Environmental Design

Connect, protect, restore

Regan Widergren — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 20:32:12 +0000

Connect, protect, restore Regan Widergren Thu, 06/05/2025 - 14:32

Blending her design education with influences from ecology and evolutionary biology, Rachel Martino is on her way to design landscapes that connect, protect and restore. As this year’s distinguished graduate in landscape architecture, Martino reflects on what she considers to be one of the biggest lessons from her time at ENVD.

“I think that the greatest lesson ENVD taught me is how to visualize a better world and then develop innovative and well-researched solutions to make that world a reality,” she shared.

In the moment

Reminiscing about the past four years brings back fond memories for Martino. One of her favorite memories is participating in a tree planting event hosted by the student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). “I was able to help select trees, including a Ginkgo–one of my favorites–to be planted on the Wolf [Law Building] lawn,” she shared. Seeing the project through, from start to finish, is what stands out the most for her.

Considering the future and when it comes to advice for other students, Martino encourages her peers to embrace growth by exploring design outside their comfort zone. “You will get what you put in,” she said. “One thing I wish I knew in the beginning is that the only way to grow as a student and a designer is to push yourself beyond what you are capable of.”

Designing for resilience

Martino is especially proud of her design proposal for her senior capstone project. Titled Reclaiming the Floodplain: Creating a New Ecological Edge at the Gateway to Boulder, the design site is located in CU Boulder South and addresses the issue of flooding in the area.

“I focus on expanding the South Boulder Creek floodplain to inundate a series of constructed wetlands, while a berm and a floodwall help protect nearby residents from extreme flood events,” she said.

Graduation and beyond

Martino describes graduating as a culmination of effort and perseverance. “It also represents all the wonderful love and encouragement that I have received from family and friends,” she shared. “I am so thankful for their support.”

After graduation, Martino will pursue a career in landscape architecture. She is confident in her degree and the experience she’ll carry with her into the real world.

“I can’t tell you where I'll be in six months, but ENVD has prepared me to be adaptable and take advantage of opportunities,” she said.

Blending her design education with influences from ecology and evolutionary biology, Rachel Martino is on her way to design landscapes that connect, protect and restore.

Off

Traditional

White

Designing with purpose

Regan Widergren — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 20:23:21 +0000

Designing with purpose Regan Widergren Thu, 06/05/2025 - 14:23

The Collaborator received top honors in the Synthux Hackathon 2024, a global competition supported by his ATLS sound lab class.

From global UX hackathons to instructing a tech series to underclassmen, Nick Lankau, this year’s Distinguished Graduate in environmental products of design, leaves ENVD with a toolkit shaped by creativity and empathy, with a drive to make things that matter.

Pairing his ENVD major with a minor in creative technology and engineering, Lankau’s education blended artistry and engineering, combining creativity with purpose. He considers The Collaborator to be one of his standout projects.

“The prompt was virtual human connection,” Lankau said. “Our group settled on making a four-person, collaborative music device, with quantized inputs to allow people of any music ability to jam with their friends.”

Teaching with empathy

When Lankau was in second grade, he was diagnosed with dyslexia. School experiences were challenging to navigate. “I always swore that if I were ever in the teacher’s position, I would be more empathetic and aware of students’ challenges, especially those with learning disabilities,” he recalled.

That vow came full circle when Lankau got to instruct the ENVD tech series for four semesters. “It was incredible to meet all these students who were one to two years younger than me, and to teach them through the experiences of going through the exact same class, and what I would’ve done differently on projects,” he said. “I tried to make it as exciting and as engaging as possible.”

Lankau’s cheat sheet for underclassmen

These aren’t just motivational phrases–they’re key strategies from someone who’s experienced designing, prototyping, and pulling all-nighters to bring an idea to life.

Procrastination is your enemy. Perfection isn't real. Using the right tool for the job will save you hours of frustration AND give you a better result. Take learning into your own hands. The internet usually has the answer. You're more capable than you think. Starting is the hard part. Put in the work. Try hard. Play hard, and if you're not having fun, then you're doing it wrong.

College in candid moments

It wasn’t one specific moment that defined his college experience, but rather the collective rhythm of it all. Late nights in the studios. Celebrations after a final pinup. Field trips to art museums and tea houses. A warm day at the creek. Seeing a local band play at a house concert. Stopping to appreciate the design of something or trying to see how it works, having the best company to do all the above with.

Reflections and the road ahead

As Lankau prepares for the big day, it’s a transition he recognizes as bittersweet. “It’s been a wonderful experience here at CU,” he said. “It’s strange not to be a student anymore and to enter the ‘real world,’ but equally exciting. I just hope that I keep having the ability to make the things that I’m passionate about.”

After graduation, he’s heading to Denver to begin his design career, with plans to launch his own company one day. As he translates his education into the job market, he holds deep appreciation for the unique perspective the EPOD major instilled in him. “What makes this program special is that we’re taught to care deeply about the impact of what we create,” he shared.

Navigating a world where values and viability often collide, Lankau leaves CU Boulder equipped with the conviction and clarity to seek out the balance. “It’s a hard balance–to want to make meaningful work, to need to support yourself, and to not compromise your values in the process–but ENVD gave me the awareness, the empathy, and the drive to keep navigating that tension,” he said.

From global UX hackathons to instructing a tech series to underclassmen, Nick Lankau leaves ENVD with a toolkit shaped by creativity and empathy, with a drive to make things that matter.

Off

Traditional

White

Finding community

Regan Widergren — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 20:16:49 +0000

Finding community Regan Widergren Thu, 06/05/2025 - 14:16

For Jillian Draheim, this year’s Distinguished Graduate in sustainable planning & urban design, graduating from environmental design isn’t just a milestone, it’s a launching pad. Over the past four years, she’s built a rich academic foundation, forged deep friendships, and discovered a design philosophy rooted in community engagement, creativity and sustainability.

Transforming industrial waste

Reminiscing about past projects, Draheim is most proud of one from her 2100 planning studio. The task? Redesigning an abandoned industrial site, on the edge of downtown Longmont, into a thriving community. “It was based around a transit station and focused on providing more opportunities for affordable and missing middle housing,” Draheim said.

This was her first semester-long studio. One where she and other students got to dive into details and use new programs to create more professional graphic presentation elements. “My favorite part of this project was balancing technical planning elements with elements of fun and whimsy,” she said.

Spring in Copenhagen

Draheim’s junior year took her across the Atlantic to Copenhagen. Living abroad blossomed new memories, and through her spring classes, the experience offered new opportunities and perspectives. “Going abroad was inspirational,” she reflects. “The new landscapes and even just being in a new studio environment were invaluable. Copenhagen is such a sustainable and people-focused city, and it has influenced my approach to planning and urban design.”

More than coursework

The heart of Draheim’s college experience wasn’t just completing coursework or spending time in the design studio–it was in the community. “The relationships you build in the four years at CU are just as important to the college experience as the education,” she said.

“Finding your people and having a support system is imperative, and I have learned far more from my friends and peers than I could’ve from just formal education.”

At an end-of-year jubilee event, during her freshman year, there’s a moment that stands out as her favorite. “It was one of those times where you look around at the people surrounding you and have a feeling–you know you made the right decision coming to Boulder and being in ENVD,” she said.

What’s next?

With graduation on the horizon, Draheim acknowledges this accomplishment. “As much as I feel that I have grown in the last four years, I know this next step will be another time of self-discovery, which is equally terrifying and exciting,” she said. So, what’s next?

She is setting her sights on Chicago, where she hopes to enter the private sector of urban planning and design. “ENVD has helped prepare me by giving me a strong interdisciplinary education that balances elements of design and technical planning,” she said. “This has opened the different types of work that I feel interested in and qualified for.”

For Jillian Draheim, graduating from environmental design isn’t just a milestone–it’s a launching pad. She spent the past four years building a rich academic foundation, forged deep friendships, and discovered a design philosophy rooted in community engagement, creativity and sustainability.

Off

Zebra Striped

White

2025 Latin honors recipients

Regan Widergren — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 17:55:27 +0000

2025 Latin honors recipients Regan Widergren Thu, 06/05/2025 - 11:55

Each spring, a small group of environmental design students defend their theses to a dedicated thesis committee. Students are awarded Latin honors at the levels of cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude.

Projects worthy of the honors designation are works of creative expression, including design, research, and theoretical work that demonstrate a high level of intellectual and creative ability and analytical skills. Completing an honors project allows students to investigate topics of interest, provides the opportunity to work closely with a faculty thesis chair, and creates a culminating intellectual experience that produces both a meaningful project and an invaluable learning experience. The Honors project represents the climax of their college careers.

Congratulations to the following students who graduated with Latin honors.

Kinsey Anger, summa cum laude

The Rural Alaskan Energy Hub:

Harmonizing Inupiaq subsistence living practices with energy infrastructure equity in the Bering Strait region through culturally responsive design innovation

Connor Chancey, summa cum laude

Disparities in Biking Infrastructure Development:

Analyzing Policy, Economic, and Social Factors in Colorado’s Front Range Cities

Cameron Cooper, summa cum laude

Engaging With Grief In American Landscapes

Developing a community engagement framework tailored to victims of mass shootings

Maya Handelman, summa cum laude

Mutual Flourishing

Uplifting Mutually Beneficial Relationships Between Humans and Colorado Native Species Through Urban Landscape Design

Olivia Hays, magna cum laude

HydroScape:

Applying New Decentralized Water System Practices to Commercial Building Adaptations within Colorado

AJ Jelonnek, summa cum laude

Natural Delicacies:

Exploring Environmental Preferences and How They Relate to Human Foraging Behavior

Serena Langdon-Dmidjian, summa cum laude

Vitoria Lindenmuth, summa cum laude

Adaptive Reuse Assessment:

Revising Redevelopment Policies in Denver, Colorado to Promote Sustainability

Kate Malloy, magna cum laude

A Case Study in Well Being

Implementing Mental Health-Focused Design in Existing Public High Schools

Mary Miller, summa cum laude

Landscapes from Above:

A layered f ramework of ecology and inf rastructure at regional and municipal airports in Minnesota

Aspen Randolph, summa cum laude

Rhythm and Resistance:

Spatial Design Strategies for Cultural Resilience in Gentrified Areas

Logan Shockey, summa cum laude

MuSE: Multispecies Sensory Engagement

Enhancing Emotional Bonds with Nonhuman Organisms through Human-Computer-Interaction

Georgina Lopez Valle, cum laude

Inside Out: Exploring How Interior Design

Perpetuates Systemic Disadvantages In Mobile Home Communities

Each spring, a small group of environmental design students defend their theses to a dedicated thesis committee. This year 13 students were awarded Latin honors at the levels of cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude.

Off

Traditional

White

Connections through design

Regan Widergren — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 17:37:37 +0000

Connections through design Regan Widergren Thu, 06/05/2025 - 11:37

For Serena Langdon-Dimidjian, a graduate with a dual degree in architecture and ethnic studies, design is about building community, asking deeper questions, and making space for connection. As this year’s outstanding graduate in environmental design, she has spent the past four years discovering how architecture can bridge design and social impact.

Hands-on design in Colombia

One of Langdon-Dimidjian's most memorable projects was from a global seminar in Medellín, Colombia, during the summer of her sophomore year. Alongside students from the Universidad de San Buenaventura, she and other ENVD students co-designed and constructed an outdoor kitchen and workshop space. “Living with host families and learning in such a hands-on, cross-cultural environment taught me so much about design practice and process,” she said. “It was a great reminder of how design can build real and lasting connections.”

Community near and far

In addition to spending time in Colombia, Langdon-Dimidjian spent a semester studying in Granada, Spain. She considers this one of the most meaningful experiences from her time at CU, where it taught her the value of exploring unfamiliar places, new experiences, learning both in and outside the classroom, and stepping outside comfort zones.

“More than anything, I’m endlessly grateful for the friendships I’ve built here and the supportive, inspiring community of peers, professors, and staff who made CU feel like home,” she said.

Making memories

One of Langdon-Dimidjian's favorite memories is from this spring when her capstone studio took a “ski day” to Eldora Mountain, a ski area in Nederland, Colorado. “We were working on redesigning one of the lodges there, so getting out on the mountain and actually experiencing the site in person was such a cool way to connect with the project,” she said. “And it was amazing to have a studio day on the slopes!”

Langdon-Dimidjian's cheat sheet for underclassmen

If you press the button twice on the vending machine at CINC, it will give you two Starbucks coffees instead of one. Always go to the end-of-semester clean-out for model materials. Make friends with someone who works at the DMC, and don't forget that McGuckin's has everything!

Milestones

For Langdon-Dimidjian, graduating is a key milestone for her education and one she is deeply proud of. “It represents not just years of hard work, but also the support, resilience and determination that my classmates and I have shared throughout our time in the program,” she shared. “We’ve been through so much together, and as we cross the stage, we carry with us our families, our histories, and the stories that shaped us.”

Langdon-Dimidjian will graduate summa cum laude for her honors thesis in architecture, where she conducted a participant-based research study. Following graduation, she hopes to attend graduate school, continuing the research and design thinking that have defined her undergraduate journey.

“That process taught me how to ask better questions, engage deeply with communities, and explore complex ideas through design,” she said. “I was lucky to work alongside an incredible cohort of students who pushed me to grow, and I’m excited to continue this kind of research in the future. ENVD helped me develop a sense of curiosity and taught me to think critically about the built environment and the world around me.”

For Serena Langdon-Dimidjian, design is about building community, asking deeper questions, and making space for connection. As this year’s outstanding graduate in environmental design, she has spent the past four years discovering how architecture can bridge design and social impact.

Off

Traditional

White

Fear

Regan Widergren — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:19:07 +0000

Fear Regan Widergren Tue, 04/29/2025 - 18:19

“Have no fear of perfection-you'll never reach it.”

– Salvador Dali

Fear is many things--a manifestation of anxieties and social pressures, a desire to avoid discomfort, an evolutionary predisposition to protect the reptilian self—and its stigma, the sometimes-delimiting factor to its efficacy. Candidly, fear is simply information, albeit information meant to drive our decision-making to achieve an almost always singular outcome: safety.

So how can we reengineer this discomfort as a powerful ally? You might start by interrogating your fears: What am I afraid of? What is the worst thing that can happen? What is the cost of the status quo? What do I miss out by avoiding this decision? How do I know if my fears are real or imagined? How are my fears holding me back? How will taking action impact me? Who do I need to be to own my fears?

As you consider these questions, spend some time reviewing the linked resources below. You might find tools/thought exercises/questions that help you reframe fear as information, opportunity, and ally.

TED | Tim Ferriss: Why you should define your fears instead of your goals

BetterHelp: Using Fear as a Motivator

The ��Ĺ��ý Post: Fear and anxiety can help. Here’s how to use them to your advantage

Adventure Collection: 10 Reasons Why a Dose of Fear is Good for You

LinkedIn | Sonia McDonald: Fear To Courage: How To Use The Emotion Wheel To Transform Your Feelings

Psychology Today: Fear Is a Tool of the Trade: Here's How to Use It

Off

Traditional

White

Endings

Regan Widergren — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:15:15 +0000

Endings Regan Widergren Tue, 04/29/2025 - 18:15

“It is always important to know when something has reached its end. Closing circles, shutting doors, finishing chapters, it doesn't matter what we call it; what matters is to leave in the past those moments in life that are over.”

― Paulo Coelo

The cyclicality of process and its perpetual reification of the start-iterate-finish paradigm grinds at the two-pronged directive of modern, capitalist living—work hard, get rewarded. However, we know the cycle as we envision it—a pristine linearized radius that mythicizes the inevitability of progress feeding progress—versus the cycle as we experience it, something more akin to this:

Or this...

Or even this...

Given the cultural disconnect between ideal and reality, it becomes important to manage one's own energetic engagement with process and the idea of ending. You might start by interrogating your relationship with these concepts: How would beginning with an end in mind help you? What obstacles could get in the way? What helps you decide to start ending? What do you intentionally do to end well? How do you know that you’ve learned what you needed to learn? How do outcomes/products benefit you? Who do you need to be to end something? What will you do to celebrate ending?

“The end of a melody is not its goal: but nonetheless, had the melody not reached its end it would not have reached its goal either. A parable.”

― Nietzche

As you explore your approach to ending and build a toolkit that supports that outcome energetically, consider what it might take to find, as Neil Gaiman says, “somewhere to rest, to stop reading, and to be content,” and take some time to explore the tools below to challenge and build your relationship with your reason for getting things done.

UFYB: How to Get Sh*t Done

I have ADHD: Podcast Episode #84: When You Get Nothing Done

The Marginalian | Probable Impossibilities: Physicist Alan Lightman on Beginnings, Endings, and What Makes Life Worth Living

Life Hack: 10 Essential Tips to Finish What You Start

Zen Habits: How to Finish

Personal Excellence:How to Finish What You Start

Scott H. Young: How to Build the Habit of Finishing What You Start

Lifehacker: How Do You Know When You're Finished?

Off

Traditional

White

2023 ENVD Alumni Recognition Events

Regan Widergren — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:07:30 +0000

2023 ENVD Alumni Recognition Events Regan Widergren Tue, 04/29/2025 - 18:07

The Program in Environmental Design (ENVD) is proud to celebrate its design community by recognizing individuals who have demonstrated leadership and made significant contributions to the design and architectural professions and their communities.

This fall, ENVD honored Nancy Blackwood with the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award and Thomas Hoffmann with the Young Designer Award. Learn more about the recipients here. ENVD hosted events to recognize each recipient's professional career and personal achievements during the Wednesday of CU’s 2023 Homecoming Week.

The recognition kicked off as Blackwood received a tour of the ENVD building from sustainable planning and urban design senior Lydia Mercante, and thereafter presented to a group of students in their urban planning studio. Blackwood described the highlights of her career to aspiring planners and offered insights into the nature of the profession. With ENVD134 filled with alumni, faculty, staff, students, and members of the Boulder professional design community, the evening kicked off with an hors d'oeuvres reception followed by the awards presentations.

ENVD Assistant Director for Advising and Professional Development Nate Jones opened the recognition event and introduced Blackwood and Hoffmann. Teaching Associate Professor Jeremy Ehly then presented the Young Designer Award to Hoffmann, recounting his experience as Hoffman’s capstone instructor. ENVD Director Stacey Schulte then took to the podium to present the Distinguished Alumni Award to Blackwood. ENVD will celebrate the 50-year anniversary of its first graduating class in 2024, of which Blackwood was a graduate. Schulte recognized Blackwood’s membership in the first cohort of ENVD graduates and referenced her influential career and countless contributions to the program.

After the awards portion of the event, Hoffmann spoke to the audience about his time as an ENVD student, his early design career, and the experience of starting his own company Campworks. He emphasized his journey from student to young entrepreneur and how his innovative camper is impacting the existing market. Blackwood spoke to the audience about her time as an ENVD student back in the 70’s and presented work from her exemplary career. She chronicled the many urban planning projects that she has worked on throughout the Front Range and around the world (including projects in Africa). Blackwood’s presentation illustrated a veritable tour de force of impactful urban planning in Colorado.

Concerning ENVD’s forthcoming anniversary, ENVD Teaching Professor Jade Polizzi concluded the ceremony by introducing her efforts to chronicle the program’s history. She implored the various alumni members in attendance to support the project with anecdotes and other information highlighting their ENVD student experiences.

The alumni recognition continued into the night with a dinner at Café Aion on University Hill. During the dinner, Schulte discussed the creation of an ENVD Alumni Advisory Board and asked the alumni members in attendance to consider participating.

It was a wonderful night of recognition and reconnection as the ENVD community celebrated its legacy and looked forward to the exciting changes yet to come.

Off

Traditional

White

Transitions

Regan Widergren — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:03:22 +0000

Transitions Regan Widergren Tue, 04/29/2025 - 18:03

“You begin with the possibilities of the material.”

― Robert Rauschenberg

We’ve rounded the corner to another new year and should be reminded that time is possibility and that the cyclicality of beginning and ending is deeply attached to perception and cultural norms. All of these tools give us space to build our own approach to that which is new, taking into account what has passed, what might come, and what our observations, perceptions, and expectations tell us. So how do we harness the idea of transition as a framework? Start by asking yourself: What has changed? How do I want to grow? If money, location and training were no object, what would I do? And why? What do I want to leave behind? What stories do I need to let go of to move forward? What do my current conditions support? What do I need to bring with me (i.e., experience, strengths, wisdom) to create my future? What's one change I could make that would give me more calm? How does this change align with my values? When I successfully navigate this change, how will my life be different? What would my future self say to encourage me? Who can support me? Who are my allies?

As you reflect on these questions, embrace your resilience, curiosity, and creativity. They have prepared you to own your growth. Take some time to explore the tools below to fortify your transition strategy and practice greater intentionality during periods of change.

UFYB | UFYB 22: INSIGHT VS. TRANSFORMATION

I Have ADHD | Creating a (Doable) Vision for 2024

I Have ADHD | The ADHDers Guide to Being Proactive (Even With a Reactive Brain)

I Have ADHD | How to Build Self-Trust Even with ADHD

Victoria Albina | Ep #200: How To Trust And Reclaim Your Intuition

Pinnacle 7 | 8 Questions to Help You Move Forward in any Transition

Your Time to Grow | 10 Powerful Questions to Ask Yourself When Facing Change

Be Well Life Coaching | In the Midst of a Transition? 5 Questions That Will Help

In sharing my enthusiasm for the immense potential transitions carry, I must also acknowledge my own bittersweet departure from ENVD. My time here has been incredibly rewarding, especially in collaborating with such talented design students and working alongside a team that's nothing short of inspiring. As I have grown alongside you, I have been inspired to choose a path of possibility that now leads beyond ENVD. I thank you all for giving me this gift and am encouraged for the path(s) that lie ahead. Since this is my last chance to address you all from OYS, I encourage you to continue to own your work, your intentions, and your futures. Each of you holds the strength and creativity to surmount any challenge. Trust yourselves as you forge ahead and take heart in the wake of the uncharted. You have everything you need.

Off

Traditional

White

Farewell, Congratulations, Dylan Dybedahl-West

Regan Widergren — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 23:56:32 +0000

Farewell, Congratulations, Dylan Dybedahl-West Regan Widergren Tue, 04/29/2025 - 17:56

Congratulations to Dylan Dybedahl-West! He has accepted a new position on campus as the Director of Strategic Initiatives in the Office of Enrollment Management. Dybedahl-West's last day at ENVD was Friday, Feb. 2, and ended with a going away celebration at Avanti.

“I want to thank Dylan for his outstanding contributions to ENVD throughout his 8-year tenure with the Program,” Alea Richmond Akins, senior director of undergraduate education & student success said. “Dylan has made a tremendous impact on ENVD’s overall success and high student retention rates – some of his highlights include reimagining and propelling ENVD’s First-Year Experience Program forward, leading and improving Student Orientation, launching ENVD’s first ever Living and Learning Community and championing the importance of inclusivity and building students’ sense of belonging. The list of his achievements could go on. Dylan has made significant strides in ENVD, and I feel incredibly lucky to have worked with him for so many years. I’m thrilled Dylan will still be close by working in a new capacity at CU Boulder.”

Off

Traditional

White