The document provides details about the applicant's landscape design experience and philosophy. It includes descriptions of several projects the applicant worked on, including a luxury beachfront hotel in the United Arab Emirates, a mixed-use development in Dubai, and a large shopping mall complex on the Dubai Canal. Hand drawings and renderings are included to illustrate the applicant's design concepts and process. The applicant's passion for connecting people with nature through regenerative landscape design is emphasized.

1. Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you’re passionate
about something, then you’re more willing to take risks
-Yo-Yo Ma
*Graphite drawings by hand, work of applicant.
Raylee McKinley | MLA
The Ohio State University

2. As a designer, my passion is creating environments that connect people with the nat-
ural enviornment for mutual benefit and the experience of lasting beauty. Through my
education, I have a strong foundation in design theory that helps me look at a project
holistically to see how it can make the biggest impact. My passion for the naturlal en-
vironment pushes me to learn and improve my understanding of its systems on a daily
basis. My intrinsic gifts and love for art allow me to bring new ideas, innovations and
experiences to clients and users . These abilities have been honed through experience
into strong representation and communication skills to help visualize designs quickly and
share the potential of a design idea. I believe that to grow as a designer, one must con-
stantlly strive to be flexible and playful to generate new ideas and solutions. I believe
nature has an intrinsic poetry that the artist can draw out to create regenerative and
restorative environments on any scale.
*Graphite drawings by hand, work of applicant.
PHILOSOPHY

3. ROCHESTER,MN
SKATINGPLAZAANDFOUNTAIN
The client for the Rochester project expressed a de-
sire to create a design to activate the waterfront zone
during the region’s long winters. The team decided to
include an ice skating rink with an option for pop-jets
during the summer season. Due limitations, the team
had to get creative to find ways to include vegetation
in a zone with no room for trees, which the team over-
came by including numerous green walls. I keep the
playful gester started by the ice rink going all the way
to the river, a stepped, occupiable water feature was
designed to traverse the grade change and provide
access and views between the spaces.
*Lumion/Sketchup rendering, photoshop and autoCAD plan.
2

4. ngs
from the Arabian Gulf
l
*3DS Max Rendering, Work by Others
For this luxury beachfront hotel
with water villas attached to
a central island, an empha-
sis was placed on a “green
mountain” concept where
vegetation is included at every
level and on all sides of the
tower. The aesthetic desired
was for lush vegetation and
contemporary understated el-
egance to set the hotel apart
from others along the water-
front.
For the ground level and build-
ing podium levels, the focal
point was to be the continuous
terraced pool, separated into
four separate pools, which
were connencted by infinity
edges and waterfall features.
Main concerns for the land-
scape team were finding a
strategy for paving patterns,
traversing grade change and
providing accessibility to all ar-
eas via both stairs and ramps.
I started on this project at
concept level and continued
to work with multiple teams
until after the 50% construction
documents phase.
3
MeydanBeachHotel
Luxurywithagreenedge

5. The strong gesture through the central axis of the project was triggered by a three story glass volume in the main lobby
of the building. The team wanted to provide dramatic views of the pool terrace even before users entered the hotel.
We proposed a pair of fountains as the street entry to extend the axis all the way to the street. These fountains were
designed to introduce a theme of elements throughout the site that were inspired by contemporary light art, includ-
ing a long band of submerged light running down one side of the pools. The linear lighting ties into the linear paving
design, which disperses as it reaches the outser edges of the site, like a ripple in the water.
*Photoshop and AutoCAD rendering, work by applicant
4
MeydanBeachHotel
Luxurywithagreenedge

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Drawing Title:
Client:
Project Description:
Scale Size
Drawing Number
ApprovedDrawn
Rev.
1.THIS DRAWING IS THE COPYRIGHT OF AE7 AND MUST NOT BE
RETAINED, COPIED OR USED WITHOUT THE ABOVE CONSULTANT'S
AUTHORITY.
2. DO NOT SCALE FROM THIS DRAWING.
3. DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERS AND LEVELS ARE IN METERS
UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE. DIMENSIONS ARE TO BE VERIFIED ON
SITE & APPROVED BY THE ENGINEER.
4. DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN ARCHITECTURAL, STRUCTURAL &
SERVICES SHALL BE BROUGHT TO ARCHITECTS NOTICE PRIOR TO
EXECUTION OF WORK AT SITE.
5. ALL DRAWINGS SHOULD BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER
RELEVANT ARCHITECTURAL, STRUCTURAL, MECHANICAL,
ELECTRICAL, CIVIL DRAWINGS AND RELEVANT SECTIONS OF THE
SPECIFICATION.
General Notes:
KEY PLAN
DUBAI MUNICIPALITY STAMP:
Checked
Project Name:
Principal Consultant:
abu dhabi amman baghdad bratislava dubai dusseldorf pittsburgh san francisco
www.ae-7.com
Hassanicor Building, 6th Floor, Al Barsha 1
PO Box 54115 Dubai, UAE
P: +971 4 3997758 F: +971 4 3997759
MEYDAN L.L.C
P.O. Box 9305, Dubai , UAE.
T: +9714 3270000 F: +9714 3270007
E: info@dubairacingclub.com W:
www.dubairacingclub.com
AE7 RF JK
15.07.2015
MEYDAN BEACH HOTEL
DUBAI, UAE
5 STAR HOTELPLOT 3920549 (2B+G+55
FLOORS)
A JK100% DD SUBMISSION
PURPOSE OF ISSUEREV. DATE APPROVED
15.07.201515.07.2015
15.07.2015
PLANTING
LEVEL 8 - GREEN ROOF TERRACE PLAN
Level 8 Green Roof Design The roof of the level eight
club terrace was designed
to be a large scale green
roof to offer views to the
apartment towers above.
The design is meant to
evoke the native seaside
vegetation and wind-driv-
en dispersion pattern, while
maintaining the strong
geometries of the building
with a solid framework of
linear structure. This view
adds a painterly touch to
the views of all the balco-
nies above level eight.
AutoCAD construction documents, and hand sketch by applicant
6
MeydanBeachHotel
Luxurywithagreenedge

7. 9
Hand drawn renderings by applicant
These were initial conceptual drawings for typical path profiles
and dune plantings for each of the three development zones;
mountain zone, with more grade change in terrain, the oasis
zone, next to the proposed water park, and a general buffer
zone for the wider areas that conserves irrigated vegetation
and includes more naturalized dune habitats.
In order to understand the variety of possibilities for these
areas, I investigated dune patterns, shifting and interaction
with other environmental effects to create microclimates
favorable to a variety of types of vegetation.
Districts12and7:
transportationorienteddevelop-
“Buffer Zone” Park space and Bikeway

8. 18
District 7 - Commercial Buildings Master Plan E
Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City - District 7
November 2015
3
Master Plan ElementsDistrict 7 - Context
District 12
District 7
Train & Metro Station
Bike Station
Meydan One
Meydan Avenue
Falcon Park
Downtown
Safa Park
Jumeriah Beach Park
MBRC
Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City - District 7
November 2015
10
This large mixed use residential
project was still in its master-
planning phase when our team
became involved. We proposed
a design that promoted connec-
tivity to adjacent projects and
transporation hubs as well as
promoting sustainably designed
greenspace and outdoor activi-
ty. We proposed that “green fin-
gers” be used to connect areas
to promote pedestrian accessi-
bility and create a connective
fabric throughout the develop-
ment. There were also numerous
opportunities to create plaza
experiences thorughout the de-
velopment. For a high end mixed
use plaza between the primary
shopping district and high density
residential area, the plaza park
design was proposed.
Hand drawn and Lumion/Sketch-Up Renderings by applicant.
Districts12and7:
transportationorienteddevelop-
District 7 Masterplanning and Park Design

9. 11
This is the plaza park
design, developed
to provide open
space between a
high traffic shopping
area, main road
and high density
residential zone. This
park alludes to the
exterior bike path
design, while con-
necting as well to
the more cosmopol-
itan shopping district
through elegant
water features and
alees of palms. This
was one of the first
areas that I had free
reign to design and
develop into 3D
renderings. While I
have come a long
way with my design
process and rigorous
attention to flow
within design this
remains a favorite
project for the
many advances
I made in the
process of
design.
Hand drawn and Lumion/Sketch-Up Renderings by applicant.
Districts12and7:
transportationorienteddevelop-

10. Disclaimer: The above images and content are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change
12
3DS Max Rendering by Others, Design Collaboratiive.
The Meydan One building and mall are situated on the Dubai Creek canal front and includes four hotels, a water park, indoor ski
slope, VIP parking, waterfront plaza and the world’s largest choreographed fountain display. Our team’s design scope extended from
the access routes all the way through the mall with indoor landscaping being a large proportion of our design work. This project re-
quired intense collaboration with architects, highway engineers and structural engineers and pushed us to be more creative with our
design process and to find solutions to new challenges.
MeydanMallComplex
LuxurymallandresortcomplexonDubaiCanal

11. 13
3DS Max Rendering by Others, Design Collaboratiive.
The Mall is an internationally recognized project with many record breaking attributes. The development project includes a water
park, indoor ski slope, the world’s largest water fountain and four hotels. this masterplan shows the ground floor plan for the overall
mall area and surrounding connections and neighborhoods. The dashed outlines indicate the areas I worked on most intensively,
which are also numbered to correspond with the following slides.
MeydanMallComplex
LuxurymallandresortcomplexonDubaiCanal
1
2
3
Meydan Mall Landscape: Circulation, Entries, Water Features and South Promenade

12. 15
Lumion and Sketchup Renderings by Applicant, Photoshop Plan and Design by Applicant
MeydanMallComplex
LuxurymallandresortcomplexonDubaiCanal
The primary vehicular drop-off locations are
located under the first level of the mall and
one incorporates a major pedestrian cross-
ing from one part of the mall to the other. To
make the crossing a more appealing experi-
ence on par with the rest of the mall, inspi-
ration was taken from recent developments
in installation art. Designs were inspired by
the use of numerious sources of illumination
in a field by various artists. Our design also
incorporated illuminated metallic mesh
screens and water features. The vertical
lights are dispersed along the overhead
plane in areas of intense pedestrian circu-
lation to resemble an exploded chandelier.
Lighting could be designed to be responsive
to pedestrian motion to alert approaching
vehicles of pedestrians crossing through the
area (see below left).
1: Meydan Mall Landscape: Mall Drop-Off and Circulation

13. 14
Lumion and Sketchup Renderings by Applicant, Design was Collaborative.
Rendering of promenade at mall entry with interactive fountain. Rendering of promenade along lagoon edge with seating.
South promenade at mall entry, close up. South promenade at Food Hall entrance with water feature.
The south promenade is a wide landscaped pedestrian zone flanked by the lagoon that separates the mall from the waterpark and
the food and beverage complex at the back end of the mall. This area required acces to views of the water without risk of users en-
tering the water. Our design incorporated two water features and an irregular edge, with multiple opportunities for vegetation.
MeydanMallComplex
LuxurymallandresortcomplexonDubaiCanal
2: Meydan Mall Landscape: South Promenade

14. 15
Hand-Rendered Sketches by Applicant
MeydanMallComplex
LuxurymallandresortcomplexonDubaiCanal
The plan to the left illustrates the floor layout of four stories
stacked atop each other and the aperature created by their
assymetrical overlap. The fourth floor has a large skylight or
atrium which reaches all of the levels below through a self
supporting vortex form. The vortex contains living plants to fol-
low one of the three schemes proposed. The first is three con-
tinuous stretches of vines that would turn to follow the con-
tours of the vortex, creating moments of canopy overhead.
The other two options are to include green panels within the
lattice of the vortex to either maximize views of the sky (Op-
tion 1) or produce shade patterns (Option 2), these last two
options could be used in concert to maximize the beneficial
and aesthetic potential of this sculptural element within the
space. Inspiration came from the project below.
Green Display Home by Hideo Kumaki Architecture Office
3: Meydan Mall Food Hall Atrium Sculptural Feature

15. Iteration #1: ON – Protecting the Wetlands
The design for ON revolves around the orientation of the building masses and their position in relation
to a wetland inlet. The design emphasizes a unique angled relationship of the building to the road and
opens up a large space on the side of the building facing away from the road where the wetlands take
the role of focal point. The trees are aligned to generate views towards and of the wetlands while
buffering the private and public terraces from each other and from the road and also while making a
bold statement which both blurs and emphasizes the lines of the building masses, tying them visually
to the surrounding riparian vegetation.
Topographically, this design is more staid than the other options, keeping the terrain relatively level and
in the initial rendition, only sloping down to allow a long narrow inlet which could function as a two way
point of interchange between the river and surrounding urban fabric. While storm water would be graded
to drain into the bioswales around the front of the site and in the parking lots, it would proceed to the
wetland and finally into the river. During times of high water, such as 50 or 100 year floods, this space
would make legible the presence of the river and its fluctuation to visitors.
Iteration #2: UNDER – Emphasizing the Wetlands
UNDER was an experimental statement which included a number of bold gestures, a plateau for the
public terrace nestled in the angle of two subterranean building masses which define the terrace spatially with
structure on one side and a panoramic view of wetlands and prairie stretching out to the other side. While there
are clearly some concerns with the interaction of the underground buildings and the water, this design
emphasizes the landscape while incorporating structures as a counterpoint that becomes part of the landscape
rather than simply existing as spatial “punctuation”.
Several small landforms buffer the site from Goodale Blvd. and adjacent properties to create a visual and sound
screen as well as to create a sense of threshold and enclosure. Finally, bioswales were incorporated into the parking
lot and turnaround as well as along the side of the side facing Goodale Blvd. to direct and treat runoff.
The team felt this was the strongest design for the interesting views afforded and the spatial focus on celebrating
the wetlands by placing them front and center.
Iteration #3: OVER – Bridging the Gap
For this iteration, the relationship of structure to ground has intercepted by open space. The site was
dramatically re-graded to allow the creation of a deep U-shaped inlet and as a result, an island was created.
The structure spans the island and hovers over the water, acting as a bridge between the surrounding urban
context and the riparian landscape. This unique relationship creates a dynamic space which will vary in
appearance depending on the natural cycles of the river. The building is sited to allow observation of this
space even in inclement weather.
The vegetation is left for the most part informal to blend with the riparian vegetation. The two stands of
ornamental trees on either side of the entrance plaza provide a sense of threshold where the traditional
building entrance is superseded by raised terrain. A long landform between the entry plaza and the
turnaround/drop-off affords some shelter from the road in terms of view and sound as well as echoing
the shape of the island, the river inlet and the berm on which the structure rests – continuing the theme
out to the surrounding urban fabric.
The terraces lie on the river side of the island, and to access them, one must traverse the buildings in
their entirely, perhaps creating some logistical complications. The terraces are surrounded by tree canopy
and afford subtly screened views of the river with a small switchback path allowing access to the river below.
Year One: Workshop
This was my first project using rhino to model topography and objects in three dimensions as well as convert rhino files for creation of
renderings using photoshop. We also built topographic modesl using clay with accurate contour intervals using water bath method.
16
Adobe Illustrator presentation, Rhino /Photoshop Renders, clay model and illustrator diagrams by applicant
UniversityWork
Rhino,ModelMaking,andPhotoshop,EarlyWork
Site Planning and Design Work: Second Year

16. Rendering of wind dam ‘sails’ in
place on Fresh Kills site. Site
analysis diagram (below).
Photos of model (right and bot-
tom) created to demonstrate size
and positioning of wind dam sail
series in relation to site topogra-
phy.
**This design was intended to
generate useable electricity (as
per the LAGI competition brief)
to be used on site. For this proj-
ect proposal the energy gener-
ated on site would be used to
illuminate the sails based on the
amount of energy currently being
generated by them. Different col-
ors and intensities could be used
to indicate the power levels. This
way the illumination would indi-
cate which sails were receiving
the most wind to those which
were the least active using the
visible light spectrum.
LAGI Competition Entry: “Sea Change” Renewable Energy Land Art for Fresh Kills Landfill.LAGI Competition - Fresh Kills Landsfill Regenerative Landscape Design
18
Adobe Illustrator presentation, Rhino /Photoshop Renders, clay model and illustrator diagrams by applicant
UniversityWork
Rhino,ModelMaking,andPhotoshop,EarlyWork