Melissa MarchandStudent PortfolioLandscape ArchitectureVirginia Tech

The CEDAR method of inventory is a framework that was used to analyze all of the aspects of Roanoke that would impact the design of a place on the city that uses GIS data to make maps that display that are coherent and informative to the design. CulturalEcologicalDevelopmentalAgriculturalRecreational

CEDAR Inventory ProjectSecond YearRoanoke, VirginiaProfessor: Mintai Kim

Design ConceptThe design concept of the space was meant to establish a unique identity in each of the different rooms in order to accommodate different goals of the user. The various identities were captured using materials such as plants, stone, glass, water, iron, and configuring these materials to influence the space. For example, the enclosed reed path (7) has a vertical quality which makes the space private and dark, but the semi-public space at the bridge is unenclosed and airy with plants and water.

Project DescriptionThis project was started with the criteria of connecting 5 different shapes to form a series of “rooms” in the landscape. Each shape’s identity was informed by the characteristics of each shape: their abilities and limita-tions. This project was beneficial because it allowed me to think of the purpose behind each design element.

Spatial Studies Park ProjectSecond YearProfessor: Cermetrius Bohannon

1. Gathering Area2. 7’ Water Wall and Entrance3. I-beam Sculptural Art4. Bridge and Semi-Public Place5. Semi-Private Converstational Place 6. Intimate Nature Path7. Enclosed Reed Path

Model

catchment area 1

catchment area 2

treatment pond 1

treatment pond 2

section line

Project Description

This project was a redesign of an existing parking lot where drivers and pedestrians were experiencing confusion in circulation, and which was also wasting valuable op-portunity to clean and infiltrate storm water runoff. There is an accurately drawn grading plan which, if it were constructed would allow runoff to flow into either bioretention ponds to be sanitized by rain garden plants to be able to cleanly flow into the city storm drains, or into infiltration runnels to be infiltrated into the ground water supply.

Parking lot and Bioretention DesignThird yearBlacksburg, VirginiaProfessor: Dean Bork

2094.95 2094.0 2092.8 2090.9 2089.5

Drainage Pipefor Upper Lot

gravel trenchgravel trench

ROAD 3%

Rip Rap trench overflowdrain

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Catchment area 1 section

Plan closeup

Steep Slopes

Land ValueAccording to Montgomery County, this area of landhas high monetary value, between $350,000 and $784,000.

prime agricultural soils

New Elementary School

Present Forest/ large hedge row

proposed site for developement

Price’s Fork Road

Preservation/ Historical district

South-facing slope

High Points

Neighborhood Plan*Designed by Melissa Marchand

The goal of the project was to reserve and enhance the historic development patterns of the village and its rural agricultural setting.

Existing Agriculture

site visit sketch

Concept:Clusters of dwelling units surrounded by agricultural public spaces

Sustainable Community Group Project Third YearPrices Fork, VirginiaProfessor: Wendy Jacobson

*completed by the group

Private Residentail gardens Community Gardens

Animal Pasture Land

Ownership of Agriculture

There are differnt types of agricutlure at the Master Plan Scale that have two types of owners: Private, and Community.

* Private agriculture is in the possesion of an individual who lives in the community or a commecial owner and, for the most part, is maintained by that memeber.* Community agriculture is in the possesion of an individual, or the neighborhood as a whole and is maintained jointly by the neighbor-hood.

individually owned, separately located outside neighborhhod

Privately Owned Community Owned0 10 20 30 40

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Agriculture Ownership

Site PlanConcept:Neighborhood with central public space surrounded by community gardens.

Sun/Shade Diagram

Blue: June at 12 pmPurple: September at 5pm

Plants

top left: Ameri-can Hornbeamtop right: cherrybottom left: river birchbottom right:pumpkin

Rome -Villa Lante - Pienza - Siena - Florence - Venice - Salzburg - Prague - Berlin Copenhagen - Duisburg - Hamburg - Amsterdam

Contemplative, Re�ective, and Experiential LandscapesMelissa Marchand

Group

Individual

Piazza del Campo

Piazza Navona

Fontana di Trevi

entrance= surprisePhoto by Ahmad Russel

Piazza del Campo is a place that is deemed constantly public. The square is surrounded by residences that are (at some points) 6 stories high which, when paired with the bowl-shaped topography of the square creates the sense that the place is always on display. There are cafes around the perimeter of the space which enhances the “on display” envi-ronment of the square. The entrances into the square are sudden; you hear the square before you see it which makes for an exciting surprise

Transition Within the Space: public center with edges for people watchers

View

When people go to a place because it is an iconic image of a city, they often go there with someone they know. When that place is crowded with people, then smaller rooms of people are created within the larger public space by people that already know each other. In this sense, the transition from public space to private zones lies in the place itself. The transition also lies in the density of views in the space as it goes from high density crowds to the low density fountain.

Private Rooms Formed within the Public Realm

a place that has its own transition from public to private throughout the day. In the afternoon and evening this is very much a public place with vendors, café’s, gelato shops, and a huge fountain. It is full of life and diversity of people. A few hours go by and in the morning the same square feels like a small town gather-ing area. Café owners are conversing, residents are opening their windows, and locals pass through on their daily journey.

The distinction between public and private is an important line to draw. People who are entering a public square in a city are going to feel most comfortable if they know that they are welcome. There are various signs that will show this. Does the gateway

hinder or invite entrance? Are there things for people to do when they arrive? Does the place have many people already? There are three intervals of public space: public,

private, and transitional (publicity changes depending on time of day).

Morning in squar is more private: business owners chatting, venders setting up, not crowded

Photo by Ahmad Russel

red = vendors, green = customers

Time of Day Transition

green = private gathering placesred = public square

Group Individual

Rese

arch

Sketches: the Roman Arch

Study Abroad: Traveling EuropeFourth YearVirginia Tech Landscape ArchitectureProfessors: Terry Clements, Christine Calorusso, Nathan Heavers

Contemplative, Reflective, and Experiaential Landscapes

“Transitions: Group to Individual”

The trip spanned five weeks and six countries. Students and faculty spent each day exploring cities through studying, and sketching urban, village, and estate landscapes, and they came together each evening to discuss their findings from these foreign places.

Watercolor painting of a house in

Site Design and Contruction Documents Fourth YearGarth Newel Music CenterProfessor Terry Clements

Project DescriptionLocated in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the music center a unique landscape of beautiful views, sophisticated performances, and rich history. The clients want to mitigate stormwater runoff on this topographically intense site, and provide a master plan that connects the social and historical areas to the surrounding landscape to keep true to the identity of the center.

Chamber Music Performance sketch

Sense of Place sketch: the jazz festival with the backdrop of the landscape

Site Plan: Providing for Group and Individual

Master Plan.- wildflower meadow- wilderness trails- educational checkpoints- performance plaza

Construction DocumentsThe grading plan is meant to be - clear - concise- correct

The purposes of the topography chang-es are to create livable spaces where residents of the cottage can relax, and where spectators of a concert, or guests at a wedding can enjoy the evening with a view of the mountains in the back-ground.

Cheek Wall and Stair Detail

These axonometric and section drawings were completed to understand the consturction components and process of a dry laid stone cheek wall with flagstone steps and a wood railing.

Landscape Reasearch Paper: Springdale HouseEvolution of the American LandscapeProfessor: Terry ClementsFourth Year

The goal of this reasearch was to examine the effect of ownership on a residence over time.

Yost Hite built first building, which now

stands in ruins on the property

1734 1753

Yost Hite’s son, John, built the existing 3 story stone

house with a two story porch facing what was the Great

Wagon Road

The front of the house was moved to the opposite side and

finished in the Greek Revival and Colonial styles when the Great Wagon Road was re-

routed to the other side of the house. Wings were also added

to either side of the main house

1835-1840, 1900 2000’s

The North Wing, located behind the house to the left, was added by

the current owners shows the addition of a garage

among other rooms

Research findings: The a residence will change over time according to the economy, political circumstances, and the interest of the owner to maintain the house

Writing for the “What’s Out There” DatabaseFifth YearThe Cultural Landscape FoundationFacutly Advisors: Terry Clements and Brian Katen

German immigrant Jost Hite purchased 483 acres of a 140,000 acre Shenandoah Valley land grant shared by 16 other Pennsylvania families. Enclosed by three mountain ranges, the rolling hills and tree-dotted fields passed to Jost’s grandson Isaac in 1783. Isaac Hite commissioned a stone manor house, completed in 1979, to be built upon a hill at the center of the plantation. The manor features stone construction, Georgian, Classic Revival, and Federal architec-ture with Jeffersonian influences such as the narrow interior staircases, and the semi-circular window over the front door.

Today the plantation encompasses 240 acres, the stone manor, ice house, smoke house, and ruins from Old Hall, the house that existed before the 1979 manor was built, as well as a 19th Century barn. The formal entrance of the house faces mountains and grassy fields edged by rows of trees. A fenced kitchen garden is behind the house. The rolling pastures are and separated by lines of deciduous trees, split rail fences and a brick path from the house to the park-ing area. A line of trees and mountains on the horizon separates vast sky from pasture land outside the white fence with encloses the plantation.

Melissa Marchand, January 2015

As a student writer I was responsible for researching and writing 250 to 300 word descriptive entries about cultural Virginia landscapes west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This experience taught me how to be concise in writing, and to how follow an essay format. The job has also taught me about fast-moving deadlines in the professional world.

The following entry is a preliminary draft describing Belle Grove Plantation in Middletown, Virginia

Business Plan for The Preservation Group (a fictional firm)Professional PracticeProfessor: David HillFifth Year

This assignement required students to create a business plan for a fictional business of their choice

The idea for The Preservation Group started to form during the research phase of a paper for a previous course. Spring-dale, the subject, has a history that was unkown to this writer until it was researched. Many residents of the Virginia, DC, and Maryland area are unaware of the rich history of their home towns. Through blog posts about historic sites, The Pres-ervation Group.

North Point FarmFifth YearThesis ProjectAdvisor: Terry Clements

Program, Mission Statement, Goals and Objectives

Program: Garden Design

Mission Statement:The mission of this project is to design a garden inspired by colonial revival principles, and reinterpreted with contemporary plants and materials

Goal:1.

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To design gardens that match the colonial period and reflect the structure of the manor house and grounds

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By making the outdoor landscape pleasing from inside the manor house,

By incorporating design elements of Colonial Revival gardens such as symmetrical layout, gemetric structure, and transition in formality,

By designing a place for growth and harvest of low-maintenance agriculture,

Through privlidging windowed rooms with a view of the garden or the surrounding river or farm.

Through placing the main axis through the most important and formal element: the manor house.

Through a grass meadow located outside the wall of the garden

To provide nessesary and desirable spaces for main-tenance and garden staff, event vendors and wed-ding guests from the be-ginning to the end of a wedding day,

By providing ceremony, reception, cocktail areas, restrooms, waiting areas, a parking lot ,and dressing areas for different sized groups

By framing key views that accent the important characteristics of the gardens and farm,

By marketing the site as an attrac-tive place where a magical event will take place, and where keepsake photos will be taken

Through the programming of tent lawns, ceremony lawns, and other necessary elements around the proposed framework and room qualities of the garden.

With trees or walls that screen the landscape except for the view that is meant to be framed.

Through landscape elements that contrast built structure with nature and sketches that attract wedding couples to places to have special moments on their day.

To incorporate the desires and needs of the year-round residents of the site,

Provide easy vehicular access from the road to the main door,

Design a lawn for the family dog,

By maintaining and enhancing views from the back porch to the river

Through the design of a separate driveway and garage that is close to the informal back door.

Through the programming of a lawn that is near to the back door, and paths that are suitable for walking.

Through the creation of a “view panel” which allows for the river to be framed by the overhead canopy of trees, the understory shrubs and flowers, and between tree trunks.

Experiential Analysissh

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North Point Farm Entrance Gate

forest

river

farm