Every year at the start of their summer internship program, LandDesign sends interns from across the country to one of the company’s many offices for a weeklong immersive experience. Over the course of the week, they learn about a major project the firm is working on, pitch design concepts, and present their proposals to the rest of the firm.
This year, after two years of not having the program due to the pandemic, the landscape architecture and civil engineering firm hosted their summer interns at their Washington DC office. The interns had the opportunity to learn about LandDesign’s involvement with the ongoing development at the Greensboro Metro Station and visit a number of projects the firm has been working on.
“We chose our Washington DC office to host our internship charrette week because of the dramatic transformation of Tysons over the last few years,” says Deborah Miller, Executive Director, Strategic Growth and Business Development at LandDesign. “Tysons is in many ways a model for edge city urbanization, and we wanted our interns to experience the incredible projects we are working on in the area.”
LandDesign has played an instrumental role in the development of Tysons’ into a transit-oriented, mixed-use urban center. In particular, they’ve advocated for creating more open spaces between buildings, pedestrian focused developments, and a greener, more climate friendly Tysons.
One of the organization’s slogan is, “Why just make something, when you can create something that matters?” The employees at LandDesign take this motto to heart by creating engaging spaces that bring the community together and draw people to the region.
LandDesign Partner, Stephanie Pankiewicz says, “we work with our clients to help our communities thrive through great design. Our mission is to create places of value and being a part of the most ambitious suburban redevelopment in the greater DC region exemplifies our commitment to that mission.”
At The Boro, the company designed Boro Park, a programmable space that offers numerous opportunities for placemaking activation, including live music, movies, markets, and festivals. They also planned and developed SkyPark, a 28,000 square foot park that is joined by all three of The Boro’s residential buildings. The park features an outdoor theater, bar, grilling stations, fire pits, bocce courts, ping pong, cornhole, and badminton.
The firm currently has over 20 projects in Tysons, including another major endeavor they are working on, The View. The proposed development will comprise six buildings, totaling more than 3 million square feet of mixed-use space and will be one of the largest developments ever approved in Tysons. LandDesign has also created a design plan that includes a multi-block urban park. The park will feature an outdoor amphitheater, light installations, sculpture garden, and more.
LandDesign has been a Tysons Partnership member for several years and participated on several advisory committees. For more information about the firm and the work they’re doing in Tysons, click here.
