We are pleased to feature some select student work here to give you a snapshot of what you might produce during your studies in our Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Master of Landscape Architecture, or Master of Urban Design programs. Each involved tasks such as setting goals, analyzing sites, understanding environmental systems, investigating precedents, sketching ideas, diagramming relationships, and graphically illustrating design solutions. Other student activities and outcomes are highlighted in our social media outlets (see below).

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA)

"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning.” – Mr. Rogers. Play is so much more than meets the eye. It is a fundamental activity that contributes to the success of youth in years to come. We are not just playing to pass time, we are Playing for the Future. 

Play for the Future is a comprehensive playscape design for the Boys and Girls Club in Muncie, Indiana. The playscape aims to reduce the physical, social, and cognitive developmental delays of the children by exposing them to a variety of play and activity types. Children can run freely in the Open Court space, climb and swing in the Hybrid Play area, or explore the beauty of the Urban Prairie and Woodland systems. Together, these areas allow for physical development, social interactions, and cognitive growth.  

In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the State of Indiana drained what was once the largest inland wetlands in the entire country: The Grand Kankakee Marsh. In doing so, they destroyed the natural landscape in favor of agricultural land, decimated native wildlife populations, and altered the functionality of the Kankakee River and its wetlands. The Kankakee River Revival Comprehensive Master Plan seeks to remedy the consequences suffered over a century ago, while also building a stronger, more resilient landscape for the future. This massive restoration and planning effort will serve both the users of the design and members of the nearby communities, while simultaneously strengthening habitat for native wildlife, building resiliency to annual flooding, and creating an identity for the area.

The plan calls for upwards of 80,000 acres of land adjacent to the Kankakee River to be restored, as well as returning over 400 meanders to the river’s course. The modifications to the floodplain, aside from the tremendous benefits for wildlife, increases the storage capacity of the riparian corridor by over 1000%, combatting the rising trend of devastating flood events in the area.

In addition to the restoration of the natural landscape, the master plan establishes a network of 20 different regional trails that connects roughly 40 communities and provides direct access to nearly 200,000 individuals. Running from South Bend, IN to Kankakee, IL, the Kankakee River Regional Trail System boasts 74 individualized trailheads, connected by upwards of 275 miles of trail. Aside from the main trails, the plan also proposes a number of new hiking areas and increases the access to recreational interests within the region.

This is the Kankakee River Revival.

Within the last 11 years, the South Lamar neighborhood in Austin, Texas has undergone much gentrification and decreasing of public space, pushing those who cannot afford the rising costs to the streets. Due to this, there has been a growing amount of people experiencing homelessness within the community of South Lamar that primarily stems from lack of affordable housing, not the common stigma of substance abuse. There is a need in the community to provide a space for all users to enjoy comfortability and have a sense of belonging, something beyond what nighttime shelters can provide. The project is organized into three main goals: provide safe and welcoming spaces, encourage a diversity of use and users, and promote interactions between different social classes. The project will provide a safe and welcoming space to help provide fulfilling activities for people experiencing homelessness during the day and encourage interactions between different groups of people. In order to make the project successful, partnerships with community resources such as; Austin Central Library, Next Steps Shag Solon, etc. will be formed. The significance of the project is to involve people experiencing homelessness in the local South Lamar community for them to have a sense of belonging to the neighborhood and themselves.

Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

Master Plan

 

Perspectives

 

Sections

 

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