UT School of Landscape Architecture

Third year Ashlea Marcha is our next featured winter extern. - What firm/organization did you have an externship with and where is it located? RANA in Carmel, California, just south of the Bay area. - What types of projects do they work on? Rana is a design/build firm with an added nursery component. They do a mix of projects from residential design and construction, living systems design, seed harvesting and propagation, and ecologic restoration. - What sort of projects have you had the opportunity to work on? I was able to help with a mix of work throughout the office. One day I might be helping the construction manager initiate construction bid takeoffs for a design Rana was trying to win, or helping UT Alumni Bridget Ash in irrigation design calculations for complex residential designs in the Los Angeles area. I was also able to assist in endangered species research and drafting content for educational information signage that will be on the coast line. My favorite task though was getting to assist Paul Kephart in editing a restoration plan for one of their projects on the coast. It included descriptions of the tedious landscape management requirements in dealing with delicate ecosystems along the rocky bluffs, and the valuable species that live there. - What do you like most about the work you did? I think the best thing about working with Rana was just being around a depth of knowledge of both the ecosystem and local context. Everyone there was really passionate about their jobs and was eager to learn, despite the relatively fast pace of their stacked portfolio. The office found small moments to celebrate. It really felt like an all hands-on deck team. I appreciate their effort in bringing me in and letting me play a role, and I look forward to staying in touch.

Gus Rightmyer is our next featured winter extern. - What firm/organization did you have an externship with and where is it located? Surfacedesign, Inc. in San Francisco, California - What types of projects do they work on? They do both public and private work from parks, plazas, and waterfronts to private gardens. - What sort of projects have you had the opportunity to work on? I was included on a project with three other designers at the firm working primarily with Senior Designer Brandon Yip, but also with Senior Associate Tyler Chandler and Principal Michal Kapitulnik. The project was a pass-through pocket park in the historic Presidio neighborhood. The park was tied to the historic D line, a terminal and trolley line that once passed through the area that is now the park. The nature of the project prioritized the reuse of materials including local timber, San Francisco cobblestone and bricks, and metal rail lines. I was involved in plant selection and attended several internal group meetings and one client meeting. - What do you like most about the work you're doing? I really enjoyed my work at the firm and felt very welcomed and involved in the process. I liked how personal the work that the firm was doing felt, especially at the schematic stage when things are getting printed out, pens are moving, and ideas are evolving with multiple passionate voices. It was nice to participate in multiple phases of the process. The physical location on pier 33 was also really stunning. The culture was healthy, the coffee was frequent, and the meals were plenty. Really enjoyed my time with the Surface team.

Our next featured winter extern is Amlan Dey. - What firm/organization did you extern with and where is it located? I completed my externship with SCAPE Landscape Architecture DPC at their New Orleans office. - What types of projects do they work on? SCAPE works on a wide range of projects centered on ecologically restorative and socially-engaging landscapes. Their work spans built landscapes, planning, visioning, and research. Their notable projects include coastal resilience, urban public spaces, green infrastructure, and ecological restoration, all integrating natural systems with climate adaptation strategies and community-driven design. - What sort of projects have you had the opportunity to work on? I worked on a project located in Chattanooga, which includes ecological restoration and public engagement and education. The project reimagines a historic nature preserve as a dynamic landscape that enhances biodiversity and creates immersive educational outdoor experiences. I helped in the concept development phase with sketches and schematic drawings and participated in client collaboration meetings. Additionally, I worked on an RFP project, assisting the team with Rhino modeling. - What did you like most about the work you were doing? I really enjoyed the hand sketching part in my work, using tracing paper and pencils to explore ideas freely. It was refreshing to spend ample time brainstorming rather than focusing solely on polished digital drafting. I also loved experiencing the vibrant energy of New Orleans each day and commuting to and from the office, especially on the streetcar. The team was also incredibly welcoming, and I deeply appreciated the friendly atmosphere during lunch, coffee breaks, or casual conversations.

LAR 525: "Landscapes of Absurdity: Visual Narratives of Contemporary Landscape" Instructor/s: Andrew Madl During Fall semester 2024, students in the Landscapes of Absurdity seminar investigated the registration of and response to emergent climate conditions and environmental technologies to provide frameworks for scripting fictional future spatial scenarios. The generated landscapes and consequential worlds provided a medium for embodying discourse on the geopolitical, social, and ecological entanglements that are produced by the pressures of climate change. Novel economies, cultures, and geographies storyboarded the spatialization of landscape occupation and performance. Case studies referencing working strategies in the allied discipline of cinematography were explored to inform a design process that privileges narrative through worldbuilding. The work of the course intended to navigate contemporary issues in the design fields by deploying future thinking while promoting visual narrative through film and animation to convey design research. Highlights of student animations were compiled to create this trailer.

- What firm/organization did you extern with, and where is it located? I had the opportunity to extern with STIMSON in Boston, working primarily at their Cambridge office while also visiting their Princeton office and nursery. - What types of projects do they work on? Stimson Studio engages in a wide range of landscape projects, including institutional, collegiate, and contemporary restoration work. However, their expertise lies in agrarian residential design, which has been central to their practice since the beginning. Their hands-on approach, both in the office and at Charbrook Farm nursery, allows them to refine on-site design details with exceptional craftsmanship. - What projects did you work on? I worked on a variety of projects, including residential designs and historic village restorations. One notable project involved hand-sketching a planting plan along a long driveway—showcasing how sketching is an integral part of Stimson’s design process. I also assisted with detail work for a historic village recreation and participated in meetings that exposed me to different project types at various design stages. - What did you enjoy most about your work? The collaborative environment was the highlight of my experience. My colleagues were always willing to share their knowledge, making this an invaluable learning opportunity, especially as my first experience in a landscape architecture office. I also appreciated the studio’s passion for their work and the way sketching played a fundamental role in both conceptualization and design development.

LAR 554/556: "Farming Toward Multispecies Coexistence" Instructor: Sarah Bolivar Thank you to Ethan Parker and Jacob Lay, who welcomed our students to the East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center Holston Unit, just a few miles away from?campus. This semester, the Farming Toward Multispecies Coexistence studio will explore how agricultural lands can foster greater community engagement and diverse ecosystems to mutually benefit humans and more-than-humans. From the Tennessee River's shoreline to steep, wooded lots amongst the grassy and varied terrain, this landscape has a host of incredible conditions they were fortunate to explore in rain and sunshine.

Our next featured extern is first year, Kayla Tenison. - What firm/organization did you extern with and where is it located? I had the opportunity to work with PLAN(t) Studio at?Brooks Scarpa?in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. - What types of projects do they work on? They work on campus and institutional projects, gardens and residential spaces, public art, parks and plazas, planning and urbanism, coastal planning, and streetscapes. - What sort of projects have you had the opportunity to work on? I worked on diagrams that will be included in a book about missing middle housing. I also had the chance to visit multiple project sites and attend meetings, which gave me insight into the business side of running a firm. -What did you like most about the work you were doing? I appreciate that they engage in a wide range of project types and are truly passionate about their work. The principal who manages the Florida office (Jeff Huber) is also a professor at Florida Atlantic University, which brings a strong teaching element into the firm’s environment and culture. Photo 2: Model at PLAN(t) Studio office. Photo 3: PLAN(t) project site. Photo 4: Perez Art Museum. Photo 5&6: Soundscape Park. Photo 7: Local plant nursery. Photo 8: Everglades National Park.

To prepare students for summer internship applications and next week’s career day, our student ASLA chapter recruited professionals from a variety of disciplines including graphic design, architecture, and sustainable landscape design for our first portfolio review of the year. Thank you to all of the reviewers who attended and provided feedback.

Many of our students are returning to UTK for the spring semester having completed externships over winter break. We're excited to share highlights of their experiences in firms, cities, and landscapes across the country. Our first externship profile features second year students Selene Rowan and Grace Donnelly. - What firm/organization did you have an externship with and where is it located? site design group, ltd.?in Chicago, IL - What types of projects do they work on? They work on a diverse range of projects including public parks, plazas, apartment/hotels, a ton of local work in downtown Chicago, riverfront projects, commercial spaces. - What sort of projects have you had the opportunity to work on? Selene: Grace and I were immersed in every aspect of the firm, collaborating with marketing, business development, horticulture, field, and design teams. We joined design discussions, visited project sites, and gained hands-on experience, learning about the day-to-day operations of a landscape architecture practice. Grace: Design work for public parks, plaza/underpass design, a riverfront project, and a paving plan for Northwestern’s new football stadium. - What do you like most about the work you're doing? Selene: I really appreciated?being able to see multiple sides of what makes a Landscape Architecture firm run. Everyone at Site was eager to share all their knowledge with us and made us feel very welcomed for the two weeks. Grace: I liked getting to work with different departments and seeing all the different places you can take a Landscape Architecture degree. I especially enjoyed working with the horticulture team. It was neat to walk around Chicago and have the firm’s projects pointed out. Stay tuned for more externship profiles this semester!

This week, SoLA students return for the spring semester, which kicks off with studio lottery presentations for our second and third year students. This semester, these students will choose one of two studios: “Loss + Liminality” with instructor Faye Nixon or “Farming Toward Multispecies Coexistence” with instructor Sarah Bolivar. Stay tuned for exciting updates from all our studios throughout the semester!