Mel of All Trades

I’ve been a practicing landscape designer since 2016 and I am a Certified Native Landscaper (CNPS, Theodore Payne). I have a passion for developing native and drought tolerant plant palettes, using plants to creates fire-resistant landscapes and help remediate unstable slope conditions. My hardscape designs are functional and fluid and I’d always prefer to use sustainable materials versus the status quo. Creating pollinator gardens and rewilding within urban and suburban limits has been a constant core of my designs. I’m currently looking to work part-time or freelance for landscape architects and designers. I have a remote office in Highland Park/Northeast LA, but am willing to travel to project sites and nearby office spaces.

I’m also open to other part-time opportunities, as I have a very diverse skillset: furniture design and prototype/fabrication logistics, graphic design, brand strategy & identity development, frontend CMS web management (light HTML, CSS), digital asset management, small scale woodwork, model making and art/exhibition logistics.

References and resume provided upon request.

Email: melissa@keepcawild.com

Landscape Design Services

Construction Detail & Document Preparation (with PLA/RLA Supervision)*

Plant Palette Selection & Plant Plans

Fuel Modifications

General Drafting Needs in AutoCAD/LandFx

Graphic Presentations & Boards, Print or Digital (Adobe CS, Powerpoint)

Site Analysis & Mapping (have access to Lidar and Manual Transit)

3D modeling, Renderings & Animations (Sketchup, Vray, Lumion)

Hand-Drawn & Digital Concept/Schematic Plans, Perspective renderings

Researching & Interpreting Municipal Code

Submitting/Plan Checking Document Packages, Virtually, or in Person*

Collaborate on Conceptual & Schematic Designs

* I am not a licensed landscape architect and cannot submit construction documents without PLA/RLA stamp and supervision.

Technical Stuff

AutoCad & LandFx

Adobe CS: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere, Acrobat Pro

Sketchup & Some Experience in Rhino, Maya, Solidworks

Renderings & Animations w/ Lumion, Vray & Sketchup

MS Office: Word, Powerpoint, Excel (intermediate)

Cloud Management (Google Workspace & Drive, Dropbox)

Frontend CMS Web Development (Wordpress, Squarespace, Wix)

Rendering by Hand (pencil and/or paint)

Model-Making by Hand, or Rapid Prototype

Small Scale Wood Working & Building

Other Stuff I Do

Furniture Design & Prototype/Fabrication Logistics

Graphic Design & Environmental Graphics

Brand Strategy & Identity Development/Coordination

Digital Asset Management

Creative/Art Direction

Exhibition Design & Logistics

Confident in Learning New Software & Tricks

Geology/Earth Science Degree in Progress

Last, but really first: I have an Intense determination to accomplish anything I put my mind to! :-)