Hello

Welcome to the webfolio of Benjamin Schneider, a landscape designer living in New York City. I am interested in all things landscape architecture, particularly urban design and planning, infill development, stormwater design, and green infrastructure.

This site is primarily intended to showcase my landscape design work. I also build websites and dabble in photography.

Thanks for visiting, and feel free to contact me here.

Background

I have over eight years of experience carrying out all aspects of website production including planning, design, programming, and support. Currently, I am working as a freelance web designer in which I guide clients from design concept to implementation. I have also taught introductory web design seminars at the University of Massachusetts.

While I continue to enjoy web design work, I am currently transitioning to a career in landscape architecture. I recently completed my MLA degree and I am eagerly seeking opportunities to gain more experience and knowledge of the industry. My strong foundation in landscape theory and practice includes such areas of study as forest hydrology, historic landscape design, urban design, landscape planning, and green infrastructure. Through my master's thesis project I focused on the integration of sustainable stormwater infrastructure and urban design, and I hope to expand upon this area in my professional work. I have also broadened my design palette by holding two internships and making several journeys overseas. In these experiences I developed a strong work ethic and a wide range of abilities including excellent computer, communication, and technical skills.

See my resume for further details about my background.

Philosophy

This is an extraordinary time for landscape architecture. The profession is poised to respond to the world's rising energy costs and limited resources by orchestrating the artistic integration of cultural, infrastructural, ecological, and economic priorities. Taking such a hybrid approach to landscape design has the potential to produce efficient landscapes that pay for themselves and provide a multitude of benefits and services. I believe that such strategies will play an important role in confronting the many challenges that confront our communities now and in the future.

Fundamentally, my design philosophy is based on the idea that communities are, ultimately, built for people. The designer’s task is to use landform, vegetation, and structures to create legible outdoor spaces that relate to the human experience and invite a physical and spiritual dialog between people and their environment.

Contact

I can be reached by email, here.

Credits

This website was designed by Benjamin Schneider using Adobe Photoshop, Fireworks, and Illustrator. The layout is done with CSS and XHTML. The site is powered by Drupal and was built using Nathan Smith's 960 Grid System and the related NineSixty Drupal theme.