Celebrating World Landscape Architecture Month

Over the past month, Bohler joined The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and millions of others in celebrating the landscape architecture profession. Using innovative problem solving and mindful design, landscape architects play an important role in creating engaging outdoor spaces. Scroll through the Q&A’s below to hear from some of our Landscape Architecture team members.

Travis North, RLA
Sr. Landscape Architect Project Manager
Chalfont, PA

What inspired you to become a landscape architect?

In high school, I worked with a landscape architect to build a prayer garden as an Eagle Scout project. At that point, I was considering a career in architecture, but I was mesmerized by the idea of designing with building blocks that can grow and evolve. I ended up in the landscape architecture program at Temple University in Philadelphia, a hotbed for the field.

What do you enjoy most about landscape architecture?

I enjoy the problem-solving nature of it. Working to meet the needs of the space while incorporating the subjective desires of our clients is a dynamic challenge that doesn’t exist in many fields. As landscape architects, we are problem solvers, creators of space, and pathways between disciplines.

What’s a notable project you’ve worked on?

Riverworks​ in Phoenixville, PA is a high-end apartment complex on a historical property. Our team designed the exterior common areas including the pool area, an outdoor clubhouse courtyard, a dog park, and a portion of a large public trail system. To maintain the historical character throughout the site, we worked closely with the developer to identify existing elements we wanted to use in our designs, including sandstone cliffs and an old railroad tunnel.

Leslie Fanger, RLA, LEED AP
Sr. Landscape Architect Project Manager
Southborough, MA

What inspired you to become a landscape architect?

I was in the ninth grade when I became the first female in my town to take technical drafting. I LOVED it! My drafting teacher suggested landscape architecture—a profession that combines art, science, and technology. I knew it was the profession for me, and still is!

What do you enjoy most about landscape architecture?

No two projects are the same. Every day presents new design challenges and successes. I also love sharing my knowledge of plants and design with interested coworkers and friends, and putting my knowledge to use on my own property.

What’s a notable project you’ve worked on?

The Central Avenue Playground​ in Everett, Massachusetts. I love the design of the park because it provides a unique urban space for residents, children, dogs and their owners to be outside in a safe, durable, and beautiful environment.

Greg Mascola
Landscape Architect
Warren, NJ

What inspired you to become a landscape architect?

I was always fascinated with building and designing things. I knew right away I wanted to become a landscape architect in college, upon meeting the professors and really understanding a landscape architect’s role in designing the built and natural environments and impacting communities.

What do you enjoy most about landscape architecture?

I love seeing how people interact with spaces and the built environments. As landscape architects, we often try to anticipate how people will utilize and interact with spaces, and when you see how they’re actually used and how they function, the results may be quite surprising.

What’s a notable project you’ve worked on?

Montgomery Promenade, a 53-acre shopping and entertainment development in Montgomery, NJ. I led the team in designing the main promenade and outdoor seating areas and providing landscaping and lighting services for the entire site. With the design, we navigated the Township’s concerns about separating the center from nearby residences, while meeting the client’s mixed-use needs and adhering to the neighborhood restrictions. I’m eager to see it completed, as it’s just five minutes from where I live!

Nick Georgas, PLA
Assistant Project Manager
Northern Virginia

What inspired you to become a landscape architect?

I always had a passion for architecture, but in high school I realized I wanted a career that would bring me outside. Landscape architecture allowed me to learn architectural design and apply it to the outdoors, in both the natural and built environments.

What do you enjoy most about landscape architecture?

Applying mindful and sustainable site design to the land development industry is an enjoyable challenge in my career. Working collaboratively with civil engineers to make the built environment meaningful for the future has been one the best parts of working as a landscape architect at Bohler.

What’s a notable project you’ve worked on?

I worked on master planning and rezoning for Field at Commonwealth, a 21-acre mixed-use development that includes a shopping center and townhomes in Chantilly, VA. I helped define the various pedestrian-focused elements and the overall layout of the project, as well as the placement of the plaza. Our team effectively balanced commercial and residential space, maximizing the density of both, while still creating a memorable pedestrian experience.

AJ Colasurdo
Design Engineer
Atlanta, GA

What inspired you to become a landscape architect?

When I visited Rome in high school, I was inspired by the beautiful public spaces. The thought of creating a physical experience within a public space by the placement of plant material and hardscape was captivating. I later took a horticulture class, in which I created a landscape design for the high school’s front entrance. After that, I was hooked.

What do you enjoy most about landscape architecture?

I enjoy thinking creatively to solve critical issues. While I’m involved in more civil site design nowadays, my landscape architecture background enables me to provide a different perspective for our clients’ developments.

Read about one of AJ’s notable projects, The Marty Mason Showroom, as well as more highlights from Bohler’s landscape architecture project portfolio.