Community as Design Consultant/Landscape Architect as Facilitator: Shifting the Design Relationship - 1.5 PDH (LA CES/HSW)

Sam is Senior Landscape Architect at the BPDA in Boston, Massachusetts. He has extensive experience in landscape architectural practice and recently returned from a year-long research program at the Federal University of Bahia, in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. He studies self-built landscapes in informal neighborhoods, as well as the community-driven design processes that shape them. His research was supported by the Fulbright Commission and the Sinclair Kennedy Traveling Fellowship from Harvard University. After earning his BLA at University of Georgia, Sam’s career began at a desk in Olmsted’s old bedroom at Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Biruk is a project manager/project designer with diverse experience on a variety of project types including urban plazas, affordable housing, public parks, and national design competitions. He possesses broad cultural interests and an enthusiasm for creating holistic and thoughtful places for our community and future generations. In addition to his academic and professional contributions, Biruk has been a frequent contributor to his community with a focus on giving back by working with underserved and immigrant communities.

Alexa Bosse is a registered architect and founding principal of Hinge Collective, a public interest design firm focused on bringing the power of design to all people. With master’s degrees in both architecture and landscape architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and professional experience working across design disciplines and both non-profit and private sectors, Alexa has honed her skills as a convener and a facilitator to realize ambitious community-driven projects. Alexa has taught graduate and undergraduate level studios focusing on public interest design at The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Design, Jefferson University, and Drexel University.