| Urban Design - Full time Masters degree program |
I got a great deal of advise (requested and much not so requested) I followed
with the typical application, I then submitted a portfolio of my works (samples
of some of my drawings, writing samples, etc.) Along with these I was requested
to submit three letters of recommendation (from persons I'd worked for, fellow
practioners and persons who knew my efforts and could vouch for me. Additionally
my GRE scores, were needed along with a paper combining several issues including
my thoughts on various design matters: Alfred Taubman College of Architecture +
Urban Planning Master of Urban Design V. Scott Holmgren, ASLA, APA 5150 Delta
River Drive Lansing, Michigan 48906 (517) 321-1394 ild@corecomm.net Statement of
Purpose Being a highly dedicated landscape architect, an active observer of life
and a believer that the environment of urban places can and must be made better,
I??m enthusiastic about what can be done in particular to that end. Just as my
resume begins (as excerpted above), I believe that it is the duty of all
landscape architects / designers to enhance the quality of life of all urban
places. Over the years as a design professional, I??ve endeavored to do this
through a diversified career ranging from traditional landscape architecture to
public land administration, private sector land development and non-profit
neighborhood revitalization. Additionally I have been an active observer of the
life of places and the persons who occupy them. In this last effort I??ve come to
appreciate the many individuals who have focused their study on this specific
issue. Especially noteworthy is William H. Whyte, Stephen Kaplan and Edward T.
Hall. In addition to this in depth study of the social interaction of persons in
urban places, I have observed very closely a place??s character in terms of the
design process. In my career thus far, although I have experience in all phases
of the design process, my interest of study has been on the beginning and end of
this process - specifically the ??Analysis?? and ??Post-Construction?? steps. My
reasoning has been that a project is not all it could be without looking at a
site??s intrinsic quality or uniqueness of place and non- homogeneity. Analysis of
a site is not merely performing an inventory of its elements. It also involves
doing an evaluation of these elements, which I incidentally find very
interesting. In doing this evaluation I ask the question, ??so what of it??? The
element(s) themselves have some specifically unique characteristic that impacts
the place and its use. For example a recreational lake has an impact on a place??s
environment, noise and erosion. The other part of the process, the post
construction phase, is a ??postmortem?? of sorts. While it??s been often said that
everyone must learn from their mistakes and successes, a person should go a step
further and learn from OTHERS?? mistakes or successes. In doing this I have
visited many places. In addition to enjoying them, I have often critiqued them
and used these critiques in my preparation of new designs. In my studies at the
University of Michigan??s Taubman College I enthusiastically look forward to
building on my knowledge of the design process. I would like to continue to learn
more about analysis and post construction, but in this phase of my career I am
now interested in strengthening my theory base of the design and construction
elements of the design process. In general I wish to become more creative and a
better implementer of those ideas. I would like to focus on the implementation of
ideas including creative financing, politics and especially real estate
intricacies. Some other areas of special interest to me include the details of
housing, ethics, international development, and computer applications (including
digital design and GIS). Another of my goals for graduate study is a commitment
to learn how things are done in other countries. It seems that weve learned a
great deal from other places and we must continue to do so (i.e. traffic calming,
walkable communities, sustained development and improved quality of life from
Holland, England and other countries). My travels to England, Russia and other
places have impacted my desire to learn more from other countries about urban
design. Im especially interested in the Taubman College with its focus on the
world and other cultures. The last goal Id like to pursue is a more in-depth
understanding of how to design urban spaces to better fit the needs of the real
people living in these places. In the past Ive endeavored to work with the City
of Detroit, for example and looked at social issues in doing so. However the
recent Taubman charette in Detroit enabled me to take a broader look at whom the
riverfront site belongs to and see the site from the vantage point of the user.
Ive always been taught to be mindful of the users of a place, but my designs
were colored by my personal preferences. The specific needs of these people in
Detroit were a real eye opener to me. The many users of the site included folks
such as youth skateboarders, middle aged persons focused on safety, and elderly
on fixed incomes. Their different needs and vantage points of how they looked at
the site had a profound effect on me. I would like to gain a better ability to
look at a place from other persons perspectives and incorporate a broader
perspective than my own into a design. Some additional experiences that have had
a significant effect on me are Habitat for Humanitys Detroits Blitz build
events, community development in small cities, working with large corporate firms
on site development and serving as a consultant to the City of Detroit. While all
of these have had different goals to accomplish, I have attempted to include
sustainability, as this is a part of my landscape architectural background. In
summary, I enthusiastically look forward to learning more about urban design and
how to apply this theory to practical problems in urban settings. ANOTHER PIECE I
SUBMITTED... Alfred Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning Master of
Urban Design - MUP/ MLA/ BLA applicants, Please describe your studio experience.
V. Scott Holmgren, ASLA, APA 5150 Delta River Drive Lansing, Michigan 48906 (517)
321-1394 ild@corecomm.net Studio Course Experience 1) Design Studio: Detail Site
Design Taken At: University of Minnesota The design process was closely looked at
in this course including its first and last steps (Analysis and Post-Construction
Evaluation. In this course we visited many built places - ranging from urban
commercial areas to rural environments. Critiquing all and redesigning them in
light of these evaluations. 2) Design Studio: Interim Design Taken At: University
of Minnesota Walker Community - This course focusing on community and
neighborhood quality. The studio members met and discussed with many residents of
communities to determine their concerns and studio participants designed
accordingly and presented publicly. 3) Design Studio: Advanced Planning Design
Taken At: University of Minnesota Red Wings Riverfront - This self directed
study and design was focused on riverfronts generally and specifically that of
Red Wing, MN. In the process of this work, I studied many urban water front
edges, studied many private & public documents and interviewed many citizens. My
design very closely followed these issues and I presented my conclusions /
designs publicly and to my peers. Incidentally I had on going works related to
this project with the community for many years afterward.
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