Design Unmuted

In this episode of Landscapes Unmuted, Divine and Macy explore their personal journeys with tea, discussing its cultural significance, the rituals surrounding it, and how it connects to landscape architecture. They share their dreams of designing tea gardens that reflect diverse cultures and serve as community spaces. The conversation emphasizes the importance of tea as a form of self-care and personal expression, while also highlighting the stories behind the tea and its connection to the land.Chapters00:00 The Journey of Tea Appreciation05:18 Cultural Connections Through Tea12:05 Tea as a Gateway to Landscape Architecture22:36 Personal Rituals and Self-Care with Tea29:25 Finding Lightness in Difficult Times29:50 Introduction to the Podcast and Hosts30:21 Collaboration and Inclusivity in Landscape Architecture

In this episode of Landscapes Unmuted, Divine and Maci explore the concept of success, and redefining it. They discuss the traditional stereotypes of success and the challenges they present to keeping people in the field. The conversation emphasizes the need to redefine success to include personal well-being, work-life balance, and community impact. Then they close out the episode by sharing their definitions of success, celebrating achievements, and sharing their dreams for the future.Key ThemesRedefining success is essential for more diverse perspectives in Landscape Architecture.Exploitation in the industry begins during education, where students are expected to prioritize work over well-being.The narrative of needing decades of experience to be considered good is limiting and harmful. Redefining success involves finding balance and joy.Dream big.Success is a personal journey that evolves.Chapters08:11 Challenging Stereotypes of Success14:38 The Impact of Gender Dynamics on Success19:55 Understanding Exploitation in the Field30:40 Personal Redefinitions of Success39:01 The Shift from Production to Impact45:05 Centering Joy and Balance49:52 Collaboration and Self-Knowledge in Success57:20 Celebrating Achievements and Community01:01:47 Dreaming Big: Personal Aspirations and Goals

On this episode with Landscape Designer Michelle Gagnon Creeley, we start off with a discussion on mental health and working culture in design education, and dive into her practice in design and mutual aid working with unhoused communities in Vancouver and Seattle. We bring housing issues into the realm of landscape architecture and unpack how parks have served as homes and spaces for survival.Dive in to learn how design is used as a social tool to support unhoused communities through community care-centered design processes.You can watch a clip of this episode on the design unmuted youtube channel here and follow us on Instagram @design_unmutedThe production of this episode is supported by the Real Estate Foundation of BC (REFBC) . REFBC - a philanthropic organization working to advance sustainable land use and real estate practices in British Columbia, Canada. They do this by funding projects, connecting people, and sharing knowledge. REFBC grants support non-profit organizations working to improve BC communities and natural environments through responsible and informed land use, conservation, and real estate practices. REFBC is particularly interested in land-use projects that contribute to the upholding of Indigenous rights and title and racial equity and justice. Learn more at www.refbc.com.Thank you for all of you who come back to listen to Design unmuted. Here are some ways to continue showing support:- Subscribe to my newsletter and to Design unmuted on your podcast listening app- Support the production of this podcast by being a Patreon member or making a donation- Write a review & Share the podcast with a few people

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I am happy to launch the first conversation of the podcast season TRANSFORMING with Patricia Algara and Jose Leal. In this conversation Patricia and Jose share the ways in which they engage with their design practices in a meaningful way, engaging their spiritual practices into their work as a means to restore balance, connections to the cosmos and to reclaim their own indigeneity and agency. Tune in to learn their about their practices and the ways in which you can connect and engage more meaningfully with your own work.Patricia Algara is the Principal & Co Founder of Base Landscape Architecture and Founder of With Honey in the Heart . After working for a women’s rights organization on community empowerment projects, she earned a Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture in order to bring together participation and the built environment. Patricia is a shamanic counselor, a frame drummer, a landscape architect, a bee priestessJose Leal is  Principal, Landscape Architect Director of Native Nation Building Studio at MIG. José has a passion for truth-telling, considers humor to be good medicine. His Mexican and Indigenous heritage lead to Jose’s passion for Indigenous landscape architecture and celebrating how diverse Indigenous people have adapted to their natural environment. The production of this episode is supported by Anova Furnishings-who is on a mission to enhance landscapes and strengthen communities. They offer a variety of high-quality, functional outdoor site furniture products and styles to fit your project and budget. See more at www.anovafurnishings.com where you can shop online now or search for a local rep.Thank you for all of you who come back to listen to Design unmuted. Here are some ways to continue showing support:- Subscribe to my newsletter and to Design unmuted on your podcast listening app- Support the production of this podcast by being a Patreon member or making a donation- Write a review about the podcast- Share the podcast with a friend and within your network

In the second part of our conversation, Dr Diane Jones Allen talks to us about her practice Design Jones LLC, and her work in designing and building grassroots community driven projects. Diane shares the unique ways she has practiced Landscape Architecture in a non corporate way. We talk about the challenges that Black folks face in the profession; from being a student, practicing in academia or in private practice. In this episode, I also share about my Graduate Thesis project; Bujumbura 2050, where we used an Afrofuturistic approach to design the future of vertical urban spaces in Bujumbura. Diane is currently working on her upcoming book "The Maroon Landscape: A Cultural Approach to Climate Resiliency" to be published by the MIT Press in 2024. Tune in to also learn what Maroon landscapes can teach us as we envision a more resilient future. Dr. Diane Jones Allen is a principal landscape architect of Design Jones, LLC, and Program Director for Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs, at the University of Texas at Arlington. This episode was originally recorded in December 2020.

In this episode, our guest Ashley Jane Lewis shares her work with Slime Tech Lab in using slim mold to promote equitable distribution of social justice, mutual aid, and wellbeing in local communities. We also discussed the messed up state of tech industry and social media platforms; and how understanding of slime mold behavior could inform the imagination of an alternative practice of intentional coding and community building towards spaces of care.

Continuing the conversation from part 1 on how Walter built his design career and creative ethos, this second part, we talk about the importance of making beautiful socially responsible work and the ways in which we ought to find ways to tell the truth in design. He calls this a prophetic aesthetic. We also talk about the pains of living as black people in a world full of racism, his latest art projects, and mostly a lot of laughter. Walter Hood is an award winning designer, artist and the creative director at Hood Design Studio. Hood Design Studio, Inc., is a social art and design practice based in Oakland, California, founded in 1992.

On this episode, Nya shares all about the “SANKOFA: African routes, Canadian roots” exhibition; the first African collection to be led by folks of African descent at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Nya describes the importance of Curatorial voices as the “Silent hand of how art is being consumed publicly”. We talk about the challenges of art curation and the strategic erasure of Black people in art institutions. We also talk about NFTs , her new project with Google Arts and the growing digital landscape of art.

Three friends, some prosecco, snacks and a conversation about freelancing, freedom, burnout, grief and joy.

On this episode, I am joined by my friend Kiga (Landry Kigabiro), a DJ, producer and all around creative. We talk about his creative journey, his creative process and how the soundtrack of the design unmuted podcast; under the sun, came to be. We also talk about what freedom is. You can find his unique and eclectic mixes @Kuruza on Spotify

In this conversation, Sierra Tasi Baker, Lead Design Consultant at Sky Spirit Studio, talks about finding happiness in her identity while living on the unceded territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim speaking peoples of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) (MST) peoples, otherwise known as Vancouver.  In exploring the topic of happiness, Sierra reflects on the ways in which spatial designers can have a decolonized design practice. She shares her vision of MST futurism and sovereignty. Sierra has also coined the concept of Etiological Design;  a design process which centres Indigenous historical systems of storytelling and memory keeping. Inviting storytelling into the design process allows for designs that can truly reflect and honour the stories and the people who originate from the land.  

“Black is spatial for me.” Words from Rumbi ZinyembaIn this episode, I am joined by my good friends Rumbi Zinyemba and Petros Kusmu for a discussion centred around Blackness and what it means to be Black. We  discuss being Black in the context of Canada and how this differs from being Black in our home countries, the spatiality of structural racism, what a Black utopia might look like, and how much we miss dancing. We also take the time to imagine what spaces might look like if they were made for Black people, a world that is made for us.