In this project, we explored the complex cultural landscape of South Florida around Lake Okeechobee. Intensive water management projects transformed wetlands into sugar farms and settlements, impacting native habitats, water quality, and subjecting farming communities to periodic, destructive floods.
Using comic making as a narrative tool, we created an alternative reality to examine current environmental, political, and cultural tensions from a fresh perspective.
Master of Landscape Architecture, 2024 Univeristy of Pennsylvania
Location: South Bay, Florida
Toolbox: Freehand drawing, Rhino, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Google Earth
COMICS AS A STORY TELLING TOOL
It is the 1980s - the buyout of lands from the sugar industry begins to clean contaminated waters caused by it. In our fictional world, “The Sheet Flow Canal” project was successfully approved. A wetland restoration project to reconnect Lake O to the Everglades. The story revolves around two main characters: laid-off migrant sugar farm workers who stay and try to make a living in the abundant wetland; “Sheet Flow Canal” restoration biologists sent to preserve accumulating muck at the lip of the lake to restore extinct wild pond apple forest.
Lobby Water management District office
The sheet flow canal project has been approved. We have a 10-year deadline to finish the new levies and demolish the lip.
We have 100s guest workers living in South Bay. What should we do about them?
lip
We failed to lobby against the project. We have to abandon the town of South Bay.
flow buy out zone US Sugar company Head office
Cancel their contracts and let them go. We are at the losing end here anyways..
The water quality concern had to be addressed. We should celebrate this with an event! How is next Friday?
cane
Enviromentalist
Sheet Flow Restoration Plan: In 1994 Army Corp of Engineers’ plan to restore Everglade’s natural sheet flow was approved.
Click for the link to the comic
DESIGN INTERFACE
Muck city
After the wetland restoration project begins, the dike gets demolished and the South Bay city gets flooded. Migrants with no jobs persist in living in the wetland, elevating some of the buildings while using construction materials for the abandoned houses.
As the water flows down from the lake it also brings down muck that has been built up at the bottom over decades. The remaining people seeing value in this natural resource start building structures to harvest the muck for gardening and sale.
collecting muck by building structures against the stream direction. reused wood planks from destructed house materials
muck flow in the sheet flow
gardening
muck harvesting
raised house on studs to protect houses from the sheet flow
LIVING NETWORKS
FLOOD MITIGATION PARKS SYSTEM
Master of Landscape Architecture, Studio Univeristy of Pennsylvania group project with Xinchen Wei
Location: Coatesville, Chester County PA
Toolbox: ArcGIS, Rhino, AI, Photoshop, clay model making
Coatesville once thrived with the steel-making industry that brought people with diverse backgrounds to this region. With the city’s history of reoccurring floods, the industries slowly left the city, and the town started to struggle from socioeconomical decline. We propose to flip the disadvantages of the flooding issue and turn it into an opportunity to celebrate water and create connectivity in the public realm through water.
We proposed a system of sinks (for water re/detention) and swales that would mitigate flooding and accommodate public activities. Historically the development of the city including the sequence of cities along the great Walley started from the river bank and spread along the water. However, the industrial buildings occupying the river edge divided the city removing the river’s potential to create a robust urban network.
According to the existing topography, GIS analysis revealed the water flow streamlines for us to detect where to collect and divert water to establish a nature-based hydrologic system as well as connecting thorns down the urban fabric.
RIVERSIDE RESTORATION & FLOOD MITIGATION
Connecting communities through water
Wetlands’ As Sink and Swale
Widely spread geotubes create space for wetland vegetation. The vegetation on the gentle slope can slowly take water from the hills and divert to the creek.
Highly Vegetated mounds
Densely built Couirs reinforced with tree Root structure.
Amphitheater
A gathering space for cultural activities, also a space that connects communities.
Coils are proposed to be made from permeable material to fill and trap contaminated soil in the site.
Stormwater Sink - a Flexible venue and play area for the community
SHEPHERDS’ ECONOMY
FARM & COMMUNITY HUB
In a fictional world where Greenland is emancipated from the grip of Denmark on international relations, Greenlanders are building a new vision of the futureunrestricted trade and commercial relations with the world. They are envisioning not just trade but a network of interconnected businesses, crafting and exporting commodities of intrinsic value. From arctic clothing, and textile to insulated pipes and prefab building structures and elements in and around the Arctic Circle.
Master of Landscape Architecture, 2023
Univeristy of Pennsylvania
Location: Narsaq, South Greenland
Toolbox: Rhino, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Google Earth
NATURE BASED DESIGNS AND LAND MANAGEMENT
Sporadically scattered sheep farms are situated closer to the inner and mid fjords and are mostly isolated and disconnected from the larger towns. The farms’ grazing areas at the outer fjords benefit from more precipitation while having less productive soils due to higher salinity levels.
South Greenland pastures have a natural irrigation system that collects surface runoff by countering swales from the surroundings. Since the soil lowlands are not well drained and often muddy, the excess water is drained out to the nearby waterbody.
KINGSESSING
URBAN RENEWAL
Master of Landscape Architecture, 2023 Univeristy of Pennsylvania
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Exercising on the future of urban development in Kingsessing, this studio project blended landscape design with urban (framework) design for a holistic urban environment. The landscape design aims to accommodate a coherent transition between the natural landscape and the built interface.
Urban Plaza situated adjacent to a highway and office building is designed to accomodate shaded area with tree canopy as well as open terraces for storm water treatment/storage.
OFFICE BUILDING
CATCH BASIN
ABŞERON VILLAGES
HISTORIC URBAN REGENERATION
1st prize “Architectural look of Absheron Settlements”
The task was to bring back the faded “Abşeron” villages’ historical and cultural qualities while tackling the degrading socio-economical conditions of the site. The project is focused on material solutions while analysing the local socio-cultural context. The designs are made considering the overlapping interests of stakeholders including community members.
Caspian Sea
Caspian
URBAN MORPHOLOGY STUDY & PROGRAM
Attraction points and core cultural hubs are identified according to the density and significance of historic buildings, attraction points’ relationship to the main roads and potential public spaces, green zones, and retail/job centres.
PUBLIC SPACES & STREETSCAPE DESIGN
The narrow meandering streets between century-old buildings call for slow speed of vehicles and demand a design strategy to encourage pedestrian accessibility, safety and comfort in the neighbourhood. The design introduces specific locally available materials with nuanced and simple design solutions.
smooth paving for making bike riding more comfortable. enhanced greenery and shadow
Currently blank and liminal urban area to be revitalized as a park for public recreation
COMMUNITY KITCHEN
PILGRIMS
FLOOD MITIGATION PARKS SYSTEM
Cobalt Architecture & Design, 2019
Location: Beshbarmak, Azerbaijan
Toolbox: ArcGIS, Rhino, AI, Photoshop, clay model making
With its unique shape and solitary posture, Beshbarmak Mountain as a landscape phenomenon is a pilgrimage that brings people from all around the country. They come here to climb up to the rocky mountain pray for their wish on the top and picnic in the lowlands. The proposed design cares for preserving the pristine landscape view while providing necessary amenities that would cater to the visitors’ needs.
CONTEXT ANALYSIS
NATURAL LANDSCAPE
The overall landscape of the upper zone of the study area is a fractured plateau with bearded vegetation on dark-chestnut colour soils. The pilgrims` camp is located on a relatively flat valley with a slope to the north. The low ground is surrounded on all sides by low hills with sparse, free-standing, low-growing trees. The neighbouring area is suitable for agricultural development.
The coastline along the Beshbarmak is one of the unique places to observe migrating from North Africa. Birds can be observed not only along the shore of the Caspian Sea, but also on the Beshbarmak rocks themselves.
Nature Patterns Diagram
The main landmark of the surrounding area is the rock massive of the Beshbarmaq mount which has 445 meters in height. The geological structure of the rock consists of carbonates containing limestone (dolomites) and marls. The massif itself is a coral reef, around the usual deepwater sediments. The rock arose as a result of tectonic compression and extrusion from under the earth’s crust.
CONCEPT DESIGN
The 3 part buildings are combined along the roof - visitor centre and caferestaurant and the administrative block. This division and inclusion of courtyards are for illumination of the building blocks from side facades and create semiprivate access to outdoor space for both workers and visitors.
illustrations, visualisations
Khinaliq is located on a small hill in the left part of Qudyalçay valley, surrounded by rivers on three sides. Historically the main road to the village was connected through Susay-Qurush direction. In general, Khinaliq village was located at the crossroads of several historical pathways, at the appropriate location for defence, on a hillside located close to çaylaq. This was a successful location both for economic relations and for defence.
MASTER PLANNING STRATEGIES & URBAN DESIGN PROPOSALS FOR KHINALIQ VILLAGE
MASTER PLANNING STRATEGIES & URBAN DESIGN PROPOSALS FOR KHINALIQ VILLAGE
HISTORY OF KHINALIQ VILLAGE
HISTORY OF KHINALIQ VILLAGE
Khinaliq is THE place for history lovers, given that archeological excavations show that the history of the village dates to 2000 years back, although some of the researchers claim ancestors of Khinalig dwellers were settled there 5000 years ago.
Khinaliq is THE place for history lovers, given that archeological excavations show that the history of the village dates to 2000 years back, although some of the researchers claim ancestors of Khinalig dwellers were settled there 5000 years ago.
Study on House Typology
Study on House Typology
HISTORIC HOUSING TYPOLOGY
MASTER PLANNING STRATEGIES & URBAN DESIGN PROPOSALS FOR KHINALIQ VILLAGE
Study on House Typology
The household structure and daily life of the Khinalig people are well observed within the architectural typology of the local houses. To protect from the harsh winter nights sheep are sheltered within the building basement. This also practically benefits the family as the heat coming off the body mass of the animal well-preserved transfers to the upper floor. As the architecture was built with natural materials found in the surrounding landscape it blends and
PLANNING STRATEGIES & URBAN DESIGN PROPOSALS FOR KHINALIQ VILLAGE
House Typology
and goods produced in the area. Both indoor and outdoor spaces are designed to make the Market adaptable to the seasonal changes throughout the year.
CITY IMPLANT URBAN FURNITURE DESIGN
Atelier “Pille” - Urban Furniture Workshop, 2016
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan
Toolbox: Skethcup, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Phsical model making
The winding roads of the old city of Baku will lead you to a special and overlooked place. It is one of these alleys where a design intervention aims to preserve the unique qualities of the historical landscape and enhance its identity as a public space. combined the desire of people to engrave their memories in an ancient environment with urban furniture.
CONCEPT DESIGN
Built environment
People like to keep the memories alive and embed them somewhere. Writing with pens, spray painting even carving. The canvas is streets, walls, floors, light poles and more.
The texts/marks sometimes can be inspiring, caring, and cherishing. The intention to make your existence known, and be present for someone feels important but the marks get lost in undefined spaces. It’s only a matter of chance that you will stumble on them.
Something about this space makes people want to remember. If you try to look for them the writings are scattered on the stairs and walls of the buildings around.
The ribbon is the design proposal to collect all memories as a tribute to love, care, connecting and sharing. It’s not new that lovers come here to enjoy the time between silent walls of history, they can translate their whispers into words that can be rehearsed.
HARDSCAPE DRAFTING OBSERVATION AND DRAWING
University of Pennsylvania - Workshop IV class exercises
Location: Philadelphia
Toolbox: AutoCad, Illustrator
During our “Workshop IV” class we visited built landscapes to observe and analyse the construction materials and techniques used in specific projects in Philadelphia. We have developed observational skills and landscape construction knowledge by taking measurements/notes at the sites and producing precise drawings of built conditions as part of our assignments.
BARNES FOUNDATION
TABLETOP FOUNTAIN By Olin
140’ long tabletop fountain is designed to release/diffuse water from 5 separate pumps. Each granite piece was manufactured with such precision that the water level at the top looked flat and linear throughout the fountain’s perimeter continuously. Water discharges smoothly from two ends of the basin on the slightly pitched and drained paved area.
STAIRS WITH GUARDRAILS AT THE TEMPLE CAMPUS
The steps and landings are made from precast concrete on the sand setting bed, with a reinforced concrete base structure and paved with a ‘stretcher bond’ pattern in symmetry from the center line. Steel railings are welded with 2” seams.
