2. Eric R. Wilmot
6421 Avenue T
Brooklyn NY, 11234
267-626-7341 cell
eric.wilmot@temple.edu
3. P R OJ ECT S
01
Daylesford Abbey
masterplanning an 80 acre religious community
03
1533 W. Girard Ave.
planning a pocket park in North Philadelphia-West
11
Arch Landing at the Schuylkill
developing an open space for the Logan Square neighborhood
07
Dixon Hall Roof Garden
designing a new space for the Temple Ambler campus
09
2012 PHS Flower Show: WILDE!
assembling a design build project aimed at educating on the importance
of green space amid urban industry and development
4. Our class was approached by a
community of Norbertine Fraters to help design
a better campus for the abbey and spritiuality
center in which they live. The property spans
80 acres and is characterized by rolling hills
and picturesque meadows punctuated by small
groupings of trees. This creates an affect that
obscures views and enhances the pastoral
landscape.
Firstly, I wanted to connect various
elements located on the property as well
as capture views and create a memorable
experience. Having the paths laid out, I began
to place sites for three hermitage cabins, small
and simple buildings for solitary escape so one
may focus on God and his walk with the Lord.
I also focused a space for a columbarium, a
wall dedicated to housing creamated remains
of congregants and community members. I
incorporated amphetheater and fire pit. This
space celebrates the life of the deceased and
creates a usable space for a variety of gatherings.
THE GOAL:
Create a masterplan that
will increase visitorship and
membership, develop new spaces
and renovate old spaces for the
resident community.
Daylesford Abbey Masterplanning an 80
acre religious community
LESSONS:
Large sites like this one demand
that you as the designer need
to step back and look at the big
picture. You need to ask yourself
what it is that unifies the project
on the whole. Then define that
concept and stick to it through all
phases of design.
KEY:
1. Spirituality Center
2. Hermitage
3. Herbarium
4. Labyrinth
5. Columbarium
6. Redesigned St. John the
Baptist Garden
7. Vegetable Garden
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3
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4
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1
220 S Valley Rd, Paoli, PA
5. 2
Saint John the
Baptist Garden
Detail Plan
The current Saint John the Baptist Garden is in dire need of
renovation. We observed that the current garden is a large patch
of crushed stone, weed-ridden, with a pair of Adirondack Chairs
cemented into the ground so that they face away from eachother.
Being octagonal in shape, my design refelects traditional
baptistries found in cathedrals and churches across the world. The
goal is to create an atmosphere in which a visitor can feel a closeness
with nature while keeping a sense of solitude. A fireplace and chimney
allows community members to spend cool evenings in the garden
and fellowship over marshmallows.
This section shows grade change and meadow/forest typology as
well as relation to the hermitage and vegetable garden.
above: Nyssa sylvatica and Onoclea sensibilis are just a
few plants included in the plant palette specified for the
wet soils.
left: This image helps to illustrate the fireplace area con-
cept in the garden.
6. THE GOAL:
Design a pocket park that will
compliment the neighborhood
and provide public spaces for
residents to gather, dine, and hold
community events.
Land Use Diagram
3
Radial Park Imagining a pocket park in the North
Philadelphia West Neighborhood
Area Context Map
Institutional Buildings by Hours of Operation
Key
commerical
mixed use
residential
project site
institutional
Key
8am-5pm
8am-3pm
9am-5pm
project
site
The site, located at 1533 W. Girard
Avenue is situated between row homes. In fact,
a row home once stood there. Local artists
painted murals on each of the walls facing the
patch of weeds that populates the property. A
trolley stops at the corner, helping to transport
people to and from the vicinity.
The majority of visitors will be residents
living in row homes and students from St.
Joseph’s Prep School stopping on their way
home from classes. Also, several churches
are located in the area and a gathering space
will allow them to host outreach events for the
community. Additionally, St. Joseph’s Hospital
has a campus caddycorner to the site and the
space is designed to accomodate workers and
visiting families.
1533 W. Girard Ave. Philadelphia, PA
7. Due to its locatation between residential buildings, the
design had be mostly passive recreation with a stepped berm for
relaxing and fountains to block noise from the street. In order not
to block the murals on each of the walls, I tried to keep trees to a
minimum and maximized open space in the middle of the space.
An open air cafe space extends into the sidewals for use
by local residents and workers from the Saint Joseph’s Hospital
Campus. I’ve also included the sidewalk on W. Girard by pulling
seating into a proposed bump-out so trolley passengers will have a
place to wait for the trolley and to enliven the street.
The mural on the side of 1535 W. Girard depicts a journey
and includes rain, water, and ripples. I reflected this in my design
by using concentric circles. Nearly every component is circular.
Benches (more like bollards) inspired by stone slabs at Lubert Plaza
are scattered throughout the park to form fun and engaging spaces
for friends (and strangers) to interact.
4
Lubert Plaza, with large stone
slabs for seating inspired the
seating bollards in my designs.
LESSONS:
Designing a successful park
requires that the designer take
an interest in the needs of all
members of society. Also, a
public park doesn’t exactly have
a set boundary. It spills out into
the sidewalk and street. Designs
should include such adjacent
areas.
8. 1533 W. Girard Ave.
5
After we finished the design for the park, we
were tasked to complete construction drawings
and details for our designs. The following pages
are a sampling of the work I did.
Layout Documents
10. 7
Dixon Hall Roof Garden Designing a new kind of space
for the Temple Ambler Campus
My instructor encouraged me to
begin this assignment by finding a
piece of art that inspired me. I chose
Henry H III, by Franz Kline because
of the rich hues and abstract quality
composition. Although his strokes
appear quick and gestural, his works
are a result of deliberation and
modification - a process I strive to
achieve in my designs.
THE GOAL:
Design a roof garden that is
functional and will provide
inspiration for future students
in designing roof gardens and
to provide new and alternative
spaces for the aboretum at
Temple Ambler.
In order to design a functional
extensive (shallow and lightweight
growing medium) roof garden, I
needed to explore the existing
infrastructure of the building so that
I know where to place the heaviest
loads. Then I determined postive and
negative views, surrounding large
trees and their shadows and seasonal
wind direction.
3
2
4
1
2
SCALE: NTS N
Summer Breezes
Winter Winds
Sunroom/Studio Space
Entrance Lobby
Vestibule
Space
Vestibule
Space
Circulation Corridor
Shaded Terrace SpaceUtility Screen
Plantings
SCALE: NTS N
2 4
Negative View Positive View
Analysis Diagram
Concept Diagram
11. 8
Designing a new kind of space
for the Temple Ambler CampusDixon Hall Roof Garden
SCALE: 1”=1’ N
AA
AA
PA
SA
SA
DA
DA
SP
SP
DA
DA
OM
SM
SM
SM
SAM
SAM
PA
PA
ER AT
PS
AM
SK
SK
SK
AR
AR
ST
1
2
SA
CR
CR
CR
CR
CR
CR
CR CRF
CRF
CRF
CRF
CRF
CRF
CRF
CRB
CRF
CRF
CRF
CRF
CRB
CRB
CRBCRB
JV JV
Many vents and air conditioning units populate the roof of Dixon Hall. In order to fit spaces for
planting beds and walkways, I rearranged them into a neat cluster in the center of the building and
masked them behind a wooden structure and planted it with several varieties trumpet creeper.
I also wanted to include an enclosed classroom or studio space. To offset the cost of heating, I
made the walls glass, like a greenouse, so that passive solar energy could heat the room and reduce
the amount of fuel needed.
Thirdly, I created an outdoor classroom or amphitheater space for lectures in the late spring, early
fall, or summer semesters. It would be a place for education, experimentation, and inspiration for all.
I chose the plant palette based upon the colors found in the painting, Henry H III by Franz Kline. I
chose to keep the design simple but interesting. Juniperus virginiana ‘Taylor’are planted in a colonade
to mimic classical architecture juxtoposing the brutalist style of the building. Trumpet Creepers sprawl
overhead across pergolas, providing shade for those visting in the hot summer months. They also serve
as a kind of roof on an otherwise stark and boundless landscape. Plantings are arranged in swaths of
color, all contrasting with one another. Many varieties of sedum, as well as Armeria, Dianthus, Echium,
Penstemon, Potentilla, Symphiotrichum, and others bloom at different times of the year and provide
the horticulture department with new plant material to teach.
LESSONS:
Figuring out where you can
place heavy plants (trees and
shrubs) or structures is possibly
the biggest challenge. A roof is
an inhospitable place for plants.
Summers are hot and dry, winters
are cold and windy. It’s our job
to find ones that are going to
survive.
12. 9
2012 PHS Flower Show: Wilde! Producing a unique and
educational exhibit
FGSFGS
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TWTW
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MSMS
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TOWERTOWER
WATTLE
LOG
LOG
LOG
ENTRANCE
PATH
SCREEN
ENTRANCE
WALL
TOWERTOWER
SEE SHEET L-8.1:
SCREEN ENTRANCE
DETAIL
WATTLE
I was given the responsibility of designing the
planting plan for one of three sections for the flower
show exhibit. This section, the bog, focuses on natural
processes reclaiming land previously exploited and
occupied by industry. Inspired by London’s industrial
corridor on The River Thames, the Bog features metal
towers, grates, and a rusty chain-link fence that recall
an industrial past. Plants and fallen logs abound,
declaring that nature is reestablishing a continuing
state of wildness and succession.
THE GOAL:
Design a layout and planting plan
that convey a decaying industrial
past and beauty in natural
regeneration and reclamation.
Looking toward the front of the exhibit from the
exit ramp showing density of foliage and one of the
decaying towers
13. 10
ABBR. LATIN NAME CULTIVAR COMMON NAME QTY. ATRIBUTE
AC Acorus calamus Sweet Flag 6 Foiliage
ACA Acorus calamus ‘Argentostriatus’ Silver-Striped Sweet Flag 6 Foliage
AB Anemone blanda ‘White Splendor’ WinterWindflower 1 Flowers
AFF Athyrium felix-femina Lady Fern 8 Foliage
CPA Caltha palustris Marsh Marigold 4 Flower/Foliage
CPE Carex pensylvanica Pennsylvania Sedge 60 Foliage
CT Carex tenuiculmis ‘Cappucino’ New Zealand Hair Sedge 6 Foliage
CV Carex vulpinoides American Fox Sedge 60 Foliage
CT Chamaecyparis thyoides AtlanticWhitecedar 2 Foliage
CTG Chamaecyparis thyoides ‘Glauca Pendula’ Atlantic Whitecedar 2 Foliage/Form
CSC Cornus sericea ‘Cardinal’ Red Osier Dogwood 3 Branches
ESP Eleocharis spp. Spikerush 3 Foliage
EH Equisetum hyemale Winter Scouring Rush 4 Foliage/Form
FG Fothergilla gardenii Fothergilla 2 Flowers
FGS Fothergilla gardenii ‘Suzanne’ Dwarf Fothergilla 2 Flowers
HPP Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’ Coral Bells 5 Foliage/Flowers
JE Juncus effusus Common Rush 17 Foliage
JIA Juncus inflexus ‘Afro’ Corkscrew Rush 4 Foliage
ABBR. LATIN NAME CULTIVAR COMMON NAME QTY. ATTRIBUTE
LS Liquidambar styraciflua Sweetgum 1 Foliage
MS Matteuccia struthiopteris Ostrich Fern 18 Foliage
NM Narcissus ‘Minnow’ Daffodil 1 Flower
NS Nyssa sylvatica Black Gum 1 Foliage
NSZ Nyssa sylvatica ‘Zydeco Twist’ Black Gum 1 Foliage/Form
OS Onoclea sensibilis Senstitive Fern 3 Foliage
PR Polemonium reptans Jacob’s Ladder 7 Flowers/Foliage
PC Pontederia cordata Pickerelweed 7 Flowers/Foliage
QPP Quercus palustris ‘Pringreen™’ Pin Oak 1 Foliage/Form
RC Rhododendron calendulaceum Flame Azalea 2 Flowers
SDD Sarracenia ‘Dana’s Delight’ Pitcher-Plant 1 Flower/Foliage
SF Sarracenia flava Yellow Pitcher-Plant ~4 Flower/Foliage
SL Sarracenia leucophylla ‘Tarnok’ Pitcher-Plant ~4 Flower/Foliage
SA Sassafras albidum Sassafras 1 Foliage
SC Saururus cernuus Lizard’s Tail 7 Foliage
TW Tiarella wherryi Wherry’s Foam Flower 2 Flowers
VC Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Elliot’ Blueberry 7 Flowers
VM Vaccinium macrocarpon Cranberrry 8 Foliage
The plant palette was selected based upon
their wetland indicator status (OBL, FACW, FAC, and
FACU. No upland plants were used). First, I delineated
the indicator status zones based on the locations of
the ponds. Then I arranged the plants accordingly
into irregular shapes, inspired by geometric cranberry
bogs.
LESSONS:
Sometimes plans don’t work
exactly as you think they will.
Improvising during construction
happens and should even be
expected. Constructing the exhibit
showed me many obstacles
required quick thinking and
inginuity to produce the desired
effect.
A view from the entrance
ramp showing one fo the
logs amongst foliage and
decaying towers
14. Arch Landing at the Schuylkill
Planning a residential development and
park for the Logan Square neighborhood
Rittenhouse
Square
City Hall
Art Museum
Site
30th
Street
Station
Logan Circle
Comcast Building
Upon begining the
project, our class did
inventory and analysis
for the site, located at
23rd Street and Arch
Street, Philadelphia. The
graphic at left shows
our site in relation to
local landmarks in
the city. It also shows
approxamate travel time
on foot.
Views from I95 near
30th Street Station
toward our site across
the Schulkill River (at
right). The viaduct (top)
offers great architectural
interest and views to
it should be utilized to
the fullest extent. In
addition, the site is quite
visible from I95. Designs
should take advantage
of this visibility.
2nd
Street 12th
Street
3rd
Street 13th
Street
MarketStreet
SpruceStreet
ChestnutStreet
PineStreet
Spruce Street
S.25th
Street
Pine Street
S.23rd
Street
THE GOAL:
Develop a park for the Logan
Square Neighborhood that
balances public and private
spaces, supports and encourages
local culture and provides
ecologically responsible
green space in a creative and
educational manner.
11
5 minute walk
10 minute walk
I produced
typology studies
for the analysis
phase of our
project. These
three examples
show a few ways
a (an original)
city block can be
broken up into
land use types.
Key
Key
residential
mixed use
commercial
15. SHOPS
(UNDER VIADUCT)
OLDFIELD
PLANTINGS
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GREAT LAWN
CSX RAIL LINE
SCHULKILL
BANKS
VIADUCT
VIEWING
PLATFORM
GROUND LEVEL
ACCESS
UPPER LAWN
WETLAND INLET
TIDAL MARSH
BOARDWALK
JFK BOULEVARD
23RDSTREET
ARCH STREET
CHERRY STREET
ELEVATOR
EDGEWATER APARTMENTS
THE WEDGE TOWER
THE SQUARE AT ARCH
LANDING
SCHUYLKILL
RIVER
CAFE PLAZA
ELEVATOR
PARKING
ENTRANCE
WAHOO
BOSQUE
CENTRAL
BOULEVARD
FIRST
FLOOR
ARCADE
It was fun to design a multi-use space like this nearly
6 acre site in the Logan Square neighborhood in Philadelphia.
However, appropriating suitable programing can be difficult.
I really wanted to bring the Schuylkill River into the site,
closer to the city. This approach also creates opportunity to
educate the public about the site’s pre-development past.
Reciprocally, I wanted to bring the city closer to the river,
blurring and softening the river’s edge. By positioning a large
residential building on the north half of the site, I’d be ensuring
eyes on the street and park.
The first two floors are devoted to replacing lost
parking. A great lawn and bosque populate an extensive
green roof and create spaces for residents of the row homes
(at green roof level) and apartments above. A grand staircase
leads one up to the second of three greenspace levels. The
second holds a plaza space that overlooks the river, spans
over the CSX Railway, and allows access to the Schulkill Banks
River Trail. The third tier bears a second lawn space, informal
old-field (Piet Oudolf-esque) plantings and an entrance into
a lobby for appartments. Opposite the wetland, an arcade
of shops and restraunts beneath the viaduct support and
enhance local economy.
LESSONS:
Complex masterplans are never
really complete. They only
reach a workable maturity that
implements programming in a
practical way. The designs can
always be improved upon, but a
good designer knows when to put
the pencil down and move on.
