Jagger Javenes ’18 (CAHNR) has had an artistic bent since childhood, which has guided his career as a landscape architect.
“Being outside, traveling, and expressing my creativity have always been passions of mine,” Javenes says. “So between the artistic expression, the ability to connect with nature, and the exposure to new places and cultures, Landscape Architecture was a perfect fit for me.”
Javenes was looking for a college experience that contrasted with his small town upbringing. “I knew I wanted to go to a big school, and I knew I was looking for landscape architecture,” he explains. “And knowing that UConn was going to provide me with a great education – plus its reputation as the ‘Basketball Capital of the World,’ I was all in.”
But despite the size of the University, the landscape architecture program offered more of an intimate experience with small studio classes.
“While I was initially expecting that large classroom experience, there was something special about the intimate setting of the program,” Javenes recalls. I loved that it was one-on-one with the teachers. Myself and the other students always felt like we got the attention we needed, and feedback was always provided.”
This experience also prepared Javenes for collaborative, team-based work that closely mirrors his role today as Vice President at EDSA, a global planning, landscape architecture, and urban design firm with offices around the globe.
“Because the program at UConn was smaller, I became comfortable working in close-knit teams,” Javenes says. “Even while we each focused on our own projects, the studio culture fostered strong relationships. When I joined a larger firm like EDSA and began working within smaller project teams, the experience felt familiar and natural.”
One summer while studying at UConn, Javenes recalls joining a group of classmates on an architectural study trip through Europe led by Peter Miniutti, now emeritus faculty. The experience proved formative, helping set the trajectory for his future career.
“We weren’t just sightseeing,” Javenes says. “We spent a lot of time sketching and creating analysis diagrams to understand what made these cities work – from hardscape and paving to the smallest details. We were deeply invested in what made these places tick, and that mindset has stayed with me ever since.”
Based in EDSA’s Dallas office, Javenes works across the Mountain West region of the U.S. while also supporting international clients. His team is currently involved in several notable projects, including the National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as a new golf course and residential development in Oklahoma.
“While many people don’t realize it, our work is deeply focused on environmentally responsible planning and preserving existing ecosystems,” shares Javenes. “For example, with golf course planning, there’s an opportunity to design in a way that’s incredibly sensitive to the environment. We enjoy creating communities where amenities are thoughtfully connected and work in harmony with the landscape.”
In addition to his domestic work, Javenes has collaborated with international clients in China and on large-scale developments in the Middle East, often referred to as ‘giga projects.’
“Pretty much any of the major giga projects out there, we’ve been involved with in some capacity,” he says. “They’re incredibly design-driven and demanding in the best way. It’s exciting to work on projects at that scale, where you can really stretch your design thinking and push creativity.”
While these projects vary widely in scale and context, Javenes credits UConn’s design-focused landscape architecture program with preparing him to succeed across diverse environments.
“That strong emphasis on pure design put me in a great position,” Javenes says. “Understanding what makes design successful gave me a foundation that translated seamlessly to working at a firm like EDSA, and I know others that went through the program feel the same.”
This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Fostering Sustainable Landscapes at the Urban-Rural Interface.
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