brendan hurley portfolio
DESCRIPTION
Various works of architecture, urban planning, and urban design.TRANSCRIPT
portfolio - brendan hurley - urban planning - landscape - architecture
Table of ContentsProfessional Projects
Geos Neighborhood
Earthship Village Colorado
B-cycle Data Visualization
University Projects
The Book Nook Parklet
GIS Urban Garden Analysis
Lama Foundation Design/Build
Additional Projects
Site Plan
architecture/ urban planning 2
urban planning 4
urban planning 6
urban design 8
urban planning 10
architecture 12
landscape/architecture/ planning
15-21
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION:Geos Neighborhood is a net-zero, high-density,
mixed-use devleopment located in Arvada, Colorado.
The property owner, Norbert Klebl, envisioned a new
way to create a sustainable and walkable
neighborhood, with innovations in passive and active
solar and a pedestrian-friendly lifestyle through urban
design.
PROCESS:The development plan for Geos was approved in
2008; in 2014, we submitted a fnal development plan
for Block 10, which is located on the northeast side of
the property, in order to start construction on single
family houses and townhouses..
PROJECT OUTCOME:While the project was mostly designed by 2014, I
worked on creating and submitting the final
development plan, pricing out bids for construction,
and marketing renderings for the Geos buildings.
Currently, site grading and preperation are being
completed for Block 10 and construction is scheduled
to begin in the next 6 months.
Geos Net-Zero NeighborhoodMichael Tavel Architects/ David Kahn Studio. Arvada, CO.
Computer programs used:Adobe PhotoshopAdobe IllustratorSketchupMaxwell RenderAutodesk AutoCAD
1. The Geos Neighborhood master plan.
2. Aerial view of the nighborhood, created in Sketchup.
3. Rendering of a single family house.
4. Street view rendering of the townhomes.
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2.
3. 4.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:The client came to David Kahn Studio looking for us to design a
neighborhood for Earthship houses here in Colorado. Earthships are a
type of net-zero energy dwelling unit that utilizes geothermal heat,
passive and active solar techniques, and are built with recycled materials.
The client acquired 80 acres of land near Colorado Springs, CO in El
Paso County to pursue his dream of creating a unique Earthships
development.
PROCESS:The project was approved by El Paso County planning staff and we
began developing different ways to subdivide the land. One design
challenge that we had to be overcome was the division of 80 acres into
the greatest number of buildable lots while still following county
development code requiring lots to be at least 5 acres
in size. In order to ascertain the number of lots and
sizes, the site plan was brought into Autocad and each
parcel was measured out to an area meeting the
minimum parcel size. Part of the existing site is a
foundation for an old hog farm which will be
transformed into a Village Center with community
gardens and other amenities.
1
Earthship Village Colorado Subdivision PlanDavid Kahn Studio. Summer 2014. Colorado Springs, CO.
1. Front yard rendering of an Earthship.
2. Parcel layout and area diagram on property.
3. Site plan rendering showing Earthship locations.
4. Interior picture of an Earthship. Photo by Brendan Hurley.
1.
2.
LOT 15.00 AC
LOT 25.00 AC
LOT 35.00 AC
LOT 45.00 AC
LOT 55.00 AC
LOT 65.00 AC
LOT 75.00 AC
LOT 85.00 AC
LOT 125.00 AC
LOT 135.00 AC
LOT 145.00 AC
LOT 1510.00 AC
LOT 115.00 AC
LOT 105.00 AC
LOT 95.00 AC
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5
Site Plan
Ranch House
Village Center
Walking Trail
FrancevilleTributary
Phase I: 80 Acres3.
4.
PROJECT OUTCOME:The building sites for the Earthships were
placed based on southern solar access,
utilizing existing building sites and roads, and
were offset from each other in order to add
more privacy. A walking trail was added as a
community amenity in addition to the Village
center at the existing hog farm.
The renderings were used as marketing
materials to generate interest in purchasing lots
and has successfully gained interest with
potential buyers. The project is ongoing.
Computer programs used:Adobe PhotoshopAdobe IllustratorAutoCAD
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:Data visualization is an important analysis method because it allows
planners to see trends in data better than just viewing numbers on a
page. The purpose of these data visualization maps were to illustrate
how many bike sharing trips were taken and to which stations over
the course of a year. By showing which stations are used the most
and where the greatest number of trips are heading, station planners
can plan ahead to make sure those stations are adequately
balanced daily. The visualization of the route information is also
helpful in the planning of future station locations.
PROCESS:First, all 22 Boulder B-cycle stations where mapped out and then
assigned a pixel location in Adobe Photoshop in order to give them
a digital location. After receiving a chart that contained the number
of annual check-in and check-out trips for each station, check-out
trips were assigned a pixel size depending on the number of trips.
Processing, which is an open source Java programming language,
was used to input the station pixel locations and the corresponding
station check-out trips to other stations to create the trip lines. Pixel
thicknesses were added to the lines in Processing and then exported
to Adobe Illustrator for final graphic work and analysis.
OUTCOME:In addition to being a useful planning tool to B-cycle, this project was
presented as a student board at The 11th Annual Transportation
Symposium held in Denver.
Boulder B-cycle Trip Data VisualizationBoulder B-cycle. Spring 2013. Boulder, CO.
1.
6
Computer programs used:Adobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoshopProcessing
Above: This shows trips for two stations Broadway and Boulder Creek (purple)
and 16th and Pearl (blue). The thicker the line indicates that more one-way trips
were taken. The lines representing one way trips between these two stations have
nearly the same thickness, meaning that roughly the same number of trips were
taken between these two stations.
Right: The top 6 stations with the greatest number of trips
with their install dates and total number of bicycle checkouts.
Above: In addition to one-way trips, round trips (same
check-in and check-out) station) were calculated using trip
data. The larger the circle, the greater the number of round
trips that were taken at that station. Also shown is the
number of one-way trips from the station located at the
NCAR Center Green Road station to show how these two
data types interact.
7
Phase I: 80 Acres
8
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: In spring 2014, the City of Boulder hosted
its first parklet design competition which had 44
entries ranging from student to professional
architect submittals. The project was to design a
parklet to replace two parking spaces in a small
commercial district next to the University of
Colorado, called “The Hill.” The winning team
received a $5,000 grant for construction and
materials.
PROCESS: As a requirement for the class project, I
conducted initial research to learn more about
tactical urbanism methods as well as the history
of The Hill. I visited the site a few times and spent
a few hours observing how people used the site
and the number of pedestrians present. I then
began work on my parklet design and after a
couple iterations, The Book Nook Parklet entry
was sent in to the City of Boulder
PROJECT OUTCOME: The Book Nook was first runner-up in the
design competition. For the final Capstones
project, a design booklet was created that
illustrated different aspects of The Book Nook
and in-depth detail on design methods and
construction details.
Book Nook Parklet CompetitionInstructor: Tori Derr. Capstones Project. Spring 2014. Boulder, CO.
1. Rendering of The Book Nook with
site context.
2. Breakdown of the different parts
and features of The Book Nook.
Computer programs used:Adobe PhotoshopAdobe IllustratorAdobe InDesignSketchup
1 Trees
Provide shade and enclosure for parklet users. Trees bring a vertical aspect to
The Book Nook as well as providing an overhead canopy to help further define
each nook section.
2 Plants
Sensory enhancing plants, such as lavender, would be planted to provide therapeutic experiences with smell and
touch to parklet users.
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1
4 6
57
8
3
9
2.
3 Seating
Built-in seating provides space for relaxation and encourages people to meet up in groups or individually, providing a dynamic range of varied social interactions
4 Community Art Wall
The Community Art Wall promotes artists and other members of the public to display their works of art. Alternatively, the sides of the art wall could be painted with chalk board paint and buckets of chalk would be available for people to create their own art or to leave messages
7 Game Table
A built-in chessboard provides entertainment and adds a fun element to the parklet. Chess, checker, and decks of cards would be stored within the little free library or at a local cafe for people to borrow.
8 Little Free Library
In addition to a game table, the Book Nook has a built-in community library where neighbors can share their favorite books with others.
5 Fence
A 3’ fence provides a better sense of enclosure and separation from the street.
6 Fence
Since this parklet is considered to be public, signs are posted around the parklet to indicate that it is a public amenity and was funded through the City of Boulder.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:The goal of this project was to find suitable locations for community gardens
in the Denver metro area to help revitalize lower-income communities by
using GIS data available through Denver’s online open data catalog. Empty
parcels within a quarter mile of high-density residential buildings were
chosen as good locations for a community to start a garden.
PROCESS:The data sets I used to find suitable sites for community gardens include:
1. Parcel lot values to determine where lower-income communities might be
located 2. Location of residential high-density buildings to find garden
locations which can be used by more people 3. Size of vacant lots in order
to be sufficiently large for a community garden but not unmanageable with
the ideal size being between 0.5 and 1 acre.
GIS Analysis for Urban Community GardensClass: Intro to GIS. Spring 2014. Denver, CO.
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1. Parcel Lot Values 2. Residential High Density Buildings 3. Size of Vacant Parcels
0 2 4 6 81Miles
N 0 2 4 6 81Miles
N 0 2 4 6 81Miles
N
0 1 - 1000
1001 - 11700
11701 - 167100
167101 +
Legend
ParcelsTotal Parcel Value ($)
Boundary
Legend
Land Use3 story minimumresidential units
Boundary
Legend
Land UseVacant land between .5 - 1 acre
Boundary
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2
3
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Phase I: 80 Acres
Computer programs used:Adobe IllustratorArcGIS and ArcMap
Potential Areas for Urban Community Gardens
Residential Units .25 mi Bu�er
LegendVacant Parcels
N0 1 20.5Miles
PROJECT OUTCOME:The map above shows the results of data analysis and the possible locations for community gardens in the Denver
area. Three sites have been chosen to illustrate what the locations look like in an aerial view. The red parcels are
vacant lands between .5 and 1 acre and the blue parcels are high-density, lower- value residential buildings.
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION:During the Spring 2013 Design/Build Praxis Studio, a class of fifteen
environmental design students each designed a hut to be built for the Lama
Foundation, a spiritual retreat community. At the end of the semester, my
design, The Buff Hut, was picked to be built during the summer of 2013. The
Buff Hut is a cozy, one-bedroom sleeping space for visitors and hermits
staying at the Lama Foundation.
The Lama Foundation is located in a remote mountainous campground
about 30 minutes away from Taos, NM. All meals are enjoyed at the
community center and the restrooms have sawdust toilets. The Buff Hut
maximizes passive solar capabilities in order to reduce/eliminate heating
costs since Lama’s main source of energy is from solar panels.
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Lama Foundation Design/BuildJade Polizzi’s Praxis Studio. Spring 2013. Questa, NM.
PROCESS:As a class, we visited the Lama Foundation
twice during the spring semester in order to
learn more about the rich history and culture of
Lama and to take inspiration from the beautiful
New Mexico landscape. Although the principle
design was completed during the spring studio,
some design changes had to be made in order
to improve the project for building.
Most of the components and walls were
prefabricated at the University of Colorado-
Boulder in order to expedite construction in
New Mexico.
OUTCOME:The build team successfully completed The Buff
Hut by the end of the summer and an extremely
excited Lama visitor made her self at home the
day after it was completed. We interviewed
her about a week later and she remarked that
she felt like the Buff Hut had been fully
embraced within the Lama community.
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Computer programs used:Adobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoshopAutodesk Revit
Solar Studies:
Fall Equinox
Winter Solstice
Summer Solstice
Spring Equinox
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Additional Buff Hut Rendering
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Multiminimal Surface:Location: Boulder, Co
Project by Brendan Hurley and Josiah Benjamin
Computer programs used: Photoshop, Rinoceros, Grasshopper
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Center for Sustainable PracticesLocation: Denver, Co
Computer programs used: Revit, Photoshop, Illustrator
In addition, a 3D walkthrough video was created for the final presentation.
North Elevation
Second Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
East Elevation West Elevation
DNDN
DNUP
UP
N
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Above: Rendering of
the center in community
context.
Right: Rendering of the
interior courtyard with
a ground floor cafe.
18
McCaslin Road RedesignLocation: Louisville, Co.
Project by Brendan Hurley and Anna Reynoso
Computer programs used: Rhinoceros, Photoshop, Illustrator, ArcMap
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION:One of our projects for senior Landscape Studio was working with planning
staff at the City of Louisville in order to generate a new vision and master
plan for McCaslin Corridor, located off of US 36. Development around
McCaslin is extremely car dominated and very hostile to pedestrians. Traffic
is so hectic on McCaslin that even motorists can’t see the local stores along
the street, thanks to a fast speed limit and huge setbacks to retail buildings.
PROCESS:First, we looked at reducing the road width in order to make the street more
pedestrian friendly. Then, we split McCaslin into northbound and
southbound in order to reduce the amount of paving pedestrian’s would
have to cross. In addition, the split allowed more businesses to have
frontage along McCaslin. The proposed land uses are high-density,
mixed-use, and pedestrian friendly.
Proposed Land Use MapDiagrams:
Parking
Parking
Parking
Parking
ParkingParking
Discussion:as
MCCASLIN CORRIDOR RE-VISION
N
CITY OF LOUISVILLEUNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
FRAMEWORK
LAND-USE
Residential High DensityParking StructureParks, Green Spaces, Trail Corridors, Right-of-way
Commercial NeighborhoodMixed Use Residential
SPLIT MCCASLIN INTO NORTHBOUND AND SOUTHBOUND
Parking
Parking
Parking
Parking
ParkingParking
Parking
Parking
Parking
Parking
ParkingParking
Parking
Parking
Parking
Parking
ParkingParking
BIORETENTION FILTRATION SYSTEM STORMWATER RETENTION POND TREES
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“Urban Oasis” Design Competition SubmissionLocation: San Francisco, CA.
Project by Brendan Hurley, Anna Reynoso, Willy Alderman
Computer programs used: Revit, Photoshop, Illustrator, 3ds Max
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION:Another one of our senior Landscape Studio projects was to
enter in a student design competition for a school in San
Francisco’s Tenderloin district. The competition called for a
building that focuses on teaching students sustainability and
food production.
PROCESS:The Urban Oasis combines all of the needs of a school with an
active street life and community amenities while providing the
students an interactive learning environment. The Urban Oasis
has plenty of roof gardens to teach kids about agriculture, a
central play area, a living facade to showcase alternative
building styles, and a public space with a market.