The Penn Landscape Architecture Reader 2020

So admist all the Covd-19 chaos there is still a little hope of learning. The Landscape Architecture department put together a light list of readings for quarantine. This was originally released during the extended spring break. I have posted it now as it is a relatively long list and perfect for summer! The Collected Poems of Wallace Stevens – Wallace Stevens, Alfred A Knof,…

PennDesign Summer Lectures

If you are missing school already, or just curious to get a particular professors insight, PennDesign has set out a series of lectures for the summer. There are lectures in every department on almost every day of the week. I am particularly interested to see how these lectures progress as the topics are undetermined or at least unannounced in advance. The closest you or…

Summer Reading!

For a quick pool side read to a thrilling page turner that keeps me up at night I am always looking for good literature. Here I have compiled a bit a of a split list, partly scholarly educational and partly ad hoc suggestions from those close to me. Reading List 1: This list was compiled by the landscape architecture department, all the faculty and…

Free Swag!

School pride costs little in spirit and a lot in its physical form! Those Penn shirts, sweaters, scarves are upwards of $30 a piece. That’s easily a weeks worth of groceries! So when there is a chance to get a little Penn branded stuff free I go for it. Today from 10-11 am in the mezzanine of the Wietzman School lobby ( where the…

Student Futures

This evening was a wonderful example of how student voices matter. The Landscape Architecture department, in looking to the future of the curriculum, called a townhall to discuss how to better the program. At the townhall students heard from Chair Richard Weller about weaknesses in the past, current weaknesses, and unique opportunities to expand. Some of the key notes were a need to focus…

Spring Classes Begin!

Hi again all!! I know I have been a bit silent recently. I am happy to be back however and have sooooo many stories to share! In the next week or two I’ll be recapping the major highlights of the last semester as well as the whole career/job section of this blog. In more current news I am back in architecture for a semester….

Externship 2020

Back and better than ever, this year the externship program has expanded to include several landscape architecture firms. I am very excited for everyone who was placed in an externship. 75 students competed for only 30 positions! Like last year the crunch to complete and submit all materials was intense. Portfolios, resumes, and statements of interest needed updating. Firms needed to be researched. Making…

PIWA’s Mentorship Program

A lot can be learned from a mentor, particularly one in a position you have yet to be in.  This past year I joined PennDesign’s PIWA Mentorship program. I hoped that I might learn something about the field of architecture and the internship search process that I hadn’t learned through my own research. My mentor was extremely kind, very available, and super helpful! I…

Summer Reading

This list will be updated as I find more resources worth pursuing. Summer is a chance to explore ones own interests outside of class requirements. There are many ways to explore an interest, one good way is to read up on it. Any Google Search can pull up list upon list of potential summer reads. Below I have listed a few that have caught…

Architect’s Weekend Out

  Falling Water: https://fallingwater.org/ Ohiopyle State Park: https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/OhiopyleStatePark/Pages/default.aspx Flight93: https://www.nps.gov/flni/index.htm Falling Water is a classic house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The number of times this house alone is mentioned in a school setting makes it one of the top buildings on any architects travel list. I probably would never have considered a visit if I hadn’t been inundated with the praises and wonders…