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Lisa Geyelin is no longer among the residents of Wayne, Pennsylvania. She is now a member of the student body of Heriot-Watt University/Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland — at least for one semester.
On January 10, Lisa will begin her semester abroad while completing her landscape architecture degree.
“Essentially I have Christmas and then a plane trip — it’s crazy. I’ve been in contact with a friend of (Temple graduate) Jessica Forrester’s who went to Scotland last year,” she said. “I’ll be staying with her friend until I find a place to live. Hopefully someone needs a roommate.”
While planning for a half-year abroad, Lisa was a little concerned for her mother’s landscaping business, which she has helped to expand in the last few years.
“I think my Mom is getting used to the idea that I won’t be here for a while. We were a little panicked about the spring, but I’m sure it will work out,” she said. “She has a lot of good people working for her that will step up until I come back in June.”
Before Lisa left for Scotland, however, she did have some classes to finish up for the fall semester.
“In Landscape Restoration, our final group project was to develop a stream restoration plan for a tributary of Southampton Creek. We worked out the restoration on paper, but it is something that the community could put into effect,” she said. “Erosion is the main problem with the stream. They could stabilize the banks with fascine bundles — bundles of sticks that anchor to the stream banks and prevent erosion — or they could create check dams that would raise the level of the stream bed.”
In American Landscape Traditions Lisa handed in her final paper, a detailed study of Logan Circle and Logan Square, “which I think turned out pretty well.”
“In class we’ve been studying landscape architecture in the 20th Century, the “City Beautiful” movement to Ian McHarg, who was really one of the first environmentalists,” she said. “He revolutionized the field of landscape architecture by essentially coming up with the process of design that we use today. He incorporated extensive site analysis, examination of the existing conditions that guide design.”
In Geology, Lisa finished the semester with an exam focusing on the hydrologic cycle of streams, oceans, rivers, and the atmosphere. In her Senior Studio one particular body of water has taken center stage all semester as her major group project centered on creating a redevelopment plan for the Schuylkill riverfront between the Art Museum and South Street.
“It’s been crazy for a month. Since Thanksgiving, I think every minute that I was not sleeping I spent on studio. We developed a 200-scale — 200 feet-per-inch — master plan along the Schuylkill,” she said. “In the 30th Street Station area, we did a larger plan at 20-scale. We were setting out to create a long term master plan to revitalize the waterfront and integrate it into the urban fabric — I think we succeeded.”
Two main areas were proposed for “large, new mixed-use development,” Lisa said.
“We proposed residential, commercial, retail, and office space located between Arch and Race streets on the east bank and between Walnut and South streets on the west bank with some additional mixed-use space around 30th Street. We really wanted to create another street along the bridges as well,” she said. “You want to create spaces that people feel safe in; that is an important aspect of urban design.”
For the development plan, Lisa’s team also provided examples of green buildings using sustainable building practices, solar panels, and water runoff reuse.
“Most of the landscape restoration work would take place towards the ends, below Walnut Street and above Route 676,” she said. “We wanted to create a more natural edge to the riparian corridor and connect the Fairmount and Schuylkill River parks through plantings.”
With her senior studio out of the way, Lisa has one more studio course to complete, which she will do during two terms in Scotland.
“It’s a 12-credit program. They’ve made room for me in the landscape architecture studio — I’ll be doing independent study with the second-year master’s students,” she said. “I believe we’ll be developing a master plan for a canal area. I’d like to take another class while I’m there as well.”
During last minute preparations for Scotland, Lisa had a little bit of time to reflect on her last semester taking classes at Ambler.
“There was a correlation between all of my classes from Geology to Landscape Restoration to Senior Studio. I think it was a good way to end my time here and I certainly learned a lot this semester,” she said. “Studio was one of the hardest courses I’ve taken and one of the most rewarding. I managed to get through it all, kept it together, and came out of it still somewhat sane.”
This is the third part of an "A Year in the Life” series featuring Lisa Geyelin. Lisa, who lives in Wayne, received a B.S. degree in Landscape Architecture in 2005.
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