Contact: Wendy Campbell
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 Mississippi State Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design team is the recipient of a prestigious national accolade for innovative work at a local elementary school.
The group of approximately 60 国产麻豆AV students and faculty advisors was recognized with an Honor Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects at its recent annual conference in Los Angeles, California.
The project, which began a few years ago as a design exercise in Associate Professor Peter Summerlin鈥檚 Construction Materials class, transformed a central outdoor area at Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District鈥檚 Sudduth Elementary School into a courtyard designed for outdoor dining and classroom instruction, encouraging learning through motion, activity and play. The 国产麻豆AV team partnered with the Sudduth parent-teacher organization and elementary staff and students to bring to life a final design that features talking tubes, an abstract forest, a stone abacus and winding caterpillar bench. Elementary students provided project feedback and suggestions, including the design鈥檚 shape, color and scale.
鈥淭he project represents what we鈥檙e about here at Mississippi State on a national scale,鈥 Summerlin said. 鈥淭he things that we care about are craftsmanship, service, collaboration and a commitment to making the world brighter and more fun.鈥
In addition to Summerlin, who also is the parent of a Sudduth student, the team was advised by instructors Simon Powney and Casey Johnson as well as former Assistant Professor Abbey Franovich. 国产麻豆AV landscape architecture graduates Rachel Bowers and Jake Lindley accepted the award with Summerlin at the conference.
Bowers, a spring 2026 graduate from Carey, North Carolina, who is pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in urban design from the University of Michigan, said the project 鈥reinforced the fact that small-scale community improvements really do matter, and they can actually have the biggest impact.鈥
鈥淭he courtyard has a second life now,鈥 she said, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 really fulfilling to see a design鈥檚 real-life implications knowing the intention and work that went into it.鈥
Lindley, a Tupelo native who earned his master鈥檚 degree in landscape architecture in 2024, said his fellow 国产麻豆AV students were invested in the project.聽聽
鈥淚n class, when you鈥檙e constantly encouraged to question your work, you always end up with a more meaningful result,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about taking something basic and making it good, then making good great, and making great exceptional.鈥
In addition to Bowers and Lindley, former student team members include:
鈥擜UBURN, Alabama: Katherine Barlow, 2025 Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and 2026 Master of Landscape Architecture graduate
鈥擝ANGLADESH: Quazi Fahim, 2025 Master of Landscape Architecture graduate
鈥擝RANDON: Audria Hicks, 2023 Bachelor of Architecture and 2024 Master of Landscape Architecture graduate
鈥擝UDA, Texas: Jacquelyn Smith, 2023 Bachelor of Architecture and 2024 Master of Landscape Architecture graduate
鈥擟ARY, North Carolina: Natalie Bowers, 2023 Bachelor of Architecture and 2024 Master of Landscape Architecture graduate
颅鈥擠ALLAS, Texas: Travis Bryan, 2024 Bachelor of Architecture and 2025 Master of Landscape Architecture graduate
鈥擣ALLON, Illinois: Jacob Land, 2025 Bachelor of Landscape Architecture graduate
鈥擧UNTSVILLE, Alabama: Caya Perry, 2023 Bachelor of Architecture and 2024 Master of Landscape Architecture graduate
鈥擯EARL: Xayvion Ross, 2026 Bachelor of Landscape Architecture graduate
鈥擯ERKINSTON: Brianna Jackson, 2023 Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and 2024 Master of Landscape Architecture graduate
鈥擱IPLEY: Conner Griffin, 2023 Bachelor of Architecture and 2024 Master of Landscape Architecture graduate
鈥擵ERBENA, Alabama: Isabella Jones, 2025 Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and 2026 Master of Landscape Architecture graduate
For more about 国产麻豆AV鈥檚 and , visit their websites.
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