In a Jiffy; Tech's landscape architecture students sign on for 'Makeover' crew
Guided by a water-stingy landscape design developed by their chairman Alon Kvashny, 85 students from Texas Tech's landscape architecture department are spending the weekend just before the Thanksgiving holiday bringing another episode of popular TV show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to a happy end.
"The main idea here is ease of maintenance and minimal water use," said Kvashny, chairman of Tech's Department of Landscape Architecture. "The core of the design rests on creating sustainable places for the family to enjoy the outdoors."
Saturday is 'Day Five' at ground zero of Extreme Makeover's seven-day blitz that began Tuesday at the home of Wellman's (pop. 300) Johnny Mac and Jeanne Brown. The family lost their 17-year-old daughter last year in a texting-while-driving accident.
Makeover construction and production teams took over Brown's neighborhood just southwest of Brownfield, piling trucks, camera equipment, construction tools, ladders, tents, and portable toilets on lawns and driveways up and down the street.
The 3-bedroom, 2-bath modular house that replaced a double-wide trailer is now wedged into place, and program executives are ready for the next phase: the landscape. About a month ago Extreme Makeover producers contacted Tech's Department of Landscape Architecture to determine if they'd be willing to lend a hand.
They were and Red Raiders immediately set about coordinating a West Texas specific landscape design with the reality show's producers. Now on the eve of construction, Kvashny said his students are excited about the high-profile community service project. "They've all seen this reality show on television and they like projects that help families," he said.
In the TV show, host "Move that Bus" Ty Pennington leads the crew as the home of someone in need is rebuilt and remodeled. It may be a person with a serious illness, or a family struggling with the death of a loved one. The Browns' daughter, Alex, died after she rolled her truck and was ejected from the vehicle while driving to school. Investigators said her cell phone record indicated that she had replied to a text message moments before losing control of the vehicle.
Texas Tech was a good place to go for a cutting-edge landscape design. The only major university in the region, it offers accredited, license-qualifying landscape architecture degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition to community service projects like 'Makeover,' Tech's academic programs provide a sound grounding in theory and technology, which is put into practice through design studio and related courses and community projects.
Tech's five-year undergraduate and three-year graduate programs have been fully accredited since 1972 and 2000, respectively, making it one of only 18 programs in the nation which have both accredited graduate and undergraduate programs.
Written by Norman Martin
CONTACT: Alon Kvashny, chairperson, Department of Landscape Architecture, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2858 or alon.kvashny@ttu.edu
1118NM10 / Photo: N Martin
Editor's Note: For updated information, click http://www.depts.ttu.edu/agriculturalsciences/news/?p=822
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