Employee Spotlight: Joe Dresser

How has your career grown since entering the landscape architecture field?
My career has grown in many ways, but probably the most significant is my understanding of the relationship between design and construction. Not just how things get built, but the role that construction plays as a design advances in stages. In addition to the nuts and bolts, another key area of growth for me was learning how to be a professional in this industry, something that my first boss and mentor (Rick, shoutout!) is largely responsible for. I've learned the value of not taking oneself too seriously, being a good listener, and cooperating with others with differing opinions.

What motivates you?
Ultimately, making other people happy is what motivates me the most. In the residential field, it can be extremely rewarding for a client to be satisfied with work you helped produce. Everyone deserves to be happy in their own home, and the opportunity to play a part in making that happen for somebody is exciting. Additionally, I am constantly inspired by the creativity of others. Whether it's a well-made piece of pottery, a legendary song riff, or a quarterback completing an impossible pass for a touchdown, I love observing other peoples' creative feats and challenging myself to think outside the box like they did.

What inspired you to pursue a career in landscape architecture?
It would be disingenuous to not mention my parents here. I grew up with an appreciation for art, music, travel, and the outdoors. My parents also always encouraged my creativity... so it's no shock that I stumbled upon and chose landscape architecture as a career.

Which project are you most excited to be working on?
They are all super exciting! ...but probably the Cole Valley Residence project in San Francisco. The scale is much smaller compared to many of our other projects, which is a lot of fun because of the intimate spaces. Collaborating with the other talented people on my team for that project has been fun, too.

Window, middle or aisle?
Window. Talk to you guys when we land!