2009-2015 News & Events Archive

Fourth year LA student Samantha Plete and fellow teammates Sinhui Chang (ARCE), Chris Maulino (ARCE), Binh Nguyen (ARCH), and Kyle Bell (CRP) took the first place $1,500 prize in the 2014 Living Building Challenge: Getting L.A. to Zero Student Competition's design category, beating out four other finalist teams who presented their projects May 15 at Gensler in Los Angeles. Team Cal Poly SLO's project, "Villa Verde," focused on the balance and connection between nature and the built environment through innovative design. The competition was open to undergraduate and graduate students at institutions throughout Southern California.

Posted 5-20-14

Watts Receives President's Community Service Award

Asst. Prof. David Watts was recognized May 15 at an awards ceremony at the Performing Arts Center during which President Jeffrey Armstrong presented him with the President’s 2014 Community Service Award in the Service Learning category. Dave was honored for his service-learning course which partners landscape architecture students with orphanages in South Africa such as Ratang Bana Orphange in Alexandria, which serves over 500 children orphaned by AIDS. His students engage in a study of the physical and cultural landscape of their community partners to identify the opportunities and constraints they face, and how best to affect change. Design projects have included a memorial space, playgrounds, and food gardens. Dave builds on the classroom experience by offering a summer internship in South Africa to implement the design solutions his students have created.

Posted 4-30-14

Senior Greg Ross Named 2014 University Olmsted Scholar

Fifth year student Gregory Ross has been named a 2014 University Olmsted Scholar by the Landscape Architecture Foundation, nominated by the faculty for being an exceptional student leader. The Olmsted Scholars Program recognizes and supports students with exceptional leadership potential who are using ideas, influence, communcation, service and leadership to advance sustainable design and foster human and societal benefits.

Now in its seventh year, the Olmsted Scholars Program is the premier national award and recognition program for landscape architecture students.

For a complete list of this year's Olmsted Scholars, click here.

Posted 4-24-14

Grant Union High School's GEO Academy Visits LA Program

The LA Department welcomed 14 juniors from Grant Union High School 's GEO Environmental Science and Design Academy, along with their landscape architecture teacher, Daniela Tavares, and english teacher, Scott Rocha, during their trip to Cal Poly April 10-11, 2014. The students traveled from Sacramento to San Luis Obispo to learn more about Cal Poly, the College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED), and our BLA program. Asst. Professor Beverly Bass serves on the Academy's Advisory Committee.

During their visit, the group learned about Cal Poly's Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), shopped at El Corral, toured the campus and the CAED, visited the Dexter LA studios, listened to an Admissions presentation, and lunched with faculty, staff, and student reps.

The GEO Academy is one of the California Partnership Academies - a three-year program structured as a school-within-a-school. The program provides a specialized curriculum within the core high school curriculum that allows at-risk students to be exposed to career and educational options that are not typically part of the high school experience. The GEO Academy has a Landscape Architecture focus. To learn more about the GEO academy, click here.

Posted 4-17-14

Emma McHatten Receives Courtland Paul Scholarship from LAF

Fourth year student Emma McHatten was awarded this year's Courtland Paul Scholarship offered through the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) and Peridian International, Inc. The $5,000 scholarship honors the memory of Courtland P. Paul, FASLA (1927-2003) and his lifelong commitment to the landscape architecture profession.

The award letter from LAF stated, "this year's applications reflected determination, commitment and hard work in the field of landscape architecture. The jury determined that among this pool of dedicated students, [Emma's] application stood out and merited the award." Emma's interests include design research, program design, concept design and ecology, with a special focus on ecological justice, eco-history, and sustainable design.

Posted 3-17-14

Fifth Years Showcase Thesis Projects in Downtown SLO March 14

Fifteen LA students finishing their two-quarter capstone experience during Winter term displayed their senior design projects at the Ludwick Community Center at 864 Santa Rosa Street in downtown San Luis Obispo Friday, March 14, 2014.

During the show, the Landscape Architecture faculty announced several senior class recognition awards, including:

- Academic Excellence - Hannah Zimmerman

- Best Design Process - Francisco Castellanos

- Design Excellence - Richard Kane

- Best Senior Project - Richard Kane and Hannah Zimmerman

The Academic Excellence award is based on overall GPA. The remaining recognition awards are based on faculty nominations and votes.

This fifth year class awarded one of their peers the Golden Eagle award. This award is made to a graduating senior who has demonstrated a professional competence and attitude, has been a stabilizing influence during times of confusion, and is a person who is always able to give to others in their time of need.

Golden Eagle Award - Francisco Castellanos

These awards honored students who finished their capstone projects during Winter term.

Updated 3-17-14

Winter Classes Hold Final Reviews March 10 - 14

Final reviews provide an excellent opportunity to learn about Landscape Architecture and interact with faculty and students in the Department. The Department held the following reviews March 10  - 14, 2014:

MONDAY, MARCH 10
"15 Ideas for Cal Poly"
LA 203 Design Fundamentals II with Omar Faruque

Fireplace Room (Bldg. 34, Room 1210), 9:00 am - noon

TUESDAY, MARCH 11
"Stereotypes"
LA 437 3D Digital Design Communication with César Torres Bustamante

Dexter 2nd Floor Hallway Corridors (Bldg. 34), 10:30 - 11:30 am

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12
"Dinner by Design: Senior Interim Show"
LA 461 Senior Design Project Focus Studio with Margarita Hill and David Watts

KTGY Gallery (Bldg. 21, Room 105), 8:30 am - 11:30 am

"Muses"
LA 402 Design Theory and Exploration Focus Studio with Astrid Reeves

Fireplace Room (Bldg. 34, Room 210), 9:30 - 11:00 am

THURSDAY, MARCH 13
"Low Impact Design"
LA 432 Landscape Ecology Applications ILC with Christopher Manning

Fireplace Room (Bldg. 34, Room 210), 10:00 am - noon

"Sexy Graphics"
LA 436 Traditional & Digital Media Communications ILC with Christy O'Hara

Fireplace Room (Bldg. 34, Room 210), 2:00 - 5:00 pm

"LA 431 Final Pin-Up"
LA 431 CAD and Digital Media Communications ILC with Beverly Bass

Dexter 2nd Floor Hallway Corridor (Bldg. 34), 3:00 - 5:00 pm

FRIDAY, MARCH 14
"Residence X Four"
LA 203 Design Fundamentals II with Joe Dunstan

Fireplace Room (Bldg. 34, Room 210), 9:00  - 11:00 am

"Permaculture Design and Construction"
LA 405 Project Design and Implementation Focus Studio with Christy O'Hara

KTGY Gallery (Bldg. 21, Room 105), 9:00 am - noon

"Eco-Neighborhood for San Miguel"
LA 403 Natural Environments Design Focus Studio with Beverly Bass

Dexter 2nd Floor Hallway Corridor (Bldg. 34), 1:10 - 14:00 pm

"Pershing Square Redesign"
LA 203 Design Fundamentals II with Margarita Hill

Berg Gallery (Bldg. 5, Room 105), 1:30 - 3:30 pm

"Spanish Springs Winery"
LA 403 Natural Environments Design Focus Studio with David Foote

Fireplace Room (Bldg. 34, Room 210), 1:30  - 5:00 pm

"Speakeasy" Senior Show
LA 461 Senior Design Project Focus Studio with David Watts

Ludwick Community Center, 864 Santa Rosa Street, San Luis Obispo, 5:00 - 8:00 pm; Awards Ceremony at 5:30 pm

Updated 1-9-15

Torres Bustamante and LA 437 Students Exhibit at Kennedy Library

Students in the 2012-13 LA 437 3D Digital Design Communications ILCs, under the direction of Assistant Landscape Architecture Professor César Torres Bustamante, exhibited their work at the Robert E. Kennedy Library on the Cal Poly campus. The exhibit, "On the Cutting Edge," displayed student-designed laser cut animal heads (real and mythical), models depicting the frequency of letters in different languages, and figure-ground maps of the top six hometowns of Cal Poly freshmen.

"Cardboard Safari" featured two-dimensional cardboard planes that slide into each other to produce three-dimensional animal heads. Students were asked to create faux taxidermy heads modeled in Rhino, which were then laser cut in Cal Poly's Digital Fabrication Lab.

"Alphabet Topography" showed slats of paperboard that revealed, based on the height of the letter, how often a letter is used in a particular language. Models were created in Rhino, and laser cut in the dFab lab.

"Urban Topography" displayed figure ground maps of the top six hometowns of Cal Poly freshmen, cut from paper to reveal each city's unique essence. Students traced maps in Rhino, laser cut in the dFab lab, using ARC GIS aerial images as references.

Posted 1-16-14

Christy O'Hara Publishes in the Journal of Green Building

Assistant Landscape Architecture Professor Christine Edstrom O'Hara has had her article, "The Price of Comfort: How Landscape and Architectural Design can Reduce Human Dependence on Climate Control," co-authored by Kristofer Holz, published in the Summer 2013 edition of the Journal of Green Building. The article discusses how acclimation via landscape and architecture design interventions can reduce residential energy use, and includes case studies illustrating a variety of options for the design of ecologically-appropriate outdoor rooms. The article highlights not only energy reduction through moving people to comfortable outdoor rooms, but considers the possibility that outdoor spaces can match the spatial and functional needs of indoor rooms. The article features designs by Cal Poly landscape architecture students Daniel Beck, Trevor Cassidy, Sean Clark, Richard Kane, and Stephen Nunez, who were in O'Hara's Winter 2013 LA 405 Project Design and Implementation focus studio.

To read this article and see the students' design work, click here.

Posted 11-26-13

Fall Classes Hold Final Reviews December 2 - 6

Final reviews provide an excellent opportunity to learn about Landscape Architecture and interact with faculty and students in the Department. The Department will hold the following reviews December 2  - 6, 2013:

MONDAY, DECEMBER 2
"Pothole Garden - Final Presentation"
LA 202 Design Fundamentals with Astrid Reeves and César Torres Bustamante

KTGY Gallery (Bldg. 21, Room 105A), 8:30 - 11:30 am

"IPD Studio - Integrated Project Delivery"
LA 405 Project Design and Implementation Focus Studio with Gary Clay

Berg Gallery (Bldg. 5, Room 105), 1:20 - 4:00 pm

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4
"Construction Documentation. Morro Bay Project."
LA 405 Project Design and Implementation Focus Studio with Cameron Man

Dexter Hall (Bldg. 34, Room 159A), 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

"Dexter Courtyard Redesign"
LA 202 Design Fundamentals with Margarita Hill

Berg Gallery (Bldg. 5, Room 105), 9:00 - 11:00 am

"Senior Speakeasy"
LA 461 Senior Project with David Watts

Berg Gallery (Bldg. 5, Room 105), 1:30 - 5:00 pm

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5
"Applied GIS Final Project"
LA 438 Geographic Information Systems ILC with Mary Andrews

252 Lecture Room (Bldg. 34, Room 252), 8:00 am - 12:00 pm

"Six Pocket Parks Featuring Green Infrastructure and LID Principles"
LA 434 Project Design and Implementation ILC with Bianca Koenig

Concrete Lab / Courtyard (Enter from Cuesta Ave. on far west side of Building 21), 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

"Eco-Chair"
LA 437 3D Digital Communications ILC with César Torres Bustamante

Fireplace Room (Bldg. 34, Room 210), 2:00 - 3:30 pm

"Final Project: LA 101 Introduction to Landscape Architecture"
LA 101 Introduction to Landscape Architecture with Beverly Bass

2nd Floor Gallery, Building 34 near Room 248, 4:00 - 6:00 pm

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6
"500 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA"
LA 402 Design Theory Focus Studio with David Watts

Fireplace Room (Bldg. 34, Room 210), 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

"San Luis Obispo County Courthouse Demonstration Garden"
LA 405 Project Design and Implementation Focus Studio with Christopher Manning

252 Lecture Room (Bldg. 34, Room 252), 1:30 - 3:30 pm

"Atascadero Colony Homes"
LA 404 Cultural Environments Focus Studio with Christy Edstrom O'Hara

Atascadero City Hall (6500 Palma Avenue), 2:00 - 5:00 pm

Posted 11-4-13

DesignIntelligence:  Cal Poly LA Program 4th in Nation / Best in West

DesignIntelligence has ranked Cal Poly's LA program fourth among the top 15 undergraduate programs in the nation, based on a nationwide survey of hiring firms. Last year the program was ranked seventh. The survey once again ranked Cal Poly "Best in the West." Cal Poly's LA program has been rated as the top program in the 13-state western region every year since 2005, when the DesignIntelligence survey first began ranking public and private landscape architecture degree programs.

Hiring firms also rated Cal Poly's landscape architecture program among the top five in the nation in educating students in design, communication skills, computer applications, and cross-disciplinary teamwork.

K. Richard Zweifel, CAED Associate Dean and President Elect of the American Society of Landscape Architects, was named by DesignIntelligence as one the 30 most admired educators in the architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, and industrial design fields.

The DesignIntelligence rankings have become a tool for students choosing academic programs that will launch their design careers. DesignIntelligence is a bi-monthly journal published by the Design Futures Council, a Washington, D.C. think tank that explores trends and opportunities in design, architecture, engineering and building technology.

Posted 8-27-13

LA 402 Summer Studio Project Focuses on Cannery Row

The 14 third and fourth year students enrolled in Asst. Professor David Watts' LA 402 Design Theory and Exploration Focus Studio this summer took on a design project along Monterey Bay's Cannery Row. Brought to Watts' attention by Monterey resident Bob Evans, whose "Save Our Waterfront Committee" is advocating for a public park over a proposed major mixed-use development, the students were challenged to create an attractive public space to replace old cement fish-holding tanks and decaying infrastructure surrounded by a chain-link fence.

The students presented their concepts to community residents and Monterey City officials on August 16 at Monterey's Hilltop Community Center. To read an article about about the site and the designs students proposed, published in the Monterey County Weekly, click here. To see the students' designs and photos of their presentations to the community, click here. The students were supported in their design work by a companion class, LA 434 Project Design and Implementation ILC, taught by Asst. Professor César Torres Bustamante.

Summer studio and ILC classes give students the opportunity to move more quickly through the landscape architecture curriculum and shorten the length of time it takes to receive the BLA degree.
 

Posted 8-8-13

LA Class of 2013 Honored at Spring Commencement

Members of the class of 2013 and their supporters with department faculty and staff on the steps of Dexter Lawn.

On June 15, 2013, the department and the campus said farewell to the landscape architecture Class of 2013. 56 new LA program graduates were recognized at Cal Poly's 72nd Spring Commencement. Candidates awarded their BLA degree with honors included:

Magna Cum Laude - Tala Fatolahzadeh, Raine Frost, Rachael Haacke, Allison Palenske, Darlene Rapoport, and Lindsay Schulze

Cum Laude - Katelyn Burlason, Kaylyn Keller, Joana Smolen, and Kayla Szubielski

Honors Program - Angela Mueller

The department hosted an early morning breakfast reception for grads and their supporters in the lobby of Dexter Hall, in what is hoped will become an annual tradition. Grads, family members, and friends intermingled with faculty and staff in one last chance to gather together before the Commencement ceremonies.

Congratulations and Good Luck, Class of 2013!

Posted 8-8-13

Fifth Years Showcase Thesis Projects in Downtown SLO June 7

Sixteen LA students finishing their two-quarter capstone experience during Spring term displayed their senior design projects at 669 Higuera Street in downtown San Luis Obispo Friday, June 7, 2013.

During the show, the Landscape Architecture faculty announced several senior class recognition awards, including:

- Academic Excellence - Darlene Rapoport

- Best Design Process - Chad Whiting

- Design Excellence - Kaylyn Keller

- Best Senior Project - Karsten Tuttle

- Service to the Department - Matt Kovacevich

The Academic Excellence award is based on overall GPA. The remaining recognition awards are based on faculty nominations and votes.

This fifth year class awarded one of their peers the Golden Eagle award. This award is made to a graduating senior who has demonstrated a professional competence and attitude, has been a stabilizing influence during times of confusion, and is a person who is always able to give to others in their time of need.

Golden Eagle Award - Matt Kovacevich

These awards honored students who finished their capstone projects during Spring term.

Posted 8-8-13

Spring Classes Hold Final Reviews June 5 - 7

Final reviews provide an excellent opportunity to learn about Landscape Architecture and interact with faculty and students in the Department. The Department held the following reviews June 5 - 7, 2013:

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5
"Cutting Hunger: One Section at a Time"
LA 204 Design Fundamentals with Christy O'Hara

"Chula Vista Waterfront Redevelopment"
LA 403 + 404 Focus Studios with Beverly Bass, Margarita Hill, and Astrid Reeves

THURSDAY, JUNE 6
"Site Specific Furnishings"
LA 242 Landscape Implementation with David Watts

"Urban Agriculture on Campus"
LA 349 Advanced Planting Design with Christy O'Hara

"Preservation as Provocation: Rethinking Castle Pinckney for the 21st Century"
LA 204 Design Fundamentals with Christy O'Hara

FRIDAY, June 7
"South Africa Service Learning Internship"
LA 400 Special Problems with David Watts

"You Are Not Here (Yet)" Senior Show
LA 461 Senior Project Studio with César Torres Bustamante
 

Updated 9-4-13

LA Major Tala Fatoladazeh Receives CAED Senior Recognition Award

Graduating senior Tala Fatolahzadeh was selected by the CAED Faculty Awards Committee to receive the College of Architecture and Design's 2013 Senior Recognition Award for Contributions to the Objectives and Image of the University. Tala, who received her BLA degree after Winter term and participated in the June 2013 Commencement Ceremony, was recognized with this honor in the Commencement publication.

Tala was named last year's Homecoming Queen, served as a CAED Ambassador and as a member of the LA Department's College-Based Fees Committee, was selected as an Intern for the Landscape Architecture Department Advisory Council, received the LA department's Academic Excellence Award, and was recognized for her service to the LA department, among other accomplishments. According to Associate Dean K. Richard Zweifel, "throughout her enrollment in the Landscape Architecture Program, she has provided an exemplary example of the special student that represents the CAED. Her active engagement and meaningful contributions to so many areas have benefited the CAED and Cal Poly."

Updated 9-4-13

Cal Poly Team Named Winner in SEI Competition, Includes LA Majors

The Engineering Hangar submission developed by a team of students from the Fall 2012 interdisciplinary Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Studio, co-taught by Prof. Gary Clay, was awarded 1st place in the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) Annual Design Competition. The team included LA majors Jason Chen and David Gonzalez, along with Victor Ramos (ARCE), Helene Deprez (ARCH), and Kevin Brown and Tyler Edwards (CM).

Team representatives presented their design at the 2013 Structures Congress in Pittsburgh, PA, May 2, 2013. Finalist teams were judged on an oral presentation during the conference and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards were determined as a combination of written and oral presentations. The Cal Poly team received the 1st place cash prize of $1,000. The team's winning design was published on the SEI web site.

Updated 5-10-13

Program Alum Sara Bendrick Hosts DIY Network New Original Series

Sara Bendrick hosts a DIY Network new original series, I Hate My Yard, which had its premiere May 7, 2013. In this series, Sara comes to the rescue of homeowners who need help taming and revamping unruly outdoor spaces.

DIY Network's press release says "Homeowners who are ready to turn a lackluster yard into an outdoor oasis will be inspired by the new yard renovation series, I Hate My Yard...Sara will use economical, yet clever, landscape designs to whip unsightly outdoor spaces into shape. I Hate My Yard features new landscaping products and offers plenty of useful take-away information sure to boost viewers' landscaping creativity."

Sara graduated from Cal Poly in 2010 with a BLA in Landscape Architecture. For more information about Sara and I Hate My Yard, click here.

Posted 4-25-13

LA Faculty Present Research at 2013 CELA Annual Meeting in Austin

Asst. Profs. Christy O'Hara and David Watts with CAED Associate Dean Dick Zweifel in a light-hearted moment at the 2013 CELA Annual Meeting Awards Luncheon at the University of Texas at Austin.

Professor Omar Faruque and Assistant Professors Christine Edstrom O'Hara, César Torres-Bustamante, and David Watts traveled to the University of Texas at Austin in late March to present their research at the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) 2013 Annual Meeting. This year's conference theme was "Space/Time, Place/Duration."

Prof. Faruque delivered a paper examining five service-learning projects that he undertook for his design studios over the past five years, identifying patterns in acquiring, researching and designing the projects and evaluating the learning experiences of the students. Asst. Prof. Torres-Bustamante presented his findings in implementing simple and inexpensive methods for recreating lifelike experiences of three-dimensional space and lapsed time in a technology class. Asst. Prof. Watts shared his research into whether an enriched play environment would enhance the health of pre-school children through prolonged engagement on playgrounds. Asst. Prof. O'Hara presented a cost-benefit analysis and case study of how landscape and architectural design can reduce human dependence on climate control.

For more information about this and other faculty research, click here.

Posted 4-24-13

Jillian Broeckel Receives 2013 Rain Bird Scholarship from LAF

Third year student Jillian Broeckel was awarded the 2013 Rain Bird Intelligent Use of Water™ Scholarship offered through the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF). This $2,500 scholarship was established by the Rain Bird Corporation to recognize an outstanding landscape architecture, horticulture or irrigation science student. Eligible applicants include students in the final two years of undergraduate study who have demonstrated commitment to these professions through participation in extracurricular activities and exemplary scholastic achievements.

The LAF Scholarship Winners web page says: "Jillian is wholly engaged in developing skills to solve social and environmental challenges in communities large and small. She believes in the potential to improve land quality, human health, and economic issues through urban farming and community redesign. As a movement towards innovative ways to grow food locally and sustainably is blossoming, she strives to be a pioneer of systems design for urban vegetable and fruit farming. She is also interested in bioremediation - the cleaning of contaminated soils through use of plants. 'There is opportunity to re-design formerly underused and unhealthy landscapes into healthy areas for human interaction and agricultural production,' says Broeckel. 'Such spaces could also be areas for recreation and enjoyment. My vision is to design and re-design spaces which foster understanding of sustainable systems and involve people in caring for the land and their own health.'"

Updated 9-4-13

Christy O'Hara Lectures on Garden Design May 10 in Los Angeles

Asst. Landscape Architecture Professor Christine Edstrom O'Hara spoke on Persia to Spain to California: Lessons in Garden Design May 10 in Los Angeles as part of the Garden Conservancy's Gift of Paradise: The Splendor and Purpose of Persian Design seminar.

The seminar started with check-in and registration at 10 a.m., with lectures, lunch, and book signings from 10:30 am - 2:30 pm. Registration was $85 for members of the Garden Conservancy and Pacific Horticulture; $95 general admission. Preregistration was required. The event was co-sponsored by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and Pacific Horticulture.

The Garden Conservancy has as part of its mission raising public awareness about the important role gardens play in America's cultural and natural heritage.

Updated 9-4-13

Six from Class of 2012-13 Receive ASLA Honor and Merit Awards

A jury from the ASLA Southern California Chapter selected six students from the class of 2012-13 for the 2013 ASLA Student Honor and Merit Awards.

Rachael Haacke, Jacob Leon, and Lindsay Schulze were awarded ASLA Certificates of Honor. Certificates of Merit were awarded to Katie Burlason, Tala Fatolazadeh, and Allison Palenske.

Students considered for the awards were nominated by program faculty based on the following criteria: 1) minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA; 2) in their final two years of study; 3) considered truly outstanding as measured by the program's long-term standards of excellence; 4) demonstrating the highest level of academic scholarship and of accomplishments in skills related to the art and technology of landscape architecture; and 5) demonstrating personal qualities and skills of responsiveness and willingness to work with others,self-motivation and responsibility, and design abilities: exploration, discovery, synthesis and representation of landscape architecture design.

Corby Kilmer, Landscape Architect with CalTrans, Bianca Koenig, Landscape Architect with the Wallace Group, and Ann Sever, Landscape Architect with the Wallace Group, were the jury members.

Representatives from the Southern California Chapter of ASLA presented the awards to the students at the Spring Senior Show and Awards Ceremony on June 7.

Updated 4-25-13

40th Anniversary Celebration Honors Founding Faculty and Class

CAED Dean Emeritus Paul Neel, CAED Dean Christine Theodoropoulos, Faculty Emeritus Gary Dwyer, Faculty Emeritus Roger Osbaldeston, CAED Associate Dean Dick Zweifel, and Department Head Joseph Ragsdale with 8 members of the 1973-74 founding class.

On March 16, the Landscape Architecture Department hosted a special 40th anniversary celebration for alumni, faculty, staff, and representatives from the current student body. Held in the KTGY Gallery on campus, the reception honored program founding faculty members Paul Neel, Dick Zweifel, Gary Dwyer, and Roger Osbaldeston - each of whom shared their memories of the program's early years.

Eight members of the founding class (1973-74) were also honored guests - Art Camacho, Ricky Conner, Glenn Cook, Allen Cummings, Randy Driscoll, Jacque Keller, Jim Quayle, and Hubert Twibell - and were hosted by CAED Dean Christine Theodoropoulos at a special pre-party reception. It was exciting to see so many program alumni from almost all of the graduating classes back on campus to celebrate 40 years of Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly.

The Department also celebrated its 40 years by bringing alumni back to campus as guest lecturers. John Leehey (1978) spoke to students February 8 about "The China Future: New Trends in Urban Design" and discussed some of the projects he is working on in China. Benjamin Green (2004), ValleyCrest, lectured March 1 on "Where Not to Draw the Line." Vera Gates (1984), principal at Arterra Landscape Architects in San Francisco, lectured April 12 on "From Middle Earth to Modern," discussing a uniquely creative and artistic high-end residential project for a client in Carmel. Julie Koons Bush (CAFES 1980), Principal Landscape Architect for Walt Disney Imagineering, lectured on May 10, and Paul Lewis (1989), owner of Paul Lewis & Associates Landscape Architecture, guest lectured on May 17.

Updated 4-8-13

Julie Bargmann, FAAR, D.I.R.T. Studio Founder, Gives Hearst Lecture

Julie Bargmann, FAAR, founder of D.I.R.T. studio, spoke at Cal Poly Friday, April 5, 2013, as part of the CAED's Spring 2013 Hearst Lecture series. The lecture title was "Working Traces."

Julie is internationally recognized as an innovative designer in building regenerative landscapes. Raised in New Jersey, she is a straight-talker, not afraid to provoke but dong so to tease out what matters most about places, especially when they are as post-industrial as her Garden State.. Julie's adventurous design approach informs her role as Associate Professor at the University of Virginia, where she leads venturesome investigations with students into derelict terrain, imagining renewed sites of cultural and ecological production.

Along with a degree in fine arts from Carnegie-Mellon University, Julie earned a Masters in landscape architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design. She has received the American Academy in Rome Fellowship and her work was awarded the National Design Award by Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt Museum. Julie's DIRT projects have been featured in art and design exhibitions including Documenta and the National Design Centennial. She lectures regularly at universities, conferences and cultural institutions, which have ranged from the Museum of Modern Art to National Brownfields Meetings. TIME, CNN, and Newsweek, along with national and international design publications, have recognized Julie as leading the next generation in making a difference for design and the environment.

Posted 3-28-13

Cal Poly Team Places 2nd in National Competition, Includes LA Majors

Cal Poly interdisciplinary PLANET team and faculty advisors. Sara Berryhill is 4th from right in back row, Rachael Haacke is 5th from right in front row, and Hannah Zimmerman is 4th from right in front row.

For the second year in a row, a team of Cal Poly students placed 2nd overall - out of 63 schools - in the PLANET (Professional Landcare Network) National Collegiate Landscape Competition.

Cal Poly's interdisciplinary team included three Landscape Architecture majors - Sara Berryhill, Rachael Haacke, and Hannah Zimmerman - along with students and faculty advisors from the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences.

Zimmerman placed second in the 3D Exterior Landscape Design competition; Haacke placed fourth in the Interior Landscape Design Competition and among the top ten in both Construction Cost Estimating and Computer Aided Landscape Design. Berryhill was a top ten winner in Exterior Landscape Design.

Updated 3-19-13

Winter Classes Hold Final Reviews March 12 - 15

Final reviews provide an excellent opportunity to learn about Landscape Architecture and interact with faculty and students in the Department. Tuesday, March 12, through Friday, March 15, the Department held the following reviews:

TUESDAY, MARCH 12
"The Landscape of the Future"
LA 130 Landscape Interpretation with Christy O'Hara

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13
"Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn NY"
LA 203 Design Fundamentals II Studio with Margarita Hill

"Cal Poly 2025: Exposition of 16 Innovative Projects"
LA 203 Design Fundamentals II Studio with Omar Faruque

"Reservoir Canyon"
LA 404 Natural Environments Focus Studio with Walt Bremer

"Science Garden Terrace"
LA 203 Design Fundamentals II Studio with Astrid Reeves

FRIDAY, MARCH 15
"Revisioning Fort Miley East"
LA 404 Cultural Environments Focus Studio with David Watts

"Woonerfs in SLO"
LA 402 Design Theory Focus Studio with Beverly Bass

"The Price of Comfort"
LA 405 Project Design and Implementation Focus Studio with Christy O'Hara

"Mid Review Senior Project"
LA 461 First Quarter Senior Project Design with César Torres Bustamente

"NTS" Senior Show"
LA 461 Senior Project Studio with Joseph Dunstan and David Watts

Updated 3-19-13

Fifth Years Showcase Thesis Projects in Downtown SLO March 15

Thirty-four LA students finishing their two-quarter capstone experience during Winter term displayed their senior design projects at the Ludwick Community Center in downtown San Luis Obispo Friday, March 15th.

During the show, the Landscape Architecture faculty announced several senior class recognition awards, including:

- Academic Excellence - Tala Fatolahzadeh and Allison Palenske

- Best Design Process - Jacob Leon

- Design Excellence - Katie Burlason

- Best Senior Project - Lindsay Schulze

- Service to the Department - Tala Fatolahzadeh and Kayla Szubielski

The Academic Excellence award is based on overall GPA. The remaining recognition awards are based on faculty nominations and votes.

This fifth year class awarded one of their peers the Golden Eagle award. This award is made to a graduating senior who has demonstrated a professional competence and attitude, has been a stabilizing influence during times of confusion, and is a person who is always able to give to others in their time of need.

Golden Eagle Award - Alan D. Garcia

These awards honored students who finished their capstone projects during Winter term.

Posted 2-27-13

Joseph Ragsdale Presents Hybrid Teaching Techniques at CSU Symposium

Associate Professor and Landscape Architecture Department Head Joseph Ragsdale presented hybrid teaching techniques at the 16th Annual SCU Teaching Symposium on Saturday, February 23, 2013. Ragsdale presented a paper titled "PODWALKS: Re-thinking the 'Walk and Talk' with Mobile Technology." The Annual Teaching Symposium provides a forum for faculty from all 23 CSU campuses to come together to share teaching and learning techniques.

Hybrid teaching involves using online delivery, collaboration and digital technology in conjunction with traditional lecture-based teaching. Ragsdale highlighted strategies he has incorporated into his second year Materials and Techniques of Landscape Construction course. The course now splits time among lectures, web-based activities and fieldwork. The web-based activities include the use of online lecture delivery, online reading discussion groups and the development of the Podwalk - a downloadable, field-based lecture and activity. Podwalks engage students in small group or self-directed field-walks around campus about specific topics.

To download and listen to a Podwalk clip, click here.

Posted 1-28-13

Christy O'Hara Publishes in The International Journal of the Constructed Environment

Assistant Landscape Architecture Professor Christine Edstrom O'Hara has had her article, "Transdisciplinary Practice: Using Future Studies to Envision Innovative Design," published in The International Journal of the Constructed Environment. The article includes a case study discussing how Prof. O'Hara used outside disciplines and topics to envision innovative future solutions for a theory course in landscape history. According to its web site, the journal "publishes open broad-ranging and interdisciplinary articles on human configurations of the environment and the interactions between the constructed, social and natural environments, [bringing] together researchers, teachers and practitioners. The resulting articles weave between the empirical and the theoretical, research and its application, the ideal and the pragmatic, and spaces which are in their orientations private, public, community or commercial."

To read more about this article, click here.

Posted 12-20-12

DesignIntelligence Again Ranks Cal Poly LA Program Best in West

The 2013 DesignIntelligence survey of undergraduate landscape architecture programs once again ranked Cal Poly "best in the west." Cal Poly's program has been rated as the best in the 13-state western region every year since 2005, when the DesignIntelligence survey first began ranking public and private landscape architecture degree programs.

Nationally, the program ranked 7th this year, tied with Purdue and the University of Georgia.

The DesignIntelligence rankings have become a tool for students choosing academic programs that will launch their design careers. DesignIntelligence is a bi-monthly journal published by the Design Futures Council, a Washington, D.C. think tank that explores trends and opportunities in design, architecture, engineering and building technology.

Posted 11-8-12

Student Designs for Centennial Park Featured in COSAM E-Newsletter

During Summer 2012, third year landscape architecture students in Prof. Omar Faruque's Design Theory and Exploration Focus Studio provided the College of Science and Math (COSAM) with design solutions for Centennial Park. When the new Warren J. Baker Center for Science and Mathematics is completed next year, Centennial Park will be one of Cal Poly's central open spaces.

The students' efforts were the subject of a recent article in COSAM's E-Newsletter. The article describes some of the steps the class used in their design process. First they toured the building and grounds, then met with their client, COSAM Dean Phil Bailey, to get a sense of his vision for the space. They also met with project manager Barbara Queen, who is coordinating the construction of the center for Cal Poly, and Scott Loosley, assistant director for operations, who oversees the grounds of campus. Students then worked in teams to develop a plan addressing the client's needs. The plan incorporated input from the client, students, faculty and staff, and provided the framework for design solutions integrating the landscape and the building.

Dean Bailey met with the students several times throughout the summer and, according to the article, was impressed with the creativity and continuous improvement in the level of detail and sophistication of their designs. At the end of the summer, the students presented their solutions to Bailey and staff members from Facilities Services who will participate in choosing the ultimate design for the space. President Armstrong and faculty and staff members from COSAM also attended the presentations. Although the final design will likely be done by a professional firm, Faruque is hopeful his students' ideas will be used by the firm and incorporated into the final product.

Updated 10-30-12

Joseph Ragsdale Describes "Podwalks" at CTLT Innovation Showcase

Landscape Architecture Interim Department Head Joseph Ragsdale presented at The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology's inaugural Instructional Innovation Showcase on October 30th.

Ragsdale's presentation, "Podwalks: Rethinking Field-Based Lectures through Mobile Technology," described an innovative technology-enhanced approach to teaching and learning.

The Instructional Innovation Showcase was an opportunity for networking and collaboration among educators across campus who share an interest in the innovative and effective use of technology to enhance student learning.

Other presenters included Philosophy Associate Professor Francisco Fernflores, who discussed "Students Collaborating to Write a Textbook Chapter with iPads" and Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Assistant Professor Jerusha D. Greenwood, who discussed "Saving Time Grading: Enhancing Feedback to Students Through Technology."

The Showcase was open to all faculty and instructional-related staff.

Updated 10-18-12

Beverly Bass Speaks at Kennedy Library Science Café's Fall Event

Asst. Professor Beverly Bass (LA) joined fellow panelists Kelly Main (CRP), Heather Starnes (Kinesiology), and special guest James Rojas, Founder of Place It!, on October 18th, at the Kennedy Library Science Café's Fall Event.

The topic was "On Foot! Community Design and Public Health." Moderated by Stephanie Teaford, Community Liaison for STRIDE (Science through Transitional Research in Diet and Exercise), the panel discussed how we get where we're going and what that means for our health and our community.

During the presentation, Rojas directed attendees in an exercise in city planning, using unusual tools. The goal was to discover our transportation habits, interactively explore alternatives for our community, and build a more healthful city.

Bass's areas of expertise and interest include sustainable planning and design, smart growth principles and community outreach.

Posted 9-25-12

Alum Corby Kilmer Receives PECG Professional Achievement Award

LA alum Corby Kilmer (pictured 2nd from left) was honored with the Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG) Professional Achievement Award at PECG’s 50th Anniversary Celebration on September 15, 2012. This award is given to a state-employed engineer or related professional who has demonstrated outstanding professional excellence. Corby is the first Landscape Architect in the history of PECG to receive this professional recognition.

“This is the most prestigious award that PECG gives,” noted Keith Robinson (class of 1979), Principal Landscape Architect for Caltrans, “and is much deserved by Corby for her sustained and exemplary work …and especially her work toward improving the Safety Roadside Rest Area System.

In presenting the award to Corby, PECG President John Roberts remarked that Corby’s career has been “dedicated to quality and innovative work on the Caltrans Safety Roadside Rest Area capital program. She delivers her projects on time and within budget – leading to awards, national recognition, and letters of appreciation from the traveling public.” The Shandon Safety Roadside Area Project which Corby managed “received a transportation award for an innovative new wastewater treatment system which reduces nitrate contamination in groundwater,” noted Roberts. “This project, which will see over 1.5 mission visitors annually, has a subsurface wetland system which is the first of its kind in California and will act as a model for similar ‘green’ projects.”

Corby received her BSLA from Cal Poly in 1989 and works for Caltrans District 5, which is headquartered in San Luis Obispo. She has remained involved with the LA department, generously giving of her time and expertise to serve as a guest juror and critic for student awards and projects.

--Photo by BayAreaEventPhotography.com

Posted 8-24-12

Professor Emeritus Gary Dwyer Featured in KCET Article

Professor Emeritus Gary Dwyer was prominently featured in an August 2, 2012 KCET/Artbound article about San Luis Obispo country cultural theorists. The article discusses Dwyer’s books, travels, occupations, accomplishments, and artistic endeavors – including photography, sculpture, and public art installations. Called a “polymath of design” by the article’s authors, Dwyer taught Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly for more than 30 years, expanding his course content to include “topics of urban design, graphic design, portfolio production, drawing, and photography.”

To read the article, click here.

Posted 8-17-12

O'Hara Article Focuses on 14th Century Lessons for Modern Gardens

The July 2012 issue of Pacific Horticulture features an article by Asst. Professor Christine (Christy) Edstrom O'Hara. In her article, Moorish to Modern: Ancient Lessons for the Contemporary Garden, O'Hara describes how long-forgotten early garden management practices can be effective for gardens today.

"The Mediterranean climate of Andalusia, characterized by hot, dry summers, mild winters with variable rainfall, nearly constant sunshine, and rare frost, has much in common with the central and southern coastal regions of California," writes O'Hara. "Thus, 14th century Spanish gardens are models for regionally appropriate, modern California landscapes."

To read O'Hara's article, click here.

Posted 6-13-12

LA Class of 2012 Honored at Spring Commencement

On June 10, 2012, the department and the campus said farewell to the landscape architecture Class of 2012. 58 new LA program graduates were recognized at Cal Poly's 71st Spring Commencement. Candidates awarded their BLA degree with honors included:

Cum Laude - Sarah Cawrse, Cameron Turner, Ian Williams

Several graduates were also recognized by the LA department faculty and students for other achievements. Sarah Cawrse was recognized at the 5th Year Spring Show for Academic Excellence and Service to the Department, Marina Hadley for Best Design Process and Best Senior Project, and Katherine Aalund (pictured at far left) for Design Excellence and as her classmates' Golden Eagle.

At the 5th Year Winter Show, Cameron Turner was recognized for Academic Excellence, Donovan Hall for Service to the Department, Ayla-Louise Ucok (pictured at far right) for Best Design Process, Samantha Nason (pictured second from left) for Best Senior Project, Kelsey Christoffels for Design Excellence, and Samantha Williams (pictured third from left) as her classmates' Golden Eagle.

Updated 6-11-12

Spring Studios Hold Final Reviews May 30 - June 1

Studio reviews provide an excellent opportunity to learn about Landscape Architecture and interact with faculty and students in the Department. Wednesday, May 30, through Friday, June 1, the Department held the following reviews:

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30

"Theoretical Landscapes"

LA 400 Special Projects with Omar Faruque

"Los Osos Public Library"

LA 204 Design Fundamentals with Astrid Reeves

THURSDAY, MAY 31

"Professional Reports"

LA 435 Professional Practice ILC with Cameron Man

"Site Specific Furnishings"

LA 242 Landscape Impementation with David Watts

"IPD Studio, St. Croix Resort"

LA 204 IPD / Design Fundamentals with Gary Clay

Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Architectural Engineering and Construction Management

FRIDAY, JUNE 1

"Toro Creek Chevron Marine Terminal Restoration"

LA 403 Natural Environments Studio with Beverly Bass and Cameron Man

"FLUX" Senior Show

LA 461 Senior Project Studio with Joseph Ragsdale and César Torres-Bustamante

 

Updated 6-11-12

Fifth Years Showcase Thesis Projects in Downtown SLO June 1

Nineteen LA students who finished their two-quarter capstone experience during Spring term displayed their senior design projects at 669 Higuera in downtown San Luis Obispo Friday, June 1, 2012.

During the show, the Landscape Architecture faculty announced several senior class recognition awards. Senior awards for best design process, design excellence, best senior project, and service to the department are based on faculty nominations and votes. Academic excellence is based on overall GPA.

Best Design Process - Marina Hadley

Design Excellence - Katherine Aalund

Best Senior Project - Marina Hadley

Service to the Department - Sarah Cawrse

Academic Excellence/Achievement - Sarah Cawrse

The fifth year class awarded one of their peers the Golden Eagle award. This award is made to a graduating student who has demonstrated a professional competence and attitude, has been a stabilizing influence during times of great confusion, and is a person who is always able to give to others in their time of need.

Golden Eagle Award - Katherine Aalund

These awards honored students who finished their capstone projects during Spring term.

Posted: 4-3-12

Richard Kane Receives 2012 Courtland Paul Scholarship from LAF

Third year student Richard Kane was awarded this year's Courtland Paul Scholarship offered through the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF). The $5,000 scholarship honors the memory of Courtland P. Paul, FASLA (1927-2003) and his lifelong commitment to the landscape architecture profession.

The LAF Scholarship Winners web page says: "Through his studies in landscape architecture at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Kane has developed a fascination with the beauty and function of nature, an obsession for design detail, and an enthusiasm for understanding how people react to outdoor spaces. His goal for the future is to design places that promote interaction between humans and the outdoors in a society that is growing increasingly disconnected from the natural world. Kane hopes to inspire people to explore and appreciate nature as well as use the technologies that are causing the disconnect in designed spaces to increase human interaction with outdoors."

Posted: 3-22-12

SLO Journal Features Alumni / Student Work and Faculty Research

SLO Journal 2011-12 (the department publication formerly known as SLO Landscape) is now available for reading on our Publications web page.

SLOJO has two new editors so you will see changed formatting and features, and new faculty are highlighted in their research. "We solicited alumni contributions, which we believe showcase the breadth of work in contemporary landscape architecture practice," SLOJO editors Christy Edstrom O'Hara and César Torres-Bustamante wrote in their introduction. "We intend to continue with this work and hope others will send us projects for the next journal."

SLOJO not only showcases distinguished alumni work and faculty scholarship but also outstanding student work, along with articles featuring Cal Poly's ASLA Student Chapter, a recent Extended Field Trip to Europe, and an update on the activities of the Landscape Architecture Department Advisory Council. SLOJO also recognizes contributors to the Walt Tryon Endowment and those who have supported the department financially since the last department journal was published in 2010.

Posted: 3-12-12

Six from Class of 2011-12 Receive ASLA Honor and Merit Awards

A jury from the ASLA Southern California Chapter selected six students from the class of 2011-12 for the 2012 ASLA Student Honor and Merit Awards.

Kelsey Christoffels, Nancy Schultz, and Jane Theobald were awarded ASLA Certificates of Honor. Certificates of Merit were awarded to Sarah Cawrse, Donovan Hall, and Cameron Turner.

Students considered for the awards were nominated by program faculty based on the following criteria: 1) minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA; 2) in their final two years of study; 3) considered truly outstanding as measured by the program's long-term standards of excellence; 4) demonstrating the highest level of academic scholarship and of accomplishments in skills related to the art and technology of landscape architecture; and 5) demonstrating personal qualities and skills of responsiveness and willingness to work with others, self-motivation and responsibility, and design abilities: exploration, discovery, synthesis and representation of landscape architecture design.

Gere Smith, Professor Emeritus and ASLA Fellow; Scott Dowlan, Landscape Architect with CalTrans, Bianca Koenig, Landscape Architect with the Wallace Group; and Marisa Markowitz Peltier, Landscape Architect with RRM Design Group, were the jury members.

Representatives from the Southern California Chapter of ASLA will present the awards to the students at the Spring Senior Show and Awards Ceremony on Friday, June 1.

Updated 3-12-12

Fifth Years Showcase Thesis Projects in Simpson Strong-Tie March 9

Nineteen LA students finishing their two-quarter capstone experience during Winter term (pictured at left without their instructors, Profs. Omar Faruque and Margarita Hill) displayed their senior design projects in the Simpson Strong-Tie Demonstration Lab on the Cal Poly campus Friday, March 9, 2012.

During the show, the Landscape Architecture faculty announced several senior class recognition awards. Awards for best design process, design excellence, best senior project, and service to the department were based on faculty nominations and votes. Academic excellence was based on overall GPA.

Best Design Process - Ayla-Louise Ucok

Design Excellence - Kelsey Christoffels

Best Senior Project - Samantha Nason

Service to the Department - Donovan Hall

Academic Excellence/Achievement - Cameron Turner

The fifth year class awarded one of their peers the Golden Eagle award. This award is made to a graduating student who has demonstrated a professional competence and attitude, has been a stabilizing influence during times of great confusion, and is a person who is always able to give to others in their time of need.

Golden Eagle Award - Samantha Williams

These awards honored students who finished their capstone projects during Winter term.

Updated 3-12-12

Winter Studios Hold Final Reviews Week of March 5

Studio reviews provide an excellent opportunity to learn about Landscape Architecture and interact with faculty and students in the Department. During the week of March 5, 2012, the Department hosted the following reviews:

MONDAY, MARCH 05

"Housing Theory"

LA 402 Design Theory Studio with Professor Omar Faruque

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 07

"Construction Techniques"

LA 405 Project Design Studio with Cameron Man

"Cal Poly 2025"

LA 203 Design Fundamentals Studio with Professor Omar Faruque

FRIDAY, MARCH 09

"Piedras Blancas Light Station"

LA 403 Natural Environments Studio with Professor Walter Bremer

"The Jones' Residence"

LA 203 Design Fundamentals Studio with Assistant Professor David Watts

"Futuristic Design"

LA 402 Design Theory Studio with Astrid Reeves

"Mid-Review Senior Project"

LA 461 First Quarter Senior Project Studio with Assistant Professor Cesar Torres-Bustamante

"Bicycle Hotel for Guadalupe"

LA 405 and ARCH 353 Interdisciplinary Landscape and Architecture Studios with Assistant Professor Christy O'Hara and Professor Laura Joines

"Senior Thesis Final Show"

LA 461 Senior Project Studio with Professors Omar Faruque and Margarita Hill

All reviews were free and open to the public.

Posted 2-13-12

Newsletter Features Third Year Students' Project for Capuchins

The Winter 2012 issue of "The Mendicant," a publication of the Capuchin Franciscans Western America Province, features a story about a project students in LA 404, Cultural Environments, undertook last spring for this "real world" client.

Led by faculty Christy O'Hara and Astrid Reeves, students teamed with Capuchin friars to create "universal markers" for each province location. The universal markers will celebrate the history of the Capuchin order and provide donor recognition opportunities. The markers will also provide for meditative and spiritual contemplation spaces.

As part of their project work, the students went on field trips to see some of the actual sites where the markers will be placed, allowing them to better tailor their designs to the spaces for which they are intended. The project culminated last June when the students showcased their designs for Capuchin order representatives.

Updated: 2-6-12

Peter Walker, FASLA, Gives Hearst Lecture re The 9/11 Memorial

Peter Walker, FASLA, founder and senior partner at PWP Landscape Architecture, spoke at Cal Poly February 3, 2012 as part of the CAED's Winter 2012 Hearst Lecture series. The lecture title was "The 9/11 Memorial and Its Precedents."

Walker has exerted a significant influence on the field of landscape architecture over a five-decade career, crystallizing what is known as the American corporate multidisciplinary office. Educated at the University of California at Berkeley, and at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Walker has taught, lectured, written, and served as advisor to numerous public agencies, while exerting personal control over the design of his own projects. The scope of his landscape inquiries is expansive as well as deep. Projects ranges from small gardens to new cities, from urban plazas to corporate headquarters and academic campuses. With a dedicated concern for urban and environmental issues, his designs shape the landscape in a variety of geographic and cultural contexts, from the United States to Japan, China, Australia, and Europe. Walker is also the founder of Spacemaker Press, and his work has been extensively published in Europe and Asia as well as the United States.

A Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Institute for Urban Design, Walker has been granted the Honor Award of the American Institute of Architects, Harvard's Centennial Medal, the University of Virginia's Thomas Jefferson Medal, the ASLA Medal, and the IFLA Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Gold Medal. He is co-designer with Michael Arad of the National September 11th Memorial.

Posted: 1-17-12

LA Faculty Participate in ESRI's 2012 GeoDesign Summit

Department Head Joseph Ragsdale, Professor Emeritus Walt Bremer (both pictured at left) , and Asst. Professor César Torres Bustamante participated in the GeoDesign Summit at the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) in Redlands, CA January 5-6, 2012. The conference presented professional and academic projects developed at the intersection between design and geographic space, or GeoDesign.

A broad interdisciplinary group of speakers gave presentations speculating about the future uses, implementation and educational scenarios which GeoDesign will impact. Over the two days of the conference, lightning talks and paper sessions focused on the consideration of comprehensive social and environmental information (geospatial information) in the design process, shifting from exploiting geography to conserving geography-using technology.

Posted: 1-6-12

LA Majors/Alum Are Key Contributors to Cal Poly's 2012 Rose Float

Fifth year LA student Sabrina Wise was Rose Float President for the 13-month effort that led to Cal Poly's entry in the 2012 Tournament of Roses parade. Fifth year LA student Kelsey Christoffels submitted the winning idea for the float. Her concept was selected from over 100 entries in the annual contest held by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona in which members of both universities' Rose Float organizations vote on submitted concept ideas. Department alum Brandon Schmiedeberg (2010) drew the official rendering, pictured at left.

The float, "To the Rescue," features a trio of superheroes saving a city from three disastrous situations. While one catches an out-of-control helicopter falling from the sky, another props up a collapsing building and the third prevents a runaway train from sliding off a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge. While the entry failed to bring home a judges' trophy this year, it did earn Los Angeles-area TV station KTLA's Viewer's Choice award.

Posted: 12-27-11

Fifth Year Fall 2011 Show and Recognition Awards

Fourteen LA students finishing their two-quarter capstone experience during Fall term showcased their senior projects in the Berg Gallery on the Cal Poly campus Friday, December 2, 2011. The students were guided in the development and execution of their designs by Prof. Omar Faruque.

During the show, the Landscape Architecture faculty announced several senior class recognition awards. Awards for best design process, design excellence, best senior project, and service to the department were based on faculty nominations and votes. Academic excellence was based on overall GPA.

Best Design Process - Jane Theobald

Design Excellence - Jane Theobald

Best Senior Project - Nancy Schultz and Brandon Taylor

Service to the Department - Nancy Schultz

Academic Excellence/Achievement - Nancy Schultz

An award was also made to a student who has demonstrated a professional competence and attitude, has been a stabilizing influence during times of great confusion, and is a person who is always able to give to others in their time of need. This award, the "Golden Eagle," was based on the votes of the fifth year class.

Golden Eagle Award - Nancy Schultz

These awards honored students who finished their capstone project during Fall term.

Posted: 11-18-11

Fifth Year Student Awarded Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship

LA major and Cal Poly women’s volleyball team member Sarah Cawrse was one of two students selected out of 72 clubs by the Rotary District 5240 Scholarship Committee to receive an Ambassadorial Scholarship grant of $27,000. Sarah’s candidacy for the scholarship was put forth by the Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo. This grant will allow Sarah to pursue graduate studies in Europe during 2012-2013.

The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries and geographical areas. The program sponsors academic year scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students as well as for qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies. Selection is based upon an interview and application competition.

While abroad, scholars serve as goodwill ambassadors to the host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to a greater understanding of their host country.

Rotary District 5240 encompasses all of Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Kern Counties, as well as a small portion of Los Angeles County.

Posted: 11-7-11

Grant Union High School's GEO Academy Juniors Visit LA Program

The LA Department welcomed 14 juniors from Grant Union High School 's GEO Environmental Science and Design Academy, along with their landscape architecture teacher, Daniela Tavares, and program leader, Ker Cha, during their trip to Cal Poly November 3-4, 2011. The students traveled from Sacramento to San Luis Obispo to learn more about Cal Poly, our BLA program, and the landscape architecture profession. Asst. Professor Beverly Bass serves on the Academy's Advisory Committee.

During their visit, the group learned about Cal Poly's Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), shopped at El Corral, toured the CAED, visited the Dexter LA studios, listened to an Admissions presentation, and lunched with faculty, staff, and student reps.

The GEO Academy is one of the California Partnership Academies - a three-year program structured as a school-within-a-school. The program provides a specialized curriculum within the core high school curriculum that allows at-risk students to be exposed to career and educational options that are not typically part of the high school experience. The Academy has a Landscape Architecture focus.

Updated: 11-16-11

DesignIntelligence Ranks Cal Poly LA Program Third in the Nation

Cal Poly’s BLA program was ranked third in the nation by hiring firms, tied with Purdue University and Texas A&M University, in the 2012 DesignIntelligence survey, which ranks public and private degree programs. In the thirteen-state western region, Cal Poly ranked first.

Cal Poly has made the Top 15 list every year since 2005, when the DesignIntelligence survey first started ranking landscape architecture programs. Among college programs that hiring firms deem strongest in educating students for cross-disciplinary teamwork, Cal Poly also ranked first.

The DesignIntelligence rankings have become a tool for students choosing academic programs that will launch their design careers. DesignIntelligence is a bi-monthly journal published by the Design Futures Council, a Washington, D.C. think tank that explores trends and opportunities in design, architecture, engineering and building technology.

To read the Cal Poly press release, click here.

Updated: 11-8-11

LADAC Hosts Alumni Reception / Cal Poly Exhibits at ASLA Expo

The Landscape Architecture Department Advisory Council (LADAC) hosted a reception for LA Department alumni on Sunday, October 30, in San Diego, in conjunction with the ASLA 2011 Annual Meeting and Expo. Over 100 alumni, faculty, and sponsor representatives attended this sold-out event.

Special thanks to our Advisory Council, Acker-Stone, American Hydrotech, CXT, Netafim USA, Park West Landscape, Rain Bird, Restroom Facilities, The Toro Company, USA Shade and Fabric Structures, and ValleyCrest for making this reception such an outstanding success.

ASLA Annual Meeting attendees were invited to stop by the Cal Poly booth in the Expo, pictured at left. The booth showcased student work and offered visitors an opportunity to meet recent graduates and talk with the department head and current faculty. Creative and financial support for the booth was provided by LADAC members Christina Ahlers, René Bihan, Kevin Conger, Ann Cutner, Vicki Estrada, Pam Edmiston, Jeff Ferber, Paul Marcillac, and Frederika Moller.

Updated: 10-28-11

Christy O'Hara Presents Research at Nat'l Preservation Conference

Asst. Prof. Christy O'Hara presented her on-going research on October 22 at the 2011 National Preservation Conference in Buffalo, NY. The conference was sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

During the conference, the National Association for Olmsted Parks held a special session to highlight their current research and publications. One of these research projects, funded by the Washington State Transportation Enhancement Program, is a pilot program called Olmsted Online in which geo-referencing data will be linked to historic Olmsted plans in order to assess the remains of the Olmsted-designed parks, parkways, and boulevards in the Puget Sound area. Christy's research is focused on the Olmsted firms' work in California and the presentation demonstrated how her work will add to that in Washington to ultimately become a national database of Olmsted projects.

Christy has digitized firm project drawings from San Luis Obispo to San Diego (currently housed in The Olmsted Archives in Brookline, MA) and digitized correspondence for the same jobs (currently found on microfilm at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC), consolidating the data for the first time. Both projects' values include landscape education and preservation and will be useful to the public for advocacy, tourism to the sites, and public online access to information.

Updated: 10-10-11

SWA President, Gerdo Aquino, Speaks at Cal Poly

Gerdo P. Aquino, President, SWA Group, and Ying-Yu Hung, Managing Principal in SWA's Los Angeles office, spoke at Cal Poly October 7th as part of the CAED's Fall 2011 Hearst Lecture series.

In 2007, Aquino and Hung redefined the Los Angeles studio as the Infrastructure Research Initiative at SWA to explore and research the practical application of infrastructure as landscape. Through examples of landscape infrastructure from SWA's body of work and other notable infrastructure projects from around the world, Aquino and Hung outlined the concepts of the movement and examined how an infrastructure overlay reveals opportunities for greater connectivity, alternative transportation, recreation, and open space by enhancing existing single purpose/underused infrastructure corridors.

Aquino and Hung are two of the authors of the recently-released book, Landscape Infrastructure: Case Studies by SWA (Birkhauser).

Updated: 9-26-11

City Repair Founder Mark Lakeman Lectures in Berg

The Landscape Architecture Department sponsored a lecture by Make Lakeman and Marisha Auerbach September 23rd in the Berg Gallery, with refreshments hosted by the City and Regional Planning Department.

Lakeman is the founder of the City Repair Project, among other world-changing initiatives. Auerbach is a practitioner and lecturer on permaculture who has collaborated with the City Repair Project.

City Repair is an organization composed mostly of volunteers, whose mission is to educate and inspire people to "build community by creatively transforming public space into neighborhood gathering places."

The organization is best known for its community interventions, or "intersection repair" happenings, which are events that work to reclaim, for one day, residential street intersections as public plazas and gathering spaces. These efforts were born out of a desire to create stronger community ties in neighborhoods and highlight the lack of public spaces that are available within our physical environment. These events, which started with one intersection in Portland, Oregon, are now a nationwide and even international phenomenon.

For more information on City Repair, click here.

Posted: 7-26-11

Fourth Year Student Receives ASLA Council of Fellows Scholarship

Fourth year student Emmanuel Gomez has been awarded a 2011 ASLA Council of Fellows Scholarship. In addition to the $4,000 scholarship award, Gomez received a one-year student ASLA membership, general registration fees for the ASLA Annual Meeting and EXPO in San Diego, CA, and a travel stipend to attend the meeting.

The scholarship was established by the ASLA Council of Fellows in 2004, and has as one of its purposes enriching the profession of landscape architecture by encouraging diversity among students and practitioners. 

Posted: 7-8-11

Christy O'Hara Speaks on Moorish Lessons in Planting Design

Assistant Prof. Christine (Christy) Edstrom O'Hara was one of the speakers at "Gift of Persia: Exotic Gardens for California," presented by the Garden Conservancy and the Ruth Bancroft Garden.

This full-day horticultural and design history seminar took place Friday, July 15, at the Gardens at Heather Farms in Walnut Creek, CA. The seminar brought together a design writer, a historian, two landscape architects (including O'Hara), an interior/garden designer, and several horticulturists to discuss the Moorish, Mughal, and Mediterranean influence on California gardens.

To read an article about this seminar, click here.

Posted: 6-13-11

LA Class of 2011 Honored at Spring Commencement

On June 11, 2011, the department and the campus said farewell to the landscape architecture Class of 2011. 58 new LA program graduates were recognized at Cal Poly's 70th Spring Commencement. Candidates awarded their BLA degree with honors included:

Magna Cum Laude - Christian Boehr.

Cum Laude - Katherine Blair, Ariel Carlson, Janessa Farr, Amanda Hui, Daniel Perlin.

Honors Program - Rebecca Vanni.

Several of those who graduated with honors were also recognized by the LA department faculty and students for other achievements. Christian Boehr was recognized at the 5th Year Spring Show for Academic Excellence, as was Ariel Carlson for Design Excellence. Katherine Blair was recognized at the 5th Year Winter Show for Academic Excellence, Service to the Department, and as her classmates' Golden Eagle. Daniel Perlin was recognized at the Winter Show both for Academic Excellence and Design Excellence.

Updated: 6-6-11

Fifth Year Spring 2011 Show and Recognition Awards

Twenty-one LA students finishing their two-quarter capstone experience during Spring term (pictured above without their instructor, Assoc. Prof. Joseph Ragsdale) showcased their senior design projects in the Simpson Strong-Tie Demonstration Lab on the Cal Poly campus Friday, June 3, 2011.

The show, "(_________) scape," included a range of projects, including death and memory, trekking across America, playing in the wild, urban dwelling, resort development, community engagement, building techniques, parking parks, bridging, learning, restoring, healing, and more.

During the show, the Landscape Architecture faculty announced several senior class recognition awards. Recognition for best design process, design excellence, best senior project, and service to the department was based on faculty nominations and votes. An Award was also made for academic excellence:

Best Design Process - Bryan Agbayani

Design Excellence - Ariel Carlson

Best Senior Project - Matthew Romero

Service to the Department - Michael Shadle

Academic Excellence/Achievement - Christian Boehr

The golden eagle award was based on the votes of the fifth year class. This award is made to a graduating student who has demonstrated a professional competence and attitude, has been a stabilizing influence during times of great confusion, and is a person who is always able to give to others in their time of need.

Golden Eagle Award - Michael Shadle

These awards honored students who finished their capstone project during Spring term.

Posted: 5-23-11

BofA Low-Income Housing Contest Has LA Majors on Winning Team

The Cal Poly Housing Collaborative, including LA majors Andy Nowak and Yesenia Fernandez (pictured above: top row, 1st and 2nd from left), took first place in Bank of America's 2011 Low-Income Housing Challenge, beating out master's degree students from UC Berkeley and UC Irvine in the final round.

The team partnered with developer Madonna Enterprises to create "Entrada Ranch." The proposed site features a 135-unit affordable living community in San Luis Obispo, adjacent to services and transportation. The project design includes a community center, community garden, recreational and exercise facility, connection to local trails, bike paths, a variety of open spaces and a daycare center.

The project supports healthy living through site design and sustainable building, and programs that foster community, such as a cooperative garden that will grow organic produce and serve as a gathering place for residents.

The team was comprised of 10 undergraduate and two graduate students: six from city and regional planning, three from business and finance, two from landscape architecture, and one from construction management. The proposal included detailed plans, video and a web site. The team will present their project to San Luis Obispo's Planning Commission May 25.

The BofA competition requires student teams to develop concepts, designs, community support and financing for housing projects that are affordable for low-income households. The proposals are evaluated on concept and design as well as financial feasibility. BofA sponsors the competition to encourage emerging leaders in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, business and city planning to pursue careers in affordable housing.

To read a San Francisco Chronicle article about the competition, click here.

Posted: 5-23-11

Torres-Bustamante Presents Research at Vancouver Conference

Asst. Professor César Torres-Bustamante presented a paper titled "Figural Regions: Representing Landscapes through Ambiguity" at the 2011 British Columbia Society of Landscape Architects "Re:Evolution" Conference. His paper proposes alternative methods for constructing - and visualization - of poché maps based on shifting from a literal outlining and delineation of landscape's surface phenomena into a constitution of ambiguous figures (and ground) that allows perception of multiple visual organizations.

The conference took place in North Vancouver, B.C. May 12-14, and focused on mapping out the foreseeable transformations that landscape architecture faces as a profession, the changes regarding how design is approached and how this will guide the management and development of the places that landscape architects create.

Posted: 5-19-11

Astrid Reeves and Louise Schiller Present Poster at NYC Symposium

Lecturers Astrid Reeves and Louise Schiller presented student work from a Spring 2010 joint studio on the topic of SLO City Farm at the 2nd Erasing Boundaries Symposium on April 30, 2011 in New York City. Their research was titled: “Snapshots from the Fields, Farms to Schools for Healthier Communities through Service Learning." The symposium gathered Landscape Architects, Planners and Urban Designers from around the country to discuss projects that brought students directly into local communities where they worked on “real world” issues with local citizens and other professionals to improve social conditions. Erasing Boundaries encourages progressive ideas for problem solving by design professionals.

Posted: 5-6-11

Six from Class of 2010-11 Receive ASLA Honor and Merit Awards

A jury from the ASLA Southern California Chapter selected six students from the class of 2010-11 for the 2011 ASLA Student Honor and Merit Awards.

Josephine "Kalie" Brown, Serena Conti, and David DuBois were awarded an ASLA Certificate of Honor. Certificates of Merit were awarded to Katie Blair, Christian Boehr, and Ariel Carlson.

Students considered for the awards were nominated by program faculty based on the following criteria: 1) minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA; 2) in their final two years of study; 3) considered truly outstanding as measured by the program's long-term standards of excellence; 4) demonstrating the highest level of academic scholarship and of accomplishments in skills related to the art and technology of landscape architecture; and 5) demonstrating personal qualities and skills of responsiveness and willingness to work with others, self-motivation and responsibility, and design abilities: exploration, discovery, synthesis and representation of landscape architecture design.

Gere Smith, Professor Emeritus and ASLA Fellow; Roger Osbaldeston, Professor Emeritus; Bianca Koenig, Landscape Architect with the Wallace Group; and Dennis Reeves, Senior Landscape Architect with CalTrans, were the jury members.

The students will receive their awards at the College Student Awards Ceremony on May 21, 2011. Kim Rhodes, the ASLA Student Liaison Representative from the Southern California Chapter of ASLA, will present the Award Certificates.

Updated: 5-23-11

LA Faculty/MCRP Student Team Up to Win International Competition

A team formed by Asst. Professor César Torres-Bustamante, Lecturer Louise Schiller, and CRP graduate student Schani Siong won first place in the international competition "Design for Post-Earthquake Resilience of Cities."

Their proposal, "City Map," used Acapulco, Mexico as the site to test a low-budget, easily implemented strategy that focused on assigning new uses to existing transport infrastructure after an earthquake hits. The city transforms into a "map of itself", using streets as a canvas to connect nodes through painted paths, similar to the lines on hospital floors that guide patients to particular sections in a hospital. These paths indicate evacuation routes and locations of shelters, hospitals, food supplies and more.

The project assigns new uses to infrastructure: majors streets will be closed to vehicular traffic and will be used instead as landing strips for aircrafts that bring supplies; two-way streets will reduce to one-way streets to accommodate temporary housing, workshops, markets and schools; street parking will be removed on alternate blocks to provide space to grow food.

The competition, organized by the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering, sought proposals to increase the resiliency of cities and communities affected by earthquakes and tsunamis, with a focus on aiding recovery and social regeneration in affected areas. The competition was open to all design disciplines, including architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, and associated engineering and sociological disciplines.

The first place award came with a cash prize of NZ$2,000.

Posted: 4-7-11

3rd Year Student's Project Showcased at Community Event

Third year student Rachael Haacke was invited to display her project and discuss her findings regarding water quality issues in Los Osos with community leaders and the general public on April 6, 2011, at the South Bay Community Center in Los Osos.

During Winter quarter 2011, Haacke and her classmates in the LA 403 focus studio led by Asst. Prof. Beverly Bass were asked by Dan Gilmore, General Manager of the Los Osos Community Services District (CSD), to take on the daunting challenge of addressing the community's water drainage, flooding, and stormwater runoff issues. After reviewing the projects, Gilmore selected Haacke to represent Cal Poly and her natural environments design studio at the event.

The workshop was sponsored by the SLO Green Build Appropriate Technology Coalition and hosted by San Luis Obispo County, the Natural Estuary Program, and the Los Osos CSD.

Updated: 5-9-11

LA Faculty Present Papers at 2011 CELA Conference

The following LA department faculty members presented research papers and posters at the 2011 Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) conference, which took place March 30 - April 2 in Los Angeles:

Asst. Prof. Beverly Bass: Creating a Walkable Town Center: A Grass Roots Movement to Implement Walkability and Walking into the Middle Ages: 3 Dutch Water Towns and Clues to a Walkable Future.

Prof. Gary Clay (co-presenter): Collaborative Teaching and Learning: Applying an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Model in Design Education.

Asst. Prof. Jun-Hyun Kim (co-presenter): School's Spatial Centrality and Walkability: Revisiting Perry's Neighborhood Unit Plan; Campus Environments, Diet, and Activity; and The Role of Sidewalk Vegetation in Creating a Pleasant Microclimate for Walking and Cycling.

Asst. Prof. Christy O'Hara: From Rose Gardens to Watersheds: A Survey of Ecological Designs by the Olmsted Brothers in Southern California.

Assoc. Prof. Joseph Ragsdale: Tectonics in the Modern Landscape: Sigurd Lewerentz and the Landscape Medium of Topography, Planted Form and Built Form.

Asst. Prof. César Torres-Bustamante: Recycling Maps: Innovations in Visualizing Landscape Processes and Actualizing Landscapes through Representation Theories (poster).

Asst. Prof. David Watts: Exploring Attitudes towards the Contributing Role of Nature in Children's Play Environments.

For more information about faculty research interests, click here.

Posted: 4-6-11

Christy O'Hara Has Article about Olmsted Brothers Published in JSAH

Asst. Prof. Christine (Christy) Edstrom O'Hara has had her article, The Panama-California Exposition, San Diego, 1915: The Olmsted Brothers' Ecological Park Typology, published in the March 2011 issue of the quarterly Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians (JSAH). The Journal is published by the University of California Press on behalf of the Society of Architectural Historians.

O'Hara's article is summarized in JSAH as follows: "During the last weeks of his practice, Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr., wrote that the future of his firm depended on developing an appropriate landscape style for the arid West. [O'Hara] tells how his sons' firm, Olmsted Brothers, set out to reach that goal in their unbuilt proposal for the 1915 San Diego Panama-California Exposition, in what is now Balboa Park. [O'Hara's article] is the story of their innovative embrace of regionalist aesthetics and a respect for local ecology, topography, and weather. The ideals of their design, however, were not taken up by their clients. The Olmsted firm was fired, and the fairgrounds that welcomed visitors to San Diego in 1915 had architecture that was more appropriate to large cities and a landscape better suited to a wet climate."

To read the full article, click here.

Updated: 3-14-11

5th Year Winter Show and Recognition Awards

Program students who finished their two-quarter capstone experience during Winter term (pictured above with their instructor, Asst. Prof. Cesar Torres-Bustamante) exhibited their senior projects in downtown San Luis Obispo March 10-11, 2011.

The show, "Unfold," invited students, faculty, alumni, parents, friends, and the general public to interact with the landscape architecture project designers. Projects ranging from art installations to large regional redesigns were on view. Support for "Unfold" was provided in part by Villa Park Landscape, Phoenix Fine Catering, and Coastal Reprographic Services.

During the show, the Landscape Architecture faculty announced several senior class recognition awards. Recognition for best design process, design excellence, best senior project, and service to the department was based on faculty nominations and votes. Awards were also made for academic excellence:

Best Design Process - Brendan Escobar

Design Excellence - Daniel Perlin

Best Senior Project - Brendan Escobar

Service to the Department - Katie Blair

Academic Excellence/Achievement - Katie Blair and Daniel Perlin

The golden eagle award was based on the votes of the fifth year class. This award is made to a graduating student who has demonstrated a professional competence and attitude, has been a stabilizing influence during times of great confusion, and is a person who is always able to give to others in their time of need.

Golden Eagle Award - Katie Blair, presented by classmate Blake Rhinehart.

These awards honored students who finished their capstone project during Winter term.

Updated: 2-28-11

Jun-Hyun Kim Presents Research at 2011 ALR Conference

Assistant Professor Dr. Jun-Hyun Kim presented his recent research, titled "The Role of Landscape Spatial Patterns in Childhood Obesity and Quality of Life: A Study of Hispanic Children in Inner-City Neighborhoods" at the Active Living Research (ALR) Annual Conference in San Diego, February 24-26, 2011. Less than 20% of the abstracts submitted to this nationally recognized conference each year are selected for the conference's oral presentation session. The theme for the 2011 conference was Partnerships for Progress in Active Living: From Research to Action, which recognizes the importance of engaging experts from multiple disciplines to address critical public health issues, especially active living and obesity.

Active Living Research is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and contributes to the prevention of childhood obesity in low-income/high-risk racial/ethnic communities by supporting research to examine how environments and policies influence active living for children and their families.

Updated: 4-5-11

4th Year Student Receives Leadership in Landscape and Study Abroad Scholarships

Hekili Lani, a 4th year student spending Winter and Spring terms studying at Lincoln University in New Zealand, has been awarded the 2011 Hawaii Chapter/David T. Woolsey Scholarship from the Landscape Architecture Foundation. This $2,000 scholarship was established in memory of David T. Woolsey, former principal in the firm of Woolsey, Miyabara and Associates. Eligible students are those whose permanent residence is in Hawaii.

Hekili was also awarded two $500 scholarships to help defray her study abroad expenses. Lani was selected to receive both the California State University - Affiliate Student Scholarship and the Lincoln University Sponsored Scholarship. Both scholarships are offered through AustraLearn, an educational program of GlobaLinks Learning Abroad.

For more information about Landscape Architecture Foundation Leadership in Landscape scholarship opportunities, click here. 

Posted: 2-2-11

Winning Poster Competition Team Includes 5th Year LA Student

LA major Alex Emerson was on the Cal Poly interdisciplinary team that placed first in the poster competition portion of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Green Energy Challenge. The Challenge invited NECA student chapters to conduct an energy audit of a local commercial or institutional facility in need of energy-efficient improvements. Based on energy audit findings, teams then submitted a preliminary design of an energy retrofit for the facility and were invited to enter a poster summarizing their Green Energy Challenge project experience.

Judges named Emerson and his teammates from Construction Management, Mechanical Engineering, and Architecture the winners of this year's student chapter poster competition for their energy audit of Corbett Canyon Vineyards in Arroyo Grande, CA. Posters were judged based on their overall professional appearance, technical content, and creativity.

Updated: 2-7-11

Acclaimed Landscape Architect Mia Lehrer Speaks at Cal Poly

At the invitation of Assoc. Prof. Joseph Ragsdale, Mia Lehrer, FASLA, founding principal of Mia Lehrer + Associates, Landscape Architecture, spoke at Cal Poly on February 4, 2011, as part of the Winter 2011 CAED Hearst Lecture Series. It was "standing room only" in the Business Building Rotunda - more than 230 students and faculty members attended her presentation.

Born in San Salvador, El Salvador, Ms. Lehrer earned her Masters of Landscape Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. Today, she is internationally recognized for her progressive landscape designs, working with such natural landmarks as parks, lakes, and rivers, coupled with her advocacy for ecology and people-friendly public space.

Mia Lehrer + Associates is known for its design and development of a wide spectrum of award-winning public and private projects that include urban revitalization developments, large urban parks, and complex commercial projects.

With great appreciation for community input, Ms. Lehrer prides herself and her firm on reaching out to stakeholders for their thoughts and ideas about projects with affect their neighborhoods and their lives. She is committed to protecting our environment and designing projects that will heal our earth. She believes that great landscape design coupled with sustainability has the power to enhance the livability and quality of life in our cities, and in doing so improve by great measure the quality of our environment.

Click here to read a profile of Mia Lehrer published in Landscape Online.

Updated: 1-28-11

For 2nd Year in a Row, Program Alum Named "Top 20 Under 40"

Alum Brandon Medeiros, ASLA, was one of 20 San Luis Obispo County residents chosen for The Tribune's 2010 "Top 20 Under 40" award. Medeiros, 34, who works as a Senior Planner for Rick Engineering Company, joined the firm in 2007 to establish a division in landscape architecture and urban design in its San Luis Obispo office. Among his recent projects is the Grover Beach, CA West Grand Avenue Streetscape Enhancement.

Medeiros received his BLA from Cal Poly in 2002. He volunteers as chairman for the REC Foundation, a non-profit fundraising corporation which works to create enhanced programs, places and open spaces for quality recreational experiences in Paso Robles.

This is the second year in a row that a program alum has been honored with this award. Bianca Koenig, ASLA, LEEP AP, was chosen in 2009. Like Medeiros, Koenig received her BLA from Cal Poly in 2002.

The Top 20 Under 40 awards honor young leaders who have demonstrated excellence in their field and a strong commitment to community service. The 2010 winners were selected from more than 80 nominees by a panel of judges from the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation. Winners were honored at a special luncheon at the Madonna Inn January 27, 2011.

Posted: 1-26-11

Walt Bremer Attends GeoDesign Summit 2011

Professor Walt Bremer participated in the GeoDesign Summit on the ESRI campus in Redlands, CA January 6-7, 2011. The summit was designed to explore and develop ideas, concepts, processs, and technology to connect and apply geospatial technology to environmental design and planning decision-making processes.

A broad interdisciplinary group of GIS and design professionals attended the summit and shared ideas to continue to define GeoDesign. The group included landscape architects, architects, planners, geographers, engineers, and developers.

Posted: 1-11-11

Beverly Bass Presents Research at Hawaii International Conference on Arts & Humanities

Asst. Professor Beverly Bass presented a paper about her research, Gathering Spaces: Lessons from Traditional Dutch Street Form in the Age of Peak Oil and Global Warming, on January 10, 2011, at the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities.

Asst. Prof. Bass's research examines whether features of older Dutch cities that promote walkability can be transferred to communities in the United States. The viability of using traditional Dutch urban street form as a model for development is analyzed by examining characteristics of streets and street pattern within the historic core of three Dutch cities that were settled prior to the industrial age. Bass's study is expected to result in recommendations that could inform the planning of new and retrofitting of existing communities in the U.S.

To read an abstract of Asst. Prof. Bass's research, click here.

Updated: 3-14-11

LA Students Connect with L.A.T.C.

Christine Anderson, representing the Landscape Architects Technical Commitee (LATC), made a licensing presentation to the LA 370, Professional Practice class on March 2, 2011. The LATC was created by the California Legislature to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public by establishing standards for licensure and enforcing the laws and regulations that govern the practice of landscape architecture in California.

Posted: 1-3-11

LA Students Help Build Award-Winning 2011 Rose Float

Students from the LA department were part of the team that helped construct the 2011 Rose Float, Galactic Expedition, which was Cal Poly's entry in this year's Tournament of Roses Parade. The float took home two awards - the Fantasy Trophy, awarded to the float with the most outstanding display of fantasy and imagination, and the Viewers' Choice Award. This is the third year in a row that the float, co-constructed by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona, has taken home that award.

"In my four floats we have won six awards including three Viewers' Choice, two Fantasy, and one Bob Hope Humor," said recent LA grad Brandon Schmiedeberg. "It has been an absolute blast and I'm going to miss being so involved with a great Cal Poly tradition." Other members of the Rose Float team included LA majors Michelle Ahlstrom, Harrison Bergholz, Kelsey Christoffels, Kaylyn Keller, and Sabrina Wise.

Posted: 12-20-10

LA Majors Recognized at Fall 2010 Commencement

LA majors Trevor Bodmer, Kalie Brown, Calandra Chang, Lasca Gaylord, Monica Hernandez, Christine Jarvis, Brandon Schmiedeberg, and Jessica Van Siegman were among the CAED students named in the Fall 2010 Commencement program.

Kalie Brown, Christine Jarvis, and Brandon Schmiedeberg graduated Cum Laude; Kalie Brown, Brandon Schmiedeberg, and Jessica Van Siegman, pictured at left, participated in the ceremony.

The CAED's Fall 2010 Commencement Ceremony took place at 1:00 pm on Saturday, December 11, in the Recreation Center. Professor Walt Bremer, Acting Department Head, and Professor Joseph Ragsdale represented the Landscape Architecture faculty in congratulating the new graduates.

Dean R. Thomas Jones, Associate Dean K. Richard Zweifel, and Advising Center Director Ellen Notermann represented the CAED. UC Irvine Vice Chancellor and Campus Architect Rebekah Gladson, a Cal Poly Architecture program alum, delivered the Commencement Address.

Posted: 1-3-11

5th Year Fall Show and Recognition Awards

The 15 LA students who finished their two-quarter capstone experience during the Fall 2010 term (pictured above with their instructor, Prof. Omar Faruque) showcased their designs in the Berg Galley on December 1, 2010. The show invited students, faculty, parents, friends, alumni, and the general public to view their senior projects. The students were guided in the development and execution of their designs by Prof. Omar Faruque.

During the show, the Landscape Architecture faculty announced several senior class recognition awards.

Recognition for best design process, design excellence, best senior project, and service to the department was based on faculty nominations and votes. An award was also made for Academic Excellence:

Best Design Process - Serena Conti

Design Excellence - David DuBois

Outstanding Senior Project - Kalie Brown

Service to the Department - Kalie Brown

Academic Excellence/Achievement - Brandon Schmiedeberg and Kalie Brown

The golden eagle award was based on the votes of the fifth year class. This award is made to a graduating student who has demonstrated a professional competence and attitude, has been a stabilizing influence during times of great confusion, and is a person who is always able to give to others in their time of need.

Golden Eagle Award - Kalie Brown, presented by classmates Serena Conti and Lauren DuBridge

These awards honored students who finished their capstone project during Fall term.

Posted: 12-20-10

Spring 2010 EFT Students Share Their Experiences

The 12 LA students (pictured above) who traveled with Asst. Profs. Beverly Bass and Christy O'Hara to Spain, the Netherlands, and France during Spring term shared their Extended Field Trip (EFT) experiences with faculty and fellow students during Fall term though their sketch books, photos, and stories. A highlight of their November 19, 2010 presentation was the video they created to chronicle their trip. To view this eight-minute video, click here.

Updated: 12-29-10

DesignIntelligence Ranks Cal Poly's LA Program 8th in the Nation

Cal Poly’s BLA program was ranked 8th in the nation, tied with Cornell University, in the 2011 DesignIntelligence survey, which ranks public and private degree programs. In the eleven-state western region, the Cal Poly program was ranked 1st, tied with UC Davis. Cal Poly’s LA program has made the Top 20 list every year since 2005, when the DesignIntelligence survey first started ranking landscape architecture programs.

Cal Poly ranked 2nd in the nation in preparing graduates in sustainable design practices and principles, based on the hiring experience of surveyed practitioners, and was ranked among the five most admired undergraduate programs in the nation by surveyed academicians, for our learn-by-doing philosophy and balance of technology, sustainability, and design.

"From the hundreds of employers I have talked to in the last year alone who hire from many schools across the nation," said R. Thomas Jones, Dean of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design," I believe that our landscape architecture program produces students who are prized for their ability to look holistically at design issues, integrate sustainability along with technology in their work, collaborate well with other professionals, and manifest a drive for excellence and thirst for continuing learning that is prized by most firms."

The DesignIntelligence rankings have become a tool for students choosing academic programs that will launch their design careers. DesignIntelligence is a bi-monthly journal published by the Design Futures Council, a Washington, D.C. think tank that explores trends and opportunities in design, architecture, engineering and building technology.

Posted: 11-12-10

Louise Schiller Speaks as Panel Member at SLO AITC Conference

On November 6, 2010, lecturer Louise Schiller spoke as a workshop panel member at the California Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) Conference in Shell Beach. The workshop, aimed at K-12 teachers and administrators, discussed a model program which creates a way for farmers to diversify their business and a way for school food service directors to connect with area farms.

Workshop participants were encouraged to bring together school officials, food service directors, parents, distributors, processors, and producers to establish mutually beneficial relationships that would result in locally produced and processed food being consumed by students in California schools.

Schiller is President of the Central Coast Ag Network (CCAN) and represented CCAN's Farm to School program which conducts tasting programs and Harvest-of-the-Month events at San Luis Obispo County schools.

Updated: 11-8-10

Alumni "Mix it Up" November 5 in San Francisco

Dean Tom Jones, Associate Dean Dick Zweifel, Assistant Dean Linda Kristenson, Interim Department Head Walt Bremer, faculty members Vangeli Evangelopoulos, Cameron Man, Christy O'Hara, Joseph Ragsdale, and Cesar Torres-Bustamante, Landscape Architecture Department Advisory Council members, and recent and not-so-recent program graduates were among those who attended the Fall Alumni Mixer at CMG Landscape Architecture in San Francisco on November 5, 2010.

The mixer was hosted by Advisory Council Members Kevin Conger (the "C" in CMG - class of 1988), Paul Buchanan (1996) and Paul Marcillac (1990). Thank you, Kevin, Paul B., and Paul M.! Special thanks also go to Hunter Industries for their generous sponsorship and to CMG Landscape Architecture for the use of their studio space.

Guests noshed on tamales, got an update on department activities, had the chance to study examples of past and present student work, and learned how to become more involved with the program through department and student engagement, providing opportunities for internships and shadowships, and contributing financial support.

Didn't get an Evite to the mixer? Send an email, including your name and class year, to landscapearchitecture@calpoly.edu, and we'll add your email address to our invitation list for future events.

Posted: 11-02-10

Grant Union High School's GEO Academy Juniors Visit LA Department

The LA Department welcomed 12 juniors from Grant Union High School 's GEO Environmental Science and Design Academy, along with their landscape architecture teacher, Daniela Tavares, and program leader, Ker Cha, during their trip to Cal Poly October 28-29, 2010. The students traveled from Sacramento to San Luis Obispo to learn more about Cal Poly, our BLA program, and the landscape architecture profession. Asst. Professor Beverly Bass serves on the Academy's Advisory Committee.

During their visit, the group learned about Cal Poly's Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), shopped at El Corral, toured the CAED, visited the Dexter LA studios, listened to an Admissions presentation, and lunched with faculty, staff, and student reps.

The GEO Academy is one of the California Partnership Academies - a three-year program structured as a school-within-a-school. The program provides a specialized curriculum within the core high school curriculum that allows at-risk students to be exposed to career and educational options that are not typically part of the high school experience. The Academy has a Landscape Architecture focus.

Posted: 10-21-10

Jun-Hyun Kim Presents Research at ACSP & IMCL Conferences

Assistant Professor Dr. Jun-Hyun Kim presented papers during October 2010 at conferences in Minnesota and South Carolina.

Dr. Kim presented one paper, "Landscape Spatial Patterns and Health-Related Quality of Life among Hispanic Children," at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) annual conference in Minneapolis, MN. This paper assessed the association between landscape spatial patterns and children's health-related quality of life.

Another paper co-authored by Dr. Kim was presented at the conference by his colleague, Dr. Chanam Lee, from Texas A&M University. This paper, "Assessing Safety and Walkability of School Environments: Development of a School Audit Instrument," introduced the recently-developed environmental audit tool for use in assessing the built environment conditions around school sites.

Dr. Kim also presented a paper at the International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) Conference in Charleston, SC. His paper, "Urban Landscape Pattern and Childhood Obesity," introduced the correlation between urban landscape spatial patterns and Hispanic children's obese conditions. Along with governors, city officials, practitioners, and scholars from multiple disciplines, including architecture, urban design and planning, social sciences, health policy, urban affairs and law, Dr. Kim shared ideas for improving walkability and city livability from a landscape architecture perspective.

Above left: Walkable street in Charleston, SC. Directly above: Spoonbridge and Cherry water sculpture in Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Photos by Jun-Hyun Kim.

Posted: 10-19-10

César Torres-Bustamante - Across the Pond and Down Under

Assistant Professor Dr. Cesar Torres-Bustamante presented the poster "Figural Regions" at the Emerging Landscapes Conference (University of Westminster, UK) in June 2010.

The project proposed alternative methods for the construction and visualization of pochè maps based on the reconceptualization of figure-ground relationships. In this manner, figures are understood as articulated regions or fields with ambiguous edges, useful in highlighting the temporality of events in the landscape rather than an emphasis on static objects.

In addition, Dr. Torres-Bustamante was invited to participate in Peculiar Places, a project organized by landscape architecture firm Taylor Cullity Lethlean (Melbourne, Australia) that questions the use of public space and how it shapes people and their experiences.

Dr. Torres-Bustamante decided to focus on the map as a way of recording and interpreting the experiences of spaces, and compared the layout of eight European cities through their corresponding touristic map and Google Map. The intention was to indicate how specific and important details are highlighted or hidden from the visitor, interrogating the usefulness of an institutionalized map (such as Google Map ) in revealing the peculiarity of spaces.

Updated: 11-1-10

New Grads Named Winners in SCC/ASLA Design Competition

Steven Hasler’s winning design for the Bayview-Hunters Point community in San Francisco, CA.

Steven Hasler and Shotaro Shimoda (class of 2010) were named as winners in the Southern California Chapter of ASLA (SCC/ASLA) 2010 Quality of Life Design Competition. Hasler's advisor for his "Hunters Point Shipyard Park: Re-Justice Realized Through Eco-Adaptive Design" project, which won an Honor Award, was Lecturer Vangeli Evangelopoulos. Shimoda's advisor for his "Town Center, Santa Maria, Repurposing Shopping Mall" project, which won a Merit Award, was Asst. Professor César Torres-Bustamante.

The theme for this year's competition was "Building and Celebrating Community through Landscape Architecture." The intent of the Quality of Life Awards program is to celebrate professional excellence by recognizing outstanding works of landscape architecture and environmental planning that promote an enhanced quality of life in Southern California and beyond.

Hasler's and Shimoda's projects were judged by a panel of jurors using criteria including quality of design; functionalism; relationship to context; overall relevance to the profession, the public, and the environment; promotion of the enhancement of quality of life; and environmental responsibility.

Shotaro Shimoda's winning design for the Santa Maria, CA Town Center Shopping Mall.

Posted: 9-22-10

4th Year Student's Article Published in Gardener News

Donovan Hall, a fourth-year LA student and New Jersey native, wrote the cover story for the September 2010 edition of Gardener News, a New Jersey monthly gardening newspaper.

In his article, Hall writes about a project his LA 405 Project Design and Implementation Focus Studio class tackled during the Spring 2010 term. Guided by the course instructor, Louise Schiller, Hall and his classmates helped to develop a master plan for a proposed future San Luis Obispo Community Farm on a portion of the Dalidio Ranch property. As part of their research for this master plan, Hall’s class learned about the Central Coast Ag Network (CCAN) and their Farm to School program. Hall compares CCAN and the Farm to School Program to New Jersey’s campaign to include “Jersey Fresh” products in school lunches. However, CCAN goes further, encouraging the education of younger students about the importance of agriculture.

Hall advocates incorporating gardening classes into K-12 academic curriculums throughout the nation and argues that preserving New Jersey’s agriculture and educating residents about the Garden State’s numerous farming resources will help repair the state’s image. “Local farmers work tirelessly to produce fresh food,” he writes, “and agricultural educations needs to start earlier in our schools.”

Updated: 9-22-10

LADAC Member Rick T. Hume, FASLA Joins Ranks of ASLA Fellows

Landscape Architecture Department Advisory Council (LADAC) member Rick T. Hume (class of 1976) is among 41 members of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) who were inducted into its distinguished Council of Fellows, among the highest honors the Society may confer upon a member.

Members of the ASLA Council of Fellows are recognized for their extraordinary work, leadership, knowledge, and service to the profession over a sustained period of time. The Fellows were formally inducted into the Council on September 12, during the ASLA 2010 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. They may use the suffix "FASLA" after their names, denoting recognition of their achievements by their peers.

According to ASLA, Rick Hume was nominated in the Leadership/Management Category by the Southern California Chapter of ASLA. In the 1980s, he wrote and administered the California Section of the Landscape Architects Exam and repeatedly fought to maintain licensure in California. He served on the Southern California Chapter executive board and as its president. In practice, his longstanding leadership in planning for thousands of acres of park, recreation, and open space has inspired millions of visitors. As a lecture and adviser, he has for decades helped prepare students to enter the profession. Hume is also a member of the USC School of Medicine's Healthy Communities Research Team, studying how community development and land development affect obesity in America.

Updated: 2-17-11

ASLA Southern CA Presents: The Role of Landscape Architects in Urban Development

Michael Schrock (class of 1988), a principal with Urban Arena, Paul Haden, founder and president of The Collaborative West, and John O'Brien, vice president of urban infill with Brookfield Southland, will discuss the business opportunities increased infill development presents for landscape architects Thursday, February 17, 2011. Hosted by ASLA Southern California, the presentation will take place at MUZEO, 241 So. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim. The event starts at 5:45 pm; the presentation starts at 6:30 pm. Admission is $10 for student ASLA members, $15 for non ASLA students, $25 for ASLA members, and $35 for non-members.

For more information or to make reservations, call the Southern CA Chapter at 714.838.3615.

Updated: 8-5-10

Interdisciplinary Team's Design Wins Finalist Spot in Competition

Fifth-year LA students Justin Shareghi and Matt Wilkins are members of a CAED interdisciplinary team, "Design Empathy," whose design was selected as a local finalist in the U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC) 2010 Natural Talent Design Competition: Small, Green, Affordable. The competition provides applied learning experience in the principles of integrated design, sustainability, and innovation, all of which are components of the LEED green building certification program. Participants compete in local, chapter-based competitions, and the top winner in each chapter moves on to compete for a national award at USGBC’s annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. National finalists will be announced in early September.

USGBC's 2010 competition focused on the rebuilding effort in New Orleans. Competitors were divided into student and emerging professional groups and were asked to design green, post-disaster, affordable housing. Up to four designs will be selected from the competition finalists to be showcased at Greenbuild 2010 and the designers will see their projects built in New Orleans’ Broadmoor neighborhood.

Design Empathy's goal was to design an innovative dwelling built to weave into a reviving New Orleans, offering the resident an optimal dynamic living space. Faced with a $100,000 budget, hurricane and flood dangers, as well as obtaining a LEED platinum certification, the team made the competition an opportunity to show that great design can be affordable for the average person, including the elderly, families, and low wage earners.

Other members of the team include Gabby Robinson (ARCH), Rodrigo Robles (ARCH), Kevin Farrow (CM), and Cristian Tulbure (ARCE). The design was developed within the context of an interdisciplinary Integrated Project Delivery Studio taught in Spring 2010 by several CAED faculty members, including LA Professor Gary Clay.

Updated: 6-14-10

62 Program Grads Walk at June Commencement

On June 12, 2010, the department said farewell to the Class of 2010 -- the largest graduating class in the LA program's history. 62 new graduates were recognized in the Spring 2010 Commencement program. Those graduating with honors included:

Magna Cum Laude - Kareen Balogo, Shye Jones, and Kieulan Pham.

Cum Laude - Kevin Blakeney, Scott Domingues, Steven Hasler, Christine Jarvis, Charles Kollman, Katherine Lewis, Michelle Neff, Tyler Rinehart, Grant Saita, Keir Smith, Mark Spencer, and Kelly Wyrsch.

Magna Cum Laude graduate Kareen Balogo spoke with the Cal Poly Public Affairs Office about how Cal Poly had transformed her life.

According to their press release, Kareen was 15 when she moved from the Philippines to California to live with an aunt and uncle. Adjusting and trying to fit into her new community was a challenge. "I was shy and, frankly, ashamed that I was now considered a minority," she said. "The language barrier didn't help."

But things began to turn around a year later, when she moved with her parents to National City – a predominantly Filipino community in southern San Diego. She made friends, joined student government and began taking advanced placement courses. Junior college followed, and then a transfer to Cal Poly. On Saturday, she graduated with a degree in Landscape Architecture.

While here, Kareen participated in internships in Oakland, California and South Africa. "I saw and learned some amazing things, worked on real projects and enjoyed a curriculum that prepared me for my career." Kareen hopes to start her own non-governmental organization, working with children in the Philippines. "My education at Cal Poly opened a lot of doors for me to enjoy a more meaningful and fulfilled future," she said.

Kareen was recognized at the Fifth Year Spring Show for her service to the Landscape Architecture department.

Updated: 6-9-10

Fifth Year Spring Show and Recognition Awards

Twenty-four LA students who finished their two-quarter capstone experience during Spring term showcased their senior design projects in downtown San Luis Obispo June 4, 2010. The show, "Rendered," invited students, faculty, alumni, friends, and the general public to interact with the student designers.

"Rendered" was also stop #17 on the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council June "Art After Dark" tour.

During the show, the Landscape Architecture faculty announced several senior class recognition awards.

Recognition for best design process, design excellence, best senior project, and service to the department was based on faculty nominations and votes. An award was also made for Academic Excellence:

Best Design Process - Richard Joaquin

Design Excellence - Mickey Mangan

Best Senior Project - Scott Domingues

Service to the Department - Kareen Balogo

Academic Excellence/Achievement - Kieulan Pham

The golden eagle award was based on the votes of the fifth year class. This award is made to a graduating student who has demonstrated a professional competence and attitude, has been a stabilizing influence during times of great confusion, and is a person who is always able to give to others in their time of need.

Golden Eagle Award - Kevin Blakeney

These awards honored students who finished their capstone project during Spring term. During the Winter show, another set of awards recognized students who completed their capstone project during Winter term.

Posted: 5-26-10

Louise Schiller Elected President of Central Coast Ag Network Board

Louise Schiller, a lecturer in the LA department, has been elected President of the Central Coast Ag Network (CCAN) Board of Directors. CCAN's mission is to support sustainable local agriculture to insure a wholesome, diverse and nourishing supply of food and other agricultural products for residents of the California Central Coast. The organization's principal objectives are to educate consumers about the nutritional, environmental, and economic benefits derived from purchasing locally grown and processed agricultural products; increase consumer awareness and understanding of the significance of the CCAN logo as a method of identifying locally grown and processed agricultural products; and raise community awareness of and commitment to healthy, local food.

Posted: 5-19-10

LA Students Receive Landscape Architecture Foundation Scholarships

Fourth year students Sean Ogawa and Rebecca Vanni were awarded 2010 scholarships from the Landscape Architecture Foundation.

Rebecca was the recipient of the $5,000 Courtland Paul Scholarship, which honors the memory of Courtland P. Paul, FASLA (1927-2003) and his lifelong commitment to the landscape architecture profession. Mr. Paul and Peridian International, the landscape architecture firm he founded over fifty years ago, were well known for community design and master planning, and for the golf courses, hotels, and theme parks they created in Southern California and throughout the world. After receiving her BLA, Rebecca hopes to attend UC Berkeley to pursue a dual masters degree in landscape architecture and architecture. Her aspirations as a landscape architect are to work on redevelopment, historical preservation, and low impact development projects that require leadership and an interdisciplinary approach.

Sean was the recipient of the $2,000 Hawaii Chapter/David T. Woolsey Scholarship, which was established in memory of David T. Woolsey, former principal in the firm of Woolsey, Miyabara and Associates. Sean's goal as a landscape architect is to help people by creating more inviting, unique, and culturally and environmentally conscious public spaces.

The mission of the Landscape Architecture Foundation is to support the preservation, improvement, and enhancement of the environment.

Posted: 5-19-10

LA Majors Help Cal Poly Place 2nd in Bank of America's 2010 Low-Income Housing Challenge

Three students in the LA program - Ellie Islas, Jenna Meath, and Matt Wilkins - were members of an interdisciplinary team that made it to the final round of the 2010 Bank of America Low-Income Housing Challenge. Cal Poly placed second out of the four finalist schools.

The team partnered with EAH Housing of San Rafael to create a physical and financial proposal for Broadway Village, a 70-unit, multifamily, mixed-use development near downtown Oakland. The project was geared toward larger, low-income families with a minor emphasis on housing individuals with HIV/AIDS. The driving force behind the Broadway Village project was to jump-start the revitalization of the Broadway/Valdez corridor in Oakland by setting a high standard of development.This one-acre, mixed-use development was designed to support the present and future needs of low-income families living in Oakland. The development was qualified for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification.

Team members also included five students working toward bachelor degrees in Architecture, City and Regional Planning, and Construction Management, as well as five graduate students in Business and City and Regional Planning.

Updated: 3-15-10

Dean L. Morgridge, Friend of the Department, 1930 - 2010

Dean L. Morgridge, friend of the Landscape Architecture Department and donor of the Dean and Patricia Ann Morgridge Family Scholarship, died February 15, 2010 at his home in San Luis Obispo.

Mr. Morgridge attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he earned a Bachelor of Science in 1952 and a Master of Science in Geology in 1954. He worked for the Humble Oil Company (now Exxon) for 38 years, and spent most of his career exploring Alaska for oil reserves. He led the team that discovered Prudhoe Bay, the largest oil field in North America. He married his wife, Patty Ann, in 1952 and lived in San Marino, CA, Denver, CO, and Anchorage, Alaska before settling in Kingwood, TX.

Mr. Morgridge loved being outdoors in his garden and was an avid horticulturist with a special interest in native plants. He and Patty Ann supported the Landscape Architecture department and provided scholarships to encourage excellence in promising landscape architecture students during their fourth or fifth year of study. Past recipients of the Dean and Patricia Ann Morgridge Family Scholarship include Matthew Bjerk, Kevin Blakeney, Allison Crump, David Dubois, Lasca Gaylord, Robert Frye, Christine Jarvis, Richard Joaquin, Joanne LaFave, Junio Milanese, Brandon Schmiedeberg, and Jennifer Webster.

Updated: 4-16-10

Fifth Year Students Receive ASLA Student Honor and Merit Awards

A jury from the ASLA Southern California Chapter selected six fifth year students for the 2010 ASLA Student Honor and Merit Awards.

Kareen Balogo, Kristen (Shye) Jones, and Tyler Rinehart were awarded an ASLA Certificate of Honor. Certificates of Merit were awarded to Steven Hasler, Richard Joaquin, and Mickey Mangan.

Students considered for the awards were nominated by program faculty based on the following criteria: 1) minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA; 2) in their final two years of study; 3) considered truly outstanding as measured by the program's long-term standards of excellence; 4) demonstrating the highest level of academic scholarship and of accomplishments in skills related to the art and technology of landscape architecture; and 5) demonstrating personal qualities and skills of responsiveness and willingness to work with others, self-motivation and responsibility, and design abilities: exploration, discovery, synthesis and representation of landscape architecture design.

Gere Smith, Professor Emeritus and ASLA Fellow, Bianca Koenig, Landscape Architect with the Wallace Group, and Corby Kilmer with CalTrans were the jury members.

The students will receive their awards at the department's Student Awards Ceremony in June. Baxter Miller, LADAC Advisory Council Member and Southern California Chapter Board Member, will present the Honor and Merit certificates.

Updated: 4-21-10

Design Week 2010 Focuses on National Parks

Design Week 2010 featured teams of students and professionals working together to address current and future needs within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Proposing and articulating sustainable visions for the future of the parks featured prominently in the program.

This design charrette was held on campus Tuesday, March 30, through Saturday, April 3. Design Week is the creation of Design Workshop, an international design and planning firm with offices all over the globe. The Landscape Architecture Department has hosted the program twice before and Design Workshop has run similar programs at other universities across the country.

Students from several departments within the College and University participated, creating a strong interdisciplinary approach to the project. Students worked with professionals from Design Workshop, BAR Architects, the National Park Service and the Nature Corps.

To see a Photo Slideshow featuring Design Week highlights, click here.

Updated: 4-6-10

New Grads Garner Awards at San Francisco Flower and Garden Show

Tyler Rinehart and Katherine Lewis, who finished the BLA program during Winter term, won two awards for the display garden they created for the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, held March 24-28, 2010 at the San Mateo Event Center. They received the Pacific Horticulture Award, for a garden that best demonstrated the regional nature of garden design, as well as a Silver Medal award.

Their exhibit, Pulling Up Daisies, was a conceptual design in which viewers found themselves in the moment of change as the landscapes of the past were peeled back to reveal a new palette of California native plant possibilities both beautiful and drought tolerant. Sunset Magazine said in their blog, Fresh Dirt,  "we loved the concept behind this piece of actually peeling back the layers of destructive landscaping to reveal a lush new pallet of native plant possibilities."

Updated: 3-29-10

Case Study Presentation by David Watts Cited in Landscape Journal

Asst. Professor David Watts is cited in the current issue (Volume 29, number 1) of Landscape Journal, the official journal of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture published by the University of Wisconsin Press. In her review of the "Right to Landscape: Contesting Landscape and Human Rights" workshop in Cambridge, UK, December 8-10, 2008, Susan Herrington writes "Dave Watts...described how a small community in South Africa received a new school, but the government considered an outdoor play space an unattainable luxury. As such, 300 children... were denied basic rights to play and develop in the landscape. In response, Watts, with volunteer landscape architects from Wisconsin, designed and built a play space using simple, natural materials. This act not only confirmed children's right to landscape, but also empowered parents and tribal elders to maintain these rights."

The proposition of this workshop was that “landscape is a shared resource and all human beings deserve the right to landscape." The call for papers, which went out in January 2008, was aimed at landscape scholars and professionals across disciplines and "attracted an overwhelming response." Watts was one of only 30 participants selected to present a case study for workshop discussion.

Updated: 3-15-10

Fifth Year Winter Show and Recognition Awards

Program students finishing their two-quarter capstone experience during Winter term exhibited their senior projects in downtown San Luis Obispo March 11-12, 2010. The show, "39 Visions 1 Language," allowed students, faculty, alumni, friends, and the general public to interact with the student creators.

During the show, the Landscape Architecture faculty announced several senior class recognition awards.

The golden eagle award was based on the votes of the fifth year class. This award is made to a graduating student who has demonstrated a professional competence and attitude, has been a stabilizing influence during times of great confusion, and is a person who is always able to give to others in their time of need.

• Golden Eagle Award - Steven Hasler

Recognition for service to the department, best design process, design excellence, and best senior project was based on faculty nominations and votes. The senior with the highest Cal Poly GPA through Fall 2009 was also recognized:

• Service to the Department - Aaron Anderson
• Best Design Process - Steven Hasler
• Design Excellence - Tyler Rinehart
• Best Senior Project - Kelly Wyrsch
• Academic Achievement/Excellence - Katherine Lewis

These awards honored students who finished their capstone project during Winter term. In June, another set of awards will recognize students who complete their capstone project during Spring term.

Updated: 2-18-10

LADAC Educational Enrichment Committee Secures Student Internship Opportunities

Landscape Architecture Department Advisory Council members Kevin Conger, Martin Flores, and Mark Lorge -- all members of the LADAC Educational Enrichment Committee -- worked very successfully with LADAC member firms and other firms to provide a number of internship opportunities for LA students for 2010. Opportunities were secured with PWP, Stantec Consulting Services, Landscape Development, Estrada Land Planning, BMLA, KTU+A, Ken Smith Landscape Architect, Mia Lehrer + Associates, SQLA, CMG, and The Lightfoot Planning Group.

Students can learn more about these internships, and the companies providing them, on the Internship Opportunities web page. Thank you, Committee members, for helping our students fulfill their internship requirement.

Updated: 1-26-10

Alumni Mixer Held for Program Graduates January 22 in San Diego

Alumni, faculty, and 3rd, 4th, and 5th year student representatives attended a mixer at the San Diego offices of Rick Engineering Friday, January 22, 2010, hosted by Landscape Architecture Department Advisory Council members Martin Flores (BSLA 1983) and Dolores Marquez (BSLA 1979).

Before the mixer, alumni, faculty, and students toured Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens in Escondido, CA. Designed by Schmidt Design Group, Inc., this landscape architecture project was awarded the ASLA, San Diego chapter 2009 Presidents Design Award. According to Asst. Prof. Dave Watts, who attended these events with students in his LA 402-Design Theory and Exploration Focus Studio, a great time was had by all. A very special thank you to both Dolores and Martin for being such wonderful hosts!

Posted: 1-13-10

LA Students Featured in Slideshow on Building the 2010 Rose Float

Third year LA students Michelle Ahlstrom, Kelsey Christoffels, Brandon Schmiedeberg, and Sabrina Wise -- all members of the Cal Poly Rose Float Club -- were featured in a photo slideshow produced by Cal Poly's Public Affairs Office on the building of the award-winning 2010 Rose Float. Program alum Rick Stover (BLA, 1984) and Andrea Swanson (BS, Horticulture, 1973) submitted the winning design for the float, which won both the Bob Hope Humor Award and the KTLA Viewers' Choice Award. The parade float, "Jungle Cuts," depicting five barber monkeys styling the hair of various "clients" including a giraffe with a beehive, a snake with a flat top and a zebra with a mohawk, received the Bob Hope trophy for being judged the most comical and amusing entry. It also received the most votes in the KTLA.com contest. KTLA is a television station in Los Angeles, CA.

Updated: 1-21-10

LA Program Alum is "Top 20 Under 40" Winner

Alumna Bianca E. Koenig, ASLA, LEED AP, was one of twenty San Luis Obispo County residents chosen for The Tribune's 2009 "Top 20 under 40" award. Koenig works as a landscape architect for the Wallace Group, a multi-disciplinary firm headquartered in San Luis Obispo. She serves on the board of the California Central Coast Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council to advocate sustainable design. She also helped found the Deanna Maran Foundation for Non-Violence after her sister's death in 2001. Koenig received her BLA from Cal Poly in 2002.

In its fifth year, the Top 20 under 40 awards honor young leaders who have demonstrated excellence in their field and a strong committment to community service. Candidates for the award were nominated on-line during November 2009, and a review panel from the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation selected the winners in December 2009 at The Tribune's request. Winners were recognized for their accomplishments at a special luncheon at the Madonna Inn January 21, 2010.

For more information, see The Tribune article about the Top 20 Under 40 winners.

Posted: 12-1-09

LA Program Earns Top Regional and National Rankings

Cal Poly’s Landscape Architecture program was named as one of the Top 20 undergraduate programs in the 2010 DesignIntelligence survey, which ranks public and private degree programs nationally. In this year's survey, the program ranked 1st in the eleven-state western region -- and 14th in the nation. Cal Poly’s LA program has made the Top 20 list every year since 2005, when the DesignIntelligence survey first started ranking landscape architecture programs.

DesignIntelligence is a bi-monthly journal published by the Design Futures Council, a Washington, D.C. think tank that explores trends and opportunities in design, architecture, engineering and building technology.

Posted: 11-23-09

LA and CRP Students Aid in Los Angeles Community Planning Efforts

Pictured (left to right): Richard Ruiz (CRP), Rex Cayabyab (LA), Charles Tamae (LA), Kelly Main (CRP professor), Lorenzo Reynoso (LA), Andrew Brouwer (LA), Andrew Myers (CRP).

Thirty LA and CRP students in a Fall 2009 LA/CRP interdisciplinary studio taught by professors Margarita Hill and Kelly Main are assisting with “Visions for Vermont,” a project of the Figueroa Corridor Coalition Land Trust. The project's goal is to increase neighborhood representation in creating a plan to guide redevelopment efforts primarily along Vermont Avenue in South Los Angeles but also including other areas that are part of the Figueroa Corridor. The outcome will be a document that outlines community design and planning strategies for consideration by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning in its revision of the South and Southeast L.A. Community Plans. Plans for both areas are in the second year of a three-year revision process. The current community plans have been in place for ten years.

Three “Visions for Vermont” events have been held so far, the first in mid-September, one in mid-October and the third earlier this month. During this month's event, held November 13, 2009, Cal Poly students in the interdisciplinary studio set up an interactive booth where community members could create their ideal neighborhood. The students offered a variety of paper cutouts, including trees, community centers, and street signs, for visitors to paste onto a blank map of the community. The LA and CRP students will also help with the next steps of the “Visions for Vermont” project, which will include putting together design plans that will reflect the needs and concerns of the community.

For more information, see the article on USC's Daily Trojan web site.

Posted: 11-23-09

2009 Edition of SLO Landscape: Cal Poly Landscape Architecture Journal Now Available

The 2009 edition of SLO Landscape, the landscape architecture department's journal, is now available. Edited by Prof. Omar Faruque, this year's issue includes articles written to inform professionals, academicians, and students of innovative design methods and techniques, case studies, and research not available in textbooks or published in other journals.

Department alum Rick Hume writes about designing the Orange County, California Great Park. Alum Paul Buchanan writes about designing and constructing the landscape of the Cleveland Clinic. Prof. Walt Bremer has an article about GIS at Cal Poly and beyond. CAED Dean Tom Jones writes about opportunities that lie ahead for landscape architects, Department Head Margarita Hill describes the recent accomplishments of our faculty and students, and the department's advisory council chair, Martin Flores, reflects on the future of the landscape architecture profession.

SLO Landscape also showcases student and alumni activities, including the extended field trip to Italy, Germany, and France, a service project in South Africa, alum Don Marquardt's one-man show devoted to Frederick Law Olmsted, and the Class of 1988's 30th reunion.

Didn't get your copy of SLO Landscape in the mail? Send an email, including your name and mailing address, to landscapearchitecture@calpoly.edu, and we'll mail a copy to you.

Posted: 11-23-09

Former Department Head John Flagg Gillham, 1933 - 2009

Former Department Head John Flagg Gillham, 76, died after a brief illness October 17, 2009, in Lewiston, Idaho.

Prof. Gillham was born in Flagstaff, Arizona, and grew up in western Oregon and eastern Washington. He obtained his undergraduate and graduate degrees in landscape architecture from the University of Oregon. He served as an associate professor at Oregon before joining the Cal Poly Landscape Architecture program in 1975 as program leader and, later, department head. At Cal Poly, he earned the rank of full professor and taught for over 20 years.

For more information, go to the John Flagg Gillham obituary in the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

Posted: 11-06-09

Grant Union's Environmental Science Academy Students Visit Cal Poly

The Landscape Architecture Department enthusiastically welcomed 13 students from Grant Union High School 's GEO Environmental Science and Design Academy, along with their Landscape Architecture Teacher, Daniela Tavares, on Friday, November 6, 2009. The students traveled from Sacramento, CA to San Luis Obispo to visit the department and learn more about the Cal Poly BLA program and the landscape architecture profession. Asst. Professor Beverly Bass serves on the Academy's Advisory Committee.

After a campus tour, shopping at the El Corral bookstore, and a visit to the Dexter LA studios, the group lunched on pizza and soft drinks in the Dexter Fireplace Room and talked about their program at the Academy and the program at Cal Poly with LA majors Aaron Anderson, Katie Blair, Michael Shadle, and Tyler Rinehart and with faculty members Beverly Bass, Walt Bremer, Gary Clay, Astrid Reeves, and David Watts. The high schoolers were interested in how our students had chosen Landscape Architecture as a major, the projects they had worked on, the possibilities of transferring from community college, and how much it costs to attend Cal Poly.

The GEO Academy is one of the California Partnership Academies - a three-year program (grades ten-twelve) structured as a school-within-a-school. The purpose of the program is to provide a specialized curriculum within the core high school curriculum that allows at-risk students to be exposed to career and educational options that are not typically part of the high school experience. According to the California Department of Education web site, Partnership Academies represent a high school reform movement focused on smaller learning communities with a career theme. Components include rigorous academics and technical education, with a career focus, a committed team of teachers, and active business and post-secondary partnerships.

For more information about Grant's Environmental Science and Design Academy, check out their video, "Eat at the Garden."

Posted: 11-05-09

Lecturer Louise Schiller Speaks at Chico Sustainability Conference

Louise Schiller was one of the presenters at the fifth annual This Way to Sustainability Conference at CSU, Chico. On November 5, 2009, Louise and her co-presenter, Phil Evans (San Francisco State University), presented "a model for using the urban landscape as a resource for sustainability education, integrating best landscape practices and involving academic partners fully in a vibrant research and education program." To learn more about the Chico Sustainability Conference and Louise's presentation, "Not Just a Pretty Face - Making Urban Landscapes a Living Laboratory," go to Chico's Sustainability V Conference website.

Posted: 10-26-09

Brandon Schmiedeberg Featured in KCOY Rose Float Story

Local TV station KCOY's October 26, 2009 story about the unveiling of Cal Poly's 2010 Tournament of Roses float includes comments by fourth year student Brandon Schmiedeberg, one of the student volunteers who've been working for months on the float's concept and design. To learn more about this year's "Jungle Cuts" theme, and read what Brandon has to say about the float's "fun animination" elements and over-height mechanisms, go to the KCOY website. (story no longer available - sorry)

Posted: 10-26-09

Asst. Prof. David Watts Featured in Cal Poly Report

The Cal Poly Report's October 7, 2009 issue features the Cal Poly Preschool Learning Lab's new sustainable play area designed by faculty member David Watts, and featuring natural components such as pea gravel and Fibar, an engineered wood surface.

The preschoolers' play area is on University Drive right across from the Kennedy Library. Read about the new play area and see the photo of Dave on the playground at the Cal Poly Report website.

Posted: 10-26-09

LA 404 Piedras Blancas Project Featured in Cal Poly Magazine

Cal Poly Magazine's Fall 2009 edition has as its cover story a project that lecturer Astrid Reeves' LA 404 Cultural Environments studio worked on during Spring 2009 -- the Piedras Blancas lighthouse. Landscape architecture, engineering, and journalism students, along with faculty and staff, are playing a major role in the effort to restore this historic, century-old light station, located on Highway 1 north of Hearst Castle.

To read the full article, "Beacon of Light," and to view the photos of the lighthouse taken by Astrid Reeves and fifth year student Floralba Pucci-Figueras, go to the Cal Poly Magazine website.

Posted: 10-26-09

LA Majors Help Cal Poly Team Win Bank of America's
2009 Low-Income Housing Challenge

Two Landscape Architecture majors were on the Cal Poly interdisciplinary team that won the Bank of America 2009 Low-Income Housing Challenge. The 2009 competition also included teams from Stanford and UC Berkeley. The Cal Poly team partnered with People's Self Help Housing to create a physical and financial proposal for an 80-unit farm worker housing development in the unincorporated area of Santa Barbara County near Santa Maria, CA.  In addition to housing, the team's concept included a community and family education center, the renovation of the historic Alan Hancock house, an onsite wastewater treatment facility, and an organic community farm all designed to meet the particular needs of the farm worker population.  The development qualifies for LEED Silver certification.

Twelve students from six different campus departments made up this unusual interdisciplinary team, including LA majors Jennifer Webster and Wade Sherman (class of 2009). The other team members included seven students working toward bachelor degrees in architecture, business, city and regional planning, and construction management, as well as three masters students in city and regional planning and industrial technology.

Names and major (left to right): Anthony Adams (MCRP), Peter Kim (CRP), Christian Medin (Bus), Renee Brown (Bus), Josh Hoffman (CM), Julia Metz, (Arch), Kim Hoving (MCRP), Alexis Austin (Arch), Cece Reyes (M IndTech), Jennifer Webster (LA), Stephan Jackson (CRP), Wade Sherman (LA).

Posted: 04-30-09

Students Develop UCSB Mall Designs

During Winter 2009 Landscape Architecture students under the leadership of Professor Omar Faruque were engaged in developing design solutions for the University of California, Santa Barbara, Tower Mall. The Tower Mall is part of the Campus Plan whose central goal is to provide a coherent system of open space appropriate for a respected University that facilitates communication and access among all parts of the campus.

The Plan recommends the early implementation of four key spaces which establish the framework for developing the campus. One of these key spaces is the Tower Mall: a grand entry space leading from Mesa Road to Storke Plaza.

The plan above was designed by David Dubois.

Posted: 12-31-08

Landscape Architecture Student Awarded National Scholarship

Landscape Architecture student Yessenia Alvarez-Lopez was awarded a scholarship by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Council of Fellows.

Rodney Swink, chairman of the Council of Fellows, noted that the 2008 pool of applicants was particularly outstanding. Alvarez-Lopez was "quickly singled out for her strong academic record, her many community initiatives and efforts beyond the college setting, and her unique financial challenges."

The scholarship was established in 2004 to aid outstanding students who would not otherwise have an opportunity to continue a professional degree program due to unmet financial need. Alvarez-Lopez was one of two students to receive the $4,000 Council of Fellows Scholarship.

The scholarship was awarded through the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) whose mission is to support the preservation, improvement and enhancement of the environment. In 2008 the LAF awarded 24 scholarships and fellowship grants totaling $96,500. The winning students were selected from a pool of 144 applicants.

Landscape Architecture Foundation web site.

Posted: 05-30-08

Landscape Architecture Celebrates 35 Years

In May of 2008, we celebrated 35 years of Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly. The Alumni Dinner and Silent Auction, which closed the weekend celebration, was held at the Vina Robles winery in Paso Robles. All who joined in the celebration had a truly memorable weekend.

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