Four Coasts: Improving Coastal Design Through Landscape Architecture and Engineering With Nature - 1.25 PDH (LA CES/HSW)

Recorded On: 10/07/2024

Hear from leading coastal designers—researchers, landscape architects, and engineers—on how to work with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Districts to develop nature-based designs for coastal infrastructure. Strategies discussed will include tools and data required, concept development, team structure, outreach efforts, and policy strategies.

Learning objectives:

Understand the goals of the USACE Engineering With Nature program, and its affiliation and shared aims with landscape architectural practice and research.
Understand the scope of the Four Coasts project, including the needs for coastal resilience, flood protection, and habitat restoration on federal projects.
Understand important ways that landscape architecture can contribute to and help lead innovative coastal infrastructure projects.
Understand what skills are important in landscape architectural practice to do this work.

Rob Holmes, ASLA

Associate Professor

Auburn University

Rob Holmes is an associate professor of landscape architecture at Auburn University and co-founder of the Dredge Research Collaborative. At Auburn, he chairs the undergraduate landscape architecture program, runs the Landscape Infrastructure Design Lab, and is currently organizing an interdisciplinary Gulf Adaptation Design Studio, funded by the National Academies’ Gulf Research Program. With the DRC, he co-organized the DredgeFest event series, participated in the Resilient By Design Bay Area Challenge as part of the Public Sediment team, and, since 2017, has helped lead the EWN+LA Design Research Initiative for the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineering With Nature program.

Jeffrey King, Affil. ASLA, PE

National Lead and Program Manager of Engineering with Nature® (EWN®) Program

Engineer Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers

Dr. Jeffrey King is the national lead and program manager for the US Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Engineering With Nature (EWN) program. In addition to managing a broad array of EWN activities, Jeff is also focused on advancing R&D that supports the following: • Pursuit of EWN techniques that increase resilience of communities and military installations; • Design and application of nature-based solutions; • Increase beneficial use of dredged sediment; • Promote landscape architecture concepts and practice in pursuit of nature-based solutions; and • Foster collaborative partnerships to achieve innovative outcomes that are aligned with elements of the EWN.

Mindy Strevig, PE

Managing Engineer

Anchor QEA

Melinda (Mindy) Strevig, PE, is a Managing Engineer at Anchor QEA with 17 years in the dredging industry, specializing in dredged material management supporting nature-based solutions and coastal resilience efforts, primarily for USACE Districts, state agencies, and coastal entities. She manages large and small-scale projects, particularly focused on navigation dredging, beneficial use of dredged material, and natural infrastructure, with expertise in project management, long-term planning, and collaboration with federal, state, and local partners. With a decade of experience in state government prior to joining Anchor QEA, she offers a valuable perspective when collaborating with public and private project partners.