Q+A: TowerPinkster’s Landscape Architecture Team
In celebration of World Landscape Architecture Month, we’re shining a spotlight on the creative minds behind TowerPinkster’s outdoor environments. We sat down with members of our landscape architecture team to learn more about the passion that drives their work — from favorite past projects to the delicate balance of sustainability, functionality, and beauty. They also shared insights on collaboration, design challenges, and even which plant they’d be (yes, really!).
Read on to get a closer look at the people shaping the spaces that connect us to nature and each other.
Can you walk me through one of your favorite past projects and why it stands out to you?
How do you balance functionality, sustainability, and aesthetics in your designs?
For me, it starts with an in-depth understanding of the existing site to comprehend the environmental, cultural, and social context. This ensures that designs are responsive to the site’s unique characteristics and community needs. Sustainability and aesthetics are folded into everything we do, and the balance comes out of understanding the site.
How do you collaborate with clients, contractors, and other professionals during a project?
By being good listeners. Cultivating an environment where each stakeholder’s expertise is valued leads to a collaborative and productive atmosphere and good project outcomes.
Probably a maple tree, it lives a long time, provides shade, fall color, wildlife habitat, and air filtration during its life. It then provides wood for many things and sap for syrup in the afterlife – it fits the sustainability lifestyle.
Can you walk me through one of your favorite past projects and why it stands out to you?
Lottie Oglesby Park and Pickleball Courts was a fun project to bring to fruition. I’ve recently taken up the sport of Pickleball myself, and we created a full tournament scale set of courts with lighting and adjacent amenities like a playground, basketball courts, and a picnic shelter. The best part was seeing the park come alive after the renovation and be loved by the community.
How do you balance functionality, sustainability, and aesthetics in your designs?
How do you collaborate with clients, contractors, and other professionals during a project?
If you could be one plant, what would it be and why?
Dune Beach Grass. It’s such an amazing plant because as sand piles up against it, it is able to grow roots higher and higher, thereby catching the sand and helping to restabilize disturbed areas of shoreline.
Can you walk me through one of your favorite past projects and why it stands out to you?
The Michigan Veterans Homes projects (for the State of Michigan) in both Grand Rapids and Detroit were very interesting projects. Their building and site designs together represented a much more inviting, livable space for our vets who need special levels of care. Instead of impersonal residence towers, these were single-story buildings with multiple, vibrant courtyards and numerous views to surrounding natural settings. Carefully designed into their challenging sites, these facilities should serve as a testament to the thoughtful caregiving that all of our veterans deserve and for many years to come.
How do you balance functionality, sustainability, and aesthetics in your designs?
The common wisdom is that “form follows function”, and that’s generally true in our designs. We strive, however, to use each site’s various “cues” to inform our designs’ forms in tandem with understanding its necessary and desired functions. It’s less of a linear process so that feedback, creativity, and client goals are checked and rechecked to get the best possible designs. Every project is super cost-conscious, yet we always try to keep the needs of the natural environment and the users in careful, mutual consideration.
How do you collaborate with clients, contractors, and other professionals during a project?
Although we have many meetings to gain feedback & show progress, we try to think a step ahead by carefully listening and evaluating ideas w/ our team. When construction managers need to make decisions that need to align with client goals, we’re there to help guide that process to avoid problems during construction especially. We also work closely with related team members to make sure that interior-to-exterior opportunities are maximized, thoughtful, and efficient.
If you could be one plant, what would it be and why?
Dawn Redwood trees, but in bonsai form as a miniature “forest” style configuration. These stately tiny replicas of a natural redwood forest offer light green Spring leaves borne on tall, slender reddish-brown trunks. They provide lovely dappled shade in summer, and in Fall, the deep green leaves turn an amazing orangey rust color before falling off for their winter slumber. It just feels amazing to be surrounded by real redwood forests.
Can you walk me through one of your favorite past projects and why it stands out to you?
What I love about being new to the industry and being newer to TowerPinkster’s firm is that I really get to dabble in several different projects at different phases of design, so I’m learning to love a little bit about each project. I have had the chance to see a wide range of project types and learn how each has its unique set of challenges and opportunities, deliverables, etc., and how different people approach each design experience.
How do you balance functionality, sustainability, and aesthetics in your designs?
There are soooo many cool plants out there – it’s too difficult to pick just one! But I do have an aloe plant that was initially a baby aloe that was propagated from an aloe plant that belonged to a family member of mine. Every year, I give away a few of the baby plants that take root from mine. I love how resilient it is and what an incredible legacy it has with the people I’ve shared it with.
Can you walk me through one of your favorite past projects and why it stands out to you?
A project that came to mind was unique and exciting to work on, and it was an outdoor amphitheater and performance space for a youth theater. The theater is located in a semi-industrial area, so we had the opportunity to convert an old, dilapidated, unused warehouse into a positive green space full of life and energy. The outdoor amphitheater ended up serving as a pocket park for the community and a much-needed outdoor gathering space for the youth summer camp programming. This project stands out to me because it’s a community-driven project that integrates creative expression and youth empowerment while giving back to the community both artistically and environmentally.
How do you balance functionality, sustainability, and aesthetics in your designs?
Functionality is key to a successful design; as we often say in the design world, “form follows function.” I think the TowerPinkster Landscape Team strives to find harmony between the needs of the user experiencing the space, the design’s environmental impact, and the space’s visual appeal, while not prioritizing one aspect over another. We strive to integrate sustainable design practices wherever we can, such as introducing native plants that enhance biodiversity and reduce maintenance, incorporating innovative stormwater management plans, and sourcing eco-friendly materials.
How do you collaborate with clients, contractors, and other professionals during a project?
Collaboration is crucial to a successful project. Each professional brings a unique and important expertise that contributes to the overall vision. Working closely together ensures that the site design is visually compelling, constructible, and on budget while meeting and exceeding the owner’s and stakeholders’ needs and expectations.
If you could be one plant, what would it be and why?
My favorite tree is the Serviceberry/Juneberry. It’s a small, often overlooked tree that is resilient and versatile, able to thrive and adapt to different environments, from woodlands to urban areas. It’s a native species that provides habitat and food to Michigan wildlife and has edible berries that can be incorporated into jams, pies, and smoothies! It has year-round interest, providing white flowers in the spring, purple berries in the summer, orange foliage in the fall, and a unique multi-stemmed structure that provides winter interest as well.
Can you walk me through one of your favorite past projects and why it stands out to you?
A recent favorite project is improvements to Caledonia High School’s stadium, which includes a new stepped seating amphitheater and accessible plazas. The high school band will primarily use the stepped seating amphitheater and will allow them to lead the attendees in a team spirit. The accessible plazas will overlook the football field and include curved ramps that would give all user groups a place to socialize and enjoy a snack together while watching the game. This project stands out to me because of the focus on all user groups, which creates universal access to not only amenities but also experiences.
How do you balance functionality, sustainability, and aesthetics in your designs?
Integrating sustainable features will often improve the functionality and aesthetics of the project. For example, stormwater management. A rain garden can be used to provide a sustainable alternative to underground stormwater systems. The rain garden will improve the functionality of stormwater management by allowing water to remain on site and mimic pre-project water patterns. A rain garden also has the bonus of providing aesthetically pleasing native shrubs, perennials, and ornamental grasses.
How do you collaborate with clients, contractors, and other professionals during a project?
Listening and learning from others, including other professionals, contractors, and clients, has greatly benefited my growth as a landscape architect. Taking in the experiences and lessons that others have gained from their time in the construction industry, as well as from our clients, who know their community the best, allows me to bring new insight into every project.
If you could be one plant, what would it be and why?
I think Prairie Smoke (Geum trifolium) is a beautiful and underused native perennial. When it blooms, it has these amazing little pink feathery seed heads that include a group of delicate strings reaching in all directions. It is a relatively small perennial, but when you take the time to observe it, you’ll be rewarded with a view of a mini-habit full of interesting details.
Can you walk me through one of your favorite past projects and why it stands out to you?
I did a residential landscape where the client charged me with something wildly different that stands out. Using the Fibonacci sequence and golden ratios, we develop an elliptic retention wall with planting beds stitching together the seams between the groundcover, the manicured lawn, and the wall. The site was framed with taller plants at the outskirts and native plantings closer toward the middle. Clients had some highly artistic sculptures to include as well. I had much fun designing it and seeing it come to fruition. Lots of trust needed to be built, but the client was over the moon.
How do you balance functionality, sustainability, and aesthetics in your designs?
Functionality always comes first! I like to try to use lots of native plantings and think about the changing seasons, keeping it interesting year round.
How do you collaborate with clients, contractors, and other professionals during a project?
Typically, I will ‘over design’, giving the client as much as my creativity as possible. Then comes reality, and I enjoy trying to sort out how to accomplish or actually build something practically. Discussion is good for design.
If you could be one plant, what would it be and why?
Moss. Super neat and grows on rocks!