Prior to establishing ParkerRodriguez, Inc. (PRI) in 1996, Trini Rodriguez was principal of the nationally recognized planning and landscape architectural firm HOH Associates, Inc.

Ms. Rodriguez has worked as an architect in Venezuela, as a designer with EDAW and has taught in the Landscape Design Program at George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

Ms. Rodriguez is a registered landscape architect in Virginia. She is a LEED certified planner and architect with a variety of experience ranging from building design to small and large-scale urban design, landscape architecture and master planning.

She has managed and designed master plans for projects throughout the U.S. and abroad. She has interdisciplinary expertise that has served a broad spectrum of public agencies, institutions, private developers and corporations. She is fluent in Spanish, French and English.

Education:
Bachelors of Architecture, 1980, Universidad Central de Venezuela
Master of Landscape Architecture, 1983, University of Pennsylvania
Certificate of Urban Design, 1984, University of Pennsylvania
Master of Appropriate Technology for Development, 1985, University of Pennsylvania
Master of Regional Planning, 1985, University of Pennsylvania

Awards:
Tree Conservation Award for Outstanding Commitment to Tree Planting at The Falls at Flint Hill, Fairfax County, Virginia, 2012
Puerto Rico NAHB Award for Planning, Parque Escorial, San Juan, 2001
Virginia NAHB Community of the Year, Farrcroft, Fairfax, 2001
American Planning Association Merit Award NEAC, Prince William County Context, Issues and Strategies, 1995

360 H Street, Washington, D.C.
360 H is a recent addition to the Atlas District, located just blocks from the U.S. Capitol and Union Station in Washington, D.C. This project is a 6-story mixed-use development featuring 215 residential units and 42,645 sq. ft. of retail. The landscape architect led the design of the streetscape and amenity courtyards through construction. The design incorporates a private second level residential amenity terrace directly associated with the clubroom, and a 7,500 sq. ft. roof terrace with exquisite views of the U.S. Capitol and Union Station.

Fort Totten Square, Washington, D.C.
The landscape architect revitalized the Fort Totten neighborhood through streetscape design and two private resident courtyards with modern amenities. This once vacant parking lot is now a neighborhood with residential apartments, above ground floor retail and a verdant streetscape with strong pedestrian corridors.

Halstead Square, Merrifield, Va.
Known for difficult traffic and unwalkable thoroughfares, this four-block development within walking distance of the Dunn Loring Metro station, has transformed warehouses and service yards into restaurants, three residential buildings and a future hotel. While the developer's (DSF Group) original plan called for the entire streetscape to have retail on the ground floor, the recession made that unrealistic. The team converted the ground floor at the main plaza to mostly residential and bookended it with retail. The challenge was to build an inviting place from a plaza void of retailors and bisected by a street and surrounded by residential units. A bold elliptical form stitches the sides together and embraces a slightly sunken garden. Rock outcroppings and fountains bring nature into the space. The sound of water, shade of cypresses, wispy ferns, and craggy boulders beckon and enliven the space.

Modera Mosaic
Set 20 feet above the streetscape, the Modera Mosaic residential courtyards offer great views of Strawberry Park. The north courtyard includes a pool, spa, activity lawn, performance nook, outdoor kitchen, bar and large screen TVs. A retractable Nanawall allows the interior clubroom to expand onto the terrace. Custom design elements include an integrated fire band, water feature, shade arbor, gas lanterns, and LED light boxes made of laser cut metal and acrylic panel. The south courtyard is a garden retreat with rolling topography and drifts of native grasses and perennials. Twig benches provide seating and act as retaining walls so that appropriate depths of soil can be bermed to support trees above the podium. A fire pit, demonstration kitchen and communal table encourage gatherings. Private patios have also been integrated into the design.

Q & A

1. What was the pivotal or motivating factor(s) that made you choose a career in landscape architecture?
After I received my architectural degree in Venezuela and started work, I learned about Ian McHarg and about his work in the environmental field with his book Design with Nature. I was lucky enough to be able to pursue graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania where he taught. He and the faculty really opened my eyes to this profession in a comprehensive way, from the larger regional scale planning with an emphasis on environmental sustainability to the more specific site oriented designs at more human scale.

2. If you had not become a landscape architect, what profession might you have pursued?
When I was deciding on a career, my father encouraged me to be an architect because in my country it was considered a field for women. Many of the other fields were clearly dominated by men. I graduated as an architect first and worked a few years before returning to graduate school in landscape architecture and urban design. This was a deliberate choice. I think I always wanted to be in the design field, the variety of the work and its ever-changing challenges and conditions fascinates me. Our work deals with many aspects from design and aesthetics to the very technical. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind spending time making flower arrangements and forgo a bit of the stress and pressures of this work environment.

3. What do you most enjoy about being a landscape architect?
I enjoy creating places for people. It is very rewarding to see the impact that it has in people's quality of life. As designers of the outdoor environments, we transform and work with nature to create spaces that enhance our everyday experiences and the cities we live in. The healing power of nature offers humans an outlet to the pressures of life and we are the facilitators by bringing this power into our design and the spaces we create.

4. Do you think women landscape architects generally get the same respect as their male counterparts? Have you experienced any discrimination because of your gender within the profession or by clients?
I have not explicitly experienced discrimination in this field, but we work closely with other professions that are dominated by men and in many circumstances it is clear that our profession and what we do is not always looked upon with the same degree of importance as other aspects in the development world. This is definitely a profession where women can and have excelled. This is not limited to landscape architecture and it is obvious that women have also demonstrated the ability to compete on equal terms with men in all fields. But there is still plenty of work to be done to achieve the equal treatment women deserve.

5. When you first meet people not affiliated with the profession and explain that you are a landscape architect, how do you describe what you do?
I mostly work in urban environments so I explain how we create and shape all kinds of outdoor spaces. These are the places that people use on a daily basis, where they live, work, shop, socialize and recreate. They should delight and be memorable, while also being functional and socially and environmentally responsible.

6. What in particular do you attribute your success to?
I have been extremely fortunate to work with a talented and wonderful team of professionals. But it is important not only to be a good designer and have the technical skills, but to be a good communicator. To be effective professionals we need to not only design successful spaces, but implement them to completion. This requires organization, discipline, collaboration and hard work. Since the day we started our firm I have undertaken my duties and designs with an incessant energy and excitement. Through the good times and the bad I fully enjoy what I do and this attitude permeates into our office culture and helps us establish a unique relationship with our clients.

7. What is (are) the most important contribution(s) made by landscape architects in the field of design today?
Landscape architects have been at the forefront in pushing to curb environmental degradation while promoting and creating sustainable environments. We have had a strong hand in the creation of green infrastructures that help our cities, suburbs and rural areas restore, protect and mimic the natural cycles. I also believe that landscape architects are strong collaborators we often work with a large team of professionals. We are good listeners and collaborators and work well with our clients and colleagues.

8. How has the landscape architecture profession changed since you first began working in the field?
When I first started in the field, Ian McHarg's emphasis on environmental sensitivity and using nature to guide how development and human interventions occurred was recognized but not widely applied. I believe that with the clear evidence of climate change we can no longer ignore his legacy and environmental sustainability is now becoming a ubiquitous principle. In addition the design of our urban environments is changing rapidly and we have been able to take advantage of new technologies, new materials to create spaces that satisfy the needs of this 21st century society. We are creating urban spaces that make more efficient use of resources and technology, foster inclusion and celebrate our diverse society.

9. What career advice would you give to recently graduated landscape architectural students as they enter the profession?
I would encourage new graduates to seek a variety of experiences that would expose them to a wide range of scales and types of work; to be collaborators and understand how our profession interacts with architects, interiors designers, engineers and contractors, among others. This will allow them to get a comprehensive view of how our work affects and is affected by these other disciplines. As professionals we never stop learning and I would encourage new graduates to visit places, ancient and new, in their cities, in our country and around the word and analyze them and experience them. Our world is changing fast and our profession is evolving with it as well.

As seen in LASN magazine, November 2016.

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