The Resilient Practice: Designing Careers and Firms That Sustain People

Groundwork: Conversations Shaping the Profession is ASLA’s presidential forum series to convene members around timely, consequential issues impacting the profession nationwide.

Landscape architects are trained to design systems that absorb stress, adapt to change, and remain functional over time. So why do so many of our firms — and careers — fall apart when someone needs to step away?

A new child. An aging parent. A health crisis. A creative wall. These aren't surprises — they're predictable moments in any career. Yet most practices treat them as emergencies they weren't built to handle.

This session of Groundwork brings together practitioners from firms of all sizes to talk honestly about what happens when life demands more than the current structure can give — and what it looks like when firms actually get it right.

Hosted by ASLA President Bradley McCauley, PLA, FASLA. Groundwork is ASLA's presidential forum series focused on the issues actively shaping landscape architecture practice. No slides. No presentations. Just the profession, talking honestly about what matters. The conversation will explore: The moment of transition — what people needed, and what their firms were prepared to offer. The space between full speed and full stop — reduced hours, flexible roles, phased returns, and how to negotiate them without it feeling like a step backward. The business case — what it costs to lose someone versus support them, and what your firm's approach signals to the next generation watching closely.

ASLA President Bradley McCauley, FASLA, PLA

This isn't a policy discussion. It's a peer conversation — candid, practical, and grounded in real experience. You'll leave with perspective you can act on, whether you're navigating a transition yourself, leading a firm, or simply starting to see one on the horizon.