More than two dozen landscape architecture firms, some coming from as far away as Dallas and Houston, will be on the Texas Tech University campus this month to take part in Tech’s Department of Landscape Architecture WreckShop 2021. For the first time ever, the WreckShop will be a virtual and face to face experience. The three-day conference (Oct. 21-23) encompasses a series of networking, professional development and collaborative opportunities, as well as a student portfolio review.

"WreckShop is a great opportunity for professionals and students to network and learn from each other,” said Kathryn Nelson, SASLA Advisor and a Senior Instructor within Tech's Department of Landscape Architecture. “Students will gain the opportunity to meet professionals from firms that are located outside of the region.”

In addition, she said, the department will be able to show the in process renovation of the Ag Pavilion that houses student design space. The Pavilion is undergoing a $1.7 million overhaul to create accessible spaces, install updated lighting, and the incorporation of a gallery space.

The WreckShop 2021 program rolls out Thursday afternoon (Oct. 21) with an opening lecture series featuring Michael Grove, Principal and Chair of Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Ecology and member of the Sasaki Board of Directors from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Tech’s Escondido Theatre (face to face & online). Sasaki is a global design firm. The day ends with a face to face Welcome Reception from 6-8 p.m. at Little Woodrow's restaurant in Lubbock. The event is sponsored by ANOVA, a national outdoor furniture manufacturer.

The following day (Oct. 22) is highlighted by a morning charrette, a collaborative session in which a group of designers draft a solution to a design problem, from 9 a.m. to noon at the CASNR Annex (face to face only), followed by lunch from 12-1 p.m. The afternoon session features a Firm Expo, which runs from 1-3 p.m. in the university’s newly renovated Texas Tech Dairy Barn. The session then moves to a Portfolio Review led by Austin’s Mark Smith, vice president/principal with RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture, from 3-5 p.m. at the Dairy Barn (face to face & online). 

The final day of the program (Oct. 23) calls for a Student Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architecture (SASLA) Tailgate at the CASNR Annex (face to face only). The football game features the Red Raiders and Kansas State.  

Tech's Department of Landscape Architecture is housed in the university’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The latest official enrollment numbers released this semester indicate the department is home to 82 undergraduate students and nine graduate students. The program specializes in semi-arid landscapes, while engaging design and planning issues critical to a sustainable, resilient, adaptable earth and its growing urban populations. It's professional B.L.A. and M.L.A. degrees are accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board.

CONTACT: Kathryn Nelson, Senior Lecturer and Assistant Department Chair of The Department of Landscape Architecture, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-2862 or kathryn.nelson@ttu.edu

1014NM21 / Editor’s Note: From detailed information on the Department of Landscape Architecture’s WreckShop 2021, please click here