November 2020 Newsletter
ASLA UTAH NOVEMBER 2020 NEWSLETTER
UPCOMING EVENTS
ANOVA: Virtual LA CES™ Webinar Inclusive Design for Outdoor Furniture Thursday, December 3rd, 12:00pm
Credits: 1.5 PDH-HSW REGISTER HERE
CONGRATULATIONS! 2020 ASLA Annual Professional Awards Program. CLICK HERE to see Awards Video
Victor Stanley: Virtual LA CES™ Webinar Public and the Pandemic Speakers: Gina Ford and Brie Hensold
Credits: 1.5 PDH-HSW On-Demand. REGISTER HERE
Leadership Express
Seth Bockholt, Chapter President
I am very happy to be writing my first newsletter as President of the Utah Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects! I am very honored to be allowed to serve you in this role and grateful to have learned from so many great leaders that have come before me. Thank you Lauren Smith, Colin Olsen, Bryce Ward, and Tina Gillman especially for your professional example, mentorship, and encouragement to get involved! It has been a lot of fun so far, and I am very excited to keep the momentum!
I also want to give my thanks to a few friends and colleagues who helped me establish a career in this profession. Thank you Greg Graves, Jeremy Fillmore, and Bruce Maw for all you have taught me, and continue to teach by example through your work!
To all our members let me say, I hope that the coming year will be a transformative time for our chapter. We will continue to adapt! Our Virtual Conference was a resounding success! Thanks Colin!. Lauren Smith has also adapted with all the uncertainty and presided over the Executive Committee with great results. Our Chapter Is stronger than ever, and finally positioned to do some heavy lifting. As incoming President it will be a lot of work to meet our potential. I ask each of you to consider volunteering more of your time to our cause. We need you now. What is our cause, you may ask? I ran for this position with an agenda to return to the basics, reminding us all why ASLA exists in the first place. Remembering our 'Why', and where we have come from will help us safely adapt to a new environment as we chart our path towards the future in 2021. You may be surprised to know that in 2022 AIA will be celebrating their 100 year anniversary. Founded in 1899 ASLA is now over 120 years old! Also in 1899 the use of voting machines were approved by the US congress and the cholera pandemic broke out of Russia and began to spread throughout the world. Sounds slightly familiar. Also in that year, Marshall Walter Taylor “Major” won the sprint event in cycling at the World Track Championships in Montreal Canada becoming the first African American to be recognized as a World Champion in any sport!
The stated purpose of the Society at its founding in 1899 was for the "…advancement of knowledge, education, and skill in the art and science of landscape architecture as an instrument of service in the public welfare. To this end the Society shall promote the profession of landscape architecture and advance the practice through advocacy, education, communication, and fellowship." This ‘purpose’ is our ASLA “Why” statement. It is why we are each members, and as members each of us has made a pledge to this end.
You may not recall but when one joins our society one is asked to read, sign and date this statement on the application: “I hereby agree to abide by the principles contained in the Society’s Constitution, Bylaws, and Code of Professional Ethics and affirm that the information contained in this application is true, correct, and accurate to the best of my knowledge.”
I plan to have more engaging discussions around this foundation of our society in the coming years; individually and as a group. I also hope you will have a moment during the coming holiday breaks to re-visit the commitment you have made as a member of this organization.
You can find the ASLA Code of Ethics here: ASLA Code of Professional Ethics & ASLA Code of Environmental Ethics
There is a lot of work for us to do in order to advance this practice through advocacy, education, communication and fellowship. Especially in Utah where an Engineer or Architect can stamp a planting plan in lieu of a Landscape Architects stamp. We need your help to move the needle in this effort! In the past year we have made a lot of progress in forging strategic relationships with ULI, AIA, ASCE and UNLA. We want to continue to foster these connections, while building new ones with more affiliated organizations. With your help we will be in a positions to propose changes to the laws in this state that will carve out more space for our expertise allowing us to improve the built and natural environments for our communities.
Please consider getting more involved! I can tell you from personal experience that your membership will be more rewarding and you will make lasting friendships by serving on a Committee or running for office within our ASLA Utah.
This year I hope there will be a few positive changes to the governance of the Utah Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Here is an outline of what is on the near-term agenda for the Executive Committee:
1. Approval of a 2021 Budget in December, funding our committees. Executive Committee will discuss and vote on the adoption of a new budget that will give discretionary funding to our Committees. This will push our resources to the front-line and allow our volunteer leaders to create and fund projects to the betterment of our members!
2. There are currently 8 committee positions available for appointment. I want to fill all of these roles by the new year. So, if you wish to get involved please reach out to me! I may be coming after some of you too!
Alison Lewis, VP of the Education and Licensure will be joined by Cameron Blakely serving as Member at Large for the Emerging Professionals Committee which will also be changed to the 'Advocacy Committee'. This committee also needs +1.
JoEllen Grandy, VP of Membership & Member Services will be joined by Tyler Smithson as the Member at Large for that committee and will head up the Awards Committee. This committee also needs +1.
Creation of a Sponsorship Committee that will be chaired by outgoing Treasurer Brady Pitcher. This is vital to our financial success as a chapter as sponsors account for over 70% of our revenue. I hope this committee can change our market strategy to capture more diversity in our sponsors. Keeping exclusivity for some of our long standing sponsors while providing more opportunities for our sponsors to connect in a meaningful way with our members.
3. Once committees are filled in January we have some amendments to the Bylaws that need to be looked at that will mainly change the nomenclature of the committees.
I want you to know, that during my term as president any changes to how we as a chapter operate will be guided by our Societies core values. I also want there to be openness and transparency. We work for you! Please know that you can call or connect with me anytime to discuss your concerns or ideas.
Thanks for reading and I hope you and your family have a wonderful Holiday Season! - Seth
Get to know our newest Executive Committee Members
UASLA: Why did you choose Landscape Architecture as your profession?
CAMERON: For as long as I can remember, I have a passion for design and for urban landscapes. I grew up in rural Idaho, which gave me a deep love for the outdoors and for how society interacts with nature. Since pursuing the profession, I have become increasingly invested in social issues and how landscape architecture can help address some of the problems we face in the world.
TYLER: I chose this profession because of a mentor I had growing up who was a Landscape Architect. Throughout my life, I was actively recruited to help out on various design + build projects around the neighborhood. These experiences taught me the value of improving our connection with the world around us and the importance to be good stewards of the land.
UASLA: Tell us about your educational background and any past professional experience.
CAMERON: I graduated from Utah State in 2011 and worked at Design West in Logan while attending school. I interned with Design Workshop in Tahoe, WOW Architects in SLC, and currently work at LOCI.
TYLER: I attended Auburn University in Alabama. There I had an amazing opportunity to study emergence theory in Landscape Architecture. This informed my thesis research of brownfield regeneration through topographical disturbance which leads to creation of microclimates. This research was informed by the sustainable principles of remediating industrial sites with ecological interventions rather than hauling off contaminants and capping with engineered fill. This background has greatly influenced my professional practice by directing a “do it there” approach to projects by using salvaged materials and on-site elements as the basis of design for the various program elements.
UASLA: How do you presently practice Landscape Architecture?
CAMERON: I am currently a designer at LOCI. I have had the opportunity to work at a variety of scales and project types such as community planning, park design, development guidelines, and site design. I am passionate about growth and development along the Wasatch Front and hope to continue finding ways to make a positive impact here.
TYLER: I have a broad platform of experience in my practice that extends from single-family residential to transportation oriented development planning projects throughout Utah. This ability to have a spectrum of clients across multiple disciplines is thoroughly engaging and keeps professional practice interesting. In the past few years, I have increasingly been drawn to regenerative design through urban agriculture. This has resulted in a greater understanding on how improving soil biodiversity and our relationship to the food web can have lasting impacts on your health and lifestyle.
UASLA: What project have you been involved in that you take great accomplishment in and why?
CAMERON: The first project I was placed on upon arriving at LOCI was the Village 9 Masterplan at Daybreak. I was sort of thrown right into the middle of it all and asked to start documenting the design, creating 3D models of the project, and designing and redesigning areas as the project progressed. It will probably be one of the first projects built that I have been able to work on. I am incredibly proud of the collaborative work that we did on it as an office; it ultimately resulting in an honor award with the ASLA.
TYLER: Recently, I was involved in the construction of a tiny home that was built using red list free materials and passive solar design methods. This was a collaboration between Architectural Nexus, who designed and built the residence and a non-profit called Fresh Start Ventures, who helps place former inmates into accessory dwelling unit housing and facilitates their reintegration back into society. The home was designed to meet the standards of the Living Building Challenge which promotes the most advanced measurement of sustainability in the built environment.
UASLA: What is a project outside your design influence that impacted you greatly and inspires you?
CAMERON: This could be a dangerous rabbit-hole to go down, so I will pick one of the most recent projects to inspire me. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Washington DC after many years. I was able to see and appreciate with new eyes the planning and design of the mall space and adjoining public areas. The Vietnam memorial struck me as I had recently learned about the process it took to build it. It is such a profoundly simple design, but probably the most impactful memorial I visited. I hope to find ways to bring that same powerful simplicity to projects I work on.
TYLER: The Rural Studio in Hale County, Alabama empowers citizen architects and volunteer architecture students to build sustainable housing using local materials. The project that I find most inspiring is the Mason Bend Community Center which features an atrium constructed using car windows as glazing. This sparked my interest in salvaging atypical construction materials and using them in ways that are innovative. “Proceed and be bold.” Sam Mockbee
UASLA: What are your top three goals that you would like to accomplish while serving on the ExCom Board?
CAMERON: I hope to find ways of creating a stronger community of emerging professionals and students. I look forward to creating a committee that can help create solutions and offer support for the struggles that recent graduates often face. And lastly, I want to find ways of connecting emerging professionals with the local community to make a positive impact.
TYLER: 1. To recognize and celebrate Landscape Architectural project excellence and the people behind them for ASLA Utah. 2. To help promote the profession by highlighting winning projects that demonstrate outstanding quality, leadership, and initiative. 3. Facilitate connections amongst Landscape Architects to promote inspiration for tomorrow's design challenges.
Messy yards = happy birds (and insects!)
By: Cooper Farr Tracy Aviary Director of Conservation
For those of you who have been putting off raking leaves, pulling old plants, and cleaning up your brush piles: I have some good news for you. Keeping your yard in a slightly “messy” state is actually a great way to help out local in sects and birds. Here are a few things you can do this fall and winter to maintain an ecologically healthy yard:
1. Leave the leaves! If you can, avoid raking altogether. Leaf litter provides important winter cover for many in sects. Butterflies, moths, bees, spiders, snails, worms, bee tles, millipedes (and more) all live inside and under fallen leaves. These insects are important food sources for birds, amphibians, turtles, and small mammals. Check out Xerces.org for more information about insects, leaf litter, and their #LeaveTheLeaves campaign.
2. Don’t send leaves to the landfill: If you do decide you need to rake up leaves in your yard, don’t bag them and send them to the landfill. Instead, drop them in a flower bed or around your landscaping shrubs. Leaves help fertilize the soil as they break down.
3. Build a brush pile: Keep fallen branches around and build a brush pile for birds and other wildlife. You can even add your Christmas tree to the pile. Birds will use the pile to take cover from predators, find protection from the elements, and use as a staging area while feed ing at your bird feeders.
4. Keep native perennials standing: Even though they might not look as pretty into fall and winter, try and leave your native perennial plants standing in the yard. Gold finches and other birds will spend the winter feeding off of seed heads from plants such as Sunflowers if they are left standing in the yard.
In this instance, doing less work is actually better for the environment. Be lazy this winter and keep those leaves and plants around!
Special Thanks to ASLA Utah 2020 Sponsors
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 | LuckyDog Recreation | Utelite
Bronze Sponsors
AMIAD | CES&R | Confluence Products | Contech | Forms + Surfaces | GPH Irrigation
Garrett & Company | Graber Manufacturing | Hess Pumice | Inman Interwest | IRONSMITH Maglin | Miller Companies | Omega II Fence System | PlaySpace Designs | Sonntag Recreation Starker Parson | TORO | Vortex Aquatic Structures Intl.
