rachel michelle g. portfolio

Rachel Michelle G. Projects 2010-2013

IIT: CHANGING NATUREThe brief for this project required studying a single tree species (Robinia pseudoacacia, Black Locust), and to utilize 9 specimens of this species in a design on the Illinois Institute of Technology historic modern campus.

This project planted 9 trees based on the Miesian grid for campus, and bound by two main paths. Black Locust grows rhizomatously and forms a thicket, so these primary paths demarcate the future thicket. The paths here are particularly necessary because Galvin Hall Library’s field is a main thoroughfare for students going from Crown Hall to the shop in M&M.

As the trees grow and spread, secondary paths would be installed to provide new accessible paths, as tree roots buckle the pavement of older paths and to accommodate desire-lines created by students. This evolution of trees growing and breaking up paths, and new paths being put in, reflects the nature of nature—and would be a counterpoint to the rest of campus, which is very static.

This project is focused on setting up the conditions and parameters for the site to grow and change according to the design, and to allow a succession of people to maintain it.

CROWN HALL

GALVIN HALLLIBRARY

M&M (STUDENT SHOP)

IIT: CHANGING NATURE:Illinois Institute of Technology campus, Chicago, ILSite PlanPencil and Museum Board

YEAR 5

IIT: CHANGING NATURE:Illinois Institute of Technology campus, Chicago, ILDetail Phasing PlansPencil and Museum Board

CROWN HALL

GALVIN HALL

M&M (STUDENT SHOP)

“Primary” bounding paths

Black Locust specimens

Existing sidewalks

YEAR 15 YEAR 30

“Secondary” desire-line paths

Black Locust saplings

“Tertiary” supplemental

paths

Black Locust thicket forming

For this project, we were asked to create an intervention at Wolf Point using a lookout, a ramp to access the river, and a dock. The intervention was only allowed to utilize 160’ of the shoreline at Wolf Point to do this.

Wolf Point has a badly degrading shoreline and is an under utilized space, particularly for being such a central location in Chicago.

This project extends the shoreline an additional 20’ into the river, since this site has the potential to be a very important site for wildlife on the river. A grid of below-grade gabions serve to hold soil but also allow for drainage. The grid of gabions is stabilized by a series of steel posts, which stay at the height of the top of the bank, to create a datum that marks the slope of the bank.

The posts also serve to support the three pieces of structure--outlook, ramp, and dock. Additionally, the posts demarcate the planting beds, which are a series of garden plots planted with species recommended by the Friends of the Chicago River to build native habitat. The grid and these structures are meant to be independent forms, which can then be infinitely carried on or modified along the river edge.

WOLF POINT GARDENS

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WOLF POINT GARDENSWolf Point, Chicago ILPlanting Scheme: Transition from Upland - Mesic - Aquatic

SECTION A-A’

SECTION B-B’

WOLF POINT GARDENSWolf Point, Chicago ILSections

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A’

B

B’

C’ D’

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B

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C’ D’

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Sample Plant Selection:Naturalizing Species

Existing shoreline

Proposed shoreline

Planting beds

Gabionretaining

walls

Datumpost grid

WOLF POINT GARDENSWolf Point, Chicago ILConcept Model

BRIDGEPORT STATION(Formerly Union Pacific Intermodal Station)

Located at Canal and 23rd Street, the Union Pacific Intermodal Station currently rises 15’-22’ above street level, and is used to store empty intermodal carriers. This project examined the role of the Intermodal Station in the adjacent neighborhoods throughout its +100 year history. There is no information about the fill material of the raised site, and environmental contamination is likely due to the nature of industries that have occurred on site and on the adjacent blocks.

First, historic map analysis identified the diverse heavy industries that were once present around the Intermodal Station, which played an important role in Chicago’s manufacturing and industrial economies. The industrial character of the neighborhoods around the Intermodal Station is significant when considering a new development here.

As industry moved out of the city limits, the use of the Intermodal Station declined in importance, until it reached its current use as a storage facility.

The new Bridgeport Station is functioning railway junction, re-imagined as a bioremediation facility and park. By utilizing some of the existing rail infrastructure and converting the rest to phytoremediation gardens, the opportunity to study bioremediation in urban post-industrial conditions can be fully realized. The development is phased over 20-50 years due to the time requirements of phytoremediation. Elevated public walkways would be installed by year 5 in order to reconnect the fabric of the neighborhood to a site that has long been totally cut off from the public, in the safest way possible.

1950 - SITES OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION1911 - SITES OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION

BRIDGEPORT STATIONBridgeport, Chicago ILHistory of Industry

Bridgeport, historically a significant trading site, transformed into an industrial center within Chicago in the early 20th century. Industries included coke and steel production, slaughterhouses, stone quarries, breweries, and more. These industries stayed active through the 1950-60s, after which much industry left the urban area.

BRIDGEPORT STATIONBridgeport, Chicago ILDivision and Disconnection

Situated between the neighborhoods of Bridgeport and Armor Square, the Union Pacific Intermodal Station has long been a divider between the two communities, even when the station existed at grade when it was constructed in the early 1900s.

With the construction of the Stevenson and Dan Ryan Expressways in the 1960s, the Union Pacific site was expanded and elevated above grade (presumably with fill from the excavation of the Stevenson). This further separated Bridgeport and Armor Square, both of which suffered additionally from the demolition of much of the neighborhood fabric to make room for the expressways.

The only connection between Armor Square and Bridgeport are cavernous, crumbling underpasses along the .75mi length of the Union Pacific site.

The long history of industrial activity on the Union Pacific site, as well as throughout the adjacent neighborhoods, has led to the identification of certain pollutants that may be present in areas throughout the site.

This creates the opportunity to utilize bioremediation techniques to remediate these pollutants in-situ. This process not only creates opportunity for bioremediation research for urban brownfields sites (extremely important for cities like Chicago), but the length of time required for bioremediation also establishes opportunities for evolving programs throughout the site as it returns to safe human use. 2012 - INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION FACILITY

STEVENSON EXPRESSWAY

DAN RYANEXPRESSWAY

PROGRAM CONCEPTION: BIOREMEDIATION

1955s FILL

1955s FILL

1906 FILL

CURRENT TRACKS

1906 FILL

CURRENT TRACKS

1863 TRACKS

1863 TRACKSPRE-1955 FREIGHT CONTAMINATION

UN/LOADING FREIGHT CONTAINERS, CLEANING CONTAINERS (DEGREAS-ING, FLUID CHANGES), MAINTE-NANCE, HEAVY VEHICLE TRAFFIC; SUBSURFACE, ACTIVE SINCE 1910

UN/LOADING FREIGHT CONTAINERS, CLEANING CONTAINERS (DEGREAS-ING, FLUID CHANGES), MAINTE-NANCE, HEAVY VEHICLE TRAFFIC; ACTIVE SINCE 1960S

UNKNOWN FILL, PRE-1906

“CLEAN” FILL FROM 1950S EXCAVA-TION OF THE EISENHOWER



UN/LOADING FREIGHT CONTAINERS, CLEANING CONTAINERS (DEGREAS-ING, FLUID CHANGES), MAINTE-NANCE, HEAVY VEHICLE TRAFFIC; SUBSURFACE, ACTIVE PRE-1906-1950

FREIGHT TRAFFIC, ACTIVE 1906


FREIGHT TRAFFIC, 1863-1906


ACETONE, ACID/AKALINE CLEANERS, ALCOHOL, AMMONIA HYRDOXIDE, BATTERIES (LEAD ACID, NICKEL CADMIUM, NICKEL, IRON, CARBONAITE), ETHYL BENZENE, HAZARDOUS WASTES (RESIDUAL), HYDROFLORIC ACID, HYR-

DOCHLORIC ACID, HEAVY METALS, METHA-NOL, METHYLENE CHLORIDE, MINERAL SPIRITS, NITRIC ACID, OIL/GREASE, PETROLEUM, PHOSPHORIC ACID, POTASSIUM HYRDOXIDE, SODIUM HYROXIDE, SOLVENTS, SULFURIC

ACID, SLUDGE, VOCs, WASTEWATER

SCRAP METAL, WOOD, CONCRETE, TIRES, PLASTICS








HAZARDOUS WASTES (RESIDUAL), PETRO-LEUM, COAL

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BIOVENTING

BIODEGRADATION

SLURRY BIODEGRADA-

TIONSOLID PHASE BIODEGRE-

DATION

AIRSPARGING

STEAM STRIPPING

LANDFARMING

BIOREACTORSOIL FLUSHINGSOLIDIFICATIONPHYTOREM

EDIATION

MYCOREM

EDIATION

RHIZOREMEDIATION

APP

LICA

BILI

TY O

F TE

CHN

OLO

GY/

SYST

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CURRENT TRACKS

1863 TRACKS

1955s FILL

1906 FILL

1910(?) FREIGHT CONTAMINATION

OLD SCHOOL FOUNDATIONS

EISENHOWER EXPRESSWAY

1906 FILL

CURRENT TRACKS

CURRENT TRACKS1955s FILL

1863 TRACKS

UN/LOADING FREIGHT CONTAINERS, CLEANING CONTAINERS (DEGREAS-ING, FLUID CHANGES), MAINTE-NANCE, HEAVY VEHICLE TRAFFIC; ACTIVE PRE-1950




FILL EXCAVATED DURING EISENHOWER CONSTRUCTION,

UNKNOWN FILL, PRE-1950 UNKNOWN FILL, PRE-1906






FREIGHT TRAFFIC, ACTIVE 1960S

SITE CHARACTIZATION SECTIONSUNION PACIFIC INTERMODAL TRANSFER STATION

ACTIVITIES ON SITE, 1863-PRESENT






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SUSPECT CONTAMINANTS REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES











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BRIDGEPORT STATION Bridgeport, Chicago ILSite Historical Use Analysis, Pollutant Identification, and potential Bioremediation Techniques

1955s FILL

1955s FILL

1906 FILL

CURRENT TRACKS

1906 FILL

CURRENT TRACKS

1863 TRACKS

1863 TRACKSPRE-1955 FREIGHT CONTAMINATION

UN/LOADING FREIGHT CONTAINERS, CLEANING CONTAINERS (DEGREAS-ING, FLUID CHANGES), MAINTE-NANCE, HEAVY VEHICLE TRAFFIC; SUBSURFACE, ACTIVE SINCE 1910






UN/LOADING FREIGHT CONTAINERS, CLEANING CONTAINERS (DEGREAS-ING, FLUID CHANGES), MAINTE-NANCE, HEAVY VEHICLE TRAFFIC; SUBSURFACE, ACTIVE PRE-1906-1950

















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BIOVENTING

BIODEGRADATION

SLURRY BIODEGRADA-

TIONSOLID PHASE BIODEGRE-

DATION

AIRSPARGING

STEAM STRIPPING

LANDFARMING

BIOREACTORSOIL FLUSHINGSOLIDIFICATIONPHYTOREM

EDIATION

MYCOREM

EDIATION

RHIZOREMEDIATION

APP

LICA

BILI

TY O

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REMEDIATON FACILITY

FORESTED GARDEN

REMEDIATION NURSERY

WETLAND GARDEN

RECEIVING/SORTING FACILITY

CONSTRUCT FACILITIES FOR SORTING/RECEIVING/TREATING CONTAMINATED MATERIALS

AUGMENT BIOREMEDIATION SYSTEMS WITH PHYTOREME-DIATION PLANTINGS

INCREASE ELEVATED PEDES-TRIAN PATHWAYS

INSTALL LOW-INTENSIVE BIO-REMEDIATION ENGINEERED SYSTEMS

BEGIN ADDING RETAIL/COMMUNITY/OFFICES UNDER TRACKS

INTRODUCE ELEVATED PEDES-TRIAN ACCESS

INSTALL INTENSIVE BIOREMEM-DIATION ENGINEERED SYSTEMS

BUILD MONITOR STATIONS UNDER TRACKS

EXCAVATE AND REBUILD TRACK INFRASTRUCTURE

UNCOVER VIADUCTS

REINFORCE RETAINING WALLS, AS NEEDED

YEAR 1 YEAR 5 YEAR 10 YEAR 20YEAR 50+

PUBLIC RECREATION

MAINTENANCE

CONSTRUCTION WILDLIFE

SCIENCE AND EDUCATION

BRIDGEPORT STATIONBridgeport, Chicago ILPhasing: Increase and diversification of activity and use

Beginning with reconstruction of aging rail infrastructure, and opening up of the pedestrian underpasses, the users of the site will primarily be project managers, construction workers, and remediation scientists.

By Year 10, commercial/retail/office space will be added Under the Rails. Elevated pedestrian paths will traverse the site, which is now undergoing extensive phyto- and bioremediation. Activities increase to include recreation and site-seeing of the bioremediation processes/studies on site.

By Year 20, the site is functioning as a bioremediation facility for the city of Chicago. Plants that excel at phytoremediation are grown in the nursery, and distributed to contaminated sites throughout the city. Contaminated materials can be received via rail on site, and treated at the intensive bioremediation facilities at the north end of the site.

REMEDIATON FACILITY

FORESTED GARDEN

REMEDIATION NURSERY

WETLAND GARDEN

RECEIVING/SORTING FACILITY

CONSTRUCT FACILITIES FOR SORTING/RECEIVING/TREATING CONTAMINATED MATERIALS

AUGMENT BIOREMEDIATION SYSTEMS WITH PHYTOREME-DIATION PLANTINGS

INCREASE ELEVATED PEDES-TRIAN PATHWAYS

INSTALL LOW-INTENSIVE BIO-REMEDIATION ENGINEERED SYSTEMS

BEGIN ADDING RETAIL/COMMUNITY/OFFICES UNDER TRACKS

INTRODUCE ELEVATED PEDES-TRIAN ACCESS

INSTALL INTENSIVE BIOREMEM-DIATION ENGINEERED SYSTEMS

BUILD MONITOR STATIONS UNDER TRACKS

EXCAVATE AND REBUILD TRACK INFRASTRUCTURE

UNCOVER VIADUCTS

REINFORCE RETAINING WALLS, AS NEEDED

YEAR 1 YEAR 5 YEAR 10 YEAR 20YEAR 50+

PUBLIC RECREATION

MAINTENANCE

CONSTRUCTION WILDLIFE

SCIENCE AND EDUCATION

BRIDGEPORT STATION: PLAN: YEAR 20

BLOCK 1:Intensive bioremediation; including bioventing, airsparging, soil flushing

Bioremediation research facilities/offices

Under the Rails:Opportunity for offices, retail, and commercial space.

BLOCK 2:Moderate bioremediation; including solidification, biodegradation

BLOCK 3:Phytoremediation garden; testing ground for species composition/spacing.

BLOCK 4/5: Phytoremediation nursery

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50

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2

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30

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BLOCK 6: Mycoremediation, wetland setting

BLOCK 7/8:Test system: Phytoremediation and soil flushing combination

BLOCK 9/10: Bioremediation rail yard: receiving of contaminated material and distribution of remediated material

0 5 10 20 30

BRIDGEPORT STATION: SECTIONS: YEAR 20

ELEVATED PEDESTRIAN

PATH 5’GABIONS SWALE

ELEVATED PEDESTRIAN

PATH 5’GABIONS SWALE

ELEVATED PEDESTRIAN

PATHTRAIN TRACKS

PHYTOREMEDIATION PLANTINGS

PHYTOREMEDIATION PLANTINGS

STEWART ST.CANAL ST.COMMERCIAL

SPACE

0 5 10 20 30

Section: Block 3

Section: Block 5

ELEVATED PEDESTRIAN

PATH 7’

GABIONSSWALEELEVATED

PEDESTRIAN PATH 3’

MAINTENANCE PATH

TRAIN TRACKSPHYTOREMEDIATION

PLANTINGSPHYTOREMEDIATION

NURSERYELEVATED

PEDESTRIAN PATH 3’

CANAL ST.EXPRESSWAY STEWART ST.COMMERCIAL SPACE

MAINTAINANCE PATH

EROSION-CONTROL PLANTING

RIPARIAN PLANTING

PHYTOREMEDIATION NURSERY

GABIONS

ELEVATED PATH, 5’

ELEVATED PATH, 3’

NURSERY OFFICE

POPLAR, POPULUS SPP.

WILLOW, SALIX SPP.

PHYTOREMEDIATION PLANTING STRIPS

RED MULBERRY, MORUS RUBRA

ACCESS RAMP TO SURFACE LEVEL

ASPEN, POPULUS TREMULOIDES

SCALE1” = 200’-0”

SCALE1” = 20’-0”

SCALE1” = 20’-0”

BRIDGEPORT STATION DEVELOPMENTCHICAGO, ILDETAIL PLAN AND SECTION

BRIDGEPORT STATIONBlock 5 Detail Plan

OMNI ECOSYSTEMSSpecial Projects

Working with Omni Ecosystems has been a great experience to real-world projects, deadlines, and conditions. This has given me the opportunity to expand my graphic design knowledge, as well as learn about the green roof industry, products, and trends.

The following pages are selected projects completed for Omni Ecosystems and are their sole property and not meant for redistribution.

Panel 1 Panel 2 Panel 3 Panel 4 Panel 5 Panel 6 Panel 7 Panel 8 Panel 9 Panel 10

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ROOFTOP GREEN WORKS5/30/13

1 5

THOMPSON HOTEL LIVING WALL ELEVATION RENDER

GREEN WALLPlanting design plan, species layout, and rendering for an indoor hotel installation.

OMNI ECOSYSTEMS

www.omni-ecosystems.com

Omni TapestryTM

an Interior Living Wall Ecosystem

The Omni TapestryTM brings together state-of-the-art modular living wall design with growing media that replicates soil ecosystems. The patent-pending design, inspired by ecological principles of steppe terrace farming in rural mountainous regions, enables each plant access to an abundant rooting environment and sufficient light. The result is an ultra-lightweight living wall that creates a robust environment for lush indoor plantings. The panels are meant to be assembled to create a living tapestry, the Omni TapestryTM. The living wall system is easy to install and to maintain.

Continuous Rooting

Space Filled with

Growing Media

Irrigation Pipe

Drainage Pipe

Concealed Irrigation &

Drainage System

Irrigation Emittersat Every

Level

5”

48”6”

18”OMNI ECOSY

STEM

S

GREEN WALL CUT SHEETCut sheet layout and rendering of the Omni TapestryTM product.

0 10 20 1”=20’-0”

0 1 2 1”=2’-0”

STRUCTURAL DECK

APPROVED ROOFING ASSEMBLY

CAPILLARY FABRIC

TMOMNI ECOSYSTEMS Trays

Green Roof Plan

Green Roof Detail Section

Omni Ecosystems Meadow Mix

TM

94’-7 1/8”

115’-4 7/8”

10’-9

3/4

”

60’-4

1/4

”

0 10 20 1”=20’-0”

0 1 2 1”=2’-0”

STRUCTURAL DECK

APPROVED ROOFING ASSEMBLY

CAPILLARY FABRIC

TMOMNI ECOSYSTEMS Trays

Green Roof Plan

Green Roof Detail Section

Omni Ecosystems Meadow Mix

TM

94’-7 1/8”

115’-4 7/8”

10’-9

3/4

”

60’-4

1/4

”

GREEN ROOF PLAN AND DETAIL SECTIONBasic layout and section for a project proposal of a green roof in Indianapolis.

OMNI ECOSYSTEMS

SKETCHESSystems studies and bioremediation techniques

SKETCHESPlace studies

rachel michelle g. portfolio

Documents

chicago river

secondary paths

main paths

new paths

primary paths

new accessible paths

pavement of older paths

rest of campus