{"id":228178,"date":"2025-04-16T07:15:38","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T11:15:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=228178"},"modified":"2025-04-16T16:19:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T20:19:24","slug":"uconn-seniors-win-awards-for-landscape-architecture-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2025\/04\/uconn-seniors-win-awards-for-landscape-architecture-projects\/","title":{"rendered":"UConn Seniors Win Awards for Landscape Architecture Projects"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two students in the UConn landscape architecture program won awards<\/a> from the Connecticut chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (CTASLA) for their community-centered ideas.<\/p>\n

Brendan Pugmire \u201825 (CAHNR) and Matthew Bacon \u201825 (CAHNR) were the winners of the 2025 CTASLA Honor Award and Merit Award, respectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very special,\u201d Pugmire says. \u201cIt\u2019s very validating to all of the hard work I put into this project to have it recognized at a professional level by my peers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Countdown<\/p>\n

Both Pugmire and Bacon developed their projects as part of their junior-year coursework.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re excited and proud of them for achieving these awards, for being recognized,\u201d Jill Desimini, director and associate professor of landscape architecture<\/a>, says. \u201cWe have a growing collaboration with the Connecticut Chapter of the ASLA, and it just highlights the caliber of student work, of teaching, and the types of projects we\u2019ve been able to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

The landscape architecture program is part of the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources.<\/p>\n

Pugmire\u2019s project titled \u201cRooted in Time\u201d introduces features to the 180-year-old Brookside Farm in East Lyme to revitalize the site, developed as part of his Design III course with Mariana Fragomeni, assistant professor of landscape architecture.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing about historic restoration is that most projects were not made with modern-day technology and features,\u201d Pugmire says. \u201cSo, for me it was about trying to find the happy medium between historic preservation and the modern functionality we see with newer landscapes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pugmire\u2019s design includes an orchard that would revive the farm\u2019s history of growing apples.<\/p>\n

It also develops the Brookside Barn into a historical attraction with exhibits of antique farming equipment and other artifacts.<\/p>\n

The third element of \u201cRooted in Time\u201d is a tea garden and kitchen where visitors would pick edible plants like hibiscus, beebalm, and lavender to make fresh teas.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of these plants are either native or cultivated,\u201d Pugmire says. \u201cSo, they still add to the local ecology.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Rendering
Developed as part of his Design III course with Mariana Fragomeni, assistant professor of landscape architecture, Brendan Pugmire ’25 (CAHNR) revitalizes an 180-year-old farm in East Lyme, CT. (Contributed photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The plan for the garden includes plants that would bloom in multiple seasons and trees to offer year-round appeal.<\/p>\n

Bacon\u2019s project \u201cPollinator Pathways\u201d presents a plan to use part of the Northeast Science Quad on the UConn Storrs campus as a biodiverse native pollinator garden.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to create something that looked very natural and attracted pollinators,\u201d Bacon says.<\/p>\n

This project was completed as part of his Planting Design class with Sohyun Park, associate professor of landscape architecture.<\/p>\n

Given that there is a laboratory less than a foot below the ground, this limited what plants Bacon could use in his design. The site is also largely in the shade, leading Bacon to choose native plants that could tolerate both less-than-ideal conditions like indigo, ferns, poppies, and grasses.<\/p>\n

Bacon chose specific plants to attract pollinators as well, like milkweed for monarchs, and other plants for hummingbirds, bees, and beetles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the first project that I\u2019ve done that is this style of planting and really going super in-depth with plant species, so it was cool to get recognition for that,\u201d Bacon says.<\/p>\n

The site plan also includes bird houses and \u201cpollinator hotels\u201d for bees, benches, and a rain garden.<\/p>\n

Any student or first-year graduate attending UConn or living in Connecticut is eligible to enter the contest. UConn students have won these awards in the past, Desimini says. Developing plans for real-world projects in the community is a cornerstone of the nationally accredited landscape architecture program. It provides students with unique experience that helps them hit the ground running in the job market.<\/p>\n

Students can also enter their projects for national awards.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope that this will build the confidence of our students and that more students will apply for awards and recognition in the future,\u201d Desimini says. \u201cWe feel really good about their projects and the curriculum.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This work relates to CAHNR\u2019s Strategic Vision area focused on\u00a0<\/em>Fostering Sustainable Landscapes at the Urban-Rural Interface<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Follow\u00a0<\/em>UConn CAHNR<\/em><\/a>\u00a0on social media<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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