Rooted in Agriculture: A Conversation on UConn’s Landscape Architecture Program

Sam Clemente So Charlotte and I were talking earlier, but I was wondering if we could go around and introduce ourselves. I’ll start. I’m Sam. I’m a third-year civil engineering major with a minor in landscape architecture, focused on water resources. I’m part of 112, which Zach and I are involved with, and I’m also the conference director for LaBash.

Zach Curry I’m Zach. I’m a fourth-year undergraduate at Knowlton, studying landscape architecture. I’m the president of LaBash. Sam and I work on the magazine together, and we’ve been talking with different people and chapter leaders to compare and contrast different programs.

Charlotte Simari That’s cool. I’m Charlotte. I’m a fourth-year landscape architecture major at UConn. I’m the president of the Connecticut student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. I have a minor in ornamental horticulture. I don’t really have a specific concentration yet, but I’m interested in public works—parks and similar projects.

Sam Clemente Awesome. Did you want to start, Zach? I don’t have anything right now.

Zach Curry Yeah. I was looking at your curriculum, and you mentioned the horticulture minor. I saw that you’re required to take horticulture electives like planting courses. We don’t really have anything like that. We have one ecology course early on, but after that, specialization isn’t really required. I was wondering—how much planting design is in your curriculum? Is it a major focus?

Charlotte Simari Definitely. I think it’s heavier at UConn than at a lot of other schools because we’re an agricultural school. Landscape architecture is housed in the agriculture department, so we cross over a lot with plant science. If students enjoy those required plant courses, they’re often encouraged to pursue the ornamental horticulture minor since it fits well. We also have a full planting design course where we talk about planting strategies and learn a lot about native Connecticut plants. If you end up working in Connecticut or the Northeast, you graduate with a strong working knowledge of regional plant material.

Zach Curry Yeah, we get pretty familiar with Midwest plants here. It’s interesting to hear that you’re the first program we’ve talked to that’s so strongly rooted in the ag school. We’re technically in an ag context too, but we’re not nearly as science-focused.

Sam Clemente For anyone interested, landscape architecture has all these different threads—engineering, history, ecology, science. For students who are interested in something outside of planting, is there space to explore that? Or is there any pushback because the program is in the agriculture school?

Charlotte Simari I wouldn’t say there’s pushback. We have students working on stormwater projects with civil engineering majors, and we even have someone doing a minor or dual degree in accounting. The program is pretty flexible, and we try to expose students to as much of the field as possible—whether that’s financial, ecological, historical, or technical. Because we’re a smaller cohort, professors get to know students personally and often tailor projects to individual interests. They’ll say, “You don’t have to do this, but since you’ve shown interest in this area, I’m going to push you a bit in that direction.”

Sam Clemente And since you’re in your fourth year, are you exploring any of those interests more deeply in your projects now?

Charlotte Simari I’ve been really interested in play design for a while. I’ve done multiple projects involving playgrounds or smaller play areas. When I talk to professionals about it, they sometimes point me toward material or industrial engineering, focusing on the physical playscape elements. I met the author of The Nature of Inclusive Play—I’m blanking on her name right now—and she said the fields are definitely related, but play design is pretty niche. It’s something I love exploring academically, but professionally I’m staying open to different opportunities after graduation.

Zach Curry I wanted to ask—since you’re interested in play design, do your studios reflect that? What’s the typical studio theme like? Ours are very ecology-heavy: animal habitat, brownfields, remediation, hydrology. We were supposed to have a play design studio, but it got changed, so we don’t really have that option anymore.

Charlotte Simari Our studios are more general and focus on skills you need across many project types. This semester we’re doing community planning, which is more high-level and recommendation-based rather than pure design. Last semester we focused on program development with community engagement. A lot of our work is community-oriented and focused on public spaces. Our more detailed learning happens in construction and graphics courses, often through case studies rather than studio projects. Last year we did a multifamily residential project in Hartford, which was interesting because it required balancing green space, neighborhood context, and urban conditions.

Zach Curry I was also curious about cohort size and faculty ratio. I saw that there are around 60 undergraduates total. How much individual attention do students get from faculty? Our ratio started around 1:12 and is closer to 1:15 now.

Charlotte Simari It can be challenging at times, especially for faculty managing many students at once. Students who ask more questions tend to get more attention, but professors are generally very available. I’ve seen professors respond to late-night emails within minutes, which always surprises us. Overall, I don’t think anyone lacks access to faculty support if they reach out.

Zach Curry That’s funny—our professors email us late at night too, and we’re like, you should not be working right now.

Charlotte Simari They’re very approachable. They could definitely use more support staff, but no one is ignored. If you make it clear you need help, they’ll always respond.

Zach Curry Do faculty know students by name? We talked to a program where cohorts were large and faculty didn’t really know their students personally.

Charlotte Simari Yes, they absolutely know everyone by name. I’ll get emails from faculty saying, “I saw this and thought of you.” They’re very tuned into individual interests and are some of the most hands-on professors I’ve experienced.

Sam Clemente Thinking big picture, where do you hope landscape architecture education improves over the next 10 years?

Charlotte Simari From an education standpoint, I’d love to see more involvement with professionals. A lot of students are non-traditional and want professional-focused education. More professional-led courses and greater project variety would be helpful. We do a lot of community and public work, which I enjoy, but many students want more residential exposure, especially given the Connecticut market. It’s harder logistically, but I think it would be valuable.

Zach Curry Do you have opportunities to visit firms or take professional practice courses?

Charlotte Simari Yes, we have a professional practice course, and we do get engagement with professionals, especially through ASLA and CTASLA events. Scheduling can be tough since students and professionals work the same hours, but conferences and local chapter events are great networking opportunities. Professors are usually flexible about letting students attend those events.

Sam Clemente It sounds like there’s a real community within a community.

Charlotte Simari Definitely. Professionals are very welcoming to students, and once you start attending events, you see familiar faces, which makes networking much easier.

Zach Curry Do most graduates stay in the Northeast, or do they branch out elsewhere?

Charlotte Simari Most stay in Connecticut or nearby states like New York and New Jersey, especially right after graduating. I know of a few who’ve gone farther, including one on the West Coast, but many stay local.

Sam Clemente Before we wrap up, do you have any questions about LaBash?

Charlotte Simari Yeah—if you had to recommend three things on the schedule that people shouldn’t miss, what would they be?

Sam Clemente Our keynote speaker, Julia Watson, is a big one. She’s releasing new work from her book Low-Tech Water, and it’ll be the first time it’s presented publicly. Our sessions are another highlight—this year’s theme is more refined and focuses on the different threads that make landscape architecture unique, including engineering, ecology, and play design. And lastly, the Ohio Stadium tour.

Zach Curry I’d add the Thousand Trees gallery opening. That’s been in the works for a long time.

Charlotte Simari We had a few people make trees for that—it was fun.

Sam Clemente Awesome. If you have any last words or fun facts, we usually end with that.

Charlotte Simari I have a cat named Noelle. She’s white, and we got her and her brother, Snowball, for Christmas—so they’re our Christmas cats.

Zach Curry That’s cute.

Sam Clemente Perfect ending. We’ll follow up with you soon.

Charlotte Simari It was so nice to meet you both.

Zach Curry Nice to meet you.

Sam Clemente Good luck, and thanks again.