BLA Portfolio

M T ACKENZIE AYLOR

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

MARBLE PROJECT

DESIGN FOUNDATIONS | SPRING 2022

The marble project, my first in Landscape Architecture as a transfer student into the program, introduced landforms and surface hydrology by exploring the relationship between land and water. We manipulated contours to create two intersecting waterways, each designed to carry a large or small marble from start to finish. Success depended on how well the marbles traveled through our designs, refined through iterative adjustments. After shaping the terrain, we incorporated vegetation, pathways, and gathering spaces—a space for one, a few, and many. This process taught me to embrace iteration as a tool to overcome design challenges and discover innovative solutions.

1ST ITERATION

2ND ITERATION

FUNCTIONAL LIVING

RESIDENTIAL DESIGN | SPRING 2023

Completed during my second year, The Functional Living project was my first residential-scale design project and provided valuable experience working directly with a client. Tasked with creating a conceptual design, I developed three distinct options and refined them into one cohesive solution based on client feedback. Addressing drainage issues in both the front and back yards, I designed a space that worked with water flow rather than against it. The final design balanced areas for social gatherings, things to attract birds and other polinators, and a dedicated gardening space—key elements on the client’s wish list.

PLAN

DRIVEWAY WITH PERMEABLE PAVING

PERSPECTIVE

ADDITIONAL PARKING WITH PERMEABLE PAVING

SECTION A-A’

SECTION B-B’

CONCEPT 2

CONCEPT 3

RIVIANA REVIVAL

COMMUNITY DESIGN | SPRING 2024

PROMINENT SIGHT IMPRESSIONS

CREATINGWHOLISTIC COMMUNITIES

A REVIVAL is defined as the act of bringing something or someone back to a former state or condition. The Riviana Revival aims to restore a sense of purpose, life, and community to an abandoned rice mill near downtown Abbeville—a site that once played a key role in the city’s prosperity by providing jobs and boosting the local economy. However, the mill declined due to competition and hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. My research into the native plant communities revealed that this site was originally part of a coastal prairie ecosystem, which was largely eradicated across Louisiana in the 19th century due to industrialization and agricultural development.

CREATE A BROAD AND DIVERSE SITE THAT CAN GIVE BACK TO THE PEOPLE OF ABBEVILLE, PROVIDING FOR THE COMMUNITY ACROSS SEVERAL DIFFERENT FAUCETS OF THEIR NEED

MASTER PLAN

1. Boat launch

2. Kayak launch 3. Dock 4. Kayak Rental

5. Historic Mill Structure (Reprogrammed with restaurant and museum)

6. Cajun prairie meadow

7. Meadow boardwalk

8. Trail head mound

9. Rain gardens

10. Mima Mound Amphitheater 12. Demonstration Gardens 13. Parking Lot

DESIGN GOALS

ESTABLISH CONNECTIONS TO DOWNTOWN TO FURTHER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MAKE THE MOST OF THE SPACE WHILE ALSO SPEAKING TO IT’S HISTORY

RE-ESTABLISH THE CAJUN PRAIRIE NATIVE PLANT COMMUNITY

The vision for Riviana Revival is to offer visitors a narrative experience that questions the historical cost of human progress on our natural environment. It explores whether development must always come at the expense of significant loss, and suggests a possible coexistence of human progress with nature, drawing on the forms and features of the Cajun prairies. The design repurposes and revitalizes the historic site, creating a variety of spaces that not only enhance the community and attract visitors but also offer an alternative to the often destructive story of human advancement.

Historic Mill Structure

with dinning/shopping and hotel)

Existing silos with planters and seat walls

Historic Mill Structure

with dinning/shopping and apts.)

Historic Silos - now rentable market spaces

Drop off/pull through lane

DESIGN DIAGRAM

REDUCE, REUSE, & RECYCLE

METAL REIMAGINED BUILDINGS WOOD REUSED WOOD FROM ANY DEMOLISHED BUILDUNG SUPPORTS FOR DECKING AND BOARD WALK

NATURAL SYSTEMS COLLAGE

METAL TAKEN FROM TORN DOWN BUILDING FOR SHADE COVER, RETAINING WALLS, AND SIGNAGE

YET

PROMINENT SIGHT IMPRESSIONS

POTENTIAL

CLOSE PROXIMITY TO DOWNTOWN ABBEVILLE

BUILDINGS KEPT AND REPURPOSED

BRICK PAVING REUSED FROM ANY DEMOLISHED BRICK STRUCTURE

CREATE A BROAD AND DIVERSE SITE THAT CAN GIVE BACK TO THE PEOPLE OF ABBEVILLE, PROVIDING FOR THE COMMUNITY ACROSS SEVERAL DIFFERENT FAUCETS OF THEIR NEED RE-ESTABLISH THE CAJUN PRAIRIE NATIVE PLANT COMMUNITY

ESTABLISH CONNECTIONS TO DOWNTOWN TO FURTHER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MAKE THE MOST OF THE SPACE WHILE ALSO SPEAKING TO IT’S HISTORY

PERSPECTIVE

SECTION A-A’

SECTION B-B’

DETAIL DRAWINGS

UNDISTURBED SUBGRADE

CONCRETE CAP

CONCRETE CAP

IRREGULAR BLUE STONE PAVERS

8"X4"X3" RECYCLED CLAY BRICKS #57, CLEAR, CRUSHED STONE BASE

IRREGULAR BLUE STONE PAVERS

MORTAR SETTING BED CCIP CONCRETE SUBBASE

#2, CLEAR, CRUSHED STONE AGGRAGATE SUBBASE 6" COMPACTED SUBGRADE

UNCOMPACTED SUBGRADE

SECTION A-A' 1-2" RANGE FOR MORTAR JOINTS

BLUESTONE PAVING TO SEAT WALL

SCALE: 1" = 10'-0" 1

ART EXPLORATION

STORY TELLING SHADOW

Medium | Gouache

This project explored the potential for two-dimensional elements to create dynamic and lively scenes that help narrate a story with depth and dimension.

STILL LIFE EXPLORATION

Medium | Gouache

The focus of this project was to explore the principles of mixing colors and color theory

THANK YOU