People

Mark Lindquist, ASLA, PhD, Associate Professor at the School for Environment and Sustainability, leads the lab comprised of PhD, Master's, and undergraduate students. Mark’s research and teaching focus on the design and evaluation of high-performance landscapes with an emphasis on multifunctional green infrastructure in urban areas. He is particularly interested in understanding how engaging with computation and data can transform the design process as well as inform decision-making by stakeholders. Mark conducts empirical research to provide an evidence base to support the design and planning of environments that perform ecologically, socially, and culturally for more sustainable outcomes. 

Daniel Phillips, PhD, is a landscape architect and urban ecologist. He graduated from Otis College of Art and Design with a degree in Environmental Design (2008). He is a regular contributor to The Nature of Cities, and a former Fulbright-Nehru scholar. 

Frank Deaton, Research Associate, was the Lab's Unity Programmer. Frank holds a Master's degree in Computer Game Development from DePaul University in Chicago, IL. He has been working to create tools and programs for both augmented and virtual reality (AR & VR) applications which assist in landscape visualization. His work is primarily focused on increasing the options and efficiency of tools used in landscape visualization, and he is especially interested in helping to show the usefulness of game engines within the field. 

Evan Gill, Research Assistant, MLA

Evan Granito, Research Assistant, MLA  and Environmental Planning 2019, focuses on visualization and UAV services for architects, builders, planners, and other placemakers. Evans specialties include immersive 3D visualizations and edible landscape design.

Shruti Soni, Research Assistant, MLA and Master of Design Science 2019. She also holds a degree in Civil Engineering.

Shannon Sylte, Research Assistant, MLA 2019. 2018 Olmsted Scholar, 2017-2018 Dow Sustainability Fellow, 2018-2019 President of UM's Student Chapter for the American Society of Landscape Architects.  Her interests center around participatory design of public space as a medium to foster community resilience and improve urban ecological integrity.  Shannon's research centers on digital landscape visualization to support collective decision making around open space planning to communicate the social, ecological, and economic performance benefits of open space designs.  Collective impact through collaborative creativity has always been at the center of Shannon's orbit.  Her experience spans from fostering grassroots projects including community-centered D.I.Y. art galleries to designing and building community edible forest gardens in South-central Pennsylvania to leading interdisciplinary teams in design projects of varying scales.