getting settled in chicago (1)
Hey y'all!
I hope this finds you well and I'm looking forward to more posts and updates from you guys. As some of you know, I started working at Hoerr Schaudt on their Continuing Landscape Management (CLM) team! I've been here for about a month and I've already seen and learned so much.
The CLM team is something a little different – not a lot of firms have a whole team dedicated to continuing management and maintenance. Between seasonal rotations for containers and plant beds, design and planting enhancement plans, tree care and maintenance, and just general upkeep, our team is always busy!
I've gotten to work on a range of projects and I've been out on site a lot since I started working. I've been to a few sites around Chicago and its suburbs, including North Park University and Graceland Cemetery, I've been to estates in Michigan with views out over the lake, and I've been to a few houses in Newport, Rhode Island. Right now, we're doing a lot of fall rotations, which means I'm going out on site to do layouts for containers and plant beds, usually with contractors. What's different about my job is I'm actually getting in the dirt and soil and planting a lot of these annuals + perennials, especially for smaller residential projects. I'm happy to get my hands dirty and in the soil so often.
Is this what I thought I would be doing out of college? Not really. Sometimes I wonder if I should be getting more standard ~landscape architecture experience~ ...since my job is so specific to annuals + perennials, furniture, and seasonal displays, I feel at times like I'm missing out on gaining experience on the stuff we went to school for. But I think the trade-off is being able to go on site and have a better understanding of how designs age and develop after construction. Sure, I'd like more experience in the design realm, especially with more public facing projects, but I have my whole career. Not like I'd be designing as an entry level LA anyways. I also thought I'd be doing more to expand on my capstone. It would've been really cool to continue my research and learning about mycology and really add something to the field, but I have no idea how to make that step. Maybe sometime down the line.
In terms of my personal life, it's been great to explore the city and meet a bunch of new people. I've been going to concerts and various parties, practicing urban sketching, going roller skating, getting better at cooking, reading at the park, going to local markets, and finding good restaurants around my part of town. I'm excited for ASLA next week, is anyone else going?
I hope this finds you well and I'm looking forward to more posts and updates from you guys. As some of you know, I started working at Hoerr Schaudt on their Continuing Landscape Management (CLM) team! I've been here for about a month and I've already seen and learned so much.
The CLM team is something a little different – not a lot of firms have a whole team dedicated to continuing management and maintenance. Between seasonal rotations for containers and plant beds, design and planting enhancement plans, tree care and maintenance, and just general upkeep, our team is always busy!
I've gotten to work on a range of projects and I've been out on site a lot since I started working. I've been to a few sites around Chicago and its suburbs, including North Park University and Graceland Cemetery, I've been to estates in Michigan with views out over the lake, and I've been to a few houses in Newport, Rhode Island. Right now, we're doing a lot of fall rotations, which means I'm going out on site to do layouts for containers and plant beds, usually with contractors. What's different about my job is I'm actually getting in the dirt and soil and planting a lot of these annuals + perennials, especially for smaller residential projects. I'm happy to get my hands dirty and in the soil so often.
Is this what I thought I would be doing out of college? Not really. Sometimes I wonder if I should be getting more standard ~landscape architecture experience~ ...since my job is so specific to annuals + perennials, furniture, and seasonal displays, I feel at times like I'm missing out on gaining experience on the stuff we went to school for. But I think the trade-off is being able to go on site and have a better understanding of how designs age and develop after construction. Sure, I'd like more experience in the design realm, especially with more public facing projects, but I have my whole career. Not like I'd be designing as an entry level LA anyways. I also thought I'd be doing more to expand on my capstone. It would've been really cool to continue my research and learning about mycology and really add something to the field, but I have no idea how to make that step. Maybe sometime down the line.
In terms of my personal life, it's been great to explore the city and meet a bunch of new people. I've been going to concerts and various parties, practicing urban sketching, going roller skating, getting better at cooking, reading at the park, going to local markets, and finding good restaurants around my part of town. I'm excited for ASLA next week, is anyone else going?
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| client's garden |
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| container before planting |
I hope you are all doing well. Thanks for reading!
-ellen
❤❤❤
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