Since 2020, Katherine Melcher has been instructing the Community Engagement Studio within the landscape architecture curriculum at the College of Environment and Design.
Throughout this period, she has transformed the course into the Community Landscape Lab, empowering students to spearhead design initiatives that benefit local communities.
“One of my primary objectives for students in the studio is to help them acquire the ‘soft skills’ essential for a thriving landscape architecture career, including active listening, empathy, thoughtful deliberation, and effective communication. The best way to cultivate these soft skills is through hands-on experience and practice,” she remarked. “It is incredibly fulfilling to witness students evolve into empathetic leaders as they engage directly with their community collaborators.”
Motivated by her conviction that landscape architecture can generate positive social change, Melcher mentors her students through initiatives for community nonprofits and municipal authorities. In the fall of 2024, her students collaborated with five communities across Georgia to leverage local assets and enhance the natural surroundings. For every initiative, students needed to pinpoint a community advantage that their landscape design would accomplish.
“My intention for the community initiatives is for them to be structured in a manner that allows the community client to proceed with the design,” Melcher stated. “Most of our clients lack the financial resources to fund a comprehensive landscaping project in one go. The students create designs that can be divided into smaller segments, such as gathering spaces or murals, which can be executed through various grants or volunteer efforts.”
In Milledgeville, where Baldwin County High School flourishes with the activity of 1,311 students, Melcher’s pupils developed a master plan for the Baldwin Grows Garden. They designed an inclusive outdoor classroom featuring vegetable plots, compost bins, and fruit-bearing trees, applying permaculture principles to establish a setting where education harmonizes with nature.
To aid downtown revitalization, a different group of students reimagined Westbrook Park in downtown Cordele. The students revitalized the gathering area by incorporating vibrant plantings and engaging pathways. This budget-conscious design will not only rejuvenate the park but also strengthen the sense of community connection in the city’s core.
Another team explored the relationships between gardens and well-being, implementing those findings into a sensory garden for Magnolia Manor, a senior living facility in Buena Vista. This endeavor featured fragrant blossoms, engaging elements, and welcoming pathways to improve residents’ wellness and reinforce their connections with nature.
A fifth team devised youth-focused landscapes at two community centers in Athens. At the Broadacres Community Center, a neighborhood celebrated for its diverse cultural heritage and robust community spirit, they crafted a thoughtful design of accessible and simple outdoor environments. Here, benches and yard features were created to foster familial interactions and community learning, embodying the lab’s mission to enrich neighborhood relationships.
In Pinewood Estates, students developed a project at the Pinewoods Library and Learning Center. They conceptualized multifunctional areas that encourage exercise, reading, and cultural endeavors, ensuring that exterior spaces remain venues where traditions are honored and community ties thrive.
During the semester, Melcher’s enthusiasm, knowledge, and hands-on guidance were evident in every project. To learn more about the Community Landscape Lab, visit https://sites.google.com/view/colandlab/the-lab.
The article Landscape architecture professor helps students make a difference first appeared on UGA Today.