TELCS

10/09/2026

I don't normally post clips from realtors, but this tour of a Cliff May home perfectly illustrates what I will be speaking about tomorrow at Resort-O-Rama in Santa Rosa. This indoor/outdoor relationship is so important here in California, and it's scalable. We might not all have such a luxurious pool, but look beyond it to the successful details that make our California lifestyle the envy of so many other places.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1426243466133791/?mibextid=CDWPTG

06/28/2026

This is a great example of an elemental design challenge, using forced perspective.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXvUMqzulSr/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

06/18/2026

Excellent news! Maybe this advancement will encourage more students to consider a career in landscape architecture, and selfishly, the courses I teach that are also driven by sustainability subjects.

https://www.facebook.com/100063673745855/posts/1640415414757568/?mibextid=CDWPTG

Historic news: West Valley College is launching its first-ever bachelor's degree.

The new Bachelor of Science in Land Stewardship and Sustainability will create an affordable pathway to careers in conservation, sustainability, and public land management while allowing students to earn a four-year degree close to home.

Building on our nationally recognized Park Management Program, this milestone represents a new chapter for West Valley College and our commitment to expanding access to high-demand careers.

Read the full announcement at westvalley.edu/first-bachelors-degree

06/07/2026

This is an awesome green wall! I do not say that lightly, because I'm unimpressed with most green walls I have seen in California and abroad. But I have been observing this one for the better part of twenty years, and it continues to thrive...at a home improvement store no less!

Green walls are part of a growing design solution for improving our outdoor spaces by going vertical. They are not just aesthetic. Successful designs are engineered green infrastructure in support of building insulation, storm water capture, and a host of ecological benefits. Like many good intentions, however, many can easily fail due to poor installation and ongoing maintenance and watering requirements. This one is the exception for using a well-designed structural system that allows for healthy root development.

There are still more affordable options that reduce both water use and maintenance requirements. Vines clinging to supports will produce a similar effect just not as dramatic. Rooted in the ground rather than elevated in an engineered soil means they retain water longer and never have to be transplanted or replaced. So, while this green wall offers a great example of one done well, there are less costly alternatives.

06/04/2026

I do not expect readers to take time out of their day to listen to this interview, but I wanted to dedicate some space to it. Nevermind the contrasting but thoughtful energy between the interviewer and interviewee, I feel as though I'm hearing my younger self, especially at the 20-minute mark when they discuss landscape architecture. I wish, however, he spent more time talking about his anthropology background. Anyway, some things just don't change, and yet, it is insanely rare for me to identify with another in my chosen career.

Cultivating Place from North State Public Radio on NPR One | 1:04:32

05/06/2026

Yes, but the title doesn't give credit where credit is due to landscape architect Lawrence Halprin. Thankfully, his leadership is given a worthy explanation in the article.

With his classmates Charles Moore, William Turnbull Jr. and Richard Whitaker, he designed an icon of modern architecture on a windswept bluff in Northern California.