Voices of Women in Landscape Architecture, Part 19

Left to right: Angelique Robb. Rita Kwong, ASLA / image: SiteWorks Landscape Architecture, LLC. Mary G. Padua, ASLA / image: Jeannie Davis

As Women's History Month continues, the submissions have kept on coming! ASLA's Women in Landscape Architecture Professional Practice Network (WILA PPN) is sharing the next set of profiles of women in the profession (see the previous installment right here). If you'd like to be featured, the PPN's call for submissions will remain open, with profiles being shared on an ongoing basis.

Submit a WILA profile!

These profiles appear on the PPN's LinkedIn group, Facebook group, and here on The Field. This post includes: Mary G. Padua, ASLA, Rita Kwong, ASLA, and Angelique Robb.

Mary G. Padua, ASLA

What inspired you to pursue a career in landscape architecture?

My mother was an avid gardener who introduced me to blackberries and edible plants in our backyard garden in San Francisco, and later my classmates in studio art at Cal Berkeley. They showed me the College of Environmental Design catalog that contained the descriptive narrative for Berkeley's undergraduate program in landscape architecture. Extended family members engaged in the creative industries, especially the sculptor Ruth Asawa (her eldest son married a close female relative), encouraged me to pursue "landscape" as an artistic medium and form for public appreciation, especially children.

Mary G. Padua, ASLA / image: Jeannie Davis

Who are the female role models who have influenced your career?

My mother and grandmother were part of the Filipino diaspora who fled historic Manila in the Philippines after the destruction caused by the World War II battle to liberate Manila from the Japanese occupation. My grandmother was the only licensed female Filipino realtor in San Francisco (I eventually learned later, from Ron Herman, that I am the first female Filipino-American to become a licensed landscape architect in California). During undergraduate studies at Cal, role models in books were Gertrude Jekyll and Beatrix Farrand. While in graduate school at UCLA, Dolores Hayden was one of my mentors, and later, there were collaborations with Pamela Burton, FASLA, and Brenda Levin, FAIA, while serving on the Central Business District Project Operations for the Redevelopment Agency in Los Angeles during Mayor Tom Bradley's tenure. Also, in my adolescence and young adult years, Imogen Cummingham and Ruth Bernhard, both photographers, and sculptor Ruth Asawa were important influences on my world as a visual artist (fine art photographer).

What advice do you have for other women pursuing a career in landscape architecture?

Building and nurturing relationships and creating a professional network are vital. Get your license as soon as possible, and work on projects that you are passionate about and align with your values. Know your plant materials.

Can you share with us a project you are particularly proud of and why?

I experimented with the transformative yin-yang form during isolation circa 2020-21 and implemented a 33-foot diameter prototype in our garden as an homage to my mother and aunt, both still alive at that time. I posted drawings and photographs documenting the installation (to media sites for MGP Studio art design research), and it precipitated genuine interest among friends and colleagues near (Clemson, SC, Atlanta, GA, and Charlotte, NC) and far (cities throughout California; Paris, France; Vienna, Austria; Suzhou, PRC; Wellington, New Zealand, among others). Instead of "selling" my services, it was a DIY type project that involved bartering. I never imagined a personal exploration would be so transformative and therapeutic for many friends, family members, and colleagues who were in isolation.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Enjoy life to its fullest, and don't forget to love yourself in the process.

Rita Kwong, ASLA

What inspired you to pursue a career in landscape architecture?

I have a background in GIS and public health consulting. My work focused on litigation support for communities exposed to air and groundwater contamination from industrial operations. The majority of the communities I served were rural and historically disadvantaged. I saw landscape architecture as a catalyst for change and I decided to focus my practice on public space making, with an interest in underserved neighborhoods.

Who are the female role models who have influenced your career?

I feel fortunate to have worked at MNLA for almost 7 years, where I worked alongside Signe Nielsen, FASLA, Kim Mathews, FASLA, Molly Bourne, and Noriko Maeda, ASLA. Not only did I learn the art and science of the landscape practice and the incredible work ethic, they also inspired me to be a strong and compassionate leader who takes care of the team, and to be an advocate for the voiceless when the right opportunities arise. Advocacy has become key in my practice, and it has influenced the way I approach my projects and the volunteer work that I do outside of work.

What advice do you have for other women pursuing a career in landscape architecture?

Stay focused on your own goals. Find a path that works for you and it’s okay if your path looks different from others. Surround yourself with people that inspire you to be a better version of yourself. Build your own village that will always be there to lift you up and support you. Life is too short to be distracted by people and events that bring you down. Remember the saying: “If a flower doesn’t bloom, you change the environment, not the flower.”

Can you share with us a project you are particularly proud of and why?

I used to be very proud of Little Island in NYC, where I saw the project from design through construction. It will always have a special place in my heart. Since then, I have completed the first phase of an affordable housing project in East New York, which aims to integrate affordable housing with open space and fitness opportunities, urban agriculture, and access to healthcare and other community programs. As a New Yorker, I feel incredibly proud to serve other New Yorkers, and to bring quality public space to underserved neighborhoods that traditionally lack access to parks and open spaces.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Be flexible and be a sponge. Learn everything—the good and the bad—from everyone. You are the average of all the people that you spend the most time with, so surround yourself with people that influence you positively. Eventually you will develop your own professional identity and you will be great.

Angelique Robb

What inspired you to pursue a career in landscape architecture?

The combination of design mixed with construction—I had no idea what landscape architecture was! After studying and working as a petroleum engineer for 10+ years, I studied horticulture and construction in London and then opened my landscape design and build business in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Who are the female role models who have influenced your career?

My mom always inspired me to do BIG things. She always said that I could be anything that I wanted to be!

What advice do you have for other women pursuing a career in landscape architecture?

Don’t limit yourself to the normal routes in the industry—for instance, residential design and build companies and full service companies are worth pursuing for those that enjoy design iterations and innovative problem solving!

image: Angelique Robb, Papillon designs and landscaping

Can you share with us a project you are particularly proud of and why?

A challenging cliff-edge project in Peterhead, Scotland, where we worked closely with the client and the architect during the house construction. We let the complexities of the site drive some of the design angles and ended up with a stunning design that was so unique!