2015: VOLUME 9, NUMBER 2
MICHIGAN CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIET Y
OF LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 2015: VOLUME 9, NUMBER 2
MICHIGAN CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIET Y OF LANDSCAPE
By Sandy Bliesener, LLA & Ken Peregon, LLA, ASLA OCBA Landscape Architects
ARCHITECTS
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Greetings fellow landscape architects! Well the weather has finally warmed up, construction projects are underway, and the summer season is upon us. Summer is one of my favorite times of the year as I look forward to enjoying some of the great outdoor opportunities that abound in Michigan. We had a busy April with National Advocacy Day in Washington, our State Advocacy day in Lansing, and World Landscape Architecture Month; which all were a great success! In Washington, five of your fellow landscape architects represented the State of Michigan for National Advocacy day. We met with staff from Senator Gary Peters’ office, Senator Debbie Stabenow’s office, and our Representatives from the House to discuss and encourage their support of the reauthorization and full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the establishment of a National Park Service Centennial Reserve Fund, and the reauthorization and full funding of the Transportation Alternatives Program. Senator Stabenow and Senator Peters were both supportive of all three initiatives and are co-sponsors of the LWCF reauthorization bill! We also had an excellent turn out for our State Advocacy Day at the State Capitol in Lansing where we had the opportunity to speak to legislators and educate them about landscape architecture and the importance of being licensed. Thank you to all
of you who came out in support of our profession! Due to the huge success of the World Landscape Architecture Month and the Designed by a Landscape Architect campaigns, ASLA is continuing the Designed by a Landscape Architect campaign beyond April by encouraging members to continue posting pictures of landscape architecture projects using the hash tag #ThisIsLandArch. Be sure to take photos of some of your projects with the “Designed by a Landscape Architect” card and email them to MiASLA and ASLA. After an exciting spring filled with advocacy and public awareness, we now focus on a busy summer with a number of planned activities and events. Please enjoy this great issue of SITES and as always, don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about MiASLA or volunteer opportunities. Hope you all have a great summer! John W. McCann, ASLA, LEED AP President, Michigan Chapter of ASLA For more information, please visit our website at www.michiganasla.org, or find us on Facebook or LinkedIn.
ON THE COVER: Western Michigan University Fountain Plaza - Aerial View. Image courtesy of OCBA.
Fountain Plaza Renova on
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Permeable Pavers By Matthew J. Caruso Decra-Scape, Inc.
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A Tribute to Dennis Hansen: Michigan ASLA Landscape Architect Legacy Series By Wesley Landon, ASLA
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Student Spotlight - 2015 ASLA Student Awards Bridget Safferman, Honor Award, MSU Robert Cabral, Honor Award, U of M Katie Ling, Honor Award, MSU Maleah Beatty, Merit Award, MSU Kevin Li, Merit Award, U of M Kim Dietzel, Merit Award, MSU
EVENTS CALENDAR September 30-October 1, 2015 MiASLA Annual Mee ng Eagle Crest Golf Resort Ypsilan , MI
EDITOR’S NOTES If you would like to contribute to SITES or have a topic of interest, please email: SITESpublica ons@michiganasla.org
FOUNTAIN PLAZA RENOVATION WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY — KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN By Sandy Bliesener, LLA and Ken Peregon, LLA, ASLA OCBA Landscape Architects
Fountain Plaza, located adjacent to Miller Auditorium in the heart of Western Michigan University’s (WMU) main campus, is a well-known gathering place for both students and the community. Thousands of students and faculty pass through the space on a daily basis as they walk the campus, and many linger to relax near the jumping jets of the iconic rectangular 60’x100’ granite-clad fountain. WMU graduates have posed for post-ceremony photographs around the fountain for many years. Alumni returning to WMU often use the fountain as their orientation point as many other areas of campus have changed over the years. It is one of the most known and publicly used spaces on WMU’s campus. 2
When Miller Auditorium was constructed in 1955, the original design of the adjacent outdoor space and fountain was geometric and symmetrical about the building’s façade. Over the years buildings were added around the fountain, and an enclosed plaza space emerged. The original design was chipped away each time a new building was realized and green spaces were paved due to increased pedestrian traffic. By the time the Richmond Center for Visual Arts opened in 2007 (which completed the enclosure of the plaza space) the once well-designed public space had evolved into a vast expanse of plain concrete paving.
Over the years, buildings had been placed around the fountain without the benefit of a long-term master plan for the plaza. So in addition to the unappealing aesthetic quality of the sea of concrete paving, there was not a clear organization of pedestrian traffic flow through the space. If a visitor to campus entered the plaza from the parking ramp at the south end, there were no visual cues to lead them to the walk to the rest of campus at the north end. The large rectangular fountain jutted into the logical path of traffic, and a few stands of trees in lawn added to the spatial disorganization. The concrete paving on the grand stair leading to street level on the south side of the plaza was in need of repair, and another plaza space adjacent to the auditorium was only accessible via stairs and therefore not barrier free. University planners and administrators recognized that it was time to develop a plan for the future of this important campus space. When OCBA was retained to develop a master plan for Fountain Plaza, WMU’s goal was to create a vibrant and elegant design that would accommodate high levels of pedestrian traffic while offering a variety of seating niches scaled for use by small groups and individuals. Existing trees, pavement, and grades were to remain in place to the greatest extent possible. Given the long and snowy winters of southwest Michigan’s lake effect region, concrete paving that could be plowed was the only material acceptable to WMU. The challenge was to find a creative design solution to the issues facing this complex space. Several early concepts explored angles and grids to play off of the geometry of what remained of the original site design. Replacement of the original rectangular 60’x100’ granite-clad fountain with a completely different water feature was also considered. However, it was quickly decided that too many generations of WMU graduates had an affinity for the “Miller Fountain” to change it completely. Left: WMU Fountain Plaza - Riverwalk and Fountain Top Right: WMU Fountain Plaza - Fountain with Cascade Middle Right: WMU Fountain Plaza - Riverwalk Bottom Right: WMU Fountain Plaza - Raised Planter All images courtesy of OCBA. continued on page 4 3
Fountain Plaza Renovation
C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3
OCBA introduced the idea of curvilinear forms into the highly geometric space. The use of smooth and sinuous edges between landscaped and paved areas offered a solution to directing traffic through the angular, asymmetrical plaza. A “river walk” of colored, stamped concrete pavement flows through the large plaza space tying together the surrounding disparate buildings and amenities. The river walk defines the primary pedestrian circulation route and visually reduces the scale of the paved area. The redesign guides the flow of pedestrian traffic through the space, improves barrier-free accessibility to adjacent areas of campus, and it can be plowed in winter.
The “river” continues unbroken... introducing a new aesthetic element that ties the space together without changing the essential character of the original fountain. Raised lawn areas containing new and existing trees are retained with curvilinear walls for seating along the edges of the circulation corridor, providing a variety of seating options. A significant design issue was construction of the curvilinear seat walls bordering the lawn panels. Miller-Davis, the general contractor, determined that poured-inLeft: WMU Fountain Plaza - Concept Design Image courtesy of OCBA. 4
place walls could not be installed on the short construction timeline required. OCBA was concerned about the look and quality of curved precast wall sections, but by working closely with Superior Precast Products, Inc., the team was able to develop a design to precast the seat walls primarily in four-foot long segments, in a color complementary to the colored concrete in the river walk. The seat walls formed raised planters that soften the plaza by expanding the amount of greenspace; several large, existing trees remained in the plaza because the planters were designed to fit existing conditions. Improvements to the fountain also presented challenges. As the iconic centerpiece of a very public space, WMU desired an immediate enhancement that would complement the curvilinear river walk yet would not preclude the installation of sculpture in a future phase. The “river” continues unbroken through the large rectangular fountain that cuts through the pedestrian circulation route; inside the fountain, the pavement edge is translated into a low rock ledge over which the water cascades between 12” and 16”, introducing a new aesthetic element that ties the space together without changing the essential character of the original fountain. Both the visual and acoustic effects of the moving water attract the users’ attention and the sound provides a relaxing atmosphere. The waterfall effect was created with only relatively minor changes to the fountain’s mechanical system. In the upper pool, the nine jets that shoot water 40’ to 50’ into the air remain in place and function as before, ready to be revised as WMU chooses in a future phase.
CONSERVANCY
Planned, designed, and constructed within a 10-month period, the resulting project softens the landscape and creates an intimate and relaxing atmosphere.
Toni Gasperoni
For more information contact:
tonig@landscapeforms.com
Sandy Bliesener, LLA or Ken Peregon, LLA, ASLA 521 S. Riverview Drive, Kalamazoo, MI 49004 (269) 381-3357 www.ocba.com
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PERMEABLE PAVERS By Matthew J. Caruso President and Founder of Decra-Scape, Inc.
Permeable pavement was first seen in the 1800s in Europe and was used for various structural purposes. After WWII, and the scarcity of cement, it again became popular overseas. Although it is not a new innovation, Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavers (PICPs) were introduced into North America in the 1990s. We are still considerably behind our German counterparts who consume 12 times more interlocking concrete pavement annually per capita, 15% of which is PICP. The City of Southfield is a big advocate for PICP. They have completed multiple projects which include; Beech Woods Park, Inglenook Park (featured throughout this article) and Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve. Merrie Carlock, former City of Southfield Park Planner/Landscape Architect, had this to say: “I love the paver parking lots, particularly for park sites. From a functional standpoint they really handle the storm water, reducing the need for extensive storm sewers or on-site detention basins since the detention function occurs under the pavement. At Inglenook Park, the runoff from the old parking lot was always a problem for the turf areas, where people want to recreate. This would cause constant maintenance issues for staff, trying to maintain nice turf. Now there is never any standing water either in the lot or adjacent grass, and even melting snow disappears into the pavement. Since the surface is made up of individual units, you do not have ponding, freeze-thaw issues, or pavement cracking over time. Finally, the parking lot is beautiful which is important in a park. Inglenook is the third lot we have constructed using permeable pavers and all have performed well and have not been a problem to maintain, including snow removal.” - Merrie Carlock PICPs provide a myriad of benefits. First, they meet storm water regulations, and are considered a Best Management Practice (BMP) for controlling storm water runoff. Secondly, PICPs provide infiltration, promoting treatment of the 8
Above: This striping was painted at Inglenook Park, however, custom colors can be created to delineate the parking areas. Image courtesy of Matthew J. Caruso.
storm water and groundwater recharge. They can be considered a form of an infiltration trench and same as PICPs are not a new innovation, neither is an infiltration trench. However, this type of an infiltration trench is a relatively new technology and provides a great benefit. The permeable pavement system “infiltration trench” becomes not only a detention pond providing
infiltration but serves as a structural function too, consequently allowing the preservation of an incredible amount of land. Thirdly, PICPs significantly reduce storm water runoff, as much as 100% for low intensity storms. “As the designer, it has been great to share in the success of the Inglenook Park Parking Lot. The finished product has provided additional parking capacity, efficient and effective drainage, aesthetic enhancement, and educational value- all important values for the client. I have been involved in multiple pervious pavement designs and installations and have had much success using permeable pavers. Owners are really drawn to the aesthetic value and flexibility that the pavers provide over the other types of permeable pavements. In my experience using permeable pavers, the resulting project is always functional and attractive.” - Alice Bailey, of ECT, Inc. Other notable projects in Michigan include Durand Union Station, Durand, MI; Jones Landing Park, Traverse City, MI; Greilickville Harbor Park, Greilickville, MI; and soon to be completed University of Michigan Munger Graduate Residence Hall. Projects like these will help to reduce runoff and surface temperature, promote infiltration, and filtration of rainwater where it falls, thus reducing pollutants. As a result, owners will experience a decrease in additional retention requirements and potentially will need fewer drainage appurtenances. With construction projects utilizing permeable pavement options instead of traditional non-pervious methods, the potential is great for an exorbitant amount of money to be saved as the need to acquire land to create detention basins is not necessary. In days past these features usually failed to prevent downstream flooding and erosion, and have never done anything for water quality or ground water replenishment. The use of PICPs and other porous pavements put true meaning to the words Storm Water Management whereas detention basins in many instances are a form of storm water mismanagement. “Permeable paving systems and in particular permeable pavers, enable storm water to filter into the soil instead of draining into overwhelmed storm sewers. This can help satisfy state and local storm-water management requirements. Permeable paver systems trap pollutant and allow filtered water to reenter the
Above: PICPs have a very different cross-section when compared to your typical sand set brick paver application. PICPs do not have sand filled joints nor do they use a sand bedding layer. All materials in a PICP application utilize open-graded aggregates. Image courtesy of Matthew J. Caruso.
ground through the actual pavement system which can eliminate or lower costs related to storm sewer systems and retention ponds. Permeable brick paver systems provide value through the reduction or elimination of retention ponds - zero puddling. Permeable paving also offers invisible repairs, long life cycles and LEED Points. In colder climates permeable paver installations can be compromised by freezing of the compacted sub-soil which can cause pavers to heave and sanding which clogs and disrupts the pavements filtration process. These problems can be eliminated by adding a heat source such as a snow melting system”. - Alan Deal, Performance Engineering Group continued on page 10 9
Permeable Pavers
10
C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 9
The images on the opposite page and above display the process of installing PICPs. Opposite, Top Left: The following structural layers create the open-graded aggregate base. No. 2 stone sub-base, No 57 stone open-graded base, and No. 8 aggregate bedding course (which can also be used to fill the paver void space). Image courtesy of Matthew J. Caruso. Opposite, Top Right: In larger areas a mechanical screed process can be utilized producing a more efficient installation. Image courtesy of Matthew J. Caruso. Opposite, Bottom Left: Mechanical installation of PICPs increases the efficiency on projects needing a high level of planning and detail for executing large-scale projects. Image courtesy of Matthew J. Caruso. Opposite, Bottom Right: A mechanical sweeper for open-graded joint material. Image courtesy of Matthew J. Caruso. Above: PICP are built on an open-graded clean crushed aggregate base. The base allows for infiltration and partial treatment of stormwater pollution and can therefor be considered a structural BMP. Image courtesy of Matthew J. Caruso.
The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) provides an in-depth design manual for the selection, design, construction, and maintenance of PICP applications. Engineers, when sizing the base for a permeable interlocking concrete pavement will use the various design variables that you will see in the detail on page 9. The design method is discussed in great detail in this manual but not in this article. You can also refer design professionals to the ICPI web site www.icpi.org for other design information such as detail drawings, guide specifications, research, case studies and design software.
For more information contact: Matthew J. Caruso President and Founder Decra-Scape, Inc. (586) 979-4333 www.decrascape.com 11
A Tribute to Dennis Hansen: Michigan ASLA Landscape Architect Legacy Series In 1968, Dennis Hansen found himself at a Pershing Nuclear Missile Base outside of Mainz, Germany, during the middle of the Vietnam War. Back home he was a 21 year old college student at Michigan State University (MSU) trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. In Germany he was a United States soldier very far from home, trying to make it back there before Christmas. Dennis volunteered to go to Vietnam, but luckily for him, the universe had other plans. After he completed basic training, 75 % of the new recruits were sent to Vietnam, but he was among the minority who were sent to artillery school. Of that group, almost 90 % were sent to Howitzer school (and would almost certainly see combat in Vietnam), but Dennis again was among the smaller group bound for Germany to serve at one of only two nuclear missile bases. Because he could type he became a Battalion Clerk, Specialist 4th class, working the night shift at an outpost a world away from Vietnam. A Staff Sergeant who worked the night shift with Dennis was from Cheboygan, Wisconsin, and was a University of Wisconsin graduate. During their 12-hour shifts the Sergeant would spend his down time drawing over photographs and creating designs and illustrations from images he’d received in the mail, then would send the revised drawings back to the United States. His Sergeant was a landscape architect, moonlighting for his residential design firm back in Wisconsin. Over the course of his duty Dennis observed the Sergeant’s work and spent time learning about the profession. By the time his service was up Dennis knew he’d found his calling, and after two years in the Army returned safely to MSU and promptly changed his major to landscape architecture. A simple twist of fate had set Dennis on a path that would have profound impacts and reverberations on many Spartans’ lives.
Dennis Hansen, ASLA Campus Planning and Administration Michigan State University East Lansing, MI By Wesley Landon, ASLA 12
Dennis grew up in East Lansing, Michigan, and was a Spartan from the start. His father was a professor at the University and had access to a machine shop on campus where he and Dennis would build go-carts and mini bikes. In the evenings they would test drive them on Farm Lane and in the orchards where the medical school is now located. His father was also a talented engineer with a number of inventions to his name, including the cherry picker/shaker, and the cherry de-pitter. Dennis admired his father’s work and shared his passion for invention and problem-solving. That’s a big part of what stuck with him about landscape architecture. He wanted to get dirty, build things, be in the field, and shape the landscape around him. LEFT: Dennis with his wife, Barb, at the MSU Rose Bowl pep rally. Image courtesy of Dennis Hansen.
In 1972, he graduated with honors from MSU and ten days later married his wife, Barb. He quickly got a job outside of Chicago at the DuPage County Forest Preserve as an entry-level landscape architect surveying land for recreation opportunities. Suburban neighborhoods were expanding and Dennis was tasked with identifying the areas to preserve for recreation and preservation before the developers moved in. It was a good job for an aspiring landscape architect, but when he saw an available landscape architecture position at his alma mater, he jumped at the chance. They wanted ten years of experience, and he had two, but he got the job and was quickly promoted to construction superintendent. Back at his alma mater, Dennis would spend nearly his entire career shaping the campus he loved, as well as the careers of many aspiring landscape architects. Dennis is a strong, and resolute, yet very humble man, saying “Truthfully I was hesitant to even accept this honor. I didn’t do the flashy or glamorous projects. I worked more or less on low-profile projects on the maintenance construction side of things, like sidewalks, roads, bike paths, things like that. I’m not sure why Michigan ASLA even wanted to interview me.” But don’t let that fool you. Five minutes later, he was fervently describing some of those ‘low-profile’ projects and the passion and excitement in his eyes was undeniable. He could talk for hours about the misadventures of being the senior landscape architect at a major university which has “100 miles of sidewalk, 40 miles of road, and 20,000 students moving about campus every 50 minutes”. He couldn’t hide his enthusiasm for this work even if he tried. He also couldn’t hide his resolve and unshakable commitment to quality and common sense. It’s this combination of energy and grit that Dennis brought to the university which helped elevate the campus to a level of excellence that reflected the will and spirit the community. Dennis was largely self-taught, not knowing much about the construction world before getting the job with MSU. “What did I know about concrete specifications? All I did before was evaluate land for recreation.” So he turned to places like the American Concrete Institute, and similar professional organizations, and re-wrote the university specifications from their literature. As a 25-year-old trying to tell seasoned contractors how to pour concrete, let’s just say he wasn’t the most popular person on campus. “They’d tell me, ‘I’ve been pouring concrete since before you were born!’.” Dennis laughs, “If I’ve
heard that once I’ve heard it a thousand times.” Dennis quickly got a reputation for his stringent design standards and at times even fell under criticism from the powers-that-be at the university itself, but he would not waiver from what he believed needed to be done. “Concrete was breaking up faster than we could replace it, asphalt roads were falling apart faster than we could replace them. People complained that I demanded ‘the Cadillac of roads’, but we had to. Before, they were building on clay. You need to dig down far enough to allow it to drain underneath and eliminate the freeze thaw issue. You can’t close campus every year to replace all the roads. Working here on campus you live with your successes, and your failures. You’re reminded of your mistakes every day. We have over 100 miles of sidewalk, and if we didn’t do things right, we’d have 100 miles of bad sidewalk.” It wasn’t long before Dennis’ mantra and track record had won him the full support of the campus planning department and university leadership, all the way up to the president of MSU. Dennis with his granddaughter, Mason, in homemade go-kart. Image courtesy of Dennis Hansen
continued on page 14 13
A Tribute to Dennis Hansen
C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3
This clout and reputation provided a platform for Dennis to fight for many different planning and design strategies which would improve the lives, education, and campus experience for students at MSU and other users alike. One of the most honorable pursuits of Dennis’ career was his advocacy for, and commitment to, a universally accessible campus. The first generation guidelines for accessibility standards were extremely minimal and created a far different campus experience for the handicapped user versus the ablebodied user. Dennis wanted to see for himself exactly what the experience for a handicapped student might be like, so he decided to navigate the campus in a wheelchair for an entire day. “That completely changed my perspective,” Dennis explained. “These days universal access is the industry standard, but back then you only needed to have one accessible entrance and half the time that was a loading dock on the back side of a building. It was completely unacceptable. Everyone deserves to have the same experience and opportunities, and being disabled does not make you a second class citizen.” In the beginning it was a struggle, but through Dennis’ hard work and guidance MSU is now barrier-free and universally accessible to all users. Among all of his achievements, possibly the biggest legacy Dennis leaves behind is the impact he had on the lives and careers of the student interns whom he mentored and guided through their first real-world experiences with landscape architecture. Dennis taught the students how things were ‘actually’ built and the ‘right way’ to do things, which was at times at odds with what they were being taught in the classroom. “I’d tell them, ‘ it’s okay, do it the way your professor says for the test, get the grade, then come out here and do it the right way’. [The students] were the ones actually doing the work and seeing it first-hand. They often knew more than the professors did about pouring concrete and the proper techniques to use.” Dennis swelled with pride as he describes this situation. He cared deeply for his students, and wanted to teach them as much as he could to help them succeed. One of the most critical points of those lessons was the importance of the designer/contractor relationship. “It’s very important to know who you’re actually going to be dealing with and seeing on-site. I don’t want to meet the guy with the suit and tie at the project kick-off meeting who’s going to pop in every once and awhile. I want to meet the guy with mud on his boots and dirt underneath his fingernails, who will actually be doing the work.” Also, he notes 14
“There’s absolutely no reason we can’t have 100-year concrete, or older.” -Dennis Hansen ABOVE: Crosswalk and curb cuts on MSU’s campus. Image courtesy of Dennis Hansen.
how critical it is to be present on-site when the contractors are working. “If you’re not there, contractors can bury their mistakes.” In one particularly infamous example, Dennis suspected that a contractor had not been installing the concrete correctly and asked him to break up a flag for an inspection. “If it’s installed correctly I’ll pay to have it replaced. But if it’s not, you have to keep going until we get to concrete that’s installed correctly.” Flag after flag was improperly constructed, with wire mesh just sitting on the bottom of the sand base. They had to rip up and replace nearly the whole job, all as a cost to the contractor. “It is so much more expensive to rip up and replace concrete than it is to add a little more up-front investment and design it to last. That’s what I always tell my students. Don’t make it a five or ten year job. Make it a 100-year job. There’s absolutely no reason we can’t have 100-year concrete, or older. Always design the job to your standards.” These are the types of lessons that Dennis taught his interns on a daily basis. He even had them develop an inspection manual to help them learn about topics that were not covered in-depth in the classroom. After working for Dennis, landscape architecture graduates had a leg up on the competition, and often surpassed other young professionals due to a construction knowledge base atypical of most recent
graduates. mentored:
Curb detail on MSU’s Campus. Image courtesy of Dennis Hansen.
Bike path and sidewalk on MSU’s Campus. Image courtesy of Dennis Hansen.
Here are a few testimonies of past students whom Dennis
“Dennis’ mentoring and teaching of construction specifications helped me obtain full-time employment at MSU and eventually become a licensed landscape architect. His efforts to improve the constructability and longevity of campus have left the University in a much better position today than we were in the past.” - Adam Lawver – MSU Class of 2007 “Dennis loves MSU and much of the beauty and brilliance of the campus is because of his work. I learned so much from him that helped shape both my career and character.” - Ian Antoniolli – MSU Class of 2012 “Dennis was an outstanding mentor; his impact on both my personal and professional life will be everlasting. I utilize the insight and lessons learned while working with Dennis daily. I’m immeasurably thankful for having been his final landscape architecture assistant.” - Josh Molnar – MSU Class of 2014 Dennis Hansen retired in 2014, after a 24 year career, 22 of which were at Michigan State University. The impact he had on the campus will be felt by generations of Spartans to come, and the teachings bestowed upon his students will echo through the profession. But his work is not yet finished. Dennis was a steward of landscape architecture long before he was even consciously aware of the profession. An avid hiker, mountain biker, camper, and outdoorsman, he always had a deep love of the natural world and cherished the trails, national parks, and camps that provided him access to it. Now he continues to do the things he loves, with the people he loves. Sharing his passion for the outdoors with his grandchildren, Clara and Mason, as he did with his own children, Lisa and Stephanie, and getting them excited about nature. Thus, Dennis is fulfilling the mission that we all have as landscape architects; to help people establish deep personal connections with outdoor spaces of all shapes and sizes.
Track and IM field on MSU’s Campus. Image courtesy of Dennis Hansen.
Dennis at the Spartan Statue. Image courtesy of Dennis Hansen.
For more information contact: Dennis Hansen, ASLA
dennisrhansen@gmail.com
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT - 2015 ASLA STUDENT AWARDS Bridget Safferman, Student ASLA
Robert Cabral, Student ASLA
Honor Award Recipient Michigan State University
Honor Award Recipient University of Michigan
Haslett, MI e: safferm1@msu.edu
Cumberland, RI e: rcabral@umich.edu
There have been a lot of small factors over my life that led me to landscape architecture. Playing outside, building with Legos, drawing, walking through construction sites with my father as a child, and moving from Ohio to Michigan. These experiences provided me with an early introduction and fascination with how things are built and the differences between places. For me, landscape architecture has been a continuation and refinement of these experiences. I am very interested in children’s play and am trying to determine if there is a connection between the color of a play object and the amount and duration of children’s active play behavior for my Master of Environmental Design thesis. I plan to begin collecting data in the spring of 2015 using colored playground balls and am very excited to see what I find. I really enjoy the entire process of creating and implementing a design. Starting with a problem, developing a concept, making it work, and then watching it be built. Internships provided me first-hand experience with all of the steps required to bring an idea into being and I fell in love with watching and participating in the evolution of an idea into reality. 16
I am very interested in the history, theory, and tradition of landscape architecture. Some of my favorite moments in the field have involved learning about designers who were trailblazers in their day. Two of my favorites are Cornelia Oberlander and M. Paul Friedberg. I recently completed a design project in collaboration with geographer Eric Huntley about historic preservation within the context of urban neighborhood change, which was featured in the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative’s newest volume of Urban Infill. Working between the disciplines of landscape architecture and geography was a great opportunity to expand my understanding of the two fields. Probably the most important thing I have learned is that landscape architecture is a profession where you never stop learning and experimenting. There is an endless amount of information that one can learn about being a landscape architect, and the field is always advancing collectively. The designers I admire always seem to be able to contextualize their own work within a broader scope. I am learning that this type of telescopic thinking is a valuable way to grow and chart new paths at any stage in one’s career.
Katie Ling, Student ASLA
Maleah Beatty, Student ASLA
Honor Award Recipient Michigan State University
Merit Award Recipient Michigan State University
Ann Arbor, MI e: lingkati@msu.edu
Muskegon, MI e: beattyma@msu.edu
The first job I had after my high school graduation was working on a landscaping crew. We worked outside every single day, and that was the hardest physical work I had experienced up to that point. I had never realized that we could design outdoor spaces, and since that time my passion for experiencing outdoor design has only grown. Inspiration comes from everywhere. I try to live the steward’s life as best I can by encouraging others to recycle and use only what they need, and try to attract attention to sustainable ways of living rather than promoting them. If I’m happy the way I try to live, I think that passion and vitality can invigorate others to live in a similar manner. The most interesting facet of landscape architecture is stormwater! I love the way it works, the recapture and redirection of it, and the overall management. I hope to work at a firm and specialize in projects with a main (or at least large portion of) focus on stormwater management or restoration.
Ever since I was young, I have had a love for the outdoors and an eye for design. Landscape architecture is more than just an occupation, it is the breakdown and redesign of the world we live in. The unique combination of art, engineering, design, and ecology drove me to pursue a career in landscape architecture, a profession which I can develop my talents and explore my passions. Growing up along the beaches of Lake Michigan, I gained an appreciation for the outdoors at a young age. My father taught me about nature. We would walk the wooded trails of Hoffmaster State Park, listen to the sounds of the waves crashing along the shore and aimlessly explore what seemed like an endless expanse of forest. Every experience felt like a new adventure. As an aspiring landscape architect, I hope to bring a piece of that experience into every design I create. Being part of a generation of landscape architects who have the opportunity to shape Michigan’s revival is a privilege. As a Michigan native, I believe every step toward the big lake is a step in the right direction, and I hope to have the opportunity to foster positive change in my home state. continued on page 19 17
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Student Spotlight - 2015 ASLA Student Awards
C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 17
Kevin Li, Student ASLA
Kim Dietzel, Student ASLA
Merit Award Recipient University of Michigan
Merit Award Recipient Michigan State University
Chapel Hill, NC e: likevin@umich.edu
Grand Blanc, MI e: dietzelk@msu.edu
Before pursuing landscape architecture I was a wildlife research technician, tracking and mapping the movements of coyotes in Yellowstone and endangered flying foxes in Taiwan. I returned to school for landscape architecture because it combined many of the things I felt were missing from my work as a technician that I valued: art, design, and direct applications to society and sustainability. I am interested in the role landscape architecture can play in integrating biodiversity into human-dominated landscapes. While studying at the University of Michigan’s interdisciplinary School of Natural Resources and the Environment, I also began to see the importance of social justice in the environment, and I’d like to pursue understanding how to meaningfully integrate local voices into ecological conservation and design. In addition to landscape architecture, I do research in agroecology, the ecology of agricultural systems. My research concerns how a species of ant that provides ecosystem services in coffee farms is affected by the management of the farm. The goal of my inquiry is to understand how ecosystems change in a human-managed environment.
I am interested in environmental and restorative design both in urban and natural areas through the use of bio-mimicry, using technology to imitate natural elements. I feel this has the greatest social impact through exposing and educating people about sustainable development, in addition to reestablishing and protecting natural ecosystems. I would love to design somewhere that has public policies that uphold and encourage environmental design. Ideally this would be an urban public space that could act as exhibition for sustainable practices, and community events. For my masters in environmental design I am researching the connection between bio-mimetic design innovation and the amount of ecological and sustainable benefits gained through their implementation. More specifically how designs with low carbon footprints are based off of natural pattern forms. My inspiration stems from innovation and people who break from typical solutions. If you accept things the way they are now, they will never change; inventors, artists and designs search for new answers to socially accepted ‘facts’. I would like to challenge the way we as a society view sustainable practices and feel that landscape architecture can help change current paradigms. 19
MICHIGAN ASLA ANNUAL MEETING & AWARDS DINNER OCTOBER 1, 2015
Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest Golf Club, Ypsilanti Featuring: Jerry van Eyck, ASLA/!melk Landscape Architecture, New York City, NY Bill Wenk, FASLA/Wenk Landscape Architecture & Planning, Denver, CO David Yocca, FASLA/Conservation Design Forum, Elmhurst, IL Suzanne Fromson, ASLA & Greg Weykamp, ASLA/Edgewater Resources, St. Joseph, MI Chad Danos, FASLA/President Elect, National ASLA Join us for our pre-meeting social at Matthei Botanical Gardens, University of Michigan, September 30 at 5pm Roots of Sustainability: the Work of Jens Jensen: His Drawings, The Living Green, and discussion with Bob Grese.
2015 MICHIGAN ASLA OFFICERS AND STAFF President John McCann, ASLA
Member at Large Andy McDowell, ASLA
President Elect Clare Jagenow, ASLA
Associate at Large Lindsay Nelson, Associate ASLA
Immediate Past President SuLin Kotowicz, ASLA
Executive Director Matt Solak
Trustee Vanessa Warren, ASLA
MSU Student Representative Katie Ling, Student ASLA
VP of Marketing, Craig Hondorp, ASLA
U of M Student Representatives Robert Primeau, Student ASLA Amy Motzny, Student ASLA
VP of Education Joane Slusky, ASLA VP of Government Affairs Bill Sanders, ASLA Treasurer Monica Schwanitz, ASLA Secretary Christy Summers, ASLA
SITES: Editor and Layout Wesley Landon, ASLA wlandon@geiconsultants.com Advertising Sales Joane Slusky, ASLA joane@junosolutions.us
Want to get involved? MiASLA is always looking for chapter members to par cipate at a greater level. Please feel free to reach out to the Execu ve Commi ee or sta members: manager@michiganasla.org VECTOR SEATING Modular benches with optional LED accent lighting | extensive design and material options www.forms-surfaces.com
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