J U L I A P L O T T SLANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO OF

P E R S O N A L S T A T E M E N T As young girl I often found myself enamored by the natural landscape around me. I grew up believing that every tree,

shrub, animal, forest or lake had a spirit within it. And that whenever a human being trespassed on its well being this spirit would take revenge. Thus, nature was to not simply to be appreciated for its beauty but to be revered and feared for its power. This belief, I later discovered, was something unique to my Shinto Japanese upbringing.

In contrast, I noticed that Western ideas about human progress did not seem to make room for such spiritual connections to nature. I felt that there was much more of an emphasis on mans ability to pacify nature and a need for man to protect nature, thus, emphasizing its fragility. Realizing this fragility I felt obligated to take a part in protecting nature. The summer after graduating high school I interned at the California Wilderness Coalition, a non-profit organization that aimed to preserve the natural landscapes of California. My job was mostly about sending letters asking people to donate to various programs to help the wilderness. However, working in the high rise-building surrounded by the very urban, almost treeless, downtown Oakland I began to lose sight of what I was working to protect; the wilderness of California seemed distant and unrelated to me.

With the same mindset and the same detachment from nature, my upbringing, and my interests I majored in mechanical engineering at Cornell University, hoping to enter the field of nanotechnology where I could take some part in the progress of mankind. However, once in college I quickly realized that I was in the wrong major. Even though I liked math and science, the overly competitive atmosphere at Cornell made me lose sight of these interests and I could not see myself working on the small scale projects we learned about in class. Mostly, there was something missing in the major that I had chosen that I felt a great need for: art and nature.

Instead, what I found fascinating at Cornell were the crisscrossed pathways in the Arts Quad that were arranged in such a way that no one deviated from them or the magnificent gorges all over campus that I walked by regularly but was always amazed by. What had drawn me to that far away school was not the school itself, or the engineering program, but the profound beauty of the campus. This was when I rediscovered my love for nature and discovered my interest in landscape architecture.

Since then, I have realized that in this chaotic urbanizing world there is a need for the simplicity of nature and a renewed spiritual connection to the earth. Thus, it is the landscape architect’s duty to bring nature’s voice to the people to allow that spiritual reconnection, wherever they may be, in the country or in the city. I am especially interested in urban landscape design because I want to create attractive natural spaces for people who live in the cities. Such attractive cities, with a mix of urban and natural areas, will bring people to the cities freeing valuable natural and agricultural land. In this way I want to be a part of the process of creating a more sustainable future.

Coming to UC Davis and studying here has made me increasingly passionate about landscape architecture. This major which requires me to think analytically, conceptually, and creatively has me completely engaged. Moreover, landscape architecture is a channel through which I can merge my Western concepts with my Japanese beliefs. Although nature is fragile and susceptible to human control, perhaps, how much nature has affected us and how much it will affect us in the future is more profound. Thus, we are more than responsible to protect it. After all, we are nature; we are very much a part of this delicate living framework that must be in balance.

S C U L P T U R E A relief inspired by the Art Nouveau architecture I saw as an exchange student in Riga, Latvia.

This is a representation of the human mind.Crea-stone ™ and wood.

P A I N T E D L A N D S C A P E SLeft: A Day for Gathering Chestnuts. Swiss forest landscape painted from memory. Oil on wood.

Middle: The back of Walker Hall with addition of lawns, shrubbery, and trees. Watercolor.Right: The news student services building. Watercolor.

S K E T C H S T U D I E SLeft: Study of a group of trees. Plan, section, tree detail, and branch detail using graphite, charcoal, and watercolor.Top right: Front of Segundo dinning commons, shows how the rocks are used as seating.Bottom right: Sketch showing bike parking behavior.

C O N C E P TU A L D E S I G N

This is a design for a meditative garden centeredaround the theme of focus. The landscape is an

arrangement of dark cherry trees and light Europeanbirches. As the visitor approaches the end of the board

walk he/she will be surrounded by dark trees but will only see light trees in front and light pouring in

between two hills. Thus, allowing the viewer to focus on the void.

In spring (top left), when the cherry blossom is in bloom, this landscape will be as much about

distraction as it is about focus.

conceptual model final model

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S I T E A N A L Y S I S & D E S I G N I N T E R V E N T I O N final design

Above: On windy days the narrow courtyard acts awind tunnel.

Two major issues identified during site analysis (bottom right): 1. Free range for the wind.2. Pedestrian passages somewhat blocked to

prevent bikers from entering courtyard.

Final design (top right):1. A wind blocking sculpture that plays drone

notes when the wind passes through it.2. Naturalizing the center circle and opening up

pathways.