This week we were joined by Melissa Pearson, Principal Planning Consultant, and Melissa Davis, Landscape Architect, both from SLR Consulting. Students got to learn about two fascinating career pathways where they could really make a difference to people and communities.
Melissa Pearson started with the example of Maungawhau/Mt Eden, and the different values placed on it by different stakeholders. These are the perspectives she has to consider and argue for in her role as a planner. Planners help manage how land is used in urban, suburban and rural settings, balancing the demands of development with community needs, sustainability and good design.
Melissa relishes the strategic aspect of the role and says that students with good communication skills, who enjoy things like debating, geography, and writing reports, would make good planners. For her, job satisfaction comes from seeing a project come to fruition and knowing that it has had a positive impact on a group or community.
Melissa Davis began her section of the talk with a quote from comedian Suzi Izzard: “What do you add to the human existence – that is what matters.” Melissa’s job is all about positively contributing to people’s lives, by designing beautiful, functional, and sustainable outdoor spaces. Like Melissa Pearson, her best career moments come from visiting a project over the years, seeing it grow and bring benefits to its users.
Landscape architects work on projects big and small, from private gardens to Olympic sites. Melissa showed us two very different examples of projects she has worked on. One was a huge development near the Auckland International Airport, where giant ‘big box’ buildings had to be balanced aesthetically with green spaces, and wastewater dealt with sustainably. The other was a small, intimate garden in the grounds of a hospital, where patients and visitors might sit for a moment of serenity.
Both of these career pathways offer plenty of opportunities for employment, professional growth, travel, and variety. Students left the talk inspired with new understandings about these roles. Thanks to the two Melissas for sharing their expertise with us!
Photo: students with (left) Melissa Pearson, Principal Planning Consultant, and (right) Melissa Davis, Landscape Architect.