January 2020 Newsletter
ASLA UTAH JANUARY 2020 NEWSLETTER
UPCOMING EVENTS
Leadership Express
Lauren Smith, Chapter President
Happy New Year ASLA Utah!
I hope everyone has been enjoying all the snow we’ve received this January! ASLA Utah has gotten off to a great start for the new year. Hopefully those of you who attended the Annual Winter Social had a great time! We had an amazing turn out this year to thank all of our sponsors for their support. If you missed out, you can read more about that event below from Adam Castor, Activities Committee Chair.
This month, we also hosted the first USU Spring Speaker Series Watch Party! Thanks to everyone who came out to watch Simon Bussiere speak and stuck around for a social hour afterwards. We’ll continue to host Watch Parties for the remainder of the Spring Speaker Series at the ASLA Utah office (refreshments provided). We’re hoping to get a larger turn out for these events, please note that the Watch Party’s are taking place in SLC at the ASLA Office. Look at the Events Page for upcoming dates.
Nate, Boyd, Jenny, JoEllen and Seth all attended the UNLA Green Expo this month. Seth Bockholt has been spear heading an effort for more collaboration with ASLA and UNLA. We are really looking forward to teaming up and sharing resources with each other to provide more to our members. You can read more from Seth about this collaboration below.
Ali Lewis, VP of Advocacy has been working hard on planning our inaugural Advocacy Breakfast with our state lawmakers that will be hosted on February 12th. This event will be held in conjunction with AIA Utah. This event is capable because of one of the two Advocacy Grants we were awarded this year! Congratulations to Ali and everyone who’s helped out with ASLA Utah’s Advocacy efforts! If you are interested in being involved in the ongoing advocacy efforts at the state and local level, get in touch with any of the Executive Committee members and we can help get you involved!
News from ASLA National
2020 ASLA Honors
Nominations for 2020 ASLA Honors are now open! Categories for nomination include:
ASLA Medal
ASLA Design Medal
Community Service Award
Jot D. Carpenter Teaching Medal
LaGasse Medals
Landscape Architecture Firm Award
Landscape Architecture Medal of Excellence
Olmsted Medal
ASLA is introducing a new honor to recognize the outstanding and innovative contributions of emerging leaders in the field.
The new category will recognize an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and considerable contribution to the profession of landscape architecture, the prospective recipient’s community, and/or a firm or design team; early in one’s career. To be eligible, the individual must be within the first 10 years of their career and have a degree from a landscape architecture program recognized by ASLA.
Nominations are also open for ASLA Honorary Membership.
The submission deadline for all nominations is Friday, February 7, 2020. Visit the above links for more information. Please direct any questions you have about the nomination process to Makeeya Hazelton, ASLA’s Honors and Awards Coordinator, at honorsawards@asla.org or 202-216-2331.
Career Discover and Diversity
Encourage family, friends and educators to explore summer camp fun with landscape architecture!
Share the excitement of landscape architecture! Send your family, friends and teachers in your community to ASLA's Summer Camps, Competitions and Enrichment Programs webpage. Programs are available for students in grades K-12. Registration deadlines are approaching! https://www.asla.org/ContentDetail.aspx?id=56560
Support Landscape Architecture Students in Your Network! Send Scholarship Deadline Reminders
Do you know a student interested in landscape architecture? Do you know a current landscape architecture student? If so, remind them that funding support is available! Send them to ASLA's Scholarships and Fellowships webpage. Application deadlines are approaching fast. Access the webpage at https://www.asla.org/scholarships.aspx
As always, if you have any ideas or concerns regarding the direction of our chapter, please reach out, we’d love to hear from you!
Cheers!
Lauren Smith
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT ENDS TODAY!
REGISTER NOW!
Annual ASLA Utah Conference on Landscape Architecture
Friday, May 15th, 2020
Gateway Mall, Salt Lake City
We've chosen The Gateway as the venue for the conference. Most of you are probably aware of the history of the Gateway. In the not so distant past, it was the premiere commercial space in Salt Lake City. A few years passed, circumstances changed, and The Gateway appeared to be doomed.
With some fresh investment and a creative vision, new life was breathed into The Gateway. It emerged from the ground and crawled right out of the graveyard! The ADAPT theme for the 2020 ASLA Utah Conference on Landscape Architecture is very fitting for this venue and for our role as landscape architects.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Winter Social Wrap Up
Adam Castor, Activities Committee Chair
Despite busy schedules and it being a work and/or school night for most of us, approximately 80 chapter and committee members, sponsors, students, and faculty were able to get together for the 2020 ASLA Utah Winter Social on Thursday January 23rd.
The evening kicked off at 7pm with drinks of all kinds, socializing, and mingling, which was followed up by a great offering of catered Lebanese food from Laziz restaurant. During the dinner hour, past president Bryce Ward introduced this year’s chapter president Lauren Smith, who then gave a warm welcome to the group, acknowledged our generous sponsors and new committee members, and spoke about the upcoming 2020 chapter activities.
The good times wrapped up after dinner with Aggie ice cream, brought by the students and faculty that made the trip down from Logan, and a bit more socializing and mingling. The evening was a fun kick-off to an exciting new year of ASLA Utah chapter activities and socializing opportunities. A special thank you to the sponsors and Executive Committee members for making it happen.
Cheers!
Advocacy Update & Opportunity
Ali Lewis, Vice President of Advocacy
On February 12, 2020, ASLA Utah and AIA are combining forces for an inaugural Advocacy Breakfast on Capitol Hill with lawmakers as a part of the 2020 Annual Legislative Session for Utah. This will be a fantastic opportunity to meet with representatives and talk about issues that impact our professions.
The breakfast will provide a space to meet with lobbyist and legislators to discuss issues that are important to you. It is also an opportunity to communicate how we may be a resource to legislators, as many do not have experience with landscape architecture or understand its importance to the health, safety, and welfare of the general public.
VP of Advocacy Ali Lewis met with representatives from AIA, AGC and ACEC for lunch in January and discussed the upcoming legislative session that is to commence January 27th. The purpose of the discussion was to identify any bills that might concern landscape architects, architects, contractors and engineers.
At this juncture, many bills aren’t published online, so we’re not yet aware of any legislation to track. As these become available, we’ll follow up with our members so you are made aware of relevant legislation. Last year, many of you emailed us personally to identify bills you found concerning and we encourage you to do the same this year. The more eyes we have tracking this session the better!
If you would like to be personally involved on the hill, during the entire General Session (from January 27-March 12), AIA’s Government Affairs Group will meet every Wednesday at 8AM in the East Senate Cafeteria to touch base.
UNLA Green Expo Wrap Up
Seth Bockholt, President Elect
Forging stronger relationships with our allied professions is one of our chapters ongoing efforts. Contributing to this effort has been one of my privileges so far serving the chapter. It’s always fun to see old friends and meet new ones. This month I was able to do both in one place for three days straight! I’m talking about the annual Utah Green Industry Conference.
Besides exploring the forests of booths, there was some awesome opportunities to learn from some of the Industries leaders giving at their lecture series (The words Green and Industry just don’t seem to jive). I digress. There were several ASLA Utah members, and landscape architects speaking too.
There was so many courses I decided to attend the ones that featured a landscape architect, but inevitably I couldn’t see attend even all of those because there were overlaps. Perhaps at the top of my list going into the conference was also the first event of the conference on Monday. A Panel discussion titled “Contractor/Landscape Architect/Owner Relations: We’re All on the Same Team”. It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, as smoothly. Projects aren’t always executed as smoothly as we want either, so I was excited to learn from this discussion. Greg Graves of JUB, and Mathew Winward of G Brown were the LA Panel for the discussion.
Takeaways included:
-Be sure to have a Prebid meeting with good discussion about the projects design intent as well as areas of concern. Show that you will be an asset to the project as it continues.
-Contractors like a mandatory Prebid. They can size up their competition and know whether the work effort required to prepare a meaningful will be worthwhile. While Owners and LA’s worry that they will be limiting the field. A mandatory Pre-Bid is a show of good faith, and seriousness.
-Frequent and frank communication up and down the proper channels are necessary for a successful execution. Respond quickly, even if just to say you need more time to respond meaningfully.
-As-builts should really be a coordination with contractor and LA. Contractor providing Redlines and LA digitizing or revising them in CAD.
Later that afternoon from 3:00-3:50. There was a double offering of both Rain Bird’s Brady Pitcher and USU’s Kristofor Kvarfordt, so that was hard to decide between. Brady was speaking on “Wiring & Wire Connector Basics” and Kristofor on “Using Storm Water as an Asset” I chose Kristofors course (No offence Brady!). I Probably picked Kris’s course because it was raining that morning and there was a giant stream of water coming from a parapet scupper and falling onto a cobble area just outside the North entrance when I came in that morning. I thought, what a wasted opportunity for a rain garden.
On Tuesday, Jordan Valley Water Conservancies Cynthia Bee (who also just spoke at TED SLC on Local Scapes) focused on “Gathering Areas”. At the same time Clark Bell of Biograss a long-time sponsor of our chapter spoke about the future of Turf Management. The trade show opened at Noon. It was a really busy show with some good interest in our booth! I met old friends and made some new ones.
Wednesday was a busy day, the morning wake up was with Josh Sundloff of Babcock Scott & Babcock. He gave a course on Lien laws. “You did the Job-Now, Get Paid” and USU’s Jake Powell discussed Site Analysis “Building a great Landscape” then Later on Red Butte Garden’s resident Landscape Architect Kevin Jensen spoke on “Balancing Maintenance and Design.” A delight, to be sure.
It all wrapped up at 2:00 Wednesday afternoon. The three days were a whirlwind, but totally worth it. Especially considering it only happens once a year. I had a great conversation with Cameron from Progressive Planting about Contract growing for your design palette. There is some cool potential there I am considering my practice.
It was also a great chance to meet many nurseries and growers, and see what the trends are. I left with an armful of availability listings and catalogs, that I can’t wait to drill down into!
If you didn’t come this year, be sure to follow UNLA and mark your calendars for next year. More La’s should take advantage of the opportunity.
We are very grateful to Diane Mower-Jones, Meeja Fortie and Russ Jacobsen along with the Utah Nursery and Landscape Association Board for their gracious accommodations. We look forward to finding more ways to partner with them in the future. I hope you will all find the time to get involved with UNLA, and contribute in some way.
LARE Prep // Looking for a LARE Study Group?
Kyle Funk, Emerging Professionals Chair
Registration for the April LARE is open!!
Registration will be open January 13 - March 13
Cancellation deadline: March 13
April Exam Fees:
Sections 1 (Project and Construction Management) and Section 2 (Inventory and Analysis): $365 per section
Sections 3 (Design) and Section 4 (Grading, Drainage and Construction Documentation): $570 per section
Text "LARE" and your name to Kyle Funk at 435.535.5083 to join the Section 1 group message.
Study groups for all other sections are still being formed.
Email Kyle Funk at kyle@loftsixfour.com for more information.
Also check out these these webinars made available by National for purchase.
Newsletter Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors for their continued support!
Special Thanks to ASLA Utah 2020 Sponsors
**Click Here to become a Sponsor**
Platinum Sponsors
BioGrass | Rain Bird | Victor Stanley
Gold Sponsors
Live Earth Products
Silver Sponsors
Amcor/Belgard | Ameristar | Anova | Chanshare Farms
Hunter/FX Luminaire | Landscape Forms | Live Earth Products
LuckyDog Recreation | Utelite | Vortex Aquatic Structures Intl.
Bronze Sponsors
AMIAD | Confluence Products | Delta Stone | Forms + Surfaces
GPH Irrigation | Garrett & Company | Graber Manufacturing Inc.
Hess Pumice | Inman Interwest | IRONSMITH
MUSCO Lighting | Omega II Fence System | PlaySpace Designs
Sonntag Recreation | Starker Parson | TORO
Learn More About Our Sponsors
Thank You USU LAEP Students for bringing the Famous Aggie Ice Cream to the Winter Social!