professional portfolio: gary dean austingaustin/pdf/gda_prof...professional portfolio 1 - gary dean...

1 - Gary Dean AustinProfessional Portfolio

IntroductionI am a candidate for promotion to professor of Land-scape Architecture at the University of Idaho. Thank you for your review of my promotion documents and this professional portfolio. I have organized the portfo-lio into four sections 1) context statement; 2) summary of teaching effectiveness 3) summary of scholarship effectiveness 4) summary of service and outreach effec-tiveness. I then follow these four sections with a brief conclusion.

Context StatementMy employment at the University of Idaho (UI) began in the fall 1991, as an assistant professor in the Depart-ment of Landscape Architecture (LArc) in the College of Art and Architecture (CAA). I was hired based on my ability to teach a broad range of courses due to diverse teaching assignments at California State Poly-technic University, Pomona, University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Washington. During my tenure at the UI, I have taught all but a few of the required courses offered by the undergraduate and graduate programs in landscape architecture.

My position evolved to include significant participation in the department’s study abroad program (2000 – present) and participation in interdisciplinary, service learning and outreach courses (1996 – present). The LArc program added an accredited master’s degree option in 2012. This expansion increased the focus on scholarship productivity

I hold an adjunct appointment in the Archi-tecture program in CAA and I have participated for several years in collaborative courses with Architecture and Bioregional Planning (BIOP) program partners. The BIOP program is administered by the UI Graduate School and the CAA.

Position Description The Master of Landscape Architecture is an accredited professional program subject to external accreditation standards and the expectation that a degree will lead to state licensing. Therefore, the faculty activities are weighted heavily toward teaching professional skills. My teaching allocation averages 60.8%, while scholar-ship activities represent 27.6%. The remainder of my time has been divided among on‐campus/extramural service (3.8%), advising (4.2%), and extension and outreach (2.5%). At the UI these position description percentages are inaccurate. The official percentages discount time dedicated to teaching, advising and outreach and inflate the scholarship expectation. Like many professors, I dedicate my summers to scholar-ship but I have also contributed to the study abroad in all but one summer since 2000. While this activity is highlighted in recruiting and accreditation visits, it is a footnote in the position description. In addition, my percentages are skewed by a nine-month sabbati-cal leave that I was awarded in 2011. Nevertheless, a distribution of my employment responsibilities can be found in Table 1. See the promotion documents for the individual position descriptions. My annual perfor-

Professional Portfolio: Gary Dean AustinAssociate Professor of Landscape Architecture


Table 1. Allocation of employment responsibilities per position description for Gary Dean Austin, 2009‐2013.

Responsibility 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 AverageInstruction/Teaching 68.3 65.5 40.0 65 65 60.8Scholarship/Creative Activities 20.3 25.5 52.0 20 20 27.6Advising/Mentoring 3.3 2.5 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.2On-Campus/Extramural Service 1.7 2.5 2.0 5.0 8 3.8Extension (Outreach) Service 3.7 4.0 1.0 2.0 2 2.5Professional Development/Advancement 2.0 0 0 0 0 0.4Total 100 100 100 100 100

mance evaluations are provided in Table 2.The teaching component of my position is

consistent with the expectations of the college, where-by I teach a studio and lecture course sections each semester, but I also teach every summer. I typically teach introductory lecture courses for undergraduates, upper‐level undergraduate lecture and studio courses, and graduate studios. For many years my studios have focused on interdisciplinary, service learning projects in association with architecture (Figure 1), bioregional planning and engineering faculty and students at the UI and, recently, Washington State University (WSU) (Figure 2).

For the period from 2009 to 2013, the student evaluations of the courses I have taught have averaged 3.7 (out of 4 points) for both the performance of the instructor metric and the quality of the course metric. See Table 3 for a summary of teaching evaluations and the promotion documents for semester reports.

My scholarship falls within two topic ar-eas 1) rural community planning and design and; 2)

sustainable development. I regularly publish and make conference presentations at the regional, national and international levels. I recently produced an article in a tier one journal (Landscape Journal) and a book (Green Infrastructure for Landscape Planning published by Routledge). Both of these products are in press (permis-sion to publish letters documenting completion of these works is included in the promotion packet). The award of a 2011 sabbatical and the CAA Paul G. Windley Faculty Excellence and Development Award facilitated this productivity. Despite my responsibilities within the department’s study abroad program, I have published a refereed book and three refereed journal articles, one refereed proceedings article, four peer reviewed publi-cations and made eleven conference presentations since 2009.

The LArc program’s new MLA degree is in-creasing my participation as major professor and thesis committee member. This effort is under-represented in the 2012 and 2013 position descriptions since it is officially considered advising rather than teaching. As

Figure 1. Student work product from LArc 453, 2012. Collaboration of architecture and landscape architecture students to accomplish community revitalization proposals with in a service-learning environment.


major professor I advise about two students and serve on the committees of about two others each year.

Collectively, this scholarship productivity expresses a mature and productive research program. I have demonstrated that I can, develop and publish scholarship within my areas of research expertise.

My performance in the area of service meet the expectations of the college and university promo-tion guidelines. I typically serve on a university-lev-el committee and two college committees and two program committees each year. In 2013 my position description allocation for on-campus service jumped to 8% due to an appointment to the UI Arboretum Executive Committee. I have also served twice as an associate editor for the Space and Flows Journal. I ref-eree about three manuscripts submitted to various peer reviewed outlets each year.

I have an outstanding record of outreach projects. These generally are associated with interdisci-plinary studios that provide community planning and design services for communities in Idaho. For example, I have contributed to high profile planning and design projects for the communities of Priest River, Sandpoint (Figure 1), Cascade and several others.

TeachingTeaching Philosophy

My approach to teaching varies depending on the context of the course. Undergraduate and graduate courses require a different approach, as do introductory (content-rich) courses and studio courses. Since Master of Landscape Architecture is a professional program accredited by an external agency, the BSLA and MLA

curriculum are guided by accreditation requirements and the goal of entering professional practice upon graduation. Furthermore, almost all states require ex-aminations leading to licensing of landscape architects, which adds a focus of professional skill development, especially in the undergraduate courses. The graduate courses are oriented toward research or large scale issues with a greater emphasis on social/cultural, environmen-tal and planning. Given the breadth of my teaching assignments, I design the pedagogy of each course to respond the variations in scale, professional focus, and learning context.

For the introductory courses that I frequently teach (Principles of Site Design, Introduction to the Built Environment, History of Landscape Architecture, and Water Conservation Technologies), I adopt a mod-el of computer assisted learning (see http://www.uiweb.uidaho.edu/class/larc380). I build web sites for each of these courses for several purposes. First, less experienced learners at the university need more highly structured courses to support and organize their efforts. Secondly, I provide either lecture outlines (for the courses with the largest populations) or complete presentations of text and images that the students engage before class meetings. The web site for LArc 251, Introduction to the Principles of Site Planning (http://www.uiweb.uida-ho.edu/class/larc251), is an example of a course with lecture outlines while the sites for LArc 380 and LArc 389, History of Landscape Architecture (http://www.uiweb.uidaho.edu/class/larc389), provide more compre-hensive material. The advantage of the second approach is that class meetings dedicated to traditional lectures are reduced in favor of studio activities where students apply the concepts they have learned to the solution of

Academic Year

Teaching/ Pedagogy/ Instruction

Scholarship Advising University & Extramural Service

Extension Summary Evaluation Program Chair

Summary Evaluation Dean

Dept. Average

College Average

2009 4.0 2.0 4.0 3.0 4.0 3.54 3.5 3.43 3.542010 3.5 3.1 3.5 3.0 3.0 3.54 3.42011 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.0 3.0 3.54 4.02012 3.0 4.0 3.0 4.0 3.0 3.54 3.02013Average: 3.63 3.28 3.63 3.25 3.25 3.6 3.48

Notes: a - Performance evaluation scale ranges from 1 (Unacceptable Performance) to 5 (Exceptional Performance), with a midpoint value of 3 (Meets Expectations).

Table 2. Annual performance evaluation summary for Gary Dean Austin, 2009‐2012.a


a new problem. In contrast is LArc 556, a graduate studio.

In the spring semester of 2013 it was supported by a federal grant, involved architecture, planning and engineering students and faculty, and was product oriented. Concepts and methods were generated during the class to achieve the project results. In this case, this was a supply chain for woody biomass collection and conversion to isobutanol (for jet fuel) and the master planning of five prototypical sites (Figure 2). The sites were brownfield or greyfield properties adjacent to communities. Re-imagining the role of these properties as community resources and environmental resto-ration opportunities in addition to re-industrialization presented the students with design and technological challenges consistent with contemporary practice in a collaborative setting. Rather than providing materials to these students, creative problem solving and inde-pendent research responding to emerging project needs and manipulation of data for presentation characterized faculty and student interactions.

LArc 453 is an undergraduate studio that I have taught many times and features a different ped-agogy than the studio described above. This studio concentrates on service-learning and outreach, with the goal of revitalizing rural communities through econom-ic development, master planning and physical design (Figure 1). This is a trans-disciplinary studio in which the landscape architecture students are teamed with architecture students and supported by community agencies and citizens. The Idaho communities of Sand-point (Figure 1), Cascade (Figure 11) and Priest River (Figure 10) have receive the sustained effort of this stu-dio during more than one academic year (other courses in the landscape architecture, bioregional planning, and architecture programs produced complimentary out-reach products for these communities as well). Working in a reality charged, public participatory environment is a terrific opportunity for students, citizens and commu-nities alike to learn how design and planning is mediat-ed by social and political processes.

Broached earlier, my commitment to delivering study abroad experiences tailored to design students is demonstrated by participation in summer courses in Italy and China (Figure 3) 11 times since 2000. Most recently, this involved a program organized by UI Asso-ciate Professor Xiao Hu, which featured the production of a master plan to increase tourism in a small Chinese town. Chinese and American students from a variety of disciplines collaborated to create a vision for the com-

munity (Figure 4). More than any other courses, these study abroad courses are transformative experiences for students.

I am an advocate of the integrative and mul-tidisciplinary approach to education since this is the professional environment in which graduates will find

Table 3. Summary of teaching evaluations for Gary Dean Austin, 2009‐2013.Term Course Performance of

Instructor a,bQuality of Course a,c

Spring 2009 LArc 380 3.29 3.43Spring 2009 LArc 389 3.6 3.6Spring 2009 LArc 560 4.0 4.0Summer 2009 LArc 364 3.5 4.0Summer 2009 LArc 382 3.5 3.4Fall 2009 LArc 155 3.1 3.0Fall 2009 LArc 356 3.22 3.44Fall 2009 LArc 457 3.6 3.56Spring 2010 LArc 380 3.8 3.8Spring 2010 LArc 389 3.64 3.55Spring 2010 LArc 559 4.0 4.0Summer 2010 LArc 364 4.0 4.0Summer 2010 LArc 382 3.8 3.7Fall 2010 LArc 151 3.5 3.75Fall 2010 LArc 353 3.5 3.5Fall 2010 LArc 455 3.83 3.67Spring 2011 LArc 380 3.7 3.7Spring 2011 LArc 389 3.67 3.56Spring 2011 LArc 463 3.4 3.2Spring 2011 LArc 465 4.0 4.0Summer 2011 LArc 389 4.0 4.0Summer 2011 LArc 404 4.0 3.5Summer 2012 LArc 364 3.86 3.86Summer 2012 390 LArc 4.0 4.0Fall 2012 LArc 151 3.29 3.43Fall 2012 LArc 453 4.0 4.0Spring 2013 LArc 380 3.88 3.88Spring 2013 LArc 556 4.0 4.0

Average: 3.7 3.7a Five‐point rating scale ranges from 0 (“lowest rating”) to 4 (“highest rating”).b Question asked: Overall, how would you rate the perfor-mance of the instructor in teaching this course?c Question asked: Overall, how would you rate the quality of this course?


themselves. In fact, I teach in this context to a greater degree and more consistently than any professor in my college. This is a challenging teaching position that requires good interpersonal relationship skills and a broad background in planning, landscape architecture, natural science and technology. My teaching is based on techniques that integrate concepts from a variety of disciplines. Table 3 demonstrates sustained teaching effectiveness according to one measure, student evalua-tions of teaching. See the promotion documents for the semester reports.

As suggested above my overarching philoso-phy is that contemporary problems associated with the development of human settlements, regardless of their extent, are more complex than any single discipline can address. In fact, single discipline approaches create as many problems as they solve. An ecosystem services approach that addresses cultural, environmental and economic aspects of urbanization presumes that pro-fessionals collaborate to create integrated systems that achieve human aspirations while sustaining the ecosys-tems. Healthy ecosystems are the reservoir of essential biodiversity as well as human products and services. I believe that understanding the relationship between ecosystem extent, health, and configuration and the development of human systems is critical to solving

problems ranging from social justice, species extinc-tion, and sustained economic growth to mitigation of climate change. I’m passionate about the opportunities to explore these relationships with my students through theory courses, technology courses, and studios. Even construction detailing courses (which I haven’t taught for a few years) offer choices of sustainable materials and technologies in service of a balance between hu-mans and the environment.

Landscape architects are predominately generalists. That is to say that they approach planning and design problems holistically. This is an unusual orientation in a society (and particularly in an aca-demic setting) where disciplines are narrowly defined. This characteristic often results in landscape architects being project coordinators that collect and organize disciplinary specific information to make a land use or physical design proposal. This role requires broadly educated individuals with excellent analytical and com-munication skills.

Among the tools that make landscape archi-tects more effective in this role is facility with software used to communicate the relationship between data, design goals and programs and the physical configu-ration of elements across the landscape. As a teacher I strive to remain familiar or fluent in the use of a range

Figure 2. This student work product is one result of the multidisciplinary collaboration of engineering, architecture, bioregional planning and landscape architectuare students and faculty in the graduate studio LArc 556, 2013. The re-industrialization of brownfield sites include new demands for ecological restoration and recreation facilities. Credit - Kristin De Boer.

NARA is led by Washington State University and supported by the Agriculture and Food Research Initia-tive Competitive Grant no. 2011-68005-30416 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

ATLAS | Western Montana CorridorBONNERS FERRY, IDAHO: MASTER PLAN - DETAILS

CHRISTINE SCHUETTEUI - Bio-Regional Planning

ERIC WINBORNEWSU - Architecture

KRISTIN DE BOERUI - Landscape Architecture

HEATHER BAXTERWSU - Engineering

OVERVIEWThe Bonners Ferry Depot Site design includes machinery, storage, adminis-tration, visitor, employee, habitat reme-diation and storm water areas. For ma-chinery, there is a building for storage and maintenance and all access points are designed wide enough for clearance of multiple styles of equipment. Storage on site includes chip and slash storage at a weekly height of 20 feet, and a daily height of 9 feet. It also includes an out-door natural drying/storage area and an indoor drying storage area that could be the future location of a pellet mill. The administration building is designed for office space and official business as well as an area for visitors. The break or gath-ering area by the formal pond, located just south of the administration building, is ideal for outdoor formal meetings. The employee areas include a building for breaks and specific tasks, outdoor break areas with seating, and pathways for circulation throughout the site and for leisure on breaks. Habitat remediation and storm water features go hand in hand throughout the site. Their goal is to collect and move storm water away from buildings and bio mass storage ar-eas while creating habitat and clean the soils.

Fig 1: Master Plan Layout

Key:Habitat Extention

Outflow to riverChip StorageBio-swale

Slash StorageLoad AreaDe-barker

Vegetated Turn-aboutMetal DetectorChipper

Truck TipperRiver WalkMechanic/Break Shed

Trailer StorageNew Chip Storage/Dry AreaScales

Power BuildingBioretention Pond for Power bldg.Storage/Pellet Mill

Truck EnteranceEmployee Break AreasAdministration Building

Noise & Dust BufferFormal PondBike Parking

Possible New Rail LinesParking Bioretention AreasStormwater Pond

Employee Entrance, Sidewalk & Bike PathChip Extract Area- Truck & Rail CapableOutflow to river

Bioretention ponds & Habitat Renewal

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of communication software and to facilitate its use by students in the courses I teach. I mentioned that I develop web sites for my courses. I employ Abobe Dreamweaver for this but use Photoshop and Illustrator to prepare the content for the websites. During the last year I have taken on-line courses in the use of Dream-weaver, Illustrator, SketchUp and AutoCad to update my abilities to manipulate these software packages to support production of teaching materials and support students in their use of these tools (Figure 5). My facili-

ty with VectorWorks, AutoCad and SketchUp supports studio projects.

Most teachers are well aware of the various learning styles expressed by students. Remaining cognizant of this in the large population introductory course as well as in the studio is critical to fostering the potential of each student. I provide a variety of ways to contact and assimilate information through listening, reading, writing and doing (Figure 12). This is somewhat easier in the studio where the personality of the student is evident during the one-on-one review of progress and where teaching can be customized to the needs of the individual. Therefore, even in “lecture” courses I assign projects that allow me to meet with individuals or small groups. In the worst case, this role is assumed by teaching assistants instead.

Each course syllabus states the course ob-jectives and learning outcomes. The knowledge and skills in which students are to be proficient are clearly articulated. The course objectives are also tied back to accreditation requirements and the curriculum objec-tives adopted by the LArc faculty. Visiting the LArc 380 website (see http://www.uiweb.uidaho.edu/class/larc380) or others identified earlier will access examples of syllabi,course calendars, problem statements and course content.

I use a variety of methods to assess student pro-ficiency and respond to the diversity of student learning styles. Examinations, group and individual projects and presentations allow for a range of opportunities for students to engage the material. I provide clear project objectives and guidelines for each project assignment and provide students with examples of the final work product. In studio, where there are group components, I use student peer evaluations to assist with my evalua-tions.

I stay current in the various aspects of land-scape architecture and planning by attending confer-

Figure 3. American and Chinese students in environmen-tal design disciplines collaborate to formulate a tourism enhancement master plan for a Chinese town. Summer 2013.

Figure 4. Section and perspective of a design proposal produced during the summer 2013 study abroad course in China (in association with Prof. Drown and Prof. Hu). Figure 5. Image from a SketchUp model. Graphic - Austin


ences and reading academic and trade publications on a regular basis. My teaching materials are updated before each course with new information and illustrations. I integrate what I learn into my courses so that my cours-es remain fresh and relevant and include contemporary examples of built work.

I am able to incorporate my research directly into my courses. The breadth, depth, and international scope of my research allows me to match theory with built work. For example, I have integrated my research on stormwater and wastewater and ecological engineer-ing performance reported in the literature into both technical and planning courses that I teach. The need to tie design concepts to the performance of construct-ed landscapes helps students develop feasible designs supported by emerging technology.

ScholarshipMy research program currently is focused on green infrastructure networks that incorporate ecological engineering advances in wastewater and stormwater treatment with more traditional uses of recreation, open space and habitat. This is applied research with the goal of promoting more sustainable development within the full range of settlement densities. My work

is informed by the ecosystem services literature which promotes holistic planning that simultaneously address-es social/cultural, economic and ecosystem outcomes. This investigation has led me into the urban ecology literature and particularly to the physical requirements of ecological corridors and wildlife habitat and their impact on the expansion of green infrastructure. These interwoven threads are a rich area of emerging research that has important implications ranging from quality of life at the local scale to climate adaptation and mitiga-tion at the national scale.

The most comprehensive expression of my research is the book “Green Infrastructure for Landscape Planning: Integrating Human and Natural Systems,” ISBN-10: 0415843537 | ISBN-13: 978-0415843539. The book is complete and already listed on Amazon.com and other outlets but has a publication date of February 18, 2014. The publisher is Routledge (a Taylor and Francis subsidiary). Routledge is a glob-al publisher of academic books and journals in the humanities and social sciences, including landscape architecture and architecture. The book proposal was accepted after a blind review by three scholars and a second review by a board of editors. The book contains chapters that address the following topics: 1) Theoret-ical Model of Green Infrastructure; 2) Human Phys-ical and Psychological Health; 3) Ecosystem Health; 4) Ecosystem Functions and Services; 5) Planning and Design Processes with a case study of Stapleton, Colorado; 6) Habitat and Corridors; 7) Open Space; 8) Stormwater Management; 9) Green Roofs; 10) Community Agriculture; 11) Wastewater Treatment; 12) Stockholm Case Study; 13) Integration of Green Infrastructure Components. Although the publishers galleys that incorporate the graphic design, text, figures and tables are not complete at this time (August 25), I

Figure 6. This illustration is a biodiversity planning proposal that links municipal and regional scale ecological corridors and habitat patches from“Multi-Functional Eco-logical Corridors in Urban Development” by G. Austin, 2012.

Figure 7. This illustration from the Landscape Journal article and is an example of a multifunctional wastewater treatment landscape. Photo: H. Brix, 2011.


have assembled two sample chapters for this review. The sample chapters are available in the promotion docu-ments packet. The final chapters will, of course, have a different appearance.

My scholarly papers in refereed journals explore aspects of green infrastructure. For example “Multi-Functional Ecological Corridors in Urban De-velopment” uses ecosystem, species, and urban ecology research to define the physical dimensions and other requirements for wildlife (biodiversity) in the urban and rural context (Figure 6). The forthcoming (January 2013) Landscape Journal, 32(1), is a special issued ded-icated to the topic of multi-functional landscapes. My article in the journal draws on ecological engineering and ecosystem services research to propose a sequence of biological treatment wetlands as part of a public green infrastructure (Figure 7). The wetlands would treat wastewater from housing or mixed use develop-ment to produce tertiary water quality and allow for re-use in irrigation and habitat restoration. The proposed system protects the public from exposure to pathogens while creating an open space and aesthetic amenity as well as a wildlife resource.

The technical issues associate with biological wastewater and stormwater treatment and supported by recent research in the ecological engineering litera-ture are the topics of my refereed proceedings article, “Advances in Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater and Stormwater Treatment”.

During the last three years I published four articles in peer reviewed journals. One targets an audience focused on sustainable development. This

article “Design and Performance of Bioretention Beds for Removal of Stormwater Contaminants” for the Journal of Green Building, 7(1) presents the technical and construction detailing requirements of a particular type of biological treatment (Figure 8) and presents the performance findings. Two other journal articles that I published explore a research area that I intend to develop more extensively this year. One article address-es food security while the other discusses community agriculture in relationship to economic development. An exploration of small-scale commercial agriculture and community gardens as a use-by-right planning device has important sustainability implications. Local production of organic food is another contributor to green infrastructure and has biodiversity, open space, education and even urban structure benefits.

Two other scholarship activities bear mention-ing here. The first is represented by the co-authored, ad-judicated article, “University/Community Engagement in Small Western Towns: Preserving Rural Character and Enhancing Community Sustainability through Service-Learning Partnerships” in Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 5(1). Published in 2012, this article hints at my long history of rural planning and design experience achieved primarily through interdisciplinary studios and outreach efforts. My co-authors are an architect and a bioregional planner who I collaborate with frequently. This combination of teaching, research and outreach will be presented more fully in the outreach section below.

The last area of scholarship is associated with the decade of study abroad courses presented in Italy and my interest in the history of landscape and urban history. In addition to learning to read Italian well enough to do research in Italy, I have documented 30 hilltowns and other historic towns during my visits (Figure 9). To date, my only publication in this area is a poster presented at a conference (see the supplementary material in my promotion packet to review the arti-

Figure 9. This figure-ground analysis of Camogli, Italy is one tool used to explore the urban morphology of the town and its unique response to growth pressure. Graphic: A. Luoma, 2010.

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Figure 8. This cross section from the Journal of Green Building article is an example of a technical detail linked to performance data for stormwater treatment landscapes. Graphic: G. Austin.


cle). However, I have produced a book prospectus (see promotion packet). The book will establish a typology of towns base on their historic economic base. The form of the towns will be analyzed and compared using a variety of classification tools. Topography and climate, as well as the political, military and economic history influence the form of urban development. This mor-phological study will yield planning and design com-parisons and lessons that can be applied to the solution of contemporary problems. This will probably be a dig-ital, rather than print, book since there are many more color images required to communicate the content than can be economically produced for the traditional print market.

It should be clear that my current research ac-tivity as well as the rural revitalization and morphology work all have immediate and broad application to the courses that I teach.

I disseminate my scholarship through an intensive schedule of conference presentations (11 since 2009) within landscape architecture and allied disciplines. In fact, I have had more conference papers accepted than the travel budget at the UI has been capable of supporting. In addition, I have been careful to distribute these presentations at regional, national and international venues. The regional presentations are important to meet the land grant mission of the university.

Through the new book, journal publications and conference presentations, I am at the forefront of landscape architecture in the areas of wastewater and stormwater treatment, planning and design for biodi-versity, ecosystem services and the more general topic of green infrastructure. The contribution that this research makes to my courses is a positive outcome of my re-search program and interests.

Service and OutreachI regularly serve on committees at every level

of the University of Idaho. I am new to the role of chair of the graduate studies committee but look forward to supporting the MLA students and helping them advance through the program.

My position descriptions do not direct sig-nificant effort toward outreach and extension activ-ities. Yet, I believe that I am the foremost and most consistent practitioner of interdisciplinary outreach efforts within CAA. I have worked with Prof. Marshall, Prof. Laninga, Prof. Pinel, Prof. McClure and others to develop planning and design proposals for many communities in Idaho, Washington and Montana. For my overview of design efforts in Priest River, ID see this YouTube video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn-5hZlT6TJA.

More than any other professor I was involved in the planning, design and technical aspects of the high profile outreach projects in Cascade, Idaho. I participated in a planning studio, a design studio, and conducted two construction detailing courses that served this community. This outreach effort is always associated with undergraduate and graduate studios. In addition, these courses are service-learning and trans-disciplinary learning opportunities for the students. The coordination, travel and effort to balance academic objectives with community outcomes make these courses extraordinarily more difficult to conduct than siloed, academic studio assignments. These courses simulate professional practice in contrast to academic studios housed within the various disciplines, which

Figure 11. Cascade, ID master plan alternative. Student team project.

Figure 10. Proposed Mixed Use development plan for Priest River, ID. Master plan alternative by W. Horricks.


make up the majority of the studios in the college. For the last few years, the Dean of CAA has advocated the kind of integration of disciplinary efforts that I have been demonstrating for 15 years.

ConclusionThe information that I have provided in this portfolio clearly addresses the teaching, scholarship and outreach missions of the University of Idaho. This summary demonstrates that I make significant contributions to realization of each mission and demonstrates my qual-ifications for promotion to Professor at the University of Idaho.

Supplementary MaterialFull text of most of the journal articles and two

chapters of the book Green Infrastructure for Landscape Planning are provided in the packet of promotion doc-uments. These materials and others are also available on my website (http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~gaus-tin). To access this material the user name is gda and password is gda13.

Location and access to relevant websites:

LArc 380 Water Conservation TechnologiesWeb address -

http://www.uiweb.uidaho.edu/class/larc380User-name - larc380 Password - larc38013

LArc 389 History of Landscape ArchitectureWeb address -http://www.uiweb.uidaho.edu/class/larc389User-name - larc389 Password - larc38913 Notes: Although Don Brigham has taught this class for the last couple of years and he made the course assign-ments, the content of all of the tutorials was created by me. To view the tutorials click on the syllabus and choose a link from the calendar. LArc 251 Introduction to the Principles of Site DesignWeb address - http://www.uiweb.uidaho.edu/class/larc251User-name - larc251Password - larc25113

Professional Website for Gary Austinhttp://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~gaustin/User-name - gdaPassword - gda13

Landschaftspark * Duisburg-Nord History of Landscape Architecture * LARC 389 * Gary Austin * Spring 2010

Chris Barnes * Kailee Moulton * Ali Knox * Wade Horrocks

History During the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, the quiet region of Ruhr north of Duisburg was awakened by the iron and steel industry flourishing around them. As the industry left the Ruhr valley and migrated north, it transformed the country which lost its rural innocence. The mill closed April 4, 1985 a history of 82 years full of hopes and disappointments due to over capacities in the European steel market. As production was abandoned, 5 acres of industrial wasteland remained, waiting for new use. Enormous steel structures were all that was left to bear witness to human toil and labor and to outstanding periods of industrial architecture. The commitment of citizens prevented the demolition of the buildings and installations that was threatening. Between 1990 and 1999, the IBA Emscher-Park International Building Exhibition created a new type of park which achieves a symbiosis between man-made artifacts and natural flora. Landschaftspark now manages the unique park which provides not only recreational opportunities but also a hands-on experience in the art of iron making. This park has an outstanding view of Duisburg and its environment.

InfrastructureThe infrastructure of the former steel mill has been utilized to its fullest extent in the design of the park and features among other things, sustainable water management. Steel production requires an abundance of water. Therefore the site had an intricate existing water infrastructure which includes the Emscher river that runs through the site and a series of holding and settling ponds to clean and cool the water from the blast furnaces. This former steel industry infrastructure has been converted to a rainwater runoff management system. Rainwater from roofs and other impervious surfaces is collected in holding basins and ponds. As they start to fill up one at a time, they eventually overflow into the Emscher River. This creates a steady and slow flow of water to the river even in dry spells. The former ore bunkers have been transformed into special gardens.

The ore bunkers are outdoor spaces with four walls and no roof where ore was stored. Because ore is so heavy, the concrete walls of the bunkers are two to three meters thick. It would have been extremely energy intensive to demolish these walls and remove the rubble. Instead, beautiful rooms, each with their own microclimates have been created. The climate of each room is influenced by the vegetation grown within and the amount of water delivered to each room via a windmill water pump.

Outdoor Recreation

The Landschaft leisure park was designed to combine the park’s industrial heritage with a new dedication to beauty, leisure and recreation. In addition to standard fare of hiking and biking, a plethora of new recreational activities are on offer at the park.

Divers are treated to a spectacular diving tank located in a former 20,000 m3 gas storage facility. An artificial reef was created and the remains of old boats and cars have been added to create a unique diving environment. Mountaineering enthusiasts enjoy climbing walls that utilize the enormous scale of the former ore bunkers to provide challenging climbing walls that offer tremendous views at the top for a reward. Large ‘slides’ have also been added to take advantage to the scale while utilizing old conduits throughout the site.

This project is an excellent example of how a former industrial site can be revitalized to offer leisure and recreational opportunities to the public, while retaining its heritage and serving as a reminder of the parks industrial past.

Latz + Partner Landscape ArchitectsLatz und Partner is a Landscape Architecture Firm located in Munich, Germany. It was founded in 1968 in Aachen and specializes in town planning, urban design and large-scale landscape architecture. The firm currently has twenty-three full time staff members and has multiple project offices in Germany. The firm focuses on the planning of open space and ecological building and research work in the field of alternative technologies, connected with the achievement of long-term development and maintenance programs. Since the mid eighties a focus of the work is dealing with the metamorphosis of postin-dustrial sites. Latz und Partner has earned several awards for their postindustrial landscape designs and their awards resume continues to grow.

2008T he International A rchitecture A ward 2008The C hicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and DesignThe E uropean C enter for Architecture Art Design and Urban S tudiesMetropolitan Arts P ress, Ltd.for Havenwelten – O ld and New Harbour B remerhaven

2007International city.people.light award 2007LUC I Lighting Urban C ommunity InternationalP hilips Lighting Deutschlandspecial mention for Havenwelten – Alter und Neuer Hafen B remerhaven

2006International Illumination Des ign A ward 2006Award of Merit, IE S NA New Y orkfor Havenwelten – O ld and New Harbour B remerhaventogether with P farré Lighting Design

A rchitecture + T echnology A wardF rankfurt, G ermany for Administration B uilding of S O K A-B AU, Wiesbaden (ZV K )together with Herzog + P artner Architects a.o.

2005E DR A P laces A wardE dmond/O K , U.S .A.for Landscape P ark Duisburg-Nord

2004P lay & L eis ure A wardIntern. P lay and Leisure F air, F riedrichshafenfor Landscape P ark Duisburg-Nord

2001G rande Medaille d´Urbanis meAcadémie d’Architecture, P aris, F rancefor Landscape P ark Duisburg-Nord

2000F irs t E uropean P rize for L ands cape A rchitecture R os a B arbaB arcelona, S pain for Landscape P ark Duisburg-Nord

2009G reen G ood Des ign 2009 A wardfor Landscape P ark Duisburg NordandR ebuilding and New Development of the E uropean Town K irchberg, Luxembourg (G reen Infrastructure)Awarded by The E uropean C enter for Architecture Art Design and Urban S tudies + The C hicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, C hicago, Dublin, Athen

National A ward for Integrated Urban Development and Urban C ulture “ S tadt bauen – S tadtleben” 2009for Havenwelten – O ld and New Harbour B remerhavenAwarded by the F ederal Ministry for Traffic, B uilding and Urban Development

Indoor VenuesThe first building was constructed in 1902 and the plant continuously grew until the late eighties. It employed thousands of workers from the community of Duisburg and surrounding areas. Over the years the buildings have undergone many transformations when it comes to use, and have since become historical monuments in the eyes of inhabitants of Duisburg. Since the birth of Landschafts Park these buildings are not only viewed as tourist attractions, but also venues for all scales of celebrations and functions. Public hearings are often held in the old storehouse along with a permanent “Understanding Iron Exhibition,” and the Blower house offers a unique interchangeable venue for theatre productions, concerts or company celebrations. The old cast house is host to an open air grandstand with a fully roofed stage and orchestra pit, and can host up to one-thousand visitors; and out of the old office building the German Youth Hostel Association runs a 140-bed hostel. The Engines house is now fully renovated and has been converted into a multi-functional events center. This hall can hold up to 4,140 guests depending on the layout of the event and can be customized to suit the needs of the function. The entire infrastructure and the expertise that major events call for is available. On-site are working lights, PA system, emergency alarms, upholstered lock-in seating, catering facilities and separate toilets for visitors, employees, and artists/performers. One unique amenity that has been incorporated into the grand-scheme-of-things, (cafeterias, bars, dressing rooms and event halls) is the old machinery, which is often still standing where it has been for decades. This industrial cathedral can now be used for anything and everything.

Figure 12. Studen work from the History of Landscape Architecture course, 2010.

professional portfolio: gary dean austingaustin/pdf/gda_prof...professional portfolio 1 - gary dean...

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