CHR ISTOPHER STEBB INS

p o r t f o l i o

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AN ADVOCATE FOR OUTDOOR L IV ING ROOMS

“What is the city but the people?”

Wil l iam Shakespeare

Interested in the planning, programming, and design of. . .

THE PUBL IC DOMAINTHE HUMAN EXPER IENCE

CIT IES FOR PEOPLE

city squaresurban plazasplacemaking

human-scaledcommunity identity

people placespublic l i fe

social activationpublic accessibil ity

social accomodation

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A New Center for Public Life

Clarkesvillle Mixed-Use Community

Offering a New Civic Asset

Municipal Park Design in Turkey

Activating Community

Repurposed River front in Athens

A New Urban Hub

Athens Pedestrian Community

A New Identity

Master Plan of River front and Urban Infill

A Downtown Strategic Visioning Plan

for St. Marys, Georgia5

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Repurposing a Noteworthy Street

A New Square on College Avenue

Highlighting a Moment in History

Conceiving a Kettle Creek Battlefield Park

Getting Dirty

Garden Plot Expression

A Native Plants Center for Georgia

Planting Plans at the Botanic Garden

A Place of Repose

Construction Details

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What Places for People Look Like

A Time of Discovery in Italy

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DOWNTOWN STRATEGIC V IS IONING PLAN

St. Mar ys, Georg ia

Through a public input process by our studio at UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Governments, a vision was created for the coastal community of St Marys which introduces beautifying and walkable elements throughout the streets of their downtown.

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An innovative solution to the nuisance flooding downtown could be a constructed wetland mimicking a natural estuary. Located at the absolute low point of downtown St. Marys, this detention pond is capable of collecting the sum of stormwater run-off from surface streets and stormwater conveyance systems, as well as taking in water from king high-tides due to the steady increase in sea level rise.

St. Mar ys RSVP Pro ject 2016

In te r t ida l S to rmwate r Es tua r y

S t. Mar ys S t reet S t reet scape Concepts

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DEF IN ING A NEW, MIXED-USE HUB DOWNTOWN

Clar kesv i l le, Georg ia

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The concept establishes a new urban hub on the edge of downtown Clarkesville, Georgia.

A strategic vision process began with facilitating public input to identify residents’ priorities.

Using effective design and planning principles, the goal is to establish a new active urban hub that meets and surpasses their needs:

• economic expansion• provide event spaces• recreate their historic square• expand walkability• visitor lodging• diverse restaurant selection• amenities for the young• connection with the riverfront park

0 50’ 100’

All new structures would be two to three-story mixed-use buildings.

retail and services, upper

residences.

P

P

P UNDERGROUNDPARKING

NO CHANGES

NEW DES IGN

MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL

RICHIE STREET

NEW CONNECTION TO PITT’S PARK

CENTRALSQUARE

MIXED-USEMIXED-USE

MIXED-USE

MIXED-USE

MIXED-USE

WA

SHIN

GTO

N S

TREE

T

115 EAST

MIXED-USE

MIXED-USE

MIXED-USE

REVIVED CLOCKTOWER ON CORNER

New Courthouse Square Community

Clar kesv i l le RSVP Pro ject 2015

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MUNICIPAL PARK DES IGN IN ESK IŞEH IR, TURKEY

Domed Botan ic Conse r vato r ies

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In the Fall of 2014 our class were invitedbythemayorofEskişehir,Turkey to design and program a large land holding intended for a municipal park.

Nestled between enough residential density and schools, I proposed The EskişehirScienceandCommunityPark, offering the city a vital educational and natural destination for public life:

• planetarium and observatory• botanic conservatory• outdoor classrooms• demonstration gardens• restored native forest walks• linked to light-rail system

Obser vato r y /P laneta r ium Complex

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ATHENS PEDESTR IAN COMMUNITY

P laza Space in Nor th End o f Commun i t y

Residential Floors

Mixed Retail Floors

Park/Leisure Space

Commercial/Business

Bu i ld ing Use

Grocery

Gymnasium

Parking Decks

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A large, abandoned property offered an opportunity for urban infill in Athens, Georgia just on the edge of downtown.

This place would be clearly be part of Athens, yet have it’s own identity.

I proposed a protected, walkable community accessed by foot from downtow, a proposed light-rail line and bike corridor, as well as by cars.

Internal public spaces are surrounded by dense, mixed-use buildings with a diversity of uses.

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REPURPOSED R IVERFRONTAthens, Georg ia

Maste r P lan I l l u s t ra t i ng Mi xes o f Uses and Creat i ve Amen i t ies

ATHENS PEDESTR IAN

COMMUN ITY

Immediately adjacent to the proposed Athens Pedestrian Community, is another large economically inactive and environmentally degraded area which offered a link between downtown Athens and the North Oconee River.

Based firmly in best practices for successful waterfronts, I proposed:

• limited residential development

• mixed-use buildings• numerous public spaces• traffic-calming

measures• creative attractions• easy access by boat,

bike, and foot• ecologically-restored

portion of riverfront

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View to Wate r f ron t Dock

F lower Demons t ra t ion Garden

MASTER PLAN OF RIVERFRONT AND URBAN INFILLAthens, Georg ia

Spr ing 2014

ATHENS PEDESTR IAN

COMMUNITY

ATHENS R IVERFRONT

COMMUNITY

DOWNTOWN

ATHENS

UN IVERS I TY OF

GEORG IA

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To meet the needs of Athens in the long-term, both the proposed Pedestrian and Riverfront Communities needed to be planned as phases in a long-term development effort, taking into consideration the surrounding context and the systems that feed into these future developments.

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A T IME OF D ISCOVERY IN ITALY

Summer 2013 UGA Cor tona S tud ies Abroad Program

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DRAWING IN CORTONA, I TALY

Using the medieval Tuscan city of Cortona, Italy as the muse, I explored different media in expressing what I saw in this country’s harmonious combination of natural beauty and daily life.

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LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE IN ITALY

These ancient Italian cities and their vibrant streets were my classrooms. Here I learned the principles of makes great streets and active social spaces.

We then applied what we learned to projects located in our temporary home of Cortona.

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Bobol i Gardens, F lo rence, I ta l y

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HANCOCK

SOUTH

W A S H IN G TO N

JAC

KS

ON

SP

RIN

G

TH

OM

AS

BROAD

CLAYTON

FULTON

CO

LLEGE

LUM

PKIN

WALL

HER

TY

Athens, Georgia needs a public space that can bring it’s diverse community to-gether, centered around a multi-purpose space that can host a variety of regu-lar or one-time events.

College Avenue is the most appropriate location due to it’s central location, low traffic volume, and it’s identification with the University of Georgia and it’s iconic arch structure across the street to the south.

This proposed redesign is characterized by sittable steps, fountains, and planters. Much of these seats provide a prospect toward spaces that can ei-ther host the daily theater of the local people, or regular events.

Proposed Repurposing for One Block of College AvenueMEIGS PLAZA

A

A’

A A’

Zelkova serrata(Japanese Zelkova)

Band Stand

6” Inch RisingSeat Steps

Transluscent Canvas Structure

Topiaried Laurus nobilus

(Bay Laurel)

B

B’

Sculpture Indicating Entrance

B’B

UGA

Downtown Athens

Itea virginianaVirginia Summersweet

CHRIS STEBBINS ~ LAND 6040 ~ PROF. HARRISON

Panicum virgatum(Switchgrass)

At the center of Athens, Georgia is a single section of street that is the gravitational center of downtown. Traffic volumes here are low and present an opportunity for a new public space.

Taking advantage of the live music legacy in Athens, my leading goal was to design a space that can host multiple music acts both formally and informally.

Providing stepped sitting space and overhead shading to watch these performances comfortably and passersby was an overarching design principle.

A NEW SQUARE ON COLLEGE AVENUE

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HANCOCK

SOUTH

W A S H IN G TO N

JAC

KS

ON

SP

RIN

G

TH

OM

AS

BROAD

CLAYTON

FULTON

CO

LLEGE

LUM

PKIN

WALL

HER

TY

Athens, Georgia needs a public space that can bring it’s diverse community to-gether, centered around a multi-purpose space that can host a variety of regu-lar or one-time events.

College Avenue is the most appropriate location due to it’s central location, low traffic volume, and it’s identification with the University of Georgia and it’s iconic arch structure across the street to the south.

This proposed redesign is characterized by sittable steps, fountains, and planters. Much of these seats provide a prospect toward spaces that can ei-ther host the daily theater of the local people, or regular events.

Proposed Repurposing for One Block of College AvenueMEIGS PLAZA

A

A’

A A’

Zelkova serrata(Japanese Zelkova)

Band Stand

6” Inch RisingSeat Steps

Transluscent Canvas Structure

Topiaried Laurus nobilus

(Bay Laurel)

B

B’

Sculpture Indicating Entrance

B’B

UGA

Downtown Athens

Itea virginianaVirginia Summersweet

CHRIS STEBBINS ~ LAND 6040 ~ PROF. HARRISON

Panicum virgatum(Switchgrass)

Kettle CreekHistoric Park

0 200100

feet

LIBERTYCHURCH

andCEMETERY

CLARKE'SROUTEDOOLEY'S

ROUTE

PICKEN'SROUTE

PATRIOT'SAPPROACH

HAMMETTFARM

MAINENTRANCE

CLARKE'SROUTE

PAVILION

VISITOR'SCENTER

BATTLE

AREA

ENTRANCEMEMORIAL

VIEWPOINT

WA

R HIL

L ROA

D

Kettle Creek

Kelly Branch

OLD SALEM CHURCH ROAD

River Cane

BATTLE

AREA

P

P

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CONCEIV ING KETTLE CREEK BATTLEF IELD PARKWi l kes County, Georg ia

I am serving as the lead planner and designer of a conceptual master plan for a national historic park, where a key Revolutionary battle took place in 1779.

The goals are to enhance the access and interpretation of the story that took place here, as well as provide facilities for passive recreation.

Maste r P lan Deve lopment

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Picn ic Pav i l ion, Ket t le Creek H i s to r ic Pa r k

Maste r P lan

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PLANT ING PLANS AT THE BOTANIC GARDENClar ke County, Georg ia

Plant Details

Native PlantBotanical Garden

Plant Details

Native PlantBotanical Garden

Buckeye Demonstration Garden

Aesculus sylvaticaPainted Buckeye

http://www.colesvillenursery.com/

Aesculus pavia flavescensYellow-Flowered Buckeye Buckeye

Aesculus pavia paviaScarlet Buckeye

Dramative Cultivars of Native Species at Key Locations

Rain Garden PlantingsBetula nigraRiver Birch

Cephalanthus occidentalisButtonbush

Carex flagelliferaWeeping Brown Sedge

Lindera benzoinWild Allspice

Saururus cernuusLizard’s Tail

Juncus effusus spiralis ‘Unicorn’Unicorn Soft Rush

Carex nigra ‘Variegata’Black Sedge

Carex x ‘Ice Dance’Ice Dance Sedge

Cornus Florida ‘Cloud Nine’Cloud Nine Eastern Dogwood

Euonymus americanusStrawberry Bush

Bignonia capreolata ‘Jekyll’Jekyll Cross Vine

Hydrangea arborescens ‘Incrediball’Smooth Hydrangea

Most Common FloweringPlant on the Site

Acer NegundoBox Elder

Carpinus carolinianaAmerican Hornbeam

Oxydendrum arboreumSourwood Tree

Tilia americanaAmerican Linden

Most Common Deciduous Trees On Site

P lant ing Schedu le Photo Board

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The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is a beautiful and educational resource for all those who visit. One area of the vast property is dedicated to the study and cultivation of native plants to the piedmont ecosystems. However, the space is undeveloped and lacked facilities to support public visitation.

To meet the projected need for access and visibility by the public, my proposed features include:

• pedestrian circulation• small meeting plaza at the center• outdoor classrooms• test garden plots• native plant demonstration gardens• infiltration ponds• water retention• greenhouse facilities• planting plan and detailed schedule• adequate parking and bus loop• handicapped parking

Pro fesso r Dav i s Cou r se Pro ject, Sp r ing 2013

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GARDEN PLOT EXPRESS ION

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I was excited to experience the connection between what I design and construct. We were open to design each of our assigned 10-foot square spaces using any form, materials and plants as we wished.

I chose to follow a formal pattern that allowed some wandering paths and a feeling of enclosure. Hard materials I assembled or built included brick, mulch, and white-painted terraced planting boxes, while my plants were chosen for their ability to climb and their shades of red.

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CONSTRUCT ION DETA ILS

The elements featured here provide the construction details for a outdoor plaza space serving as a relaxation area for office employees.

I included a tall, long seatwall bordering a natural stone-paved space, a lower space to hold a seating table, and a wooden boardwalk bridge to access this space across a small ravine.

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public spaceplacemakingcommunity identitypeople placespublic lifesocial activationpublic accessibilitysocial accomodation