Casey Collins // Selected Works

L A ND S CA P EA R CH I T E C TU R E

Isle of Rum // Scotland

Isle of Rum, ScotlandNational Nature Reserve

Site of Special Scientific Interest

Small Isles National Scenic Area

Special Protection Area for Birds

Included in the Lochaber Geopark

Home of the Red Deer Research Program

Proposed Marine Protection Area

Scottish Geographic Access Rating : 1 (Lowest)

First Impressions

Field Study

Tourism analysis

Landscape layers

Character Areas

Trail Design

Outpost network

Art and design programmingI n p u t

O u t p u t

Visitor Experience AnalysisMethodology

Project BriefCommunity Trust Mandate : increase visitor numbers and keep them on the island longer

Aims : To generate economic growth through the development of innovative, niche, nature based-tourism

Objectives : Utilise asset mapping techniques to determine points of intervention // create access networks for visitors to explore the island’s secret wilderness // Incorporate programming that supports experiential development and design

Concept : The Natural Laboratory

Field Work

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11

7

4

612

14

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8

2

3

10

5

9

Rum is an incredibly diverse island and features 10 distinct character areas within roughly 40 square miles. Boundaries were drawn based on various landscape and anthropogenic layers of the island and each area was described visually through annotated sketches and detailed analytical readings of zoomed in segments of the masterplan.

As a design tool, the character areas informed trail design and facilitated an understanding of movement through the landscape in a unique way. Included in the trail network, specific outpost locations were identified based on their strong sense of place. Materiality, experience, history and landform collectively form different character bal-ances that are intended to guide design in sensitive and innovative ways.

Character AreasVegetation Woodland

Fauna

Blackhouses

Access

Landscape Layers Anthropogenic Layers

Hydrology

Topography

Geology

Peaks

HidesCastleStructures

BothiesPony pathsRoadVillage Path

1 hr 2 hr 3 hr 4 hr 5 hr 6 hr 7 hr 8 hr 9 hr 10 hr 11 hr 12 hr 13 hr 14 hr 15 hr 16 hr 17 hr 18 hr 19 hr 20 hr 21 hr 22 hr 23 hr 24 hr

60 km

36 km

30 km

29 km

26 km

24 km

16 km

14 km

12 km

8 km

21 km

43 kmCoire Dubh Papadil HarrisDibidil Trollaval Askival Hallival Western Cliffs

Kilmory Glen

Cliffs

T

R A

I L

H E

A D

-

W a

l l

e d

G a

r d

e n

KelpFOREST

Kelp

KelpForest

KelpForest

KelpForest

Cave

Cave

Cave Kilmory Guirdhil

Coire DubhHallival

Long LochSouth Kilmory GlenCoire Dubh

Coire Dubh

Coire Dubh

Dibidil Trollaval Askival Hallival Coire Dubh

SamnahanInsir

Kilmory Kilmory GlenSamnahanInsir

Guirdhil

Dibidil

Kilmory GlenLong LochNorth

Kilmory Glen

Kilmory GlenGuirdhil

Guirdhil

Coire Dubh Trollaval Askival Hallival

Harris Orval

Papadil

Western Cliffs

HarrisDibidil

Harris

Western Cliffs

Kilmory GlenGuirdhil

Guirdhil

Kilmory SamnahanInsir

CavePapadil

Forest

Papadil

Guirdhil

Trollaval Askival

Hallival

Coire Dubh

Harris

Western

Papadil

Dibidil

KelpForest

Kilmory Glen

Cave

Orval

SamnahanInsir

Guirdhil

Long LochNorth

Kilmory

Guirdhil

Cliffs Trailhead

Trail Loops Programming Island FrameworkNetworks and Connections

Oupost

Bench

Bothy

The landscape of Rum is both inviting and intimidating. Several of the island’s most stunning features take several hours to reach on foot and round trips in a single day are ambitious. The terrain is wet and rugged. The proposed trail network uses simple, split log boardwalks to create a clear sense of direction through the landscape. The board-walk itself is a much easier surface to traverse than the uneven ground it floats on. This can both reduce walking times to some extent and allow visitors to fully realize and ex-perience the landscape without having to worry about what surprises lie underfoot.

The trails are intended to offer variety. Each route features a different experi-ence through at least one character area and visits anywhere from 1 to 7 out-posts on a journey. The inclusion of a marine trail extends the route network into the sea to offer diversity and exploration of Rum’s staggering coastline.

Trail Design

Tapered wooden pegs are driven into holesto fasten pieces together

Top piece boardwalk segments are rebated underneath to ensure boardwalk lies firm and level

Crosspieces extend out sideways to spread the weight of the load and keep the boardwalk afloat

Crosspieces supporting the split log walkwayare rebated on top secure the boardwalk in place

Boardwalk is constructed from locally sourced split logs of scots pine

Trollaval Askival Hallival

Potential Outpost Design - Ridge peaks

Trailhead Coire Dubh Trollaval Askival Hallival

Papadil

Harris Long Loch Kilmory Glen Trailhead

TRALLAVAL ASKI

VAL

HALLIVAL

ASKIVAL 812 MOld Norse for ‘Mountain of the Ash trees’, the highest peak on Rum reveals the island’s lost forests.

HALLIVAL 723 MIn the summer months the world’s largest population of Manx Shearwater’s feed in the rich coastal waters by day and return to their burrows on the slopes of hallival by night.

TRALLAVAL 702 MMeaning ‘Mountain of the trolls’ old Norse travelers thought the distinctive calls of the Shearwaters were actually the sounds of trolls on Rum.

NORSE PEAKS ON RUM

“In Scottish vernacular architecture there has been a distinct tendency to marry walls and roof into a strong, almost sculptural unity [...] This Scottish tradition insists on simple planes and a clear emphasis on the single shape of the building as opposed to an expression of its parts.” - Kendall and Harris A Future From the Past

Waymar

kers

Benche

s

Drystone Construction DetailSection 1:50

Trail Section 1 : 50,000

Shelters Summit Markers View Frames 3m

3m

Outpost site selections consider the diverse and fascinating landscape layers of Rum as well as their location within a larger network of physical connectivity. Outpost designs are intended to create landmarks in this vast landscape; provide shelter from the elements; and reveal and interpret a specific landscape layer of the island.

Materials considered for outpost designs will enhance the existing character of the area in distinctive and interesting ways. Construction methods consider access and availability and work within the constraints of a wild landscape. Each outpost is intended to tell a story of the island; how it was formed, how it has been used by previous generations and what it could be in the future.

Programming : Outposts

Cliffs

Guirdhil

Trollaval Askival

Hallival

Coire Dubh

Harris

Western

Papadil

Dibidil

KelpForest

Kilmory Glen

Cave

Orval

SamnahanInsir

Guirdhil

Long Loch

Kilmory

Guirdhil

Cliffs Trailhead

Propposed Outpost Sites

Proposed bothys

Existing bothys

Landmark Shelter Interpretation “Man, unlike animal is not a figure in the landscape, he is a shaper of the landscape, in body and mind he is the explorer of nature, the ubiquitous animal who did not find but has made his home in every continent.” - Kaster and Wallis - Land and Environmental Art

Otepää // Estonia

This semester long project was intended to examine the different landscape values, sensitivies and pressures in the Otepää region and to determine the capacity of the area to handle landscape changes resulting from pressure for additional recreation, sport and tourism

development.. The completed report took the form of a strategic landscape plan that is currently being used as a tool to inform and guide

future planning and design initiatives by the local municipality. The methodological framework was based on field work, sieve mapping,

character area classification and landscape value assessments which are shown in abreviated forms in the following pages.

METHODOLOGY Reading the layers

Settlements

Communications

Land cover

Hydrology

Soil

Topography

Landscape Character Assessment

METHODOLOGY Classification and Description

Landscape Analysis Landscape Character Landscape Value

enclosedforested

mysterious

CAPACITY MAPPING METHODOLOGY

Geophysical Ecology Recreation Culture

Rocks and soilTopographyHydrology

Biodiversity valuesForest structure

Activity patternCultural heritageAesthetic qualityDamage & erosion

Accessibility and transport

ESTABLISHING PARENT CATEGORIES

DETERMINING ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

SCORING PROFILE

CATEGORY WEIGHTING

DETERMINING CAPACITY

GRADIENT MAP GENERATION

CAPACITY MAP GENERATION

CHARACTER AREA BASE MAP

Sensitivity Pressure

High Medium Low High Medium Low

Geophysical Ecology Recreation Culture

x 2 x 4 x 3 x 1

Sensitivity Pressure

SUITABILITY ASSESSMENT

(Geophysical x 2 + Ecology x 4) (Recreation x 3 + Culture x 1)

medium

Character Existing infrastructure Capacity

+ + =

Suitability

seasonal activitiesrequired infrastructure & impact

rationale

EnclosedInaccessibleMysteriousArea 3

Conceptually this design is rooted in the spherical forms and rough textures found in the forest. This treehouse is designed to con-jure feelings of prospect and refuge; to cre-ate a focal point in an otherwise uniform for-est landscape and provide a unique human experience in a remote wilderness. Weather permitting the treehouse can be accessed year-round via raised boardwalk and could easily be implemented in other forest areas throughout Otepää. The master plan indicates the primary considerations of site selection; the boardwalk extends from the highest relief in the forest and a patch of felled trees ex-tend views into an existing open area to of-fer scenic variety and potential wildlife viewing.

Treehouse No. 1Otepää, Estonia

CONCEPT

MATERIALITY

TEXTURE

DESI

GN

Felled trees reveal views overnearby open space within the forest

A

Treehouse

A

Toilet

Boardwalk entranceTreehouse access

Trail

Plan A N

Section AA

Section A

Masterplan N

Gala Park

Proposed SiteThe proposed design centers around the idea of connectivity; path networks and viewing points connect spaces within the park; a variety of initiatives including crazy golf course design and allotments offer all members of the community an opportunity to engage with the site; increased vegetation and garden plant-ing reinforce biodiversity connections within the larger River context and establish clear park boundaries to support a strong identity; and finally the development of the Gala Garden in the lower section of the park exposes and stems from the central hill, where the entire community would gather for Galas and on which a

castle once sat.

Existing SiteThe existing Gala park lies on roughly 8 Hectares of land along the Northern bank of the Carron River. The site is large and includes mature woodlands and riparian vegetation however access to these spaces is limited, if available at all. There are significant amounts of litter scattered throughout the park and vandalism is a serious concern. The site has a rich history but its modern incarnation lacks indentity and as a result the larger community feels no connection to the space and has left it largely neglected for the last several years.

Scottish Scenic Routes Competition EntryLoch

Sand

Native Planting(Wildflowers)

Native Planting(ramsons and bluebells)

Native Planting(dense ferns)

Tarmac

Parking

Grass

Grass

A

B

C

C

oncr

ete

Path

Dezignus.com Daily posts: vector icons and silhouettes, brushes and shapes, design tutorials and books, and other treasures.

Dezignus.com Daily posts: vector icons and silhouettes, brushes and shapes, design tutorials and books, and other treasures.

Dezignus.com Daily posts: vector icons and silhouettes, brushes and shapes, design tutorials and books, and other treasures.

A

B

C

Sections

A concrete path meanders down a loch embankment weaving between existing trees and enhanced native vegetation to create a distinctive and dramatic experience in the landscape. The graded path makes the loch wheelchair accessible and the structure doubles as a retaining wall. The design uses timber screens to frame and obstruct views throughout thus creating diversity through experience, unity through materiality and a strong sense of place within the larger Loch Lomond landscape.

Path meander

Structural Segments

Experiential sequencing

Continuity through materiality

Prospect and Refuge

Design Development

Asplenium Trichomanes

Dryopteris Affinis

Polypodium Vulgare

Cyrtomium Fortunei

Hedra Helix Green Ripple

Hedra Helix Pedata

Hedra Helix Shamrock

Blechnum Spicant

Carex Frosted Curls

Carex Oshimensis Ever Gold

Deschampsia Flexuosa ‘Tatra Gold’

Festuca Glauca

Uncinia Uncinata Rubra

Convolvulus Cnoerum

Cotoneaster Damerii

Erica Carnea Springwood White

Euonymus Fortunei Kewensis

Hebe E A Bowles

Lavendula Augustifolia Hidcote

Lavendula Stoehcas Detail

Potentilla Primrose Beauty

Ajuga Reptans Atropurpurea

Bergenia-Cordifolia Green

Hosta Halcyon

Liriope Muscari Variegata

Omphalodes Verna

Pratia Pedunculata

Saxifraga X Urbrum

Tiarella Iron Butterfly

Vinca Minor

Vinca Minor Illumination

Aubretia Blue Whale

Centranthus Ruber

Erigeron Karvinskianus

Euphorbia Amygdaloides

Fragaria Vesca

Helleborus Foetidus

Helleborus Foetidus

Herniaria Glabra

Heuchera Green Spice

Heuchera Strawberry Candy

Iberis Sempervirens

Lithodara Diffusa

Pachysandra Terminalis

Phlox Subulata

Primula Vulgaris

Sedum Album

Sedum Album coral carpet

Sedum Ewersii

Sedum Hispanicum Var Minus

Sedum Kamtschaticum

Sedum Spurium Red

Sedum Spurium White

Sempervivum Montanum

Teucrium Chamaedrys

Group A C D E

Group A B C D E

Group C E

Group B C E

A // Perennials (Sun/Part Shade) B // Shade C // Shrubs D // Grasses & Ferns E // Trailing Plants

Festival Theatre Courtyard

This design proposes to redirect the focus of space from North and West walls with an installation of living wall on South elevation of Festival Theatre. The green wall will transform a dingy and run-down courtyard into a visually engaging space that will suitably complement the adjacent Festival Theatre as both a landmark and the epicentre of the largest arts festival in the world.

Green Wall

N

Green Wall Construction Detail

Courtyard Master Plan

Detailed Design Sample