Another College of Design Dean's Reception has come and gone. This year was a great success. I enjoyed having the opportunity to meet with three incoming students and their parents to talk about both my work in the undergrad and graduate programs here at the U of M, and give them a personal tour of all that Rapson Hall has to offer them as design students!
Towards the end I also met a young man who was mostly interested in Architecture, but also wanted to know more about the Landscape Architecture side of things (if that was you, please email me with any questions you might have!). You would be very surprised to hear just how often this happens. I have two friends from undergrad that started as Architecture Majors and switched over to Landscape Design & Planning after learning the large array of jobs it prepares you for. Also, Architecture Majors often get a minor in Landscape Design & Planning or end up pursing a Masters in Landscape Architecture later on in graduate school. In fact, in my Masters of Landscape Architecture class I have two classmates that got bachelor degrees in Architecture, but elected for Landscape Architecture as a Masters...

Now i'm not trying to recruit students away for the Architecture Department, but rather letting you all know that the two majors are VERY interconnected and often students have dual interests so do not be afraid to explore them! You're coming here to learn and trust me, there is much to learn!

Lastly, here's a link to another sweet blog about Project for Public Space. Really begins to shed light on all the possibilities Landscape Design and Planning/Landscape Architecture has to offer!

Till next week,

Eric

Accelerated Bachelor of Environmental Design - May 2011
Masters of Landscape Architecture - Expected May 2013

Hey Everyone!

Its that time of year again when current students pull together examples of work they've done and prospective students make the trip to the U of M campus to get a first hand look at Rapson Hall and the academic programs they are considering. You can expect to hear from Tom Fischer the Dean of the College of Design, student advisers, current professors and current students. All of which hope to leave you with a better understanding of what we're all about hear at the U of M and how you will fit right in! I'm excited to showcase my work (sneak peak at my online portfolio located here!) completed in the Masters program and also for you to see work done by another student Grace Larson currently in the Landscape Design and Planning program. Please come with questions to ask and an empty stomach as lunch will be served! Hope to see you all there!

Eric
Accelerated Bachelor of Environmental Design - May 2011
Master of Landscape Architecture - Expected May 2013

It's easy with our hectic yet fulfilling schedules to forget to take the time to smell the roses. That's exactly what I've been trying to do these past few weeks. Whether its simply taking the time to enjoy the nice winter day on my way to the bus stop in the morning, or sitting in the Rapson Hall Courtyard and simply looking around at everyone working, eating or relaxing themselves. After all people watching is always enjoyable. Recently I've been working on an analysis of children as pedestrians and the skills they need to learn to be able to safely cross the street as well as the design of streets. My area of focus is in North Minneapolis along West Broadway Avenue. The study is proving very interesting and should help me as I focus in on my final project for the semester. This weekend I play to again take the time to smell the roses as I am going home to Freedom, Wisconsin (just north of Green Bay, Wisconsin) and plan on seeing a few High School friends along with Family and of course hitting up a few lakes to get some ice fishing in. Making time for yourself during your college years is very important and you'll find you're more productive when you do sit down to work on your studies.

I'll leave you with a little quote from my High School principal... "Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours" - Mrs. Arndt

Eric
Accelerated Bachelor of Environmental Design - May 2011
Masters of Landscape Architecture - Expected May 2013

A class i'm taking this semester is called "The Art and Ecology of Landscape Detail". Basically, taking that cool looking design and figuring out how it can be built. One of the best parts of it is that we're actually working on a project which will actually be built on the U of M Campus and right in front of a portion of Rapson Hall. (To be more specific, between Rapson Hall and Mechanical Engineering.)

The plan is to create a more engaging public space that includes land form and seating as well as more space for parking bikes as the current bike racks are always parked to capacity. We're trying to be as sustainable as possible with this project by re-using materials already on site, preserving existing trees and keeping all runoff on site. We plan to use a permeable paver system. These pavers allow water to infiltrate through the brick joints and down through the gravel sub-base and back into the soil to recharge the water table below.

These pavers are becoming more and more prevalent as cities begin to require new construction to keep all water run-off on their site to reduce the amount of water entering the underground storm water pipes.

Also, the Deans Reception at the College of Design is coming up on February 25th, looking forward to hopefully seeing you all there and answering any questions you might have!

Take care,
Eric

Those of you who have already visited the U of M might already have taken notice of the great features of Landscape Architecture located right on the U of M grounds, but for those that haven't here's a quick over view.

First things first, the University Mall which is arguably the focal point of the Minneapolis campus is a place of constant movement and interaction which provides a great place for students and faculty alike to get out and enjoy the outdoors! Landscape Architecture has so much to do with the interaction and movement of people and the Mall is a great place to relax and study this.

Next up is the Scholars Walk which bisects the University Mall. The walk serves as a connection point from the Alumni Center to the opposite end of the East bank (meaning it intersects with The Mall). It makes for a pleasant walk and is loaded with numerous seating elements if you have some time between classes and choose to take a rest.

I could go on and on, but the last item i'll highlight is perhaps one of the greatest and most overlooked attributes of the University of Minnesota. The Mississippi River. It runs adjacent to campus and gives students a great chance for recreation. It has also sparked a large design competition via the Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition!

Everything from very historic landscapes to modern ones dedicated to education to landscapes which are still to come can all be found in Minneapolis at the University of Minnesota!

Hope you enjoyed this quick over view and be sure to do some exploring on your own when you're in town. There's a hidden gem of Landscape Architecture found between Vincent Hall and Murphy Hall that i'll let you find for yourself (It was actually designed by one of the founders of the Landscape Architecture program at the U of M!)

Eric
Accelerated Bachelor of Environmental Design - May 2011
Master of Landscape Architecture - May 2013

First thing you're probably wondering is "what is Community Service Learning?" Community Service Learning allows students the opportunity to acquire important new knowledge, skills, and civic competencies while providing services to distressed urban and rural communities. Community Service Learning is taking place throughout the country as well as here at the University of Minnesota.

The University of Minnesota's Community Service Learning is quite extensive in that this past year alone it was a part of over 100 courses taught at the U of M. These classes were offered from introductory level courses up through the more advanced courses.

I have personal experience with the Community Service Learning department from a course I took spring of my junior year. The course was taught through the Geography department and gave the option to complete a Community Service Learning Internship as a way of fulfilling one of the course requirements. I applied and received a spot on the group that would be working with Seward Redesign. Make a long story short, not only did I fulfill a course requirement, but I also received an additional credit by completing the Internship.

Have a good week!

Eric Maass
Bachelor of Environmental Design - May 2011
Master of Landscape Architecture - May 2013

A few blogs ago I promised you all a final picture of the model my group member and I created for our studio final. Well, here it is! This model is made of MDF Board. The side of the buildings were painted to ensure continuity and give it a nice sleek and clean look.

Again, we used various 3d modeling computer programs and the CNC Router in the CDes Digital Fabrication Lab We used this model as part of our studio presentation. Pairing it with a number of analytical drawings and real life renderings (like this one!) These additional figures are important to ensure that you properly get your ideas across to your professors (or in a few years, to your clients!) The image to the left was created using a FREE program called SketchUP and Adobe Photoshop. A person is able to creat in Sketchup a real life 3d model of his/her project. It also has tools that allow for shadows to be cast (you define the day/time to cast certain shadows). You can then export a 2D graphic from sketchup and bring it into photoshop to add some finishing touches. You'll find that bouncing between different programs to create a single image is useful and very necessary. Luckily there are classes that teach you all about these computer programs, so no need to worry about that.

And now begins a new semester! Take care everyone.

Eric Maass
Accelerated Bachelor of Environmental Design - May 2011
Master of Landscape Architecture - Map 2013

The weekends during break have been very enjoyable for me. I have filled them by going ice fishing with friends and family, skiing at Lutsen Mountains and some preliminary internship searching.

As break comes to an end I'm thinking about everything I've done and how Landscape Architecture or Environmental Design is a part of it all. The lakes I fish are dependent upon a number of factors to ensure its health; nearby development, waste water runoff, water quality, etc. All of which I could have a part in as a Landscape Architect. The ski runs must all be graded to achieve the desired slope, there must be a pedestrian network to move people from place to place around the skiing resort and surrounding mountains. Again all of which can be completed by a Landscape Architect.

As you go about your day, look at the window. Chances are everything you see a Landscape Architect can have his or her hand in it one way or another. And no I'm not talking about your neighbors yard as you travel down your driveway! Think BIG, because Landscape Architecture can take you there!

Till next week everyone,

Eric Maass
Accelerated Bachelor of Environmental Design - May 2011
Master of Landscape Architecture - May 2013

Hi everyone,

Hope you are having an enjoyable holiday season. I was able to make it home (to Freedom, Wisconsin) for christmas and had a fun time seeing a lot of family I had not seen in awhile, including a cousin who recently got engaged... Exciting! Now I am looking forward to getting in a bit of Ice Fishing as well updating my design portfolio!

While a bit daunting, christmas break offers a great opportunity to update a portfolio because all of the work you have completed the fall semester is still fresh in your mind. You have received feedback from your professors and know exactly what needs to be fixed (which is much easier to sit down and do when you don't have to worry about homework!) This also gives you a good chance to do some proper file management and organize your files (as well as back them up on an external hard drive, which I highly recommend.)

There are a number of online "how to" guides for creating a portfolio but I prefer to create my own template because in a way a portfolio is yet another example of my/your creativity and skill. I fill my portfolio with examples of a wide range of work from proposed zoning based around environmental requirements to full design projects that shows my design process from start to finish. I also try and sprinkle in an independent project to show a bit of outside work. Currently I am using a project I completed at my summer internship last year.

Creating/Updating your portfolio this time of year is also convenient because the application process for summer jobs/internships is right around the corner! Luckily the U of M has its very own employment search engine called Gold Pass. I found my internship last year at the Ramsey Conservation District there, so trust me when I say it is an invaluable resource!

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your breaks! Until next week...

Eric Maass
Bachelors of Environmental Design - May 2011
Masters of Landscape Architecture - May 2013

As many students are plugging away countless hours in many of the libraries on campus, I find myself watching the hours tick away in studio (16 hours and counting so far today). It is that time of year when deadlines for final projects have come. Students work late into the night and while this sounds awful, its actually quite nice being able to work amongst your peers. The time goes by much easier when you're able to work around a group of people compared to sitting in a quiet room all alone. It is also nice because this allows you to bounce ideas off of your classmates making your designs even stronger. Next weeks post will be full of the details of my final project, for now here's one perspective i've done for my final design.

Have a great week!

Eric Maass
Bachelors of Environmental Design - 2011
Masters of Landscape Architecture - 2013

So the semester is beginning to come to an end the final project for my studio course is starting to take shape. I spent the better part of the weekend (never thought i'd see the inside of the college of design at 4am on a saturday!) preparing the design my studio group and I came up with to be milled out onto our base boards by the CNC Router in the College of Design Digital Fabrication Lab. It was a bit of a headache but the attendants there were patient and helped us get through it. Attached is a picture of the baseboards beginning to be milled out by the CNC Router. The router uses a "wire mesh" generated by a program called Rhino from contours created from an autocad file. The CNC router was able to generate our landform model and then router in the locations of roads and paths. All in all a pretty cool process. From here we'll begin to place the buildings on the site (life scale our site covers 4,800,000 sq ft or 110 acres and is located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota) and accentuate the different spaces we've designed (regional boardwalk trail, central plaza, numerous public spaces, etc). I'll be sure to upload a picture of the final model!

Have a great week!

Eric Maass
Bachelor of Environmental Design - 2011
Masters of Landscape Architecture - 2013

A very exciting event that takes place every couple weeks called "Brown Bags" is something that the American Society of Landscape Architecture - Minnesota Student Chapter puts together for anyone to attend.

Its a very informal chance to meet and network with practicing professionals in the area. The idea is that students are able to bring their lunches (hence the term "brown bag") and listen to whichever speaker is scheduled. This allows for a very informal and comfortable setting. The speaker usually talks for about 2/3's of the session and then opens it up to questions from the audience.

Recent "Brown Bags" have been on topics like green roofs, ecological design and sustainable development. Yet another way to connect with professionals while still in school!

- Eric Maass
Bachelor of Environmental Design 2011
Master of Landscape Architecture 2013

Currently a class i'm really enjoying is Plants in Design. We've worked with a number of sites in the twin cities. Specifically a plaza space outside of the Guthrie Theater and Lily Plaza on the U of M Campus just steps away from Rapson Hall. Here's a picture of the model I built for that project! \We've been learning about how different plants can create space and how to take into account seasonality, site conditions, and different moisture requirements.

We've then taken these ideas and created construction documents. These construction documents (if we were out in the real world and not students) would be legally binding documents meaning no little detail can go overlooked. These documents cover everything from overall site plan/design to specifics about the way a tree should be planted or a slab of pervious pavers should be installed.

Explored with our Guthrie Street project was the inclusion of on-site urban water management. We were required to include street scaled rain gardens to capture run off and allow that water to infiltrate into the water table rather than sending that water into the storm sewer. It was nice to have this included in a project because it applied so well to my summer internship at the Ramsey Conservation District. You'll often find that a lot of the coursework completed in the Bachelor of Environmental Design and the Masters of Landscape Architecture applies very well to real world issues in our profession. The skills you learn in these classes will in fact be used out in the "real world".

Hope you all have a happy thanksgiving!

- Eric Maass
Bachelor of Environmental Design 2011
Master of Landscape Architecture 2013

The Department of Landscape Architecture offers students who have at minimum a 3.0 GPA to apply for their accelerated track during the fall of their junior year. Required as part of the application is a portfolio, three letters of recommendation, letter of intent and a copy of your transcripts. If accepted that student would then enroll in the classes they would normally take as a first year masters student in the Masters of Landscape Architecture program.

While taking on the responsibilities of a graduate student can be a bit daunting let me be the first to tell you they are SO worth it. First, the financial benefit is quite staggering as it saves one years graduate tuition which comes to about $24,000 in tuition and fees. Tack on housing for the year, food and transportation and you're looking at a savings of probably about $34,000! Second, as a graduate student you will begin working on more complex design projects, traveling to see various sites (like my trip to Seattle, Washington), and be given your very own desk (showed you all a picture of mine in a previous post) in a secured studio.

If you have any lingering questions about the Accelerated track you can email Brad Agee the current Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Landscape Architecture.

Have a good week!

Eric Maass

When you begin to search for a personal computer to use to complete your coursework one question always comes up. "I'm going into design, does that mean I need to buy a Mac or PC?" My most objective answer is to look at the programs you will be running (adobe creative suite, AutoCAD, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), SketchUP, etc etc) and see what their running requirements are. Then go to the store of your choosing and find the computer that meets the required specs. Many programs will tell you that you need a minimum of 2gb of RAM to run the program but 2gb will often leave you hitting your head against your desk waiting for the programs to run, do yourself a favor and purchase a computer with 4gb of RAM if at all possible.

Also very important is to purchase an external hard drive to back your work up with. The last thing you want to have happen is to work day in and day out on a project just to have your hard drive crash the day before your set to present (knock on wood i've avoided this but I know a handful of friends who haven't.) So take the advice up front, you may just be really glad you did one day.

Take advantage of the College of Design computer labs in your first few years here at the U of M as all of their computers are updated each year with the newest versions of the programs you need saving you a lot of money in purchasing program licenses. When the time does come where you deem it necessary to purchase the program for yourself be sure to buy the program from the U of M Bookstore as they have student rates resulting in GREATLY REDUCED software prices. Also, AutoCAD is free as long as your a student from the AutoDesk website.

Happy Shopping!

Eric Maass

maass024@umn.edu
- Accelerated Bachelor of Environmental Design 2011
- Masters of Landscape Architecture Candidate 2013

My typical Monday morning starts with hitting the snooze on my alarm a few times before finally getting out of bed (A morning person I am not haha). I get ready, have a big glass of orange juice and a granola bar and out the door I go. I live about 1.5 miles from campus so I either take the city bus using my UPASS, or ride my scooter (if warm enough) to class at 9:00. I then have a two hour class on stormwater management which is all about dealing with ways in which to use and store rainwater that falls on any given site. I then have a few hours which I usually fill with eating lunch and catching up on my espn news and finishing up any homework. Then studio from 2:00-5:30. Studio time consists of everything from desk crits (where both our professors walk around to each of our desks to answer any questions we might have about the project we're currently working on) to lectures to presentations. Often times I stay long after 5:30 simply because of the workload required of studio courses. But hey, I always remind myself I'd rather be doing what i'm doing than memorizing math equations! I make it home when I feel like i've done enough work for the day. Usually end my night by making some dinner, catching up with my girlfriend/family/roommates and a little tv. I find that if i'm productive enough during the day my nights are more free (when a studio project isn't due that is haha). After all i'm in school instead of working at a job so in a way I try to think as though school is my job during the day.

Above is a picture of my studio desk to give you an idea of my work area.
Hope everyone is having/has a good week!

Hey everyone,

So this week's blog as you can see i've entitled "walk before you run" and that is because of the way the curriculum is structured for the Bachelor of Environmental Design.

We all start out in LA 1301 a class dedicated to building the foundation of our graphic skills. All hand drawing it can get a bit tedious but well worth your time and effort because this knowledge will allow you to create more legible and more informed graphics later on in your academic career.

The next courses are LA 2301 and LA 2302 where you begin to use different forms of media (colored pencils, water color, marker, etc) and digital rendering using programs like photoshop, illustrator and indesign. You will find that often times the best graphics will be the ones which make use of both hand drawing and digital rendering. You then begin using these skills in the studio courses you will be taking to represent and communicate your design ideas!

Now... before you worry about your current hand drawing ability let me assure you I couldn't have drawn my way out of a paper bag (sorry for the cheesy saying haha) but that did not hinder my ability to succeed in the course work (and it won't to you either) as they really do begin at stage one! Click here to take a look at the entire coursework for the Planning Track or here for the Design Track of the Bachelor of Environmental Design.

Wait... there's two tracks? What are the differences? I'll be sure to cover all of that in the next post!

Till next time....

Eric

Well I've made it back from Seattle, Washington in one piece and with all of the luggage I left with (which is sometimes a success in itself haha) I wanted to give you an overview of the trip my studio class took last week to Seattle Washington.

On the first day we visited Gas Works park a former industrial area now turned into a public park. Afterwards we walked to the University of Washington and visited their College of Design and Landscape Architecture Department. We went out for a studio wide dinner and then called it a night early as we had a big day ahead of us.

Day two brought design firm visits to both SvR Design and Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, each had high quality work to show us and quality information and advice to share but it was most interesting to see how different offices work on a daily basis or the "office culture" if you will. We visited the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation complex which is both a quality example of architecture and landscape architecture as both the complex and the site are LEED Certified. The building/adjacent landscape received a LEED-Platinum certification and the parking structure recieved a LEED-Gold certification.

The third day we were fortunate enough to visit the Olympic Sculpture Park, and Vineland Place. Vineland Place we especially intriguing because it is comprised entirely of a community garden with only a small helping hand from the city in terms of utilities for the site like electricity. We then took the city bus out to "High Point" a community development project that has received numerous sustainability awards.

Our fourth day we took a day long trip out to the Bloedel Reserve which was nothing short of spectacular. We received a guided tour around the facility and to say it was difficult to choose just one picture is an understatement. If you're ever able to make it out to Seattle, I highly suggest you do not miss the chance to view this extraordinary landscape.

While my trip wasn't the standard study abroad trip it still carried the same ideals of seeing new places, meeting new people and experiences new things. The Landscape Architecture Department at the U of M is committed to its students to provide such chances to have these experiences. For the U of M Study abroad center click on the hyper-link where you can find more of the traditional study abroad programs offered.

Until next week..!

Eric

While the University of Minnesota is a large and extensive campus if you are a landscape design and planning or masters of landscape architecture student the vast majority of your classes will take place here in Rapson Hall.
The time spent in this building includes dedicated class time, time spent working in your studio space (more to come on these in future blogs!), fully furnished wood shop, computer labs, digital fabrication workshop(cutting with laser?!) or the central courtyard where a great deal of interaction takes place.

Your probably thinking, "So wait I have to spend all my time in one building?". No, this is certainly not the case as many of your general education courses will take place else where. However all of your College of Design related needs will be under one roof. Talk about convenient! Even your personal academic advisers are located in Rapson Hall and have weekly drop in hours in addition to their scheduled meeting times.

So what's so great about this?
1. Its convenient!
2. It allows for a design community to develop. You will begin to recognize faces and make many new friends with similar interests! This allows for a very large university to seem much smaller. Aka all the benefits of a top 100 research institution at a much more personal scale!
3. Networking! Your professors begin to know you not only by face but by name. They bring in practicing professionals (many of whom are U of M Alumni!) to speak to us and help us with our various projects.

...but for when you do need to get out of the building, the always scenic knoll area of campus is a short walk to the west of rapson as is the Mall area of the University which is considered one of the best campus malls in the nation! (Thank you Clint Hewitt and other faculty from the Department of Landscape Architecture Faculty for your work on this!)

My topic next week: Studying Abroad! (Inspired because I wrote the above blog post while on a flight to Seattle, Washington for my studio course! Hope that gets you excited!

Have a good week everyone!
... Eric

Being a student (especially a College of Design) one often means hectic schedules and trying to squeeze every last hour out of your work day. Believe it or not it's possible to fit even more into that schedule and I would highly recommend it. I myself was a part of the University of Minnesota Men's Soccer Club (http://www.tc.umn.edu/~soccer/)
team for the past three years, took part in various College of Design Events (http://www.design.umn.edu/calendar/) and am a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects Student Chapter (http://asla-mn.org/).

These various involvements I've had have served as simply as a way of relaxing and getting my mind off of classes or as networking opportunities. More than once my involvement in extracurricular activities has led to some sort of employment (hello blogging!). This brings me to my next thought that goes hand in hand with being involved... Time Management!

As great and rewarding as being involved can be its also important to keep a good schedule. I find it helpful to write out my schedule by full months. That way I can map out due dates for projects and know when I have tough weeks ahead so that I can try to work ahead of time to make that week more bearable. This is also what makes it possible to get involved in some of the activities I mentioned above. I also like to think that just one hour of getting involved in any way will save me two hours in the future. An example of this would be applying for jobs. First you have to look for one, find a few your interested in, apply, wait for a response, interview, wait again for a response, and then hopefully you get the position. If not you start the process all over again. Whereas, maybe an hour spent volunteering somewhere allows you to make a contact with an organization that in a few months ends up having an opening and they remember that guy or girl they had volunteer and what a great candidate they think that person might be.

So take it from me, getting involved is always worth it (not to mention you usually get free food!)

...till next time,

- Eric Maass

Hello, my name is Eric Maass. I am originally from Freedom, Wisconsin, but have been living in Minneapolis for four years now while attending the University of Minnesota. I come from a relatively small family of myself, younger brother (20) and my mom and dad. I started my college career at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls majoring in Horticulture with an emphasis in Landscape Design. I completed one year there when I transferred to the University of Minnesota to pursue my Bachelor of Environmental Design and later applied for and was accepted to the Accelerated Bachelor of Design which I will talk more about in later posts.

While living at home I got my start in the Landscape Design Industry working for the Freedom Town Parks System and Premier Landscape Services, LLC. Working for the parks system gave me a great appreciation for the time and care it takes to keep local city parks running and in pristine condition to allow these spaces to be positive and enjoyable places for the local population to enjoy. My time at Premier Landscape Services was equally as enjoyable as it was a relatively small company which allowed me to do a great many tasks instead of mastering just one. I was able to work on everything from a brick retaining wall, to installing pervious pavers and planting designs to grading out a person yard according to a predefined plan to control the way water would run on the site. This gave me great background knowledge for my future classes both at UW-River Falls and at the U of M.

Currently I am a 2nd year Masters of Landscape Architecture (MLA) Student at the U of M. This semester is designed to get us into the more technical aspects of Landscape Architecture in comparison to last year which was geared more towards the art of design and the design process. So I am sure you'll get to read plenty about topics like GIS (Geographic Information Systems, a computer program used for analysis physical environmental data) and another class called Urban Stormwater Management. I was also able to take an elective this semester called Rec 5111 - Sports Facilities taught by Dr. Turman, who is the current director of Recreational Facilities for the U of M. We're going to be talking about funding, management, planning and design of both public and private recreational/sports facilities which I hope to use to help in my Capstone/Thesis project next year as a 3rd year MLA Student.