Landscape architecture students showcase new ideas

Recent landscape architecture graduate Claire Touze-Shawaf has
visions of a children’s park near LAX without any metal
monkey bars or slides. Her model involves a miniature Stonehenge
that helps kids spot certain stars, and grass mazes just tall
enough for small children to completely submerge.

Touze-Shawaf doesn’t see such a park being built in Los
Angeles in the near future, but many of her ideas may make their
way into later projects as she proceeds into the professional
field. Like her, 10 other graduates of the UCLA Extension Landscape
Architecture program have ideas to implement in future projects,
and their creations are on display at the UCLA Extension Landscape
Architecture exhibit which runs until Nov. 14.

Formally named the “Exhibit to Show Work of Next
Generation of Landscape Architects,” the exhibition
highlights the final thesis projects of 11 graduating seniors and
also features works by first- through third-year students.

“The thesis projects are a lot of work,” said Aya
Michaely, a prospective graduate for next year. “We have the
freedom to do anything we want.”

With a full-time job as mother to her 12-year-old son, Tyler,
Touze-Shawaf managed to finish her degree with a colorful
presentation incorporating personal insights specially catered to
children. She replaced traditional metal playgrounds with elements
from nature in hopes to fully utilize its natural wonders.

“There is no change in the man-made architectures that
dominate typical parks, and playgrounds (have) become boring for
the kids,” said Touze-Shawaf. “I think the limitless
diversity of nature would be so much better for
children.”

Like Touze-Shawaf, Nancy Greene is another graduate from the
program determined to improve life with nature.

Inspired by the many field trips to the city center with her
class, Greene designed a large central park system for downtown Los
Angeles. “People who live in the city still need connection
to the nature, so I thought of the Central Parks in New York and
decided to design something similar to that,” she said.

After finishing her project, Greene contacted the City Council
for a chance to present her ideas, although there have been no
responses yet. “It’d be doubtful that anyone can do the
entire project, but I at least want the opportunity to present it
to people and get them to think on a bigger scale,” she
said.

While most of the thesis presentations at the exhibition are
only conceptual, a class project called the “Whitney Canyon
Park Project” carries great probability to be realized
because of invested public interest. The Community Redevelopment
Association (CRA), an organization affiliated with the program,
allotted 35 acres of a recently purchased parcel of land in L.A.
for the project.

“The class was looking for somewhere that’s
pristine, and that area is just perfect for them,” said
Stephanie Landregan, a graduate of the same program in 1993, who is
now the chief landscape architect for the CRA.

“The students’ goal is to make the land a
comfortable sanctuary for farm animals instead of a place for
temporary stay before sending the animals to
slaughterhouses,” she said. “It’d be a great
learning experience for people to realize that farm animals have
feelings, too.”

With that goal in mind, the team of students and faculty will
continue their efforts to create the sanctuary after the show.

The UCLA Extension Landscape Architecture Exhibit is located
at Westwood Center on 1010 Westwood Blvd. Call (310) 825-9414 for
more information.