Design

My UW journey began with design. On admission, I planned to join my interests in ecology, community, and engineering in the field of architecture. I dove into architectural drawing with my first architecture studio class, ARCH 200, in Autumn 2020. The assignments were fascinating, rewarding, and strenuous.

*Glenn Murcutt’s Marika Alderton house, drawn for ARCH 200 final project.*

After some consideration, I chose to pursue landscape architecture due to its greater focus on ecology. I applied for the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture major and was admitted to begin in Fall 2022. Like the architecture classes I took early on, Landscape Architecture has been challenging, yet rewarding.

*Miguel Symonds Orr’s 2022 headshot for the College of Built Environment’s directory*

Design projects in my UW years have flowed in and out of the classroom since the beginning of my studies. In Autumn 2020, I was living with my family in Prosser, Washington. The sun was a deep orange due to wildfire smoke as I dug beds for a native plant garden at my parents’ home.

*The smoky air of the site where I would later plant a native garden, taken in Fall 2020*

*The plan for a native plant garden at my parents’ house*

*A bed in the author’s native plant garden in July 2022, which was planted in Fall 2020*

Several further projects have developed my design experience significantly outside of the classroom – a couple are pictured below.