Approach
Walking onto a site for the first time, I start processing what I see. I take note of my immediate impressions, watching how I instinctively negotiate my way around - what I choose to avoid, for instance, and where I choose to linger. I watch for views that catch my eye, where I feel exposed and where I feel protected. I am a detective searching for clues as to what has happened over time. How have natural forces shaped this place into the landscape that I see today? What traces remain of the people who have been here before me? All of this, I believe, is pre-existing on the land. It is my job as a landscape architect to find and then reveal these characteristics in compelling ways.
There is no specific style to my work; my designs, however, are typically understated and always contextual. Good, thoughtful design is balanced with environmental impacts. My goal is to combine the local ecology with the aspirations of my client, architectural elements, budgetary considerations and regional context, creating a unique response that will fit with place and people.
The site designs I create are not final products: they continually change, organically, over time, as will the people who use and maintain the land. Collaboration is encouraged at the start and throughout the design process. As my involvement decreases in a project those who have a stake in the landscape are already in place and can easily take the design forward, making it their own.
I want to.........
work with people I like,
do what I can to protect our planet,
have challenging work but, have enough free time to ......not work,
be creative, and
feel that I do not have to impress anyone but,
impress some people just the same.
- Susan Wisniewski, RLA