Member Spotlight: Hollie Colony
Check out our Member Spotlight with NCASLA President Elect, Hollie Colony!
NCASLA: How is Landscape Architecture a part of your daily life?
Hollie: Beyond being a Landscape Architect for my career, I think that it’s something that changes the way I see the world as I encounter it. For example, when I walk through any public space, I’m constantly taking mental notes of spatial proportions, wondering if and how they are dealing with stormwater, slopes, trip hazards, lighting, and other site features. I also find myself getting really excited about gorgeous planting design, and then quickly praying that whoever installed it has the budget to maintain it.
NCASLA: What is your most prominent memory in your education or training?
Hollie: I don’t know if I have any one memory that sticks out, but my favorite part of school was being in such a small class. We were at a huge university, but there was 20-30 of who were essentially going to be taking the same classes for the next several years and spending countless hours together in a studio. It brings you together, and I think it’s a college experience that is really unique.
NCASLA: How do you describe Landscape Architecture to someone when they ask you what it is?
Hollie: I simply tell them that Landscape Architects design the outside world that you experience in your daily life. We design the streetscape they walk down, the development they shop at, their favorite restaurant or brewery they go to with their friends and family, and their favorite park. I think that when people realize they how many personal connections they have to spaces designed by Landscape Architects, they realize just how integral landscape architecture is to their lives.
NCASLA: What is the most unique project you’ve worked on?
Hollie: The most unique project I ever worked on was during my internship. I worked on the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is the hospital that has housing on it, underground parking, a historical site, and is where royalty or prestigious guests go for treatment. I was able to work with the project manager to look at sun and wind studies, planting design, and hardscape design for the majority of the campus to include the royal entrance that drop-off area that had to accommodate the security detail and a helicopter pad. It was a lot of fun, a lot of work, and a very unique design experience.
NCASLA: How do you describe the role of a Landscape Architect on a project team?
Hollie: Personally, as the Landscape Architect on projects, we are working hand in hand with civil engineers in our offices to prepare plans for land development projects. We work through due diligence, site design, grading, storm design, and can help coordinate grading. We are often assisting with project calls, and coordinating with various groups to get the project permitted or approved.
NCASLA: What does NCASLA do for you personally and/or your career?
Hollie: NCASLA gives me an opportunity to network and share my passion for my profession. It reminds me of all the different elements that landscape architecture has to offer that I don’t necessarily get to experience because they aren’t key components in my daily job right now. As for my career, NCASLA gives me the opportunity to better myself by continuing to learn and develop professionally. There may not be set CEU classes I take or receive by being on the Executive Committee, but I continue to learn by experience and being around those who are far more educated than I.
