inSites
2015
magazine of the department of landscape architecture and environmental planning
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inSites is a publication of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at Utah State University. 4005 Old Main, Logan, UT 84322 (435) 797-0500 Cover: Holy Trinity Monastery Project (pg. 36) Courtesy Grant Hardy. Alumni - please help us by providing your most up to date contact information. Email changes to pamela.george@usu.edu or go to Contact Us at laep.usu.edu.
Graphic design and layout - Kathy Allen, Christina Fleener, Hailey Wall
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contents 40
international exploration
26
experience San Francisco
42
LAEP 75th anniversary celebration
30
urban design
43
opportunitiesCarson Lindley EDSA internship
12
design week-LAEP charrette and senior capstone
32
E-studio
45
creative works
16
service learning- Eden Valley, WY habitat restoration
35
bioregional planning
46
LAEP house
18
Slovenian exchangeSeth King
36
Holy Trinity Monastery project
48
Josephine Beach Traveling Scholarship
20
Craig Johnson Fund for Excellence speaker- Grant Jones FASLA
38
Dean’s Prize
49
awards
22
rec. & open space studio
39
residential design
50
incoming graduate students
4
greetings from the Department Head
25
planning for wildlife and geodesign
5
make a difference
6
advice for current students- Shannon Ellsworth
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Greetings from the department head
photo - Todd Johnson talks with Sean Michael, President Stan Albrecht and Dean Ken White at the 75th Celebration.
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tanding at the podium during the 75th Anniversary Celebration banquet something made me pause, pull out my iPhone, and capture a panorama of the expanse of LAEP family that sat together, swapping stories, shooting ‘selfies’, and reliving days in Logan. That photograph captured a milestone moment, but also reflects what makes us proud to be a part of this grand old program’s legacy. Few of LAEP’s peers have lasted three-quarters of a century, and fewer still have the spirit of pride, affection and camaraderie our alumni and faculty exude. Despite the overwhelming success of the Anniversary (15% of living alumni attended), the remainder of the year saw a stream of exceptional accomplishments in the Department. For perhaps the first time ever, three faculty were hired in one year, which has resulted in an historic number of faculty (14). The breadth of skills and experiences this group brings has enabled new opportunities such as team teaching, new courses, and expanded research areas. Fortunately, this growth has not diminished the exceptional teaching of our adjunct faculty, which includes Josh Runhaar, AICP (BLA, ‘02) and Kris Kvarfordt, PLA (BLA, ‘02; MLA, ‘10). In March, USU’s Board of Regents unanimously approved what I would consider to be the 3rd most significant initiative that LAEP has pursued since 2008. The CREATE 2020 Fund was developed to accelerate our program’s goal of competitive standing by helping our graduates vie for the
best jobs nationally. The Fund is made possible through differential tuition, and is based upon open sourcing proposals from students, the Advancement Board and faculty. The inaugural call-for-proposals recently went out, and online rankings of the proposals will follow. For 201516 the Fund will generate ~$50,000, all of which comes back to students through the funded proposals. Planning is underway in earnest for the 2016 CELA (Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture) Conference. LAEP’s proposal to host the annual international event was selected for its strengths in highlighting the American West, and for providing an exceptional backdrop in which to experience design and planning in the Intermountain Region and its wealth of public lands. The Conference (Mar. 23-26: cela2016.com) will occur in both Salt Lake City and Logan, and is expected to draw as many as 400 attendees from as far as China, Australia and Turkey. For all of the headway the Department is making, its ability to produce leaders in practice hinges upon alumni involvement. Insuring the future of design and planning education today requires a partnership. The generous gifts of our programs’ graduates make changes possible that would otherwise remain pipe dreams. This spring, one such graduate helped turn dreams into realities. Jan Striefel, FASLA (BLA, ‘78) has created the TERRA Annual Impacts Endowment along with the TERRA Scholarship Endowment. Her gift is the largest in LAEP’s history, with the endowments’ combined earnings generating $8,000 annually in perpetuity. Jan’s tremendous leadership and generosity are helping transform the students’ lives. I hope you will join me in thanking her for the difference she has made in shaping the future. How can you help? Our path to national competitiveness relies upon alumni like you who will partner in the effort. There are as many opportunities to make a difference as there are different graduates. I hope you will join us as we shape this new era. GO AGGIES!
make a Difference
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lumni support for LAEP is essential for preparing the next generations of planners and designers. Numerous areas of need have been met through the generous gifts of our graduates.
Chief among the current priorities are the following:
Impact Fund
Purpose: Assure innovation by students and faculty through investment in new areas of exploration. Usage: Annual discretionary funding of proposals for short-term project, equipment needs (e.g., drone program), trips and training. Goal: $10,000 annually (20% remaining for ‘15/16)
Vern Budge Business Leadership Endowment
Purpose: Honor the career of Prof. Vern Budge through annual lectures that bring leading business minds to campus. Usage: Fund will offset travel costs of individuals whose renown in design and planning will inspire future thought leaders. Goal: $50,000 (50% remaining)
Speaker Series Sustaining Funds
Purpose: Present students with contemporary trends in the discipline through visits by emerging and established scholars and practitioners. Usage: Fund lectures by individuals who expertise will expand the breadth and depth of the student body. Goal: (4) $1,000 gifts annually (100% remaining for ‘15/16)
Diversity in Landscape Architecture Scholarship Endowment
How to Give
Contributing is easy through automatic transfers, checks, or credit cards. Please make your check payable to the LAEP Department, Utah State University and mail to: LAEP Department 4005 Old Main Hill Logan, UT 84322-4005 Please see usu.edu/giving for other options. to support LAEP. For questions, please contact Pam George (Pamela.george@usu. edu).
Purpose: Enable students from underrepresented groups to pursue careers in the discipline. Usage: Scholarship providing $2,000 annual award to the recipient. Goal: $50,000 (75% remaining)
Richard E. Toth Graduate Scholarship Endowment
Purpose: Provide for the recruitment of exceptional students into the Department’s graduate programs. Usage: Scholarship providing $2,000 annual award to the recipient. Goal: $75,000 (annual cash award secured; 100% remaining for endowment)
LAEP House Endowment Fund
Purpose: Assure an ongoing exceptional living environment for visiting practitioners and scholars residing in the LAEP House. Usage: Provide $2,000 annual fund for the care, improvements and development of the residence. Goal: $50,000 (100% remaining for endowment)
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fter 3 years of preparation, LAEP kicked off the 75th Anniversary of the program through the Labor Day weekend. Over 200 of the LAEP family gathered to mark this historic occasion. Thanks to the support of alumni, sponsors, and our event team, the Celebration was an overwhelming success, and a fitting way to cap the program’s first three-quarters of a century. Alumni and former faculty from many eras were in attendance, swapping stories and memories, taking class pictures, and sharing their journeys. The 3-day event saw 14% of living alumni coming back to campus. The kick-off event was held at USU’s Swaner EcoCenter in Park City, where Salt Lake City mayor Ralph Becker spoke on the role of design and planning in our communities. Friday dawned bright and early with Craig’s much ballyhooed Canoeing Excursions on the Cutler Marsh (featuring homework for all), and spandex-clad cyclists heading out with Gere Smith on the Tour de LAEP. A big tent on the Quad, along with the Eccles Conference Center, were the afternoon venues for alumni-led education sessions, lunch, and the evening Class Reunions.
Saturday was another full day of activities, starting off with old and new faculty flipping pancakes in matching 75th Anniversary aprons. The Tippetts Gallery, along with hallways of the Fine Arts Building, featured an Alumni Exhibition, as well as historic displays from LAEP’s past. In addition, oral histories were recorded and a “cracker barrel” event resulted in story after story being shared. For many the afternoon was a time to field trip across the Wellsville Range and out into the Great Salt Lake’s northern shores. It was there that Robert Smithson expert Hikmet Loe joined the group to engage in the late artist’s iconic earth art piece “Spiral Jetty”. Capping off the Celebration was the Gala Banquet, featuring a silent auction, reception along the Logan River, and a retrospective on the Department by Todd Johnson. The evening highlighted many facets of why LAEP is as much a family as it is an academic entity. To celebrate that spirit, a gathering of those who have taught in the program culminated the night. That proud group, their faces beaming, says a lot about what separates the program Laval started from so many others on campus. From among the other highlights of the Celebration the
old friends and colleagues come back to campus
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following reflect the milestone event this was: • • • • • • • •
A dozen prominent alumni presented their career work through posters and presentations in the Eccles Conference Center. The largest ever Faculty Breakfast filled the plaza beside the Performance Hall with alumni, students and their families. Retiring faculty members Michael Timmons and Richard Toth were honored at the Alumni Reunion dinner on the Quad. Seats sold-out for the two Craig Johnson canoe voyages in the Cutler Marsh. Susan Marsh (BLA ’80) was honored as our LAEP’s newest Distinguished Alumna. $5,000+ raised through Silent Auction (cases of LAEP’s custom-labeled beer were very popular!). $20,000+ raised through event sponsorships, which will enable the creation of a new student scholarship. Don Ensign, FASLA (BLA ’63) announced his family’s estate gift to LAEP to advance teaching related to sustainable development.
laep anniversary celebration toward a century of excellence
1939 - 2014
Retired professors Richard Toth, Vern Budge, Craig Johnson, Gere Smith and Michael Timmons were honored Friday night on the Quad. Sean Michael asks them to share some stories. Biking enthusiasts enjoyed a Cache Valley ride during the Tour de LAEP. bottom right - Overall event sponsor Bob Behling chats with Bob Bissland at the Gala.
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An old LAEP Week tradition was recreated when an anonymous donor generously supplied the food and arranged for all the cooking supplies for the faculty made breakfast near the Fine Arts building. Current faculty member Carlos Licon gets sage advice from Vern Budge on how to best cook eggs. A great meal was enjoyed by all the attendees.
To kickoff the 75th Anniversary Celebration an opening reception was held at the Swaner EcoCenter in Park City. Sumner Swaner gave a tour of the facility and guests enjoyed a dinner on the patio surrounding the facility. Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker gave the opening talk to the group and stayed to answer questions.
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BIO-WEST of Logan sponsored a trip to the Spiral Jetty and the Golden Spike National Historic Site. Local artist, writer, teacher and Jetty expert Hikmet Loe from Westminster College described the earth art piece. middle - the LAEP group at the Golden Spike reenactment. bottom - Friday night class reunions on the Quad.
laep anniversary celebration toward a century of excellence
1939 - 2014
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Michael Miyabara (BLA-’72) and wife had lei’s shipped from Hawaii for the Gala celebration.
Susan Buffler, Nancy Monteith, Sharen Hauri, Caroline Lavoie, Maria SantaCruz, Jamie Maslyn Larson and Alyssia Angus enjoy the Saturday night Gala.
For the 50th Anniversary, the program’s founding and early years have been captured in a history book. For the 75th, Michael Timmons, who co-authored that first document, again proved that he is the grand historian of LAEP, producing a new, all-inclusive document. You can order a copy of this marvelous work, which grad student Aaron Smith provided foundational research and writing on, through the Department. It offers many previously unpublished stories and images, along with an expanded version of the earlier work, and chronicles the groundswell of changes in LAEP since 2008. We know the book will be bring back special memories for you. To offer a glimpse of the festivities themselves, we’ve also compiled some of the best photography of the Anniversary Celebration. We’ve preserved those images, sharing them via the Photos link at laep75.usu.edu. The dozens of images posted there capture the incredible spirit of the event. From Michael Miyabara’s gifting of Hawaiian lei, to President Stan Albrecht reminiscing with retired faculty, the shots share what a
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memorable time we shared. Of equal importance as the Celebration was the 75th Anniversary Campaign. This first capital campaign by the Department was a tremendous success thanks to the generosity of alumni. Over $430,000 was raised for scholarships, facilities remodels and other areas of need. Through gifts by several alumni, two of the latest outcomes are the Vern Budge Business Leadership Lecture Series and the Richard E. Toth Graduate Scholarship. These funds will help assure excellence in the educational opportunities we provide. Our goal
is to endow each through the gifts from those who Vern and Dick helped train. Finally, LAEP wishes to thank our many generous sponsors whose support made the 75th Anniversary a tremendous success. Their gifts have made possible a new endowed student scholarship that will support in perpetuity the coming generations of USU landscape architects and environmental planners. They, along with all who joined in the Celebration, and the tireless Planning Committee members, made the event one for the record books.
Past and present faculty - (left to right -back row)Sean Michael, Keith Christensen, Ole Sleipness, Bo Yang, David Evans, David Anderson, Michael Timmons, Ben George, Phil Waite, (front left to right) David Bell, Barty Warren-Kretzschmar, Carlos Licon, Caroline Lavoie, Richard Toth, Nancy Monteith, Gere Smith, Vern Budge, Craig Johnson and Todd Johnson
Thank you to our sponsors:
Overall Sponsor Bob & Chris Behling, Lead Level $5,000-$10,000
Class Reunion Dinner Justin Hamula, Reunion Dinner Lead Sponsor
Opening Reception/Swaner Event Brian Huculak Lead Sponsor
Oakcrest Design
DALE SCHAFER landscape architect
Overall Sponsor Geoff Ellis, Core level
Gala Event Dale Schafer, Partner Sponsor
design west architects Spiral Jetty Excursion Chris Sands, Lead Sponsor
Spiral Jetty Excursion Blake Wright, Foundation Sponsor
Lunch on the Quad Vivian Kovacs, Foundation Sponsor
Canoeing With Craig Johnson, Mark Vlasic, Lead Sponsor
Canoeing With Craig Johnson, Todd Sherman, Foundation Sponsor
Lunch on the Quad Kirk Miller, Lead Sponsor
Lunch on the Quad Greg Graham Partner Sponsor Lunch on the Quad Kris Kvarfordt, Foundation Sponsor
Lunch on the Quad Partner Sponsor
Special Thanks to our anonymous Faculty Cook Breakfast sponsor for providing everything but the kitchen sink -- food, cooking grills, serving dishes, aprons, the works!
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Design Workshop design week LAEP charrette & senior capstone - granary district Salt Lake City
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rofessionals from Design Workshop held Design Week in LAEP as part of the annual Charrette. Stephanie Grigsby (MLA, ‘00), principal of the South Lake Tahoe office of Design Workshop, joined with Dayton Crites (MLA, ‘13), from the Austin, Texas office, to lead a planning and design charrette on the Granaries District in Salt Lake City. The firm devoted the time of four valuable staff, and a visit by Joe Porter (BLA, ‘63; founding partner) and Kurt Culbertson (current CEO). Design Workshop has developed a “Design Week” curriculum they take to select schools around the nation. The week-long intense learning program took students through project case studies, dilemma and thesis statements, establishment of metrics, and nightly sessions to refine the plans.
LAEP has held its annual Charrette for the past 11 years, but having the DW professionals work with the students elevated the process to a whole new level. The national emphasis on capstone projects has focused on projects that provide a practice-like challenge with emphasis on developing teamwork and leadership skills through collaboration. Building on a studio conducted by Professor Caroline Lavoie in 2012, the seniors took on the challenge of left - Professors David Bell (BLA, ‘70) and Todd Johnson (BLA,’76) have both previously worked for Design Workshop. They were instrumental in coordinating with DW as the site for this year’s design week and continued working on the project in the senior capstone course throughout spring semester.
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Right - The spagetti game. Design Workshop asked teams to create a structure using spagetti. The ultimate goal was to assess teamwork and discuss how to work together effectively.
Below - one of the daily pinups. Teams received feedback on their plans and designs from faculty and Design Workshop professionals.
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Abram Sorensen describes the plans to Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker.
creating a redevelopment vision for roughly 150 acres of urban redevelopment in Salt Lake City called the Granary District. The City’s redevelopment authority (RDA), City Urban Designer Molly Robinson, and alumni James Alfandre (BLA, ‘07) and Nancy Monteith (MLA, ‘02), along with Mayor Ralph Becker participated with our students in a semester-long investigation of the Granary. They presented their findings in Salt Lake to an audience of 50. The students were interviewed by local and regional reporters for National Public Radio on two occasions to advance public awareness and publicize the presentation events. Design Workshop conducted a “Design Week” exercise in conjunction with our entire faculty and student body. This week long charrette was an around-the-clock investigation of some of the attributes and aspirations for the district. Issues ranging from urban permaculture to addressing the needs of the homeless were explored. Students were astounded to learn that the reigning demographic of interest in the District is the “Millennial Generation” and that is them! Using a “know-thyself ” motivation, they moved into the second half of the semester looking at urban design topics like
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the use of creative housing strategies to stimulate a personal connection in the District, and how to “spark” the redevelopment effort with progressive first phase design improvements for public space and convention/ performance and think tank facilities. What was most revealing is that they could research and explore how to make urban redevelopment richly stimulating and appropriate to this place and to future residents, and they could use self-knowledge to hit this market squarely. The charrette has evolved under the guidance of David Bell, Extension Associate Professor, and has been enriched by former Design Workshop Principal Todd Johnson, Practitioner-in-Residence since spring 2014. By bringing in professionals from Design Workshop this Charrette proved to be a very rewarding educational experience for all LAEP students. In the past students worked the entire Charrette Week on creating beautiful presentation boards, but with the numerous critiques from DW staff the students came to further understand the thinking and planning that leads up to a final decision. In the process they were asked to take into consideration sociological, historical and political aspects of an area, as well as, learning great design.
Senior team leaders on a site visit to the district. left - Kurt Culbertson, CEO, Design Workshop instructs students.
right - Dayton Crites Day 1 presentation for Design Week.
Our thanks to alumni members Stephanie Grigsby, Dayton Crites, Michael Budge, Nancy Monteith and Joe Porter for their support of the Design Week Design Charrette. We also wish to thank Kurt Culbertson, an LSU graduate, for his support and passionate participation in our Design Charrette.
Stephanie Grigsby (left) and Joe Porter (center) with team leaders Carly Klein, Kendall Hancey, Nathan Jaramillo, Dana Crosson, Sarah Gunnell, Cara Glabau, Liming Ding, Jenna McRory, Abram Sorensen, Derek Wigglesworth, Elias Green and Scott Harris.
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service learning Eden Valley, Wyoming habitat restoration LAEP students were given an opportunity to learn about and experience the work needed to restore an eroded landscape in Fall of 2014. This work was initiated by JUB Engineers, Inc. through our alumnus,
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Bronson Tatton (MLA, ‘08). The Student Chapter of the ASLA organized 21 LAEP students to propagate and install 450 Coyote Willow shrubs along the banks of the Big Sandy River in Eden Valley, Wyoming. The week prior to the installation of the Coyote Willows, the students collected and rooted cuttings from along the Logan River. The following week they took the rooted cuttings to Eden Valley and installed the shrubs along with protective fencing. The banks of the Big Sandy
River have experienced considerable erosion, and this work was a mitigation measure identified by JUB Engineers, Inc. in their watershed restoration planning work. Since many LAEP students come to the program thinking they would like to do this type of work after they graduate, this is a great opportunity to get up in the pre-dawn hours for a drive to the site and do the physical labor required.
“In doing this project I learned the people with which you share the experience of work will affect your attitude of life more than you may notice. Also, for a willow plant to grow it has to be planted below the water table next to the river. I should have learned that two hours earlier than I did.” —Heidi Balling— Heidi is shown on the top, left getting ready to plant willows.
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Slovenian exchange
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AEP’s Slovenian exchange, started by past Professor John Nicholson, has offered students a chance to study in Slovenia and Slovenian students to study at USU for one semester. The exchange provides an in-country relationship where the Slovenians help the US student and vice versa when they arrive in Logan. Seth King, who most recently took part in the exchange, also added on a summer internship in India with Prashanta Bhat, (BLA, ‘92). This is the second year a student has taken advantage of an internship at Prashanta’s firm, The Landscape Company, in Bangalore. “Studying abroad was one of the most terrifying but rewarding experiences of my life. I went to study at the University of Ljubljana, in Slovenia, to experience landscape architecture from a new angle. I learned new perspectives of the design process, different visual styles and how to communicate things in a different light. I didn’t realize my education would go beyond the university. My exchange experience taught me how to experience things on my own and enjoy so much of what the world has to offer. I was able to travel to 9 different countries and experience the world in ways I would never have been able to had I not decided to study abroad.” —Seth King—
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“Studying abroad was one of the most terrifying but rewarding experiences of my life.� -Seth King-
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Craig Johnson Fund for Excellence Speaker Grant Jones FASLA
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I’ve always believed it's our job to partner with the Earth and to support her places, first by listening to the entities in her places, giving a voice to them, and finally through stewardship designs like… park plans, trail designs, habitat restorations, managed fires, river restorations, cultural landscape management, and wildlife highway designs. Supportive design actions, American Indians say, keep the Earth places living. Your earth supporting designs will create landscape experiences for people that will marry them to their places, so they will care for them and protect them forever.
Bone Dreamer I lived among coyotes at the mouth of the canyon. I still wear the young pup's collarbone I found in the creek. I heard his kettling, falsetto yipping. But it's his spirit to play in the stars that I keep. I used to be as quick as a ferret, But now I'm so still, flickers buzz bomb my hair When I lean on a fence post, yipping. I’m Welsh. Every cloud, stream, mountain, stream, rock and tree has to have a name.
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minent landscape architect, poet and revolutionary thinker in planning, Grant Jones, FASLA, delivered the 3rd annual Craig Johnson Lecture in March. The co-founder of Seattle’s Jones and Jones Architects and Landscape Architects ( JonesandJones.com) shared the 2015 talk, entitled “Giving Voice to Earth’s Places: Caring for Them through Design and Storytelling to Keep Them Living”. A contemporary and friend of Craig Johnson’s, Grant’s career has been credited with transforming the role that ecological planning plays in the discipline. During his talk Grant melded his passion for poetry as an expression of one’s relationship to the land, along with a sampling of the most significant projects from his 30+ year career. Grant remarks, “As a poet I see and hear everything around me as a poetic structure; so I see the whole
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landscape of a place as the architecture of a poem. Every landscape seems to have its own code. If you fall in love with it and give it a voice, the poem you unearth from it will forever give you a place to stand.” Those values have taken form through
genre-defining zoo designs, pioneering methodologies in landscape aesthetics, river planning, and scenic highway design. Among the more noteworthy are the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, the Mountains-toSound Greenway in Washington, the Commons Park in Denver, and America’s first wildlife highway, U.S. Highway 93 through the Flathead Reservation in western Montana. Grant’s legacy embodies the values reflected in Craig’s 40+ year tenure at Utah State. Students of the earth, with a common
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love for wild places and respect for Native American wisdom, both men stand out as thought leaders who have shaped both practice and instruction for generations. Today, Grant and his wife, Chong, live in the Okanogan drainage of Washington State, where they are restoring the ecosystems of their farm, Coyote Springs. He has recently finished the manuscript for his autobiography, “Listening to the Voice of the Earth”, which will be forthcoming.
he LAEP faculty capitalized on various opportunities to recruit new students into the program. In the past, very few entering freshmen would choose Landscape Architecture as their major because they did not know of the program or the discipline. Most often students came to the program after taking many credits in other majors which extended the time and cost of obtaining a degree. David Anderson attended a central Utah middle school career fair. Both he and Carlos Licon welcomed GEAR Up students to the building during summer for an exercise. GEAR Up is USU program to introduce middle school students to college and provide them knowledge of career options. Several faculty and LAEP students including Ben George, David Evans, Ole Sleipness, Anderson and Licon worked with Mt. Logan Middle School on a planning exercise and brought them into LAEP for pinups and critiques.
During their stay in Utah, Department Head Sean Michael accompanied Grant Jones, his wife Chong and dog Rex to the Spiral Jetty.
Recruitment
Imagining a new courtyard. Carlos Licon instructs visiting 8th graders from GEAR UP to add interest to the Fine Arts Complex Courtyard.
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rofessor Ole Sleipness joined the LAEP faculty in Fall 2014 and taught the Recreation Design and Open Space Planning studio. Ole integrates his research focus areas within the studio experience. The interface between public and private lands, natural amenity based development, and the role of recreational landscapes in rural community growth and change were dominant themes throughout the semester’s projects and activities. Twenty-eight junior and second-year graduate students engaged a variety of project scales along the Wasatch Front, where they applied recreation planning and design approaches, while developing and refining technical skills in landform and site grading, circulation design, as well as visual representation. Throughout the semester, students interacted with a variety of LAEP alumni who generously provided project review and professional mentoring. In their first community engagement project, students collaborated with Zac Covington (BLA, ‘06) of Bear River Association of Governments and Professor Dave Evans in generating conceptual recreation design alternatives for a community park in an underutilized storm water detention site in Willard, UT. During a field trip, hosted by LAEP alumni Nancy Brunswick (MLA, ‘94) and Dave Hatch (BLA, ‘89) students visited the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve, Snowbasin Ski Area, and several other recreational areas along the Wasatch Front. These visits provided students with a valuable context from which to draw on for their subsequent projects. After engaging in “experiential learning”
LAEP students in Rec and Open Space visit the Great Salt Lake Shoreline Preserve
by camping on site, students developed alternative design and management schemes for renovating the CCC-era Guinavah-Malibu campground in Logan Canyon, focusing on issues of circulation and campsite design, cultural interpretation, and
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inside the studio and out
Recreation and Open Space
strengthening ties to the scenic byway. Alumni Dave Hatch (BLA, ‘89), Ron Vance (MLA, ‘99), and Dick Ostergaard (BLA, ‘71) served as design jurors. The semester’s capstone project for the planned 50acre North Logan Memorial Park was jointly completed
in the recreation studio and the planting design studio taught by Professor Phil Waite. Students researched traditional roles of cemeteries as early American recreational landscapes and proposed ways in which a contemporary landscape could provide space for both
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recreation and commemoration. As part of their design package, students produced schematic master plans, planting plans and hydrozone plans, grading plans, and modeled existing and proposed landforms and presented their work to Public Works Director Alan Luce (MSBRP, ‘11)and Parks Director Jordan Oldham and North Logan City Councilwoman Kristen Anderson. Fall 2015 projects are planned to expose students to the broad array of recreation and open space issues along the Wasatch Front, as well as in similarly situated landscapes across the West and beyond. top right - Field trip to Snowbird other photos -David Hatch,with the US Forest Service, leads students through Guinavah-Malibu campground in Logan Canyon.
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inside the studio and out
planning for wildlife & geodesign
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rofessor Shujuan Li teaches Planning for Wildlife and created a new course featuring Geodesign. In spring 2015, six graduate students in LAEP 6110 Landscape Planning for Wildlife conducted an extensive habitat analysis and planning for wildlife species that were highly related with water. Cache County released its Water Master Plan. The Plan suggests that an increasing number of municipalities in the County will face water shortages if no further water conservation practices occur or new water sources to be developed. Water is critical to maintain the quality of life and the beauty of the County. However, as stated in the current Plan, “it has become very evident that there are a lot of unknowns about the environmental water needs in the Cache County.” With the aid of GIS modeling, the students evaluated the impacts of different urban growth and water protection scenarios for wildlife habitat conservation in Cache County. Mixed findings were found, suggesting that there was no “best” scenario that can resolve all the conflicts. Nevertheless, the study highlighted the importance of collaboration among different agencies and stakeholders.
geodesign studio While the definition of Geodesign is still evolving, a number of Geodesign programs have been established across the country. In spring 2015, a new course—Geodesign Studio was added to the LAEP curriculum. Three junior students and four senior students became the first cohort of this course. Students successfully completed two projects. In the first project, students evaluated landscape performance of Daybreak master-planned community with respect to the environmental, social, and economic dimensions. In the second project, each student conceptualized and developed his/her own project, such as a green roof design for Salt Lake City downtown, and an evaluation of public art spaces in Denver, Colorado. More importantly, the power of spatial information and analysis was blended into each student’s design proposal. The ESRI President Jack Dangermond once stated that, “Geodesign will open many new opportunities for the traditional design communities of landscape architecture and planning.” Overall, the first time delivery of the Geodesign course is a success and it enriches LAEP course offerings.
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experience
San Francisco
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uring the 2014 Spring Break, David Evans and David Bell led a group of thirty students to San Francisco and other locations in and around the SF Bay Area. The trip provided an introduction to a rich collection of California’s natural and built landscapes, and a visit with some of the Bay Area’s outstanding professional firms. Upon arrival in Oakland, the students travelled on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) through the gritty East Oakland urban landscape to the San Francisco Embarcadero. This was a good introduction to the postindustrial landscape of a major American city and the multi-cultural diversity of a heavily used rapid transit system. The first day of the trip took us to Stern Grove, one of Lawrence Halprin’s final masterpieces. It is a remarkable stone performance complex set into a redwood
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field trip - 2014 and eucalyptus forest. From there we traveled to the beach at the western end of Golden Gate Park and then into the park. From the Music Concourse in the center of the park the student were on their own to experience a range of options that included: Renzo Piano’s California Academy of Sciences, the deYoung Museum, the Japanese Tea Garden, the SF Botanical Garden and Strybing Arboretum. Day two, we met distinguished alumni, Michael Fotheringham (MLA, ‘78), at Union Square, one of the most important and well used public space in San Francisco. Michael won a design competition for Union Square in collaboration with April Phillips Design Works in 1997 from over 300 entries. He led us on a detailed tour of the Square and shared rich anecdotes about the design and construction process and the lessons learned
from more than a decade of public use. Union Square is truly one of the jewels of San Francisco, and a point of pride for USU students and alumni due to Michael’s significant role in the project. After our tour of Union Square, we visited Sherwood Engineers, a civil and environmental design firm with a contemporary approach to the planning and implementation of sustainable infrastructure solutions. Sherwood is a remarkable multi-disciplinary firm led by a landscape architect
The trip provided an introduction to a rich collection of California’s natural and built landscapes, and a visit with some of the Bay Area’s outstanding professional firms. with a portfolio of noteworthy sustainable projects. Later that afternoon, we were given a grand tour of the Presidio with sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the SF Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The Presidio is a former military base converted to a public land trust that includes numerous areas of historic significance, new development and a rich collection of preserved and newly built landscapes by well known designers, like Lawrence Halprin. Day three began with a bus trip over the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County. Our first stop was the office of Royston, Hanamoto, Alley and Abey (RHAA). The rich history of the firm is being carried forward by a new generation of partners. We were delighted to meet with a few of the partners and some
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young practitioners in their beautiful wooded setting in Mill Valley. After our visit with RHAA, we headed to the renowned Muir Woods National Monument with its 240 acres of old growth Coast Live Redwood Trees (Sequoia sempervirens). In the afternoon, we visited the offices of the SWA Group at their headquarters in Sausalito. We were given a presentation of some their remarkable international projects followed by a relaxed visit in the studio with firm leaders and young practitioners. Day four took us under the SF Bay on BART to Berkeley, where we began our day in the offices of Peter Walker and Partners (PWP). We were given a tour of the office, and their remarkable materials library. That was followed by a presentation of a current project in the design phase, with a detailed explanation of their collaborative process. This was an invaluable learning experience for the students. The majority of PWP’s projects are captured in professionally built models, so the office has the feel of both an active working environment and a modern museum of significant landscape architectural work. Our next stop was the office of BASE Landscape Architects. BASE is a young, entrepreneurial group that is focused on a broad range of project types, that include citywide master plans for urban agriculture, a children’s museum, school and play environment design and highend residential projects. BASE represents a millennial practice model that features a renovated Air Stream trailer in the back yard that serves as housing for interns and new employees orienting to life in the Bay Area. The partners are not much older than our students, so the funky, gritty nature of their practice held real appeal. In the afternoon, we travelled back to San Francisco and visited the office of Surface Design. Surface Design was established in 2001 by a group of young practitioners who came out of high profile firms like PWP and SOM. Since their inception, they have won many awards in the US and internationally. They have a strong domestic and Asian practice and create projects that celebrate the relationship of people to the natural environment, with a passion for craftsmanship and sustainability. Day Five, we returned to Berkeley and visited the urban design firm, Opticos. Since the firms founding in 1999, Opticos has been at the center of form-based codes and new urban design. The list of national and international awards is long, and the firm’s principals are leaders in the Congress for New Urbanism and the FormBased Code Institute. They are a small firm with a very bicycle centric, sustainable culture. The founding principal, Dan Parolek welcomed our students and discussed the guiding principles of the firm and their approach to urban design. Given the rapid rise of cities, 28
this was an important introduction to the practice of urban design for our students. Next we visited the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley. Our visit corresponded with the annual College ‘Circus and Soiree’, which is a celebration of student work, a review of innovative work within the faculty, and presentations from distinguished alumni. Many alumni return for the event and the college is alive with a rich exchange of ideas. Our students were invited to attend at no cost and were left to discover the college, as well as the rich life of the adjacent Berkeley street scene. On day 6, the Stanford University campus landscape architect, Cathy Blake, gave us a remarkable tour of the campus and explained its rich landscape architectural history. Starting with the work of Frederick Law Olmsted and the historical foundations of the campus plan, and highlighting subsequent contributions by Thomas Church, Peter Walker, The SWA Group, Hargreaves Associates, the Olin Partnership and the Office of Cheryl Barton. Stanford is a
remarkable ‘laboratory’ of landscape architecture built around the values and vision of FLO with an unrelenting commitment to excellence and execution. From Stanford we travelled to the Apple campus in Cupertino to get a sense of the creative energy of the company. Our students had studied the new ‘Apple Ring’ design for their new campus and hoped to discuss the plan with representatives of the company. However, because the plan had not received public approval at the time of our visit, the company declined to discuss it. This was a good lesson in the process of public approval, and the confidentiality of projects with significant public impact and benefit. So, we went to the Apple Store on campus and had fun handling all the new gadgets. From Apple, we headed to downtown Santa Cruz, one of the oldest and most successful of revitalized downtowns in California. We spent the day adventuring on our own, enjoying the local culture and food, and basking in the warm California sun. From Santa Cruz we drove around the Monterey Bay to Monterey where we spent the night. The next day we roamed the streets of Cannery Row, visited the world renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, lounged on the beach, took bike rides along the ocean, and generally played tourist for our last day in California, before heading back to Utah. A great trip full of fun and learning not be soon forgotten.
—David Evans—
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inside the studio and out urban design
creating an enhanced central bench -- Boise, Idaho
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ast fall, Professor Caroline Lavoie decided to explore other areas for her urban design studio and took the group of senior/grad students to Boise, Idaho for a project located in the Central Bench area. Students explored various growth and infill alternatives for the area which included the Boise International Market. The International Market is an incubator for the refugee community to start their businesses. It currently houses vendors and restaurants which sell food and products from around the world. The market was cofounded by LAEP alum and city planner Lori Porecca (MLA, ‘06). A large part of the site was taken by the oil and gas industry and students had to imagine a future development for it, as well as, integrate a large scale public transportation system for the residents. The City of Boise had shown great interest in the project and for future work from the LAEP Department. This coming fall the urban design studio will continue this project with a more focused look into the area.
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Nicole Hanks, Layne Morrison, Dana Crosson, Jenna McRory and Tanya Rice use Legos to create an initial plan.
The students’ analysis of the Central Bench area led to the discovery of a disconnect in circulation, perceptions of un�safety, absence of open space, and a lack of aesthetics. There was no sense of place or pride in the area. Based on our findings our design sought to mitigate these issues. Through the use of complete streets, the area is more available to all forms of pedestrian circulation. A street-car to the downtown area connects the residents of the central bench to downtown and vise versa. A light rail connects to the greater area within the county and turns this central bench area into an active transit hub. Various types of open space were added to the site to provide for various types of recreation. A community core was added to help provide a place for community activities and add pride to the central bench area. A mixed use core provides outreach to surrounding Boise areas and economic opportunities. A cultural core was combined with the exiting international market as an outdoor opportunity for cultural events such as art installations, farmers markets, or other culturally rich opportunities. As the Central
Top - discussion with professor and team. Kendall Hancey and Sam Taylor in discussion with Abram Sorensen as Professor Lavoie listens in. Lori Porecca (MLA - ‘06) Boise City Planner and International Market cofounder describes the area to LAEP students on a site visit to Boise.
Bench continues to grow economically the population will grow as well, therefore, additional residences and schools were added to the design. Using our big ideas of embracing cultural diversity, improving human movement and connectivity, embracing history, and creating a destination for the greater Boise. Our design through our analysis and our big idea are the instruments to creating a enhanced central bench.
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inside the studio and out E-Studio
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ave you ever felt like you worked hard on a project that needed “just one more cycle of effort, one more iteration”? Department Head Sean Michael posed the question “why shouldn’t there be an opportunity for students to take work that they have done and improve it for submittal to National ASLA?” Further discussion explored the question of student competitions and other possible affirmations that our program at Utah State is nationally competitive. The idea of an elective studio devoted to deeper investigation and focused on nationally and internationally competitive work is very intriguing, especially in concert with the Advancement Board’s commitment and challenge to return this department to a top five national status! Practitioner-in-Residence Todd Johnson with the support of Sean and other faculty launched the first edition of E-Studio to a class of 5 intrepid students. Seniors Carson Lindley and Abram Sorensen and juniors, Bryant Avalos, Yuning Fang and Kendrick Ostergaard embarked on the E-,or Entrepreneurial, Studio. This group learned about using concepts from start-up business and from the principles of creative economic thinking to drive their investigations deeper. Lindley led a team consisting of Avalos and Fang on a competition to repurpose a bullring in Barcelona, Spain. The team used critical input from Richard Roger’s Londonbased firm and the generous time of James Latham to nurture and crit their design. The team submitted their one-sheet poster to the acclaim of Messrs. Latham and Smithson (Rogers Partnership) and from their colleagues around the department.
Left - Bryant Avalos, Carson Lindley and Yuning Fang.
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Above - one sheet poster repurposing a bull-ring in Barcelona, Spain. Each level represents a new purpose. Level IV (top) - City - because of the magnificent view, Level III, The Culture - Music, Theater and dining, Level II - The Future modern art and technology, Level I - Knowledge - modern library specializing in history of Catalan with an open court to transport light to the space, Sub-Grade, Origins - Water, earth in the center of the ring.
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E-studio Abram Sorensen led his team including Kendrick Ostergaard in further developing the Granary Capstone effort for submittal to the Jane Silverstein Reis Award’s program in Denver. Sorensen and Ostergaard took on more than a Salt Lake City block with the mission of Sparking the District. Spark means the analysis, programming and design of a fist phase that will stimulate development of the district. They used existing concrete silos up against the 200,000 daily cars on I-15 to announce all the elements of a “value propostion” for the Districts proposed phase one. Ostergaard’s professor, Carlos Licon, generously offered his time and the permission for Kendrick to develop the design of 350 residences in the block. Not to be left out, the graduate students studying redevelopment of the Trappist Monastery site in the Ogden Valley used the E-Studio to prepare a National submittal for their year-long efforts to produce a redevelopment plan for the 1,800 acre site. (Photos and article on pg. 36.) Special thanks to Professors Caroline Lavoie and Ben George for assisting and lending their talents to the E-Studio. We believe that student witnesses to the deliverables are anxious to take the course next spring!
regional perspective of the district
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suggestions for creating an “active spark” for the district
inside the studio and out bioregional planning
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he 2014-15 Bioregional Studio with Professor Barty Warren Kretzschmar, hosted two students, Lyndi Perry and Aubrey Larsen (Christensen), who studied the Little Bear, Blacksmith Fork, and Logan watershed at the southern end of Cache Valley. This project was completed in coordination with a stakeholder group, the Logan River Task Force (a citizen-expert group tasked with helping Logan City form a plan and design for the Logan River), and many experts at the university. The two semester project began with field trips, research on the biophysical characteristics and cultural history of the watershed, and an assessment of issues and opportunities. Students developed geospatial models to analyze the area’s potential for development and to determine the sensitivity of the landscape and the interrelationship of human activities and spatial development. Some models assessed the potential allocation of land uses such as agricultural, commercial, recreational, and residential development. Other models identified areas significant for biophysical safety, water quality, and agricultural character. These models served as the building blocks for
developing alternative futures for the watershed that address the effects of population growth as well as climate change in Cache Valley. One future focused on protecting agriculture by increase urban densities. Another model emphasized the recreational lifestyle in Cache Valley by increasing connectivity and transportation diversity, and still another model focused on conservation of natural resources, i.e. water quality and quantity. The students evaluated each scenario using their assessment models as well as qualitative and quantitative assessment criteria, such as estimates of change in impervious surfaces or the amount of land consumption based on different scenarios of residential density. The objective of the project was to provide the Logan River Task Force with a contextual understanding of how future land use change in the Logan / Little Bear watershed will affect the Logan River. In several presentations to the Task Force the students were able explain their analysis and propose their scenarios for future development of the watershed, thus providing a contextual piece for the Task Force’s decision making process for the restoration of the river corridor.
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n the Fall of 2014, third year graduate students Graydon Bascom, Chris Binder, Grant Hardy, Stephen Peaden and Nick Tanner, guided by professor, Carlos Licon and Practitioner-in-Residence, Todd Johnson, presented their vision of the future for the Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity, a Trappist monastery in Ogden Valley. The Monks are faced with an important decision of what to do with the monastery and surrounding land in the Ogden Valley. The current monks who have been stewards of the land are aging and no new monks are taking their place. The land is very valuable and under increasing pressure from developers. There are other groups who hope to keep the land as open space and retain the monastery's historical value. The Trappist established their monastery in Ogden Valley in 1947, and for nearly seventy years they have cared for this land and have created a presence and
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inside the studio and out Regional Analysis & Planning Holy Trinity Trappist Monastery
an impact greatly valued by the local community. They are now preparing to transfer ownership of their monastery and the 1800 acres surrounding it. Our students were invitied to explore alternative possibilities and future scenarios for this beautiful part of the valley and provide the monks with ideas to guide their next steps. It has been a warm expression of trust from the monks in the student’s knowledge and talent. To a great extent the students have corresponded this trust with a series of creative ideas and possibilities that are having siginificant impact in what will happen in the near future in Ogden Valley. After meeting the monks and spending time in the Abbey, our students realized their analysis needed to integrate the spiritual
Chris Binder and Father Allen look over the land
dimensions of the monks’ legacy in this place. Filling the void of the monks absence in the future had to be transferred into the land they worked and cared for. So the project became a unique opportunity to explore how the natural and the built environment express and convey, through the experience of the place, the monks’ spiritual legacy and how this can be understood and shared by the next generation of residents and visitors to the Abbey. “Our students were invited to explore alternative possibilities and future scenarios for this beautiful part of the valley and provide the monks with ideas to guide their next steps.” -Carlos Licon Nick Tanner chatting with Father Allen at the Retreat house
Lunch with the diocese. Father Brendan entertains the group with stories.
Grad students and faculty pose with monks after the initial presentation.
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pring Semester 2015 marked the inaugural Dean’s Prize competition for the LAEP sophomores and firstyear graduate students taking LAEP 2720, Site Planning and Design. The competition focused on the preparation of a landscape master plan for the new Student Center in the heart of the USU campus. The Dean’s Prize is an opportunity to provide a real-world experience for our students, get feedback from high profile jurors, acknowledge the high-quality work the students are producing, improve their design and illustrative skills in a competitive environment, and bring a fresh, tangible enthusiasm at the end of a long semester of studio work. The Jury included Dean Ken White of the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Charles Darnell the Vice-President of USU Facilities, Architect Jordy Guth from USU Facilities, Eric Olsen the Associate VP of USU Student Services and David Anderson, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture. The students formed 8 teams with 3 members each. The competition carried a first prize of $400 and three honorable mention prizes of $150 each. Much like many professional competitions, the Jury reviewed the boards on the merits of the work and their storytelling impact, and not on a presentation by the teams. The boards
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were submitted anonymously with team numbers only. The winning team was Team #1, which consisted of Chris Creasey, Steve Woody and Tyler Knab. The jury appreciated the variety of spatial scales and uses, the demonstration garden, the buildability, and the details of the swings, fire pits and outdoor market. Team #2 of Tyson Murray, Darci Williams and David Durfee, Team #4 of Alonzo Rhodes, Heidi Balling and Stephen Ormsbee, and Team #6 of Spencer Burt, Logan Oates and Kendall Crockett all received honorable mention.
top left - winning team Chris Creasey, Tyler Knabb and Steve Woody with Associate Dean Brian Warnick who presented the awards for the college. bottom left - Team #2 Darci Williams, Tyson Murray and David Durfee. top right - Dean Ken White and Site Planning Professor David Evans discuss the plans. middle - Team #4 Stephen Ormsbee, Alonzo Rhodes and Heidi Balling bottom - Team 6 Spencer Burt, Kendall Crockett and Logan Oates.
inside the studio and out Residential Design
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AEP Juniors in the spring Residential Design studio met with Logan City Mayor, Craig Petersen, Logan City Planner Russ Holley (BLA, ‘04), BRAG planners Zac Covington (BLA, ‘06-MSBRP, ‘09), and Brian Carver, (BLA, ‘01) and a land owner Dean Quayle to introduce a new project and site visit. Students will produce housing design options for 110 acres of land in the Northwest portion of Logan. In Northwest Logan there is a large parcel of land (100 acres) that is owned by Dean Quayle and Roger Jones. This is an area of Logan that is over-populated with apartments and the land owners are interested in developing it as single family homes, the owners and Professors Carlos Licon and David Anderson arranged for the students in LAEP 3120 to use the parcel for their class project. Five teams of four students each were assigned to develop a detailed plan for developing the property. They made their presentations in Logan City Hall and it was a huge success. Some great ideas
came out of their designs. Although this was not technically part of the Community Bridge Initiative, it met all of the objectives and will have an impact on the ultimate development of the property.
“Cooperation with USU is great. Let’s do more.” -Craig Petersen, Logan City Mayor
top - students meet with Logan City Planner Russ Holley (BLA, ‘04) and Logan City Mayor Craig Peterson. Professor David Anderson provides some instruction. bottom - students and landowners review the plans.
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international exploration I was able to witness some of the Syrian refugee camps to understand the hard reality for those communities. What touched me was the generosity of the people living there who had almost nothing, and yet wanted to share their food with us. A young Syrian woman invited me to visit her space which was also a very humbling experience. I wished I could have visited more of Lebanon but it was a bit too dangerous at the time of my visit.�
American University of Beirut
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n December 2014, Professor Caroline Lavoie was invited to be a reviewer at the AUB (American University of Beirut) for the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences. The experience was great but in her short stay she found Beirut to be a city full of contrast. Caroline relates her experience: “The campus is very green with the remaining city very dry with very little public space. The downtown had very few if any public space and was a mix of disappearing historical buildings with traces of war. The campus is very beautifully located by the water and descends toward the waterfront yet the waterfront in Beirut was very difficult to access. On a light note all the city cats seem to live on campus, are fed by one employee and they seem quite happy and healthy. (see photo)
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“What touched me was the generosity of the people.” —Caroline Lavoie—
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opportunities Carson Lindley EDSA internship
Carson is behind the sign, third from the right
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arson Lindley (BLA, ‘15) was selected for a summer 2014 internship at EDSA in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. After graduation in spring 2015 he was hired by the firm as a designer. Carson wrote regarding the Private Residence in Singer Island, FL: “This project was one of the first real world design challenges in my career. I was able to participate in many aspects of the creative process, from client meetings to final design development. By working closely with the clients and the design team, this project taught me the importance of time management and communication in design. The project is currently under construction and is expected to be completed this month.” Located in Singer Island, Florida, this rooftop terrace and was designed on top of a parking garage connected to a high rise condominium. The outdoor terrace features a regulation size bocce court, chef ’s garden, outdoor dining area, multiple sculptural displays, a yoga deck, and other outdoor living spaces. The covered “outdoor rooms” with panoramic views of the ocean make this terrace a unique and special space that epitomizes luxurious outdoor living.
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advice for current students Shannon Ellsworth - 2013 BLA
Planner - Rural Planning Group
The job In Utah, over 75% of communities are considered rural. The Rural Planning Group provides planning assistance, training, and tools to underserved or understaffed rural cities. There are many definitions of “rural”, but the Rural Planning Group focuses on communities that are impacted by energy development and counties that have a high percentage of federal land. Our objective is to help local leaders prioritize and plan holistically for long-range community development. We train citizen planners on the basics of land use, infrastructure, housing, and transportation planning. We connect municipalities with resources so they can set goals, make plans, and take action. As a state agency we are part of the Housing and Community Development Division. In the office I work with phenomenal colleagues who are creative, critical thinkers. Outside the office we work with dedicated state, county, and city elected officials, as well as staff and residents. Traveling to remote towns, seeing incredible landscapes and listening to locals is what I love. Every day I expect to learn something new and contribute to a solution. My advice to you students is
that you should expect a great job, but don’t expect it to come to you. Planning for the future isn’t just for cities- it’s also for your life. Here are some suggestions for finding a good job and starting a meaningful career while you are still in school: Be proactive Getting a great job is like rowing a boat. One of the oars is your education, and the other is your network. Having one without the other won’t get you anywhere. Do an inventory and analysis of your life-
are you missing an oar? Go get it. Your most rewarding opportunities will be the ones you make for yourself. Get career coaches Maren Stromberg, of USU Career Services, was one of my invaluable career coaches and cheerleaders.
Maren’s job is to teach you how to get a job, and I think every student should visit her at least twice a semester. My older brother was also a great supporter as I rewrote resumes and decided which job to accept. Another coach was a man from my church who had been the vice president of human resources at a Fortune 500 company. When I asked him for career advice he was thrilled to buy me lunch and impart some of his wisdom to a young professional. Experienced people like to help- let them. Make connections Even as a student I knew I wanted to assist rural communities so I spoke with Professor David Bell my senior year to ask where I could find a job like his. Dave didn’t know of any rural planning positions, but I didn’t stop with the obvious on-campus resources. I bought a plane ticket to Arizona for spring break and scheduled over a dozen informational interviews with landscape architects, planners, and architects near my hometown. I didn’t ask for a job, just advice. The professionals I spoke with (many of them USU alumni) were very generous with their time and advice. No internships came from those connections, but my intent was to
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advice
learn from them. Remember networking isn’t about meeting people who can give you a job; it’s about creating a mutually advantageous, professional relationship. Try to keep in touch with people you have met and stay informed on their corner of the industry. Think like a business student Business students know that it's not just about what you know; it's also about who you know. Business students know that people who make hiring decisions are busy. Business students know that most new employees come from referrals and internships, not the black-hole of online application submittals. Business students have business cards. Business students understand opportunity costs and the return on investments. You students are shielded from the realities of budgets and value engineering, but business students know that money drives every project. Business students row with both oars, they use their education and network to progress. Invest time and money I expected to graduate in the spring of 2014, but when I considered the opportunity costs of another semester I decided to graduate a semester early. This meant I would need to complete a travel study credit independent of the annual department trip. My classmates had gone to China, but I took the economical route and went to Denver for my travel study. I stayed with family, explored Denver and Fort Collins, and had one-onone informational interviews with professionals in places I would be willing to move to. Again, the professionals I met were generous with their time and advice. I didn’t take a job
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in Colorado, but the return on my $250 investment was more than worth it. Make time and spend money to meet people. Your network and soft-skills are more valuable than straight A’s. Be persistent Emailing your uncle’s friend your resume may not cut it. Follow up. Get in front of people and show them you have initiative and a personality. It is possible to get three job offers when you graduate if you work harder and smarter. Consistently row the boat of your career with both oars. –Shannon Ellsworth–
creative works Professor Caroline Lavoie completed two exhibitions in the past year. One was a group exhibition entitled “Going this Way.” With curator Kelly Brooks, the group exhibition asked in what ways do we inform our memories and nostalgia from various forms of journey (plane, car, walk) and how we share our understandings of the world. Lavoie’s piece “Motus Horizontalis” investigated perception, movement, and representation in the open landscapes of the American West.” Her other exhibition entitled “Lines of the West” took place in early January-February 2015 in the Salt Lake City and County Building.
top left - “Snake River” bottom left - a young paron at the SLC city and county building. right top- Going This way exhibit. bottom - “Motus Horizontalis”
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LAEP house
renovations nearly complete
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n the fall of 2013, Professor Phillip Waite taught the first offering of a new course: LAEP 4150 – Field Studio Experience. The new course is the third course in LAEP’s construction sequence. The goal of LAEP 4150 is to make explicit the connections between design and construction, providing students a practical, applied, hands-on construction experience. Students in this course get to build a landscape they have designed and prepared the construction documents. Though ultimately it will be taught at the proposed LAEP Field Studio, for the last two years, 4150 has focused on the construction of a landscape for the LAEP House on the east edge of campus. The previous class in the fall of 2013 had built a fence and pergola on the west side of the house. The fall 2014 class worked on the landscaping in the front (south) side of the house. Work on the south side included the construction of an intermediate terrace held by a low retaining wall, an ADA access ramp, and a new porch for the front entry of the house. Nicholas Decker (BLA, ‘15), received an Undergraduate Research Award his senior year to fund a sculpture. He worked closely with sculptor and Art and Design faculty Ryoichi Suzuki on the project.
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top - finalizing the ADA accessible ramp.
left - Sculpture designed and completed by Nick Decker (BLA, ‘15) with USU Art faculty mentor Ryoichi Suzuki (left) who assisted Nick with his sculpture. bottom left - students work on ripping out old concrete. Bottom next - solar panels are installed. bottom middle - completed living room. top middle - completed kitchen.
purpose
improvements • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Foam insulation in the exterior walls Construction of a new staggered-stud wall inside of old exterior walls (R40+) Staggered-stud wall used for all new plumbing and electrical Staggered-stud wall filled with blownin fiberglass insulation Reinforced roof Attic lined with Super R Plus radiant barrier Attic filled with blown-in fiberglass insulation New low-e double-pane windows installed throughout New exterior fiberglass doors Energy star appliances LED lighting throughout 5 240watt PV panels on the roof Durable, high recycled content flooring ADA compliant
• • • • •
Use as an extended-stay apartment for visiting practitioners and professors in landscape architecture Serve as a demonstration of a green approach for retrofitting an old structure Serve as a gathering location for LAEP students and faculty Serve as a motivator to the neighborhood that improvements can be made to small, older homes An outdoor classroom for LAEP students. They design something and then have to build it = LOTS of learning
Professor David Anderson worked this past spring and summer on the interior of the house. Through his efforts much of what went into the house was donated or discounted. USU facilities crews and Dave planned the room configurations for ADA compliance. The bathroom was expanded, and the kitchen cooktop and counters placed at accessible standards. Dave and LAEP staff Mary Ann Anderson selected all the interior design elements.
Special thanks to project sponsors for donated or discounted materials and supplies! The Greenhouse City of Logan Amcor/Old Castle Architectural Millwork Burton Lumber Innovative Insulation Fisher Home Furnishings Mohawk Carpet Evolution Design Gardner Energy Total Tree Care USU Facilities Perennial Favorites J & J Nursery Netafirm Bennett’s Paint Ferguson Plumbing Malouf Fine Linens
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new scholarship
Josephine Beach Traveling Scholarship
Professor Wolfram Kircher of Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Germany with Carly Klein (left) and Stephanie Tomlin (middle) plus one of the international students at the symposium.
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n 2014, the Josephine Beach Traveling Scholarship was made available to MLA and MsBRP students who are pursuing professional experience in European countries. The scholarship is intended to enable students to participate in activities such as international internships, professional conferences, or visits to European landscape architecture offices. The first award of the Josephine Beach Traveling Scholarship was made to Stephanie Tomlin and Carly Klein in the Master of Bioregional Planning program. Both students used the scholarship to attend the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management at Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany. There they presented the findings of their Bioregional Planning studio project: Alternative Futures of the San Rafael River Basin. They participated in the preconference career development workshop, which was attended by more than 50 international doctoral students and in addition
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to participating in the five-day conference. Carly and Stephanie also traveled to Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Bernburg, Germany. They toured the university test gardens, where Prof. Wolfram Kircher is developing low maintenance, perennial seed mixtures (Perennemix). In addition Carly and Stephanie were offered the opportunity to swim in Prof. Kircher’s experimental self-cleaning, natural pools (which they declined).
other 2014-15 scholarship awards David Jensen Scholarship - Keni Althouse Shiozawa Scholarship - Hailey Wall & Jennifer Wiseman Kenneth Volkman Scholarship- Lynda Draper Laval Morris Travel Scholarship - Graydon Bascom & Layne Morrison LAEP Faculty Scholarship - Tanya Rice MLA Class of 1981 Scholarship- Jennifer Wiseman Utah ASLA Scholarship - Hailey Wall Women in Landscape Architecture Scholarship- Megan Criss GAIA Travel Scholarship - Dana Crosson Craig Johnson Scholarship - Thomas Terry John Nicholson Scholarship - Seth King
2014-15 awards The California Landscape Architectural Student Scholarship (CLASS) Fund and the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) awarded $25,000 for a research project of the research team consisting of Dr. Bo Yang, Dr. Shujuan Li, and Hailey Wall (BLA, ‘16). The research project is titled: Green infrastructure design for stormwater quality and climate change resilience: Monitoring and modeling study in semiarid environment. Dr.s Yang and Li employ undergraduate and graduate students in their research projects and provide valuable experience and funding for their student’s education. Hailey Wall presented her research at Research on Capitol Hill in January. The event is an annual celebration of undergraduate research held in the Rotunda of the Utah State Capitol. Organized by USU, it also features work from the University of Utah students and their research projects. Students of all disciplines from around the state share the results of their investigations with legislators. In addition, Ms.Wall was part of the Undergraduate Research Symposium which is a part of USU’s Research Week held April 6-12th. She was awarded top research project during the research week award ceremony. Chris Binder, (MLA - '15) was accepted as recipient of the George Wright Society Cultural Resource Park Break award for 2015. Each year George Wright Society (GWS) holds two, all expenses paid, week long seminars for graduate students who are considering careers in park management,park-related research or education. This five day program, called Park Break, is a competitive fellowship that puts you in a park and provides opportunities for you to learn from, collaborate with and work alongside park managers, scientists, scholars and partner organizations. Chris was the USU Olmsted Scholar of the Year. He is currently working for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
Sean Michael, LAEP Department Head, was honored at the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Annual Conference with the 2015 Outstanding Administrator Award, recognizing his long-term accomplishments as an administrator. This competitive award is given to administrators who instigate, support or inspire improvement in the education and experience of students. Michael compared his work in academic administration to a landscape planning project. “There are a many variables to consider, and a diverse team of stakeholders and co-designers, and yet we have a central purpose,” he said.That challenge has proven to be fascinating to me, and one that employs the problem-solving and systems thinking that landscape architecture teaches. Michael joined the USU Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning faculty in 2008.
Outstanding Sophomore Student of the Year - Chris Creasey Outstanding Junior Student of the Year - Hailey Wall Senior Faculty Medal - Carson Lindley Undergraduate Leadership Award - Sam Taylor 1st Year Graduate Student Award - Logan Oates 2nd Year Graduate Student Award - Tanya Rice Graduate Faculty Medal - Chris Binder MLA Leadership Award - Grant Hardy
Sam Taylor, Undergraduate Leadership award
Grant Hardy, Graduate Leadership award
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incoming first year MLA’s Courtney Fernelius
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ourtney graduated from BYU-Idaho with a BS in Recreation Management. Originally from Pennsylvania, she has fallen in love with the rugged landscape of the west that provides amazing recreational opportunities like mountain biking, rock climbing, canyoneering, and mountaineering. She has experience operating two different Ropes Courses, and has recently completed a seasonal position working at the City of Rocks National Reserve as a Natural Resource Technician. Passionate about the outdoors and the benefits one can receive from recreating in it, Courtney is excited to apply her experiences to designing trails and parks for others to enjoy!
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uring Mary Oliver’s undergraduate studies, she used her love of art and music to earn a BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah. While furthering her studies at Utah State University, she received a Certificate in Ornamental Horticulture. Mary spent time in the summer working for Jordan Valley Conservation Garden where she worked on landscape maintenance and led educational tours. This work focused on one Mary of Mary’s key interests, water-wise design. Mary has since continued nurturing her passion for plants Oliver and water-wise design while working at Grow Wild Native Plants Nursery and Cactus and Tropicals. She is continuing her study of sustainable outdoor spaces by pursuing a joint MLA/Bioregional Planning degree at Utah State University.
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enbin was born in China, but the United States always intrigued her. Seeing it is an opportunity to broaden her horizons, Wenbin transferred to Utah State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Economics. However, as she continued her education, she realized that she receives most fulfillment in the process of designing. She also loves nature and travel. So far she has enjoyed working outdoors, testing water quality, and learning about water systems in a wetlands class.
Wenbin Xu
—Grant Jones—
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Matthew Starley
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atthew graduated with a BA in Spanish with a Commercial Emphasis from Weber State University in 2011. After graduation he enjoyed working in the outdoors industry, selling backpacking gear for various local companies. He also worked in landscape maintenance, installation and design. Matthew believes that it is possible to confront many of the social, environmental, and economic issues facing local communities by reevaluating prevailing attitudes and goals regarding landscape management in urban and suburban communities. He believes that good design is the clearest form of communication and is looking forward to the opportunity to refine his ideas and design skills at Utah State University.
Ryan Stauffer
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yan graduated from the University of Utah with a BS in Biology and minor in chemistry. He's worked as a landscaper for over 10 years in Cache County, UT and surrounding areas. During that time he acquired a love for design, especially water features. His degree gave him an appreciation for the environment and sustainability which led him to pursue an MLA at USU. He hopes to utilize his experience and education towards a professional career as a landscape architect in the future.
new second year graduate students Shuolie Chen
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huolei graduated from Nanjing Forestry University, China in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture. While at the university she was Vice President of the Student Union and did a summer internship designing a local urban park. Her greatest desire was to study in the United States and she is very happy that she can further her education in USU as an MLA.
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usie graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor’s in Landscape Architecture in May of 2015. Originally pursuing Architecture, she realized she likes to think outside of the box. She enjoyed learning Susie Gomez about landscape architecture history and the possibilities for its future through the various design workshops she participated in while attending WSU.
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Logan Oates
ogan received his BS degree in Landscape Management at BYU. He has worked in the landscape construction industry managing and building projects including LDS temples, UTA Trax, Primary Children’s Hospital, and the Huntsman Cancer Center. He also worked as a water manager in the San Francisco Bay area managing central control systems.
incoming bioregional planning graduate students Tairon Kimura
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airon graduated from Utah State University with a BS in Political Science and Philosophy in 2005. He has worked for the National Park Service and is interested in environmental protection issues. He hopes to work with a government agency after he graduates with his Bioregional Planning degree.
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Scott McComb cott completed his undergraduate education at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee, graduating with a BA in Geography and a certificate in Urban Planning. Afterwards, he pursued his interest in conservation work and outdoor recreation, leading him to the mountain west. Stints with the Utah Conservation Corps, Salt Lake City Open Spaces, and Cache County Weed Department, opened him up to the practices of local conservation and restoration programs. He hopes to build on those experiences at Utah State University by exploring planning as a tool for the sustainable management of lands and to promote environmental stewardship. Away from the classroom you’ll find him exploring the deserts, mountains, and
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mmet graduated from the Emmet University of Michigan in Pruss 2012 with a degree in English Literature and a minor in Environmental Studies. An outdoors enthusiast, Emmet made sustainability and stewardship two of the main focuses of his undergraduate education. He has worked as a naturalist in the White Mountains in NH and on the Appalachian Trail in NJ, worked on the Pacific Crest Trail in CA, completed an AmeriCorps program in the Berkshires of MA, and volunteered for three months on an organic farm in Ecuador. Emmet hopes to develop and expand the experiences he has had in the field and plans to pursue a career in planning and resource management.
Connor White
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onnor grew up outside of Buffalo, New York, and earned my BA in Environmental Design and a minor in Architecture from the University at Buffalo in May 2015. This past year he has worked with one of his professors on three different projects for different clients within the city. Two projects were to create floor plans for different buildings and the other to create urban street design. He is looking forward to furthering his education in Bioregional Planning at Utah State.
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inSites - 2015
The Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Magazine College of Agriculture Utah State University 4005 Old Main Hill Logan Utah 84322-4005 www.laep.usu.edu
DEPARTMENT OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING
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