maria isabel arroyo mla i portfolio

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MARIA ISABEL ARROYOPORTFOLIO OF SELECTED WORK 2009-2016: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE+ART

MARIA ISABEL ARROYOEDUCATION HARVARD UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN fall 2013-spring 2016 master in landscape architecture: cambridge, ma Thesis: Proposal to utilize longleaf pine conservation as a means of embedding recreational spaces within the process of suburban development in the rural American South relevant coursework: Landscape Architecture Studio, Mobility (Moscow and Bergamo), Ecology (Soil, Plants, Landscape, Urban, Town, and Suburban), History of Animals, Grading, Landscapes of Extraction (Chilean Mining) DUKE UNIVERSITY fall 2009-spring 2013 bs in environmental science and ba 2 in visual arts: durham, nc Graduated with distinction for an art installation and thesis exploring environmentalism within the social context of Ecuador’s 2008 constitution relevant coursework: Theater Design, Urban Design, Green Community Design, Hydrology, Climate Dynamics, Marine Conservation, Amazon Ecology, Painting, Printmaking,

EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: HARVARD GSD fall 2015 history of plants and animals and mla thesis teaching assistant: cambridge, ma Organized logistics of weekly course presentations and reviews (midterms and finals) Scheduled bi-weekly office hours and acted as communication liaison for course instructors

SUSTAINABLE EXUMA: HARVARD GSD summer 2015 research assistant: cambridge, ma Researched and edited two booklets in collaboration with the Bahamian Government: “Grow Fruit,” an urban fruit growing proposal covering local fruit culture and ecology “Strawtegies,” an ecology guide focusing on culturally important palm trees

ZOFNASS PROGRAM FOR SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE: HARVARD GSD spring 2014 visualization research assistant: cambridge, ma Produced graphics for Zofnass Economic Process Tool web application Translated environmental externality data into a publicly accessible format fall 2013 los cocos wind farm evaluation research assistant: cambridge, ma Wrote case study for The 2014 Inter-American Development Bank Infrastructure 360 Awards Evualuted wind farm recieved the Infrastructure 360° People and Leadership Award Writing published in “Sustainable Infrastructure in Latin America: Infrastructure 360º Awards”

EDUARD DUVAL-CARRIÉ fall 2012 undergraduate intern to visiting professor: durham, nc Designed and edited catalogue for the 2013 Miami Art Basel Global Caribbean IV exhibit summer 2012 studio intern: miami florida Received funding to train in use of epoxy resin and produce ten paintings Completed artwork was featured in 2012 Duke Universty Arts Festival Drafted digital renderings and budgets for Port-au-Prince Airport installation Planned travel and lecturing logistics for Mr. Duval’s upcoming shows in The Netherlands

DUKE ENGAGE: BAYOU GRACE summer 2011 undergraduate fellow: chauvin, la Received fellowship for a two month long group-immersion wetlands restoration project Installed native plants irrigation system and planting beds for Nicholls State University Farm Planted spartina,constructed sand fencing, and documented group activities

SKILLS SOFTWARE/STUDIO Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, After Effects, ArcGIS, Rhino, Grasshopper, AutoCad, RealFlow, Sketchup, Microsoft Word and Excel, Hand Drawing, Intaglio, Screen Printing, Oil Painting

LANGUAGES Spanish and English native speaker, working knowledge of French

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6 PARK PALUSTRIS

16 CHRESTS, CHASMS, AND CHAOS

24 TERRACE, SPIT, REEF

32 FISHER HILL RESEVOIR

36 CITY HALL PLAZA

40 FRANKLIN PARK ZOO

48 PACHAMAMA, PLUSHIES AND PLURONATIONALITY

54 TECHNICAL DRAWINGS SAMPLE

60 FINE ARTS SAMPLE

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This thesis utilizes the Longleaf Pine’s (Pinus palustris) cultural and ecological importance throughout the American South as leverage for embedding a system of public forests within the civic framework of a demographically shifting rural community; among whom persists limited access to their abundant natural surroundings. At the scale of the park, the design acts as a cel-ebration of the longleaf pine from an experien-tial standpoint. Moving to the county-scale the design demonstrates a speculative plan for rural development that accommodates conserva-tion and publicly accessible nature. This resultant public forest system is organized as a gradient of access and design control between four typolo-gies. Speculatively this system can be expanded into similarly rural low-density regions throughout the American South.

TYPE 1 Parks will make use of grading manipula-tions and plant selection for the purpose of an experience and aesthetic effect, but will have minimal behavioral restrictions. These parks are in-tended for teenagers, and young adults; people that don’t want their behavior limited and value privacy.

TYPE 2 Parks will have more behavioral restric-tions. In these parks the aesthetics are based on openness and tactility aimed at young children. The design aims to allow some un-structured activity but provide a sense of safety.

TYPE 3 Parks will have an educational function. Visitors will still have the ability to touch and walk among the plants. However, the experience will be a choreographed walk through a curated planting palette.

TYPE 4 Parks will start as an existing longleaf forest or mixed evergreen forest, which through the addition of a path and a few strategic clearings will allow entry with minimal disturbance to the existing forest.

This thesis proposes a route to a physical immer-sion; where the longleaf carves out (for both new and old Americans) spaces for play, discovery, and connection. At any scale the end goal is twofold. First, to give people access to the land that already surrounds them and second to encourage the revival of an ecologically and culturally valuable landscape that also happens to be very beautiful and fun.

2015-2016 MLA THESIS:park palustris

INSTRUCTORS: Jill Desimini

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OPPOSITE TOP: COUNTY PLAN, OPPOSITE BOTTOM: MUNICIPAL PLAN, TOP AND BOTTOM: NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS

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DETAIL PLANS

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PARK SECTIONS AND LONGLEAF GROWTH STAGES

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As an object the car is neutral and non-autono-mous.Yet, its presence has left a decided mark on Moscow’s physical and cultural landscape. On one hand, Cars pollute, cars kill, cars frustrate, and cars anger. On the other hand, the car is freedom: by shrinking the world it can become a vessel for adventure, by enclosing its driver it of-fers mobile privacy. The shortcomings of the ten laned Moscow Automobile Ring Road (MKAD) come from its ability to magnify frustrations and smother freedom with traffic. It is a monstrosity yet it is monotonous. It is a monumental construction yet it is nothing more than a route. If the resulting commute must be long and ecologically de-structive then it should be a flirtation with death. The ground itself then should be a haven for play, mischief, and subterfuge. As the soil morphs into the car’s promise of freedom, MKAD becomes an adventure, a destination, and a route into the future. In anticipation of The MKAD’s future obsoles-cence (from the creation of a more robust sub-way system), my plan harvests the inactivated space between the MKAD’s major intersections. Intrusive landforms break the efficiency of the direct straight line and force the driver to sharp geometric turns.

These mounds and depression create enclosed spaces that open themselves up for occupation. In some instance we have enhanced pulloffs that allow drivers the space to pull over, hang out, and drive recklessly. While other spaces cater to private human activity and public venues. The asphalt zones are kept open to allow a more free form type of driving with the opportunity for pedestrians to watch. Within the human zones the larger space is divided into mini plazas that provide seating and a platforms designated “art” and “performance” spaces The landforms themselves serve as a geometri-cal expressions of Moscow’s economic future. Smooth sloping paths cut through the terraces while stepped paths cut through the slopes, al-lowing for a constant registration of the contour marks. For contrast the slopes are left bare while the terraces are planted with a gradient of hardy grasses. The resulting tiered landscape will hint at the future mining activities in Moscow’s outskirts, following the global drop in demand for Russian oil and natural gas. The landscape thus acts as a physical example of what opportunities can emerge from the presence of extracted earth.

2015 SEXY BEAST MKAD:Crests, Chasms, anD Chaos

INSTRUCTORS: martha sChwartz, markus JatsCh

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PROPOSED SECTIONS

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DRIVING ANIMATION STILLS

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OPPOSITE PAGE: DETAIL PLAN, TOP: FOCUS PLANVIEW, BOTTOM: KEY PLAN

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Located in the path of a nitrogen plume and within a FEMA flood zone, Cape Cod’s West Fal-mouth Harbor and its surrounding community of second homes is subject to three threats: destruc-tive storms, land loss, and eutrophication. Though seen as difficult to control, a sectional analysis of the western cape’s geological, hydrological, and chemical layers revealed these threats to be symptoms of poor siting. Cape cod’s soil is primarily composed of sand with the exception of a v-shaped ridge of terminal moraine. On the western cape this mostly unoccupied, stable form of high ground comes within 100 meters of flood prone-communities like West Falmouth.

The widespread use of lawn grasses in these resi-dential flood zones has resulted in a weak coast-al soil structure since these plants cannot hold ground when inundated by seawater. Grasses with the ability to take in nitrogen and build up soil in brackish conditions have thus been heavily marginalized.

The proposed strategy uses a storm as a cata-lyst for transforming West Falmouth Harbor into a landscape that can adapt itself to annual storm disturbances and sea level rise. The zone of destroyed houses will be converted into grass-covered terrace. This gradient of grasses will grow into a coastal meadow composed of species selected for their resilience, fast growth rate, and ability to build soil through root formation and bioaccumulation. This will expand the spread of Spartina alterniflora, while utilizing the Phyto-remediating ability of the existing population of invasive phragmites australis.

In order to advance the land building range of the grasses, abandoned boats, rubble of destroyed property, and nitrogen in the water system will be used as planters in open water. Over time root formation will turn these planters into spits and reefs. This landscape will draw nitro-gen out of the local water system and push the residential areas to the ridge, acting as a buffer zone while remaining connected to the residen-tial communities through a repurposed road infrastructure. Thus the meadow is able to keep the land formation at equilibrium with sea level rise while providing a novel landscape for human visitation and recreation.

2014 CORE STUDIO III:terraCe, spit, reef

GROUP MEMBERS: elise Bluell anD anDrew BoyD

INSTRUCTORS: rosetta elkin anD pierre Belanger

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SOIL MATERIALSURFACE MATERIAL

WATER TABLEWATER TABLE SURFACE WATERSURFACE WATER

NITROGEN PLUME

END MORAINE

SURFACE MATERIAL END MORAINEBEDROCK END MORAINEBEDROCK

SAND AND GRAVEL SAND DEPOSITS SANDY TILL

CHLORINATED SOLVENTS PLUME

EMB PLUMES

NITROGEN PLUMECHLORINATED SOLVENTS PLUME

EMB PLUMES

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PLUME MOVEMENT ON BEDROCKPLUME MOVENT THROUGH WATER TABEL

WATER TABLEWATER TABLE SURFACE WATERSURFACE WATER

NITROGEN PLUME

END MORAINE

SURFACE MATERIAL END MORAINEBEDROCK END MORAINEBEDROCK

SAND AND GRAVEL SAND DEPOSITS SANDY TILL

CHLORINATED SOLVENTS PLUME

EMB PLUMES

NITROGEN PLUMECHLORINATED SOLVENTS PLUME

EMB PLUMES

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PLAN/DRAFT:TERRACES

PLAN/DRAFT:SPITS

PLAN/DRAFT:REEFS

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25 YEAR PROJECTIONS (OPPOSITE PAGE: TERRACE, TOP: SPIT, BOTTOM: REEF)

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2014 CORE STUDIO II:fisher hill resevoir

INSTRUCTORS: luis CalleJas

Located within an urban community in Brookline, Massachusetts, Fisher Hill reservoir has not been in use since the 1950’s. This abandoned property presents the oppor-tunity to re-purpose a former piece of state infrastructure for a community with a lack of public space.

A planting strategy of Acer rubrum, Taxo-dium distichum, and Nyssa biflora takes advantage of the water holding ability of the reservoir to create a swamp condition enclosing a shallow pool.

Daily visitors can gain the chance to seek a relaxing refuge within a microcosm of na-ture while the set up of the pool, the graded path, and the enclosure created by trees allows the pool to be used as an outdoor theater space thus creating an experiential refuge within a microcosm of reality.

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OPPOSITE PAGE: PLAN, TOP: ENTRANCE VIEW, BOTTOM: AUDIENCE’S EYE VIEW

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While its breath of space accommodates for large local events like concerts and marathons, Boston’s city hall plaza does not function well as public space for daily use. Three changes are proposed as a way of improving casual occupation of the plaza while preserving its ability host large public events.

First, a simple slope has been used to ac-commodate easy circulation through grade change by removing the existing awkward series of steps.

Next, A field of planters holding Cornus mas and Hamamelis virginiana has been used to create an enclosure around the space while providing shade and windbreaks. These planters perform two functions: they provide seating and allow for the planting of small trees without causing an interference with the subway line bellow.

Finally, the plaza is given an identity by its ability to create an experience through color. The field of yellow created by the benches and the seasonal coloring of the trees enhance the golden color taken on by surrounding buildings and the city lights at dusk.

2014 CORE STUDIO II:City hall plaza

INSTRUCTORS: luis CalleJas, anita BerrizBeitia, anD martha sChwartz

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OPPOSITE PAGE: PLAN, TOP RIGHT AND LEFT: DETAIL PLANS, BOTTOM: BENCH AND PLANTER SECTIONS

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Small enclosures, outdated use of cages, and Boston’s winters create harsh conditions for the most of the animals featured in the Franklin Park Zoo.

While zoos have been historically used for entertainment, most contemporary zoos have shifted towards goals of conservation and education. In the case of zoos with smaller facilities in less hospitable climate zones, the goal of species preservation can be better achieved by hosting smaller local animals like insects, reptiles, and amphib-ians. However, though these animals are easier to augment and require less resourc-es, it is the large charismatic mammals that draw in the most visitors.

This design takes on the task of conserv-ing a less charismatic animal through the creation of a charismatic habitat. The zoo is replaced by a park composed of a gradient of water tolerant maples, a fractal system of paths, and a matrix of vernal pools. The vernal pools allow the park to function as a hatchery for three species of New England Salamanders under threat: Ambystoma jeffersonianum, Marbled salamander, and Ambystoma laterale.

Meanwhile, human visitors are able to seek leisure within the salamanders’ landscape by moving though the winding system of paths or by dipping into the wadding pools interspersed within the matrix of the vernal pools.

2014 CORE STUDIO II:Franklin Park Zoo

INSTRUCTORS: luis CalleJas, anita BerrizBeitia, anD martha sChwartz

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OPPOSITE PAGE: PLAN, TOP: BRISTOL MODEL, BOTTOM RIGHT AND LEFT: BRISTOL MODEL DETAILS

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SALAMANDER’S EYE VIEW AND HUMAN ‘S EYE VIEW

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TOP: PANORAMIC VIEW OF POOLS, BOTTOM: TREE PLACEMENT MODELING

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Two years of research into petrochemi-cal exploitation within the context of Ecuador’s 2008 constitution, which granted legal right to Pachamama or mother nature, resulted in a thesis and an installation piece. The thesis was pre-sented as a book with a series of illustra-tions that reflect on the theme of nature as a human entity. The installation piece examines the link between environmen-tal rights and human rights by focusing on the destructive cost of Texaco’s oil extraction in the Ecuadorian rain forest. The installation consists of a constructed “oil spill” occupied by five hand sewn plushies. These stuffed people act as a sculptural representation of the Ec-uadorian communities that have suf-fered physiologically and socially from decades of poor management and extraction practices in their territories by foreign and domestic oil companies.

2013 ADVANCED VISUAL PRACTICE:paChamama, plushies, anD pluronationality

INSTRUCTORS: merrill shatzman, Bill fiCk, Bill seaman, anD tory BenD

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INSTALLATION SPACE AND INSTALLATION CLOSE UP

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TOP AND MIDDLE ROWS: THESIS ILLUSTRATIONS, BOTTOM ROW: PLUSHIE FIGURE STUDIES

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2'-8"

10"

19'-0"

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8'-0"

26'-9"

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Selection of design development studies done for the Ecologies Techonogies and Techniques course series.

2015 TECHNICAL DRAWING SAMPLES

GROUP MEMBERS: aliCa meza anD althea northCross

INSTRUCTORS: niall kirkwooD anD alistair mCintosh

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2'-8"

10"

19'-0"

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26'-9"

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AssignMent A PArt 3burbAn PergolA

ecologies techniques and technologiesgsD 6242-spring 2015

Maria isabel Arroyo, Alica Meza, Althea northcrossMlA 1May 12, 2015

scale full 1/4”=1”scale a,b,c,d 2”=1’

Maria Arroyo, Alica Meza, Althea Northcross Scale: 1" = 1/4'-0"MLA I

Ecologies, Techniques, and Technologies IVGSD 6242 - Spring 2015

Exercise A - Part 3 GUND PERGOLA

0 1 2 4 8’

March 24, 2015 Detail 2”=1’Full 1/4”=1’

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SIDE SECTION FRONT SECTION

PLAN VIEW

PERGOLA INSPIRED IN GUND HALL STRUCTURE

Scale 1:50

AssignMent A PArt 3AurbAn PergolA



scale 1:50








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AssignMent A PArt 3CurbAn PergolA



scale full 1 1/2”=1”’




0 1 2 4 8’

March 24, 2015 Scale 1.5”=1’

2"

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HARVARD PERGOLA DESIGN PROPOSAL

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1'-1"

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1'-1"

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ALEWIFE DOCK RE-DESIGN

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Selection of paintings, intaglios, and drawings completed as an undergradu-ate and studio intern.

2009-2013 FINE ART SAMPLES

INSTRUCTORS: merrill shatzman, katya Cohen, eDuarD Duval Carrie , anD peDro lasCh

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THE INEVITABLE STAGES 1-8, INTAGLIO

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OPPOSITE PAGE: PEN, TOP: RESIN AND ACRYLIC, BOTTOM LEFT: RESIN AND ACRYLIC, BOTTOM RIGHT: OIL

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maria isabel arroyo mla i portfolio

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