cecily
anderson
portfolio - this portfolio was nominated for the auburn university outstanding e-porfolio challenge by magdalena garmaz
auburn university
gpa: 3.89
graduation date: august of 2021
bachelor of science in environmental design
minors: sustainability studies, spanish
internship: crabtree group inc. civil engineering and land planning
previous writing consultant at auburn university's miller writing center
previous vice president of the permaculture tigers
student organization
received certification in permaculture design through a permaculture design course taught by alan booker
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, having spent an increasing amount of time indoors and isolated from others, individuals are in great need of beautiful, sustainable, regenerative, and restorative outdoor spaces. For faculty, staff, and students in particular, the adjustment to online schooling has been a challenge for mental wellbeing and functioning. Pandemic aside, university campuses are plagued with the stress and anxiety of heavy workloads and complex life changes. As a land-grant university, Auburn University is committed to enhancing quality of life for people across the state of Alabama, and that commitment starts at home. The Auburn Refuge Project aims to promote quality of life, mental and physical wellbeing, and biodiversity on Auburn University’s campus by establishing a series of five distinct gardens - or refuges - wherein faculty, students, and Auburn residents may convene or spend time alone to recharge and reflect. The project will make Auburn University’s campus more habitable, efficient, biophilic, and sustainable.
The Auburn Refuge Project is built upon the pillars of ecology, design, and human wellbeing. This project will engage with ecology by promoting a culture of engagement with outdoor spaces by members of the Auburn Family, establishing a participatory advocacy for environmental health and sustainability across campus. The project will further engage with ecology by utilizing indigenous and biodiverse plant materials. The project’s emphasis on design will make each refuge not only beautiful and humane but also functional, ameliorating drainage problems that allow excess water accumulation in thoroughfares and green spaces. Finally, the project will support human wellbeing by benefiting the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health of the Auburn Family. The project’s multi-faceted approach distinguishes it from other built interventions on Auburn University’s campus, uniquely ensuring that it will be optimally beneficial for Auburn University
as a whole.
Informed by a survey conducted in the fall which found a major correlation between biodiverse spaces and positive mental health, the project re-imagines reclusive monoculture lawn spaces as small, private refuges geared toward sustainable initiatives that shrink the campus’s ecological footprint. It integrates concepts of biophilic design, outdoor rooms, environmental and design psychologies, permaculture, and green infrastructure. After researching and analyzing the ecological nature of the sites and the psychological and aesthetic needs of potential users, it was concluded and further delineated that a food forest behind the library, an outdoor classroom by Dudley Hall, and a sensory garden by Foy would be the most appropriate measures for the campus. For this conclusion, detailed drawings, ecological permaculture maps, and plant diagrams were conducted; more theoretical diagrams are given for two more spaces the project believes could benefit from ecological development. Analysis shows the rest of campus should follow suit in designing with biodiversity in mind through replacing unnecessary monoculture lawn with productive plants. This project contributes to the growing research on biodiversity, permaculture, human health, and how these disciplines are materialized through design.
When implemented, the Auburn Refuge Project will embody Auburn University’s vision to inspire, innovate, and transform, making Auburn University a leader in higher education by modeling what it means to truly care for its faculty, staff, and especially students. While the project cannot alone solve every relevant issue, it contributes to Sustainable Development Goals of zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, clean water and sanitization, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action. When the Auburn University campus thrives, and Auburn Family members are well taken care of, we are better able to contribute to Auburn University’s overall mission of bettering the lives of people across the state of Alabama, the nation, and the world.
about me
Ever since I was a small child, I have been completely fascinated by the natural world. Growing up, my parents took me to the Smoky Mountains for summer vacation. It wasn’t too far away from home (only about a 6-hour drive), but the scenery was breathtaking; it was a completely different landscape from Birmingham, Alabama. Driving into East Tennessee, my favorite part was coming up on the gorgeous, towering mountains with their intriguing and mysterious fog. My family would hike every day, getting up at the crack of dawn and packing roast beef sandwiches and lots of Oreos to eat at that day's mountain peak; the most memorable trail was the Chimney Tops. When my brother and I started getting older, our family vacations grew farther away from home; we visited a new national park about every year. The spiritual connection I feel to Angel’s Landing at Zion National Park is unmatched, and I will never forget the pure wonder, yet sadness, I felt sitting next to our melting glaciers at Glacier National Park.
This love of nature cultivated by my family led me to study Environmental Design, and ultimately become interested in permaculture (summed up by regenerative design) and pursue a Permaculture Design Certificate at the Maskoke indigenous ecovillage in Alabama. Cities have the potential to contain and be inseparable from places of refuge, but current urban design in American cities instead operates as an outside entity. I hope to become a landscape architect so I can help develop an admiration for nature within an urban context, so people of all socioeconomic backgrounds have access to its numerous physical and mental benefits. The reverence for nature that urban ecology and green spaces develop will no doubt raise awareness and urgency about the importance to protect it from climate change and destruction. If more people feel this respect for our only planet, perhaps I can be in awe of those magnificent glaciers again.
Because environmental action is so important to me, I am minoring in Sustainability Studies. I am also minoring in Spanish; I am proficient in speaking, reading, writing, and listening. Further, I have always had artistic talent. I have been sketching since I could hold a pencil, and I've always known that I wanted to work in a creative field that would allow me to explore this even further. Combining this value with my love of nature, Environmental Design was the obvious choice for me, and I have framed all of my design projects around landscape architecture. Most of my projects place a focus on mental health, as I have a passion for the mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits of being in nature. The idea of interactive play structures is also important to me; there should be more creative spaces that encourage meaningful interactions with nature for adults and children alike. More recently, I have become passionate about permaculture as I am the Vice President of Permaculture Tigers at Auburn University. I want to start incorporating aspects of permaculture more in my designs. Ecology and systems thinking play a role in all of my work.
I plan to obtain a graduate degree in Landscape Architecture. I want to design regenerative, urban green spaces that promote mental, physical, and environmental health for people of all socioeconomic statuses. Additionally, landscape architecture can play a vital role in combating and mitigating climate change, an issue I care deeply about.
internship in spain
During the summer of 2019, I completed a 10-week Environmental Design internship in Valencia, Spain. I interned with AeioLuz and BioGas; these governmental departments promote sustainable energy models. I designed plans for a model for an environmentally sustainable home and landscape using Photoshop. I also designed a showroom for HomeBiogas, a sustainable biogas digester. To see these projects, visit the projects page below.
I also completed 50 hours of Spanish language training at AIP Language Institute.
permaculture tigers
As the Vice President of Permaculture Tigers, I help organize activities such as visits to the local fungi farm; I also send out emails with Mailchimp and make Instagram and Facebook posts to give updates on the club. I work with the other officers to spread the message of permaculture across Auburn.
The following is copied from Permaculture Tigers' page on the Auburn University website:
"Permaculture is a holistic, ethical design science of principles and practices to create beneficial relationships between human and living systems for sustainability and regeneration. The three ethics of permaculture are care for people, care for the planet, and return of surplus. We are an allied organization to the Permaculture Institute of North America (PINA). Our Group has monthly meetings, usually with a guest speaker. We offer a variety of programs including field trips to local and regional permaculture projects, permaculture education and training including a 72-hour permaculture design courses (PDC), and other opportunities to connect permaculturalists and advance permaculture at Auburn University, the City of Auburn and Opelika, and the larger region of Central Alabama."
miller writing center
As a Miller Writing Center consultant at Auburn University, I help students work on any piece of writing at any point in the writing process. While I have always enjoyed and excelled in writing, this job has improved my skills immensely. My ability to write and help others write has obviously gotten better, but I also have cultivated skills in working with a wide range of people and extending compassion. As consultants, we are challenged to not merely line edit a paper; the goal is to teach students how to improve as writers, increasing feelings of confidence and autonomy. Often times, there is a language barrier, which means I have to come up with creative ways to communicate with students. Working at the Miller Writing Center has brought me a lot of joy; my favorite part is helping students write application letters and work on their resume. I feel like I am making a real difference in their lives. Sometimes, I even get to practice my Spanish, either by working with native Spanish speakers, or by helping students write essays for their Spanish classes.
auburn refuge project
winner of oral presentation category in the college of architecture, design, + construction for the auburn university research
symposium 2021
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, having spent an increasing amount of time indoors and isolated from others, individuals are in great need of beautiful, sustainable, regenerative, and restorative outdoor spaces. For faculty, staff, and students in particular, the adjustment to online schooling has been a challenge for mental wellbeing and functioning. Pandemic aside, university campuses are plagued with the stress and anxiety of heavy workloads and complex life changes. As a land-grant university, Auburn University is committed to enhancing quality of life for people across the state of Alabama, and that commitment starts at home. The Auburn Refuge Project aims to promote quality of life, mental and physical wellbeing, and biodiversity on Auburn University’s campus by establishing a series of five distinct gardens - or refuges - wherein faculty, students, and Auburn residents may convene or spend time alone to recharge and reflect. The project will make Auburn University’s campus more habitable, efficient, biophilic, and sustainable.
The Auburn Refuge Project is built upon the pillars of ecology, design, and human wellbeing. This project will engage with ecology by promoting a culture of engagement with outdoor spaces by members of the Auburn Family, establishing a participatory advocacy for environmental health and sustainability across campus. The project will further engage with ecology by utilizing indigenous and biodiverse plant materials. The project’s emphasis on design will make each refuge not only beautiful and humane but also functional, ameliorating drainage problems that allow excess water accumulation in thoroughfares and green spaces. Finally, the project will support human wellbeing by benefiting the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health of the Auburn Family. The project’s multi-faceted approach distinguishes it from other built interventions on Auburn University’s campus, uniquely ensuring that it will be optimally beneficial for Auburn University
as a whole.
Informed by a survey conducted in the fall which found a major correlation between biodiverse spaces and positive mental health, the project re-imagines reclusive monoculture lawn spaces as small, private refuges geared toward sustainable initiatives that shrink the campus’s ecological footprint. It integrates concepts of biophilic design, outdoor rooms, environmental and design psychologies, permaculture, and green infrastructure. After researching and analyzing the ecological nature of the sites and the psychological and aesthetic needs of potential users, it was concluded and further delineated that a food forest behind the library, an outdoor classroom by Dudley Hall, and a sensory garden by Foy would be the most appropriate measures for the campus. For this conclusion, detailed drawings, ecological permaculture maps, and plant diagrams were conducted; more theoretical diagrams are given for two more spaces the project believes could benefit from ecological development. Analysis shows the rest of campus should follow suit in designing with biodiversity in mind through replacing unnecessary monoculture lawn with productive plants. This project contributes to the growing research on biodiversity, permaculture, human health, and how these disciplines are materialized through design.
When implemented, the Auburn Refuge Project will embody Auburn University’s vision to inspire, innovate, and transform, making Auburn University a leader in higher education by modeling what it means to truly care for its faculty, staff, and especially students. While the project cannot alone solve every relevant issue, it contributes to Sustainable Development Goals of zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, clean water and sanitization, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action. When the Auburn University campus thrives, and Auburn Family members are well taken care of, we are better able to contribute to Auburn University’s overall mission of bettering the lives of people across the state of Alabama, the nation, and the world.
permaculture
design certificate
I received my Permaculture Design Certificate after taking a Permaculture Design Course taught by Alan Booker, a professional permaculture designer and systems engineer, at an ecovillage owned by the Maskoke Peoples in Weogufka, Alabama. To earn my certification, I had to create my own permaculture design. This design was used for the Auburn Refuge Project as the food forest; see the section on the food forest on the above page (Auburn Refuge Project) in the "Project Deliverables" button to view my deisgn. Not only did I learn 72 hours' worth of permaculture knowledge from Alan, but I gained so much from the wisdom of the Maskoke Peoples. Much of permaculture's principles and tools were developed from indigenous knowledge, given the emphasis on designing with nature, working with its patterns, and of course respecting it. It was incredible to hear how indigenous people related to permaculture and in which ways they were able to expand upon permaculture with their culture and critique it. The Maskoke Peoples were designing their ecovillage with Alan, and it was amazing to see all of the cutting-edge work that was being done. I got to see first hand the design process of a food forest, a rocket mass heater, an extensive green roof, straw bale walls, and many other permaculture ideas. Learning about and being immersed in the Maskoke culture was a beautiful and life-changing experience that I will value for the rest of my life.
projects
Map of Foliage in Downtown Auburn-Spring 2019
For a course called Readings in Landscape Architecture, I designed a map of the foliage in downtown Auburn with Photoshop. I drew all of the foliage elements in Adobe Sketch with an iPad. I came to the conclusion that Auburn could be much greener.
HomeBiogas Showroom-
Summer 2019
For my internship in Spain, I designed a showroom for HomeBiogas, a sustainable
biogas digester.
Ecological Urbanism Research Project-Spring 2019
I researched the concept of Ecological Urbanism for my Readings in Landscape Architecture class. I then created three graphics that illustrated the philosophy; I included an explanation page, a page of design drawings and plans, and
a page with photos of
implemented designs.
Figure Ground Assignment-
Fall 2019
For an introductory design course, I created an ambiguous design using shapes to show the relationship between figure and ground. For the first part of the project, I completed an inking that I scanned into my computer. For the second part of the project, I used InDesign to step and repeat my original image into a
unique pattern.
Static Design and Dynamic Design-Fall 2019
For an introductory design course,
I created a static design and a dynamic design that use point, linear, and planar elements from architectural design. For my static design, I drew elements from the Thorncrown Chapel in Arkansas. For my dynamic design, I drew elements from the Central Park of Ho Chi Minh City.
Return to the Commons: Auburn Green Spaces-Spring 2020
For a class called Urban Geography and Sustainability, my team and I wrote a research paper and made a Powerpoint presentation about incorporating more high-quality green spaces on campus.
ACSA Steel Competition-New Orleans: Bridging the Community-Spring 2020
For a project that had to incorporate steel in an innovative way, my team and I designed a steel bridge system for Eastern New Orleans that works in harmony with the natural environment, making use of rain gardens, bioswales, pedestrian paths, and bicycle paths.
The bridge system (including the 'park bridge' and the 'community center bridge') not only works to connect fractured neighborhoods, but it can also be used for evacuation routes before a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina targets vulnerable communities.
The bridges are designed to withstand natural disasters, making them a resilient piece of infrastructure for the city. Further, the versatility of the community center bridge
makes it a temporary shelter during a natural disaster.
Response Diagrams-Fall 2020
For an environmental design course, I had to create "response diagrams" that corresponded to selected readings. The first diagram illustrates the idea of the interconnected ecology of a city. The second diagram is about the future of the sustainable city, and how nature has all the answers.
Roden Crater Research Project-
Fall 2020
For an environmental design course, my partner and I did research on Roden Crater and how it relates to the Cosmos. We used Illustrator to demonstrate this graphically.
Auburn Dudley Courtyard Redesign-Summer 2020
For summer studio, I had to redesign the courtyard at the College of Architecture, Design, and Construction. I created a whimsical forest with a meandering stream, hammocks, permeable pavement, meadow spaces, and hanging beaded lights. A more in-depth description can be found in the perspective drawing document.
Biodiversity, Mental Health, and Environmental Justice Project-
Fall 2020
For an environmental design course, I did a research project on the intersection between tree canopy and biodiversity, mental health, and environmental justice. I applied the concept to both a global perspective and a local perspective in Auburn. I created a design that reflected my research, focusing on implementing a food forest and greenway to benefit a low-income community.
EPA Rainworks Challenge-
Fall 2020
For a community planning course on green infrastructure I took in spring of 2020, my team and I followed the guidelines for the EPA Rainworks Challenge. In the fall, I took the project further and submitted it myself to the EPA. A large focus of the project was increasing biodiversity on Auburn's campus and how this would help manage stormwater; I titled it BiodiverseCITY.
Logo Design-Spring 2021
Through freelancing, I designed a logo for the Auburn University Sustainable Biomaterials and Packaging Society. The logo was used for stickers.
Regenerate Montgomery-
Spring 2021
For an environmental design class, This design project aimed to retrofit low-income, marginalized suburbia in Montgomery, AL to address food deserts, public health, and environmental degradation through promoting walkability and food forests with permaculture principles - regenerating Montgomery environmentally and socially.
Model for Environmentally Sustainable Home and Landscape-Summer 2019
Because this project was done for my internship in Spain, it is in Spanish. The project was completed in Photoshop. My sustainable design elements include solar panels, a compost, an electric car, the HomeBiogas, a solar kitchen, a windmill, an ecological vegetable garden, a green roof, and a
rainwater collector.
Cube Project-Fall 2019
For an introductory design course, I designed and built a cube made from bainbridge board and construction paper. I took photos of the cube and cleaned up my best image in Photoshop. I then used Photoshop to superimpose this image into a coral reef environment.
San Francisco Website-Fall 2019
For a class called Cities and Urbanization, two teammates and I designed a website about the history and urban design of San Francisco.
Overlook Redesign-Summer 2020
For an environmental design course, I had the task of redesigning a space on campus. I chose to redesign the overlook at the campus arboretum. I had to do site analysis and create a proposal using SketchUp and Vray, the Adobe Creative Suite, and hand drawings.
Auburn Village Redesign-
Fall 2020
For an environmental design course, we were tasked with redesigning the Village residence halls' concourse. Our design had to have a focus on ecology and public health. My design was mental health oriented and aimed to provide spaces of quiet reflection where students could be truly immersed in the natural environment. The plant pallet was specifically chosen to support this.
The Problem with Green Spaces: The Great American Lawn-
Fall 2020
For an environmental design course, I researched how traditional American lawns are bad for the environment and public health. I proposed a solution: biodiversity and interactive educational structures.
Self Analysis-Spring 2021
For an environmental design course, I was tasked with mapping out different scenarios of my future based on two questions: will my interest in art increase or decrease, and will my interest in plants and biodiversity increase or decrease. I then had to create a graphic based on the scenario I wanted to happen. The purpose of this assignment was to practice systems thinking.
DECR-Spring 2021
For an environmental design class, I was tasked with creating and designing a company that would address urban design issues on Dean Road in Auburn, Alabama. I formed DECR, which stands for design, educate, connect, regenerate. The venture is based on permaculture principles and approaches urban design from a grassroots education and landscape
architecture perspective.
For an environmental design class, we learned how to create a 3d model of a house using revit. We also learned how to use Bluebeam and Sketchup.