Portfolio: I'm Doing Grape

This project was part of an advanced GIS class I took at the University of Idaho. The goal was to determine where suitable growing conditions for wine grapes could be found within a number of north Idaho counties. (Spring 2011)

Personal Interest in the Field:

I have fond memories of rearranging furniture, moving shelves, and organizing things in my room. As a child I remember measuring all of the furniture and plotting it to scale on graph paper. I would then sketch new arrangements and determine whether they were practical or not. While some thought my actions were unnecessary, to me the arrangement of elements in design and space are similar to solving a puzzle. That is why landscape architecture is so appealing to me. I have a wife and three small children, so I understand the importance of providing through hard work. I spent long summers working and managing crews for a lawn care company in Rexburg, Brent’s Lawn & Leisure. I understand the importance of computer technology in the horticulture field, and have spent a year working on campus updating web pages, trouble shooting, and insuring computer software function. I am currently employed by Maurice Brown, of Stone Creek Landscape, designing and installing landscapes which include hardscapes, planting, sprinkler systems, and water features. For certain projects I am responsible for client consultation and generating both hand rendered and computer-aided designs.

Undergraduate Preparation:

As a horticulture student at BYU-Idaho, I have acquired a firm foundation in the elements and principles of design. I was taught the fundamental tools and skills required for success by excelling in the following key courses: Advanced Landscape Design, Plant Identification, Construction Materials, Landscape Construction, and even Floral Design. These challenging courses provide hands-on opportunities for production and design. I have personally grown and sold my own bedding plants, constructed brick-paved walkways and patio steps through the campus experimental gardens, created a hardening-off area for the production students, and even designed flower sculptures for our annual Flower and Bridal Show. Proficiency in the proper use of landscape materials, time management, preparing bids, meeting deadlines, communicating effectively, and working together as a team, are skills that are common place for me now. Throughout my years at BYU-Idaho, I have taken extra science courses (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Anatomy & Physiology, etc.) and still maintained a 3.6 GPA.

Graduate Work:

I am currently enrolled at the University of Idaho pursuing a double degree in Landscape Architecture. This degree option allows me to take classes for both the Bachelors and Masters degrees offered by the department of Landscape Architecture. I expect to graduate in the spring of 2011. I have had the opportunity to participate in various studio projects which have included work on memorial parks, plaza designs, recreation fields, revitalization projects, learning centers, and even the Earth from Above event scheduled to take place in New York City sometime in the next few years. My skills and abilities as a Landscape Architect have improved greatly through enrollment in Plant Identification, Landscape Graphics, Landscape Construction, Professional Practice, Research Methods, and over half a dozen Landscape Studios. I have also developed proficiencies in AutoCAD, Google SketchUp, Photoshop, InDesign, and GIS.