industrial
6) Restaurant
7) Cafe
2) Mixed office/res/retail
ResidentialPublic Structural
Parking
Office CommercialIndustrial
Mill-Race PlazaThe new downtown of Bellefonte: a mix of restored industrial buildings and new construction with residential and commercial property centered around the revitalized Mill Race.
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Spring Creek AmphitheaterA waterfront amphitheater connects the urban plaza to the central civic park.
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Willow Civic ParkThe civic park centers on a sloped lawn held by rising topography providing both passive recreation and active visual connections to the rest of the site and city.
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Big Spring ParkThe winding topography of the nature park references the mountains that hold Bellefonte and celebrates the natural spring on site.
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MAGOMBERA ELEPHANT CORRIDOR
Recent research has shown the drastic decline of the African elephant. None more drastic than in the Selous Game Reserve in central Tanzania where the population has declined 80% in the last 8 years. The Kilombero Valley sits between the Selous and Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Historical corridors connected the protected areas but human development of the valley has ceased functional connectivity. A small piece of remnant habitat known as Magombera Forest provides the final point where elephants still attempt to travel between the two protected areas.
Through landscape studies and elephant research the design reconnects the two areas through the arrangement of habitat based on elephant preference. This provides insulated habitat for the elephants to travel through the corridor while it minimizes the potential for human-elephant conflict. The design incorporates design at three scales: general corridor, edge buffer, and intervention points, to meet the various challenges that elephants present as they travel through a human-dominated landscape.
TOP RIGHT: Aerial corridor visualizationA bird’s eye view of the restored corridor shows the juxtaposition of natural habitat in an agriculturally dominated landscape
BOTTOM RIGHT: Corridor buffer visualizationThe agroforestry edge serves as an economically viable edge habitat that is prohibitive to elephant intrusion
Graduate Capstone ProjectProf. Larry Gorenflo, Prof. Brian OrlandKilombero Valley, Tanzania Spring 2015
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Both social and ecological analysis of the valley was performed to find the best scenario for successful habitat introduction.
TOP RIGHT: The Kilombero Valley is a connection for a larger range of elephant territory with this corridor central to function
MIDDLE: Land-use resistance and overlay models to compare the land conversion and economic impact of 2 corridor introduction scenarios
BOTTOM: Physical comparison of several landscape factors were considered for their impact on valley connectivity and livelihoods
Inventory + Landscape Studies
Pathway 1 Pathway 2
Land Use Value AnalysisHabitat Economic
Land-Use
Context Area
Pathway Comparison
Area boundaryRegion boundaryMigration routeFormermigration route
Project area
Protected area
Development High value ag. Low value ag.InfrastructureNatural habitat Pathway overlay
Natural habitat
Corridor overlay
Villages
200m Buffer
Impacted roadway
Magomberaforest
Udzungwa NP
to Ruaha NP
to Niassa Reserve
Kilombero Valley
Mikumi NP
Selous GameReserve
N1 20km
N1 20km
N100km
Low High
Dry
Wet
General Corridor DesignPathway 1 was chosen for it’s smaller impacts on livelihood economics, social connectivity, and inclusion of existing habitat. A behavior based habitat concept was then created and applied to the corridor extents.
Elephant research suggests they prefer certain habitats and avoid others along seasonal gradients. The corridor design concept stacks habitat types to insulate movement towards the corridor interior. This deters elephant movement outside of the corridor’s core and minimizes potential human-wildlife conflict.
Design Concept: Behavioral Habitat Stacking
Seasonal Habitat Preference Flexibility
Corridor Habitat + Buffer
Agroforestry
More-preferred
Interior
Less-preferred
Exterior
Closed Bushed Grassland
Riverine
Open Forest Closed Forest
Open BushedGrassland
N1 20km
Dry Season Wet Season
Tertiary habitat
Habitat buffer
Secondary habitat
Primary habitat
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Certain points along the corridor require site-specific designs to address potential issues that may lead to wildlife breaching the corridor.
Habitat tightening and bee fences serve to deter elephants following the stream beds that extend outside the corridor.
Grading a ramp into the railroad berm and tightening habitat creates a pinch point to focus elephant movement across the tracks.
Intervention Points
Riverine Extensions
Rail Berm Crossing
Non-preferred habitat
Bee fence
Travel path
N1000m
Non-preferred habitat
Travel path
N5000m
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Habitat Buffer EdgeA buffered edge on the corridor stacks non-preferred habitat in configurations that shift in response to changing exterior conditions.
Limits ease of travel where human contact is minimal
Near human development where exposure and visibility are necessary
General Buffer
High-Visibility
ExposureEase of travel
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A hard edge where waterways limit effective depth of prohibitive habitats
In close proximity to villages the depth, exposure, and movement restrictions increase
Riverine
Village Corridor
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INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCECOUNTS STUDIOLandscape Design InternState College, PA
Beijing, China + Zhuhai, China
May - July 2015
BEIJING GARDEN EXPO + QIANSHAN NEW CITY
Worked on a team that researched materials, prepared CAD files, lasercut, and assembled acrylic topography models.
TOP RIGHT: Beijing Garden Expo model
BOTTOM: Qianshan New City models
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New York, NY
337 GARDEN
Corrected site survey to represent correct recycled material, drafted pavement studies, created micro-planting iterations for between-paver plantings, drafted construction documents, worked on a team to select plant species.
TOP RIGHT: Recycled pavement design options for garden and resulting planted surfaces
BOTTOM LEFT: Pavement spacing diagram for micro planting typologies
BOTTOM RIGHT: Section elevation detail of garden and residence
<1”1”-2”2”-3”
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Whuhan, China
HAPPY VALLEY GARDEN2014 International Competition Winner
Created diagrams to represent the relationship between topography and circulation, rendered site perspectives, designed booklet and board layout for submission packet and design presentation.
TOP RIGHT: Topography and circulation diagrams
BOTTOM: Perspective showing the lower garden elevations, primary pathway, and secondary ribbon paths
Primary CirculationTopography Secondary Circulation
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Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia
EXPO GEORGIA MASTERPLAN
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Gathered and corrected site inventory files, reconstructed site grading, worked on a team to construct existing conditions model, drafted design studies for Civic Lawn and converted to digital files, worked on a team to construct Civic Lawn model, created exposition center model from architectural drawings.
TOP RIGHT: Drafting grading studies for Civic Lawn
BOTTOM LEFT: Final civic lawn paving and site connections
BOTTOM RIGHT: Rendered Civic Lawn model showing planting and paving
Site Alignment
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCECOUNTS STUDIO
Site Analysis + Comparison
WWI MEMORIAL (Competition Finalist)
Sept 2015 - Feb 2016
Existing Site
Proposed Site
Pavement Stairs Planted Surface Honey LocustsTopography
Inventoried and diagrammed culturally significant site features for comparison to proposed design, created context diagrams to show block and city-scale connectivity.
TOP RIGHT: National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue Context
BOTTOM: Existing vs. Proposed Diagrams
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Landscape DesignerBrooklyn, NY
Pershing Park, Washington, D.C.
Site Alignment
Construction Documentation
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Worked with consulting architects and engineers to draft construction details that communicate the design for cost estimation and simplify the design’s structural features for mid-competition jury reviews.
TOP RIGHT: Grading and site drainage
BOTTOM LEFT: Memorial wall detail
BOTTOM RIGHT: Custom site furniture detail
Design Development
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Through a process of sketch iterations, topography studies, and physical models the design was tested and refined as the competition progressed.
PAGE LEFT: Grading studies testing the effect of slope and pathway interaction on design
PAGE RIGHT - TOP: Adjusting landform and slope based on modeling results
PAGE RIGHT - BOTTOM: Exploring design ideas through the construction and modification of physical models
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Physical Concept ModelLed the construction of a concept model to test design ideas and, upon completion, represent the final design for submission and presentation.
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30
Plan + DiagramsRendered site plan and diagrams of design elements.
TOP RIGHT: Site plan and program
BOTTOM LEFT: Immediate site context, connections, and viewsheds
BOTTOM RIGHT: Diagram showing programmatic range of individual spaces
PAGE RIGHT: Diagrams of site features, elements, and experiences
DOUGHBOYPLAZA
CAPITOL PROMENADE
PERSHINGLAWN
MEMORIAL GARDEN
MEMORIAL GARDEN
WASHINGTON MONUMENT OVERLOOK
CIVICSTAIRS
AMPHITHEATER
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0’ 25 50N
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Design VisualizationsVisualizations of the design features and spaces, such as the memorial garden, commemorative walls, plaza, and lawn, were created collaboratively.
TOP RIGHT: Civic Stairs and Overlook
BOTTOM LEFT: Memorial Garden
PAGE RIGHT TOP: Doughboy Plaza
PAGE RIGHT BOTTOM: Pershing Lawn
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PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
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ALEX J. MCCAY
Design PortfolioSelected Works