ASLA Conference 2022
In November, Mantle took advantage of the San Francisco ASLA conference by closing our office so our whole Berkeley staff could attend. We were excited to meet landscape architects from all over the world and learn what big ideas are percolating in our field. We came away inspired and ready to have conversations about our practice and the future of our discipline!
We planned in advance so we as a team could cover a variety of sessions based on personal interests and then share with the rest of the office what we learned. We covered a lot of ground! During one Friday session Hannah was able to attend a talk on climate advocacy (led by former Mantle intern Sarah Fitzgerald!) while Ramsey attended a lively discussion led by Jane Lee on the experience of being an Entry Level practitioner and engaged with a group of young professionals about the first 5 years of professional practice. Both presentations were enlightening and sparked great conversations in our office.
While everyone was encouraged to roam the conference independently, we made sure to schedule some time to hang out at the EXPO and snapped some fun pics of our staff testing out landscape products. Our first stop was to meet with Nehama Shechter at Environment for Revit to talk about the integration of their incredible modeling plugin within our landscape Revit template. We explored how to use the software to make Revit perform more effectively for the unique ways we use the program in our practice.
(Clockwise from left) Chengyu Ke testing an mmcite bench and scoring some playful screen printed merch, Hannah Chako and Chengyu relaxing on a Vestre BLOC sun bench, the Berkeley staff chatting with Nehama Shechter at the Environment for Revit booth.
Allocating time in our busy project schedule for professional development at all levels allowed everyone at Mantle to better situate ourselves in the field as individuals and as an office.
As an entry-level landscape architect navigating the transition from a student fantasy to the reality of professional practice, the ASLA conference was a great opportunity for me to hear from both students and professionals and reflect on my growth during the past year. As a student, I was always curious about how to apply my imagination to real-world design and construction and wondered what it takes for a design to actually be built. My first year of professional practice has helped answer this question. During my time at Mantle, I have learned how to design within building codes, research and evaluate products, work within budget constraints, and navigate the construction process.
Working in a small collaborative studio provides me the opportunity to work on different phases of a wide range of projects and put my feet on the ground. As the ASLA theme said: Design a Better Future. As landscape designers we care about the built environment, different beings, and our entire planet. My experience at the ALSA conference reinforced my passion and confidence and refreshed my mindset for my career.
Here is what others in the office shared about their experience at ASLA 2022:
“The highlight of the ASLA conference for me was being able to support the professional development of everyone in the office and sponsor their attendance. It was a great way for us to collectively step back and consider more intentionally the work we are doing. This year I particularly loved hearing from the up-and-coming generation of emerging professionals who are voicing a professional mandate to ferociously tackle the climate crisis, rethink our industry’s “blind acceptance” of long work hours, and expand opportunity and diversity of voice in our profession.“
Ramsey Silberberg Founding Principal
“I observed that the overwhelming themes this year were climate resilience and social equity, rightfully so. The ideas were sometimes big, but rarely small. It feels arresting to draw the line between lofty ideas and real-world practice. But, inspired to roll up our sleeves and think about how we bring these ideas into practice on a smaller scale.”
Sarita Govani Studio Director | Associate Principal
“The ASLA conference was a great reminder that the field is always evolving and that folks at the beginning of their career (like me) can help direct that evolution. Many of the sessions led by young landscape folks addressed topics that are full of potential to transform the field. I’m looking forward to revisiting those ideas in conferences to come as they gain purchase among practitioners and the next generation of landscape architects found their own practices.
ASLA membership isn’t cheap, nor are the costs tied to conference fees and travel, especially for early-career professionals. I’m grateful that Mantle prioritizes professional development at all levels and hope our office can serve as an example for other landscape offices looking to invest in their staff.”
Hannah Chako Associate
“I attended the conference held in San Francisco in 2007, shortly after graduating with my MLA. Looking through the list of field sessions and excursions, I was struck by how significantly the work of local landscape architects has altered the public realm of San Francisco and beyond in the time that elapsed between the two conferences. Viewing the City through the lens of outsiders brought into focus the concrete impacts that our local professional practice has had in improving City life. I was reminded to be proud of the work that I and our office has accomplished and know that the Bay Area is helping to lead the way in design of affordable housing, climate resilient design, and innovative practice. “
Katy Taylor Associate Principal
I attended the conference held in San Francisco in 2007, shortly after graduating with my MLA. Looking through the list field session and excursions, I was struck by how significantly the work of local landscape architects has altered the public realm of San Francisco and beyond in the time that elapsed between the two conferences. Viewing the City through the lens of outsiders brought into focus the concrete impacts that our local professional practice has had in improving City life. I was reminded to be proud of the work that I and our office has accomplished, and know that the Bay Area is helping to lead the way in design of affordable housing, climate resilient design, and innovative practice.