April is World Landscape Architecture Month. Established by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the month is an international celebration of landscape architecture and designed public and private spaces. We asked three of GAI’s skilled Landscape Architects to help mark this annual observance with their impressions of discovering and pursuing their honored profession.

I have always appreciated the benefits to public health of well-designed outdoor spaces, yet it wasn’t until college that I became aware of Landscape Architecture as a formal profession. Coming from a household that placed equal importance art, design, and science, it was exciting for me to find a profession that combined these interests into one discipline. In more than 30 years as a Landscape Architect, I’ve been privileged to contribute to projects ranging from parks and streetscapes to community planning and open-space initiatives. Some of the greatest satisfaction I get from being a Landscape Architect is the knowledge that the ribbon cutting is just the beginning—knowing that these projects will touch the lives of thousands of people for many, many years to come." " David Gilmore, PLA, MBA
GAI-Charleston, WV During a campus tour of West Virginia University, my guide asked if anyone was interested in Landscape Architecture. I was only vaguely aware of the field at the time—yet the moment my guide brought me into the Landscape Architecture studio I realized that I had found a perfect way to blend my creativity and love for nature. I graduated from West Virginia University in 2013 and was fortunate to find a position with GAI where I’ve had the satisfaction of contributing to a variety of projects that have helped improve my hometown and surrounding region." " Jacob Burns, PLA, ASLA
GAI-Charleston, WV I was introduced to the field of Landscape Architecture through an employer in high school and was fortunate to live in a state with two very strong programs at Purdue and Ball State. Purdue gave me the opportunity to bring multiple interests together (architecture, nature-play, planting design, and golf course design) and engage a design field that’s clearly much broader than I realized. I’ve helped tackle quite a few challenges over the past 20 years and have found great satisfaction in seeing the end-users of my work recreate, work, relax, heal, and succeed in the private and public spaces I’ve had the privilege to design. The future is bright for our profession, and I’m thrilled to be along for the ride." " Kevin Aust, PLA, LEED AP
GAI-Orlando, FL

GAI’s Community Solutions Group (CSG) Landscape Architecture practice is committed to creating rich, diverse, sustainable, authentic places that allow people to connect to the environment, the community, and each other. Find out more about GAI’s Landscape Architecture services—message GAI online and start the conversation about how our multidiscipline professionals can meet your unique project needs.