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In this episode of Landscapes Unmuted, Divine and Macy explore their personal journeys with tea, discussing its cultural significance, the rituals surrounding it, and how it connects to landscape architecture. They share their dreams of designing tea gardens that reflect diverse cultures and serve as community spaces. The conversation emphasizes the importance of tea as a form of self-care and personal expression, while also highlighting the stories behind the tea and its connection to the land. Chapters 00:00 The Journey of Tea Appreciation 05:18 Cultural Connections Through Tea 12:05 Tea as a Gateway to Landscape Architecture 22:36 Personal Rituals and Self-Care with Tea 29:25 Finding Lightness in Difficult Times 29:50 Introduction to the Podcast and Hosts 30:21 Collaboration and Inclusivity in Landscape Architecture

Maci and Divine explore the complexities of entrepreneurship, focusing on the intertwining of personal identity and professional life. They discuss the challenges of vulnerability, community support, and the emotional facets of being an entrepreneur. Key Themes Entrepreneurship requires navigating personal and professional identities. Community support is crucial for sustaining entrepreneurial journeys. Building a multi-passionate business is possible and fulfilling. Chapters 00:59 Reflecting on Five Years of The Landscape Nerd 04:27 The Intersection of Personal Life and Professional Identity 19:04 The Importance of Community and Support 24:52 The Intertwining of Life and Work 29:49 Unexpected Ease in Public Speaking 30:52 Embracing AI in Entrepreneurship 41:51 The Importance of Emotional Expression 51:49 The Challenge of Sharing Personal Stories 56:06 Setting Accountability and Challenges for Growth

In this episode of Landscapes Unmuted, Divine and Maci explore the concept of success, and redefining it. They discuss the traditional stereotypes of success and the challenges they present to keeping people in the field. The conversation emphasizes the need to redefine success to include personal well-being, work-life balance, and community impact. Then they close out the episode by sharing their definitions of success, celebrating achievements, and sharing their dreams for the future. Key Themes Redefining success is essential for more diverse perspectives in Landscape Architecture. Exploitation in the industry begins during education, where students are expected to prioritize work over well-being. The narrative of needing decades of experience to be considered good is limiting and harmful.  Redefining success involves finding balance and joy. Dream big. Success is a personal journey that evolves. Chapters 08:11 Challenging Stereotypes of Success 14:38 The Impact of Gender Dynamics on Success 19:55 Understanding Exploitation in the Field 30:40 Personal Redefinitions of Success 39:01 The Shift from Production to Impact 45:05 Centering Joy and Balance 49:52 Collaboration and Self-Knowledge in Success 57:20 Celebrating Achievements and Community 01:01:47 Dreaming Big: Personal Aspirations and Goals

In this inaugural episode of Landscapes Unmuted, hosts Maci Nelson and Divine Ndemeye introduce their new podcast, discussing their backgrounds, the importance of collaboration, and the challenges of navigating mental health and burnout in the design field. The conversation highlights their commitment to creating a healthier, more inclusive environment in landscape architecture and design. Maci and Divine both host their own podcasts, The Landscape Nerd, and Design Unmuted respectively. You can follow their work in the links below ⁠Remesha Design Lab⁠ @design_unmuted ⁠The Landscape Nerd⁠ @thelandscapenerd ⁠Transcript for the episode ⁠ Key Themes Collaboration is key to overcoming challenges in the design field. Mental health awareness is crucial for a healthier work culture. Personal identities shape our perspectives and work in design. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Landscapes Unmuted 03:02 The Journey of Co-Hosting 06:02 Personal Backgrounds and Identities 09:11 The Importance of Collaboration 12:01 Navigating Burnout and Mental Health 14:50 The Power of Community and Support 21:12 Defining Success and Personal Growth 24:10 Designing a Life of Ease 39:41 Celebrating Milestones 41:48 Writing Ourselves into the Narrative 47:02 Asking for Opportunities and Collaboration 49:07 Claiming Our Talents and Multiple Passions 01:06:12 Final Thoughts and Future Episode Prompts

On this episode with Landscape Designer Michelle Gagnon Creeley, we start off with a discussion on mental health and working culture in design education, and dive into her practice in design and mutual aid working with unhoused communities in Vancouver and Seattle. We bring housing issues into the realm of landscape architecture and unpack how parks have served as homes and spaces for survival. Dive in to learn how design is used as a social tool to support unhoused communities through community care-centered design processes. You can watch a clip of this episode on the design unmuted youtube channel here and follow us on Instagram @design_unmuted The production of this episode is supported by the Real Estate Foundation of BC (REFBC) . REFBC - a philanthropic organization working to advance sustainable land use and real estate practices in British Columbia, Canada. They do this by funding projects, connecting people, and sharing knowledge. REFBC grants support non-profit organizations working to improve BC communities and natural environments through responsible and informed land use, conservation, and real estate practices. REFBC is particularly interested in land-use projects that contribute to the upholding of Indigenous rights and title and racial equity and justice. Learn more at www.refbc.com. Thank you for all of you who come back to listen to Design unmuted. Here are some ways to continue showing support: - Subscribe to my newsletter and to Design unmuted on your podcast listening app - Support the production of this podcast by being a Patreon member or making a donation - Write a review & Share the podcast with a few people

Join us as  we unpack the stories behind our exhibition; Sustaining Apertures, currently on view at the Or Gallery from March 7 to July 6, 2024. Together Colin and I share all about our collaborative journey and discuss food security in relation to the land, intersectional conversations around environmental justice, place-based design, and architecture in contemporary art. Colin Berg Mbugua is a Kenyan-Canadian artist, researcher, and architectural designer. He holds both a Masters and a Bachelor in Architecture. Mbugua’s practice, Kagvr, founded in 2021, engages multidisciplinary contexts that draw from traditional architectural practices while engaging experimentation through collaboration and cross-cultural exchange. You can watch a clip of this episode on the design unmuted youtube channel here and follow us on Instagram @design_unmuted "The Sustaining Apertures artist podcast is co-presented with Design Unmuted, Or Gallery, And-Co Community, and the Real Estate Foundation of BC (REFBC) . REFBC - a philanthropic organization working to advance sustainable land use and real estate practices in British Columbia, Canada. They do this by funding projects, connecting people, and sharing knowledge. REFBC grants support non-profit organizations working to improve BC communities and natural environments through responsible and informed land use, conservation, and real estate practices. REFBC is particularly interested in land-use projects that contribute to the upholding of Indigenous rights and title and racial equity and justice. Learn more at www.refbc.com. Thank you for all of you who come back to listen to Design unmuted. Here are some ways to continue showing support: - Subscribe to my newsletter and to Design unmuted on your podcast listening app - Support the production of this podcast by being a Patreon member or making a donation - Write a review & Share the podcast with a few people

Saba Farmand, a landscape architect,  talks about his passionate project that documents the boulevard gardens in East Vancouver and the stories behind the people who take over these public boulevard spaces and turn them into gardens. Through this project, Saba aims to build more urban literacy, environmental education and most importantly putting Landscape architecture into the community. This will be a great inspiration for those who want to have impact in their local communities in simple yet powerful ways.  You can watch this episode on the design_unmuted youtube channel here Follow Saba’s project on instagram at: eastvan_blvd_gardens Recorded on: August 29th, 2023 The production of this episode is supported by the Real Estate Foundation of BC( REFBC)- a philanthropic organization working to advance sustainable land use and real estate practices in British Columbia, Canada. They do this by funding projects, connecting people, and sharing knowledge. REFBC grants support non-profit organizations working to improve BC communities and natural environments through responsible and informed land use, conservation, and real estate practices. REFBC is particularly interested in land-use projects that contribute to the upholding of Indigenous rights and title and racial equity and justice. Learn more at www.refbc.com. Thank you for all of you who come back to listen to Design unmuted. Here are some ways to continue showing support: - Subscribe to my newsletter and to Design unmuted on your podcast listening app - Support the production of this podcast by being a Patreon member or making a donation - Write a review & Share the podcast with a few people

I am happy to launch the first conversation of the podcast season TRANSFORMING with Patricia Algara and Jose Leal. In this conversation Patricia and Jose share the ways in which they engage with their design practices in a meaningful way, engaging their spiritual practices into their work as a means to restore balance, connections to the cosmos and to reclaim their own indigeneity and agency. Tune in to learn their about their practices and the ways in which you can connect and engage more meaningfully with your own work. Patricia Algara is the Principal & Co Founder of Base Landscape Architecture and Founder of With Honey in the Heart . After working for a women’s rights organization on community empowerment projects, she earned a Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture in order to bring together participation and the built environment. Patricia is a shamanic counselor, a frame drummer, a landscape architect, a bee priestess Jose Leal is  Principal, Landscape Architect Director of Native Nation Building Studio at MIG. José has a passion for truth-telling, considers humor to be good medicine. His Mexican and Indigenous heritage lead to Jose’s passion for Indigenous landscape architecture and celebrating how diverse Indigenous people have adapted to their natural environment.  The production of this episode is supported by Anova Furnishings-who is on a mission to enhance landscapes and strengthen communities. They offer a variety of high-quality, functional outdoor site furniture products and styles to fit your project and budget. See more at www.anovafurnishings.com where you can shop online now or search for a local rep. Thank you for all of you who come back to listen to Design unmuted. Here are some ways to continue showing support: - Subscribe to my newsletter and to Design unmuted on your podcast listening app - Support the production of this podcast by being a Patreon member or making a donation - Write a review about the podcast - Share the podcast with a friend and within your network

Announcement of the new podcast season called TRANSFORMING where I share about this theme and what you can expect over the next few months. I also tell you all about the new direction my Art and Design practice have taken this year.

In the second part of our conversation, Dr Diane Jones Allen talks to us about her practice Design Jones LLC, and her work in designing and building grassroots community driven projects. Diane shares the unique ways she has practiced Landscape Architecture in a non corporate way. We talk about the challenges that Black folks face in the profession; from being a student, practicing in academia or in private practice.  In this episode, I also share about my  Graduate Thesis project; Bujumbura 2050, where we used an Afrofuturistic approach to design the future of vertical urban spaces in Bujumbura.  Diane is currently working on her upcoming book "The Maroon Landscape: A Cultural Approach to Climate Resiliency" to be published by the MIT Press in 2024. Tune in to also learn what Maroon landscapes can teach us as we envision a more resilient future. Dr. Diane Jones Allen is a principal landscape architect of Design Jones, LLC, and  Program Director for Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs, at the University of Texas at Arlington.  This episode was originally recorded in December 2020.

In this first part of our conversation, Dr Diane Jones Allen shares with us about Maroon landscapes; communities that were established by Black communities who during the time of the middle passage during slavery, jumped off ships and freed themselves by moving, hiding and stewarding the swamps. These communities were said to have “marooned” themselves. Tune in to hear the stories of maroon landscapes in symbiotic relationships with black resiliency, coastal resiliency and black imagination through times of slavery, colonization, and liberation. We also discussed the pedagogical failure and opportunity in Landscape Architecture education.

In this episode, our guest Ashley Jane Lewis shares her work with Slime Tech Lab in using slim mold to promote equitable distribution of social justice, mutual aid, and wellbeing in local communities. We also discussed the messed up state of tech industry and social media platforms; and how understanding of slime mold behavior could inform the imagination of an alternative practice of intentional coding and community building towards spaces of care.

In this episode, my guest is Krystal Paraboo; an art historian and curator, community builder, communications specialist and activist. Krystal and I talk about decolonizing art spaces, curatorial activism, afrofuturism and we nerd out a bit on Harry Potter (mostly Krystal). We talk about work, productivity and mental health. Krystal also shares all about the Black Strathcona Resurgence Project which centered Black storytelling through public murals.

Continuing the conversation from part 1 on how Walter built his design career and creative ethos, this second part, we talk about the importance of making beautiful socially responsible work and the ways in which we ought to find ways to tell the truth in design. He calls this a prophetic aesthetic. We also talk about the pains of living as black people in a world full of racism, his latest art projects, and mostly a lot of laughter. Walter Hood is an award winning designer, artist and the creative director at Hood Design Studio. Hood Design Studio, Inc., is a social art and design practice based in Oakland, California, founded in 1992.