Greetings from the UNM Landscape Architecture Department! The Fall 2024 semester is off to a great start, as we welcomed in a new cohort of students along with our continuing students in the two and three-year MLA programs - 28 graduate students in total. Although it seems like we just returned to campus, one third of the semester has already flown by, with Fall Break right around the corner. Now that everyone is deep into their studio projects, we would like to share some updates with the NM ASLA professional community.

Park-ing Day 2024
On September 20, the LA505 studio, with the help of SASLA, transformed a Central Avenue parking space into a vibrant oasis celebrating the Bosque. The studio designed the installation and collected fallen materials from the Bosque. Students created cutouts of local wildlife, including hawks, porcupines, and butterflies, all made in the UNM fabrication lab. With lush plants rented from a Plant World, we invited the public to connect with nature in a place surrounded by concrete and asphalt. Visitors were curious and lingered in the installation, fostering a greater appreciation for the beauty of the Bosque. Thank you to everyone who joined us in this engaging celebration!

 
Studios
This semester, the Introductory Studio LA501 cohort is building their fundamental design skills by working on ideas for a small performance pocket park in downtown Albuquerque, led by Susannah Abbey. The Indigenous Landscape Studio LA503 (led by Anthony Fettes) is engaging in their first community-based learning experience, collaborating with the Hozho Voices of Healing Center in Borrego Pass, NM. In this project, students are learning about the importance of Indigenous reciprocity and agropastoral lifeways to address food sovereignty in the Navajo Nation while providing design assistance to the Center. Meanwhile, students in their final year are working on innovative design ideas for the Peja Culture Pavilion competition in the LA505Competition Studio, led by Kathy Kambic. This international competition aims to revitalize the city center of Peja, Kosovo, transforming it into a vibrant public hotspot.

If you are interested in learning more about the studio projects or would like to be a reviewer, please reach out to us!

Department Chair Transition
At the end of this year, Katya Crawford will be stepping down as Chair of the LA Department at UNM. She will continue as Professor in the program after a much-needed sabbatical, and we are pleased to announce that Associate Professor Catherine Page Harris will be taking the reins as the new Chair. Over the past five years, Katya has brought an unparalleled amount of joy and creativity to the program, while also teaching AND running the department. We look forward to her shift back into teaching and the inspiration that she brings to all of us. Thank you, Katya!

ASLA 2024 Conference Attendance
The LA Department had a strong representation at the ASLA 2024 Conference in Washington, D.C. Six students attended, along with Katya Crawford and Catherine Page Harris. There was an UNM table at the LABash Block Party.

iPad Program
We continue to be grateful for the NM ASLA coordinated donations for purchasing iPads in 2021. Thank you to the generous support from Dekker, Pland Collaborative, Surroundings Studio, Consensus Planning, and Richard Bumstead. Over the past three years, these tools have provided numerous students the opportunity to enhance their skills and showcase excellent hybrid, digital, hand-drawn graphics.

Coming in 2025
In the next newsletter, we will share some of the great things that are in the works for 2025, including UNM SA+P celebrating 50 years.