Student Profiles
Landscape Architecture Student Plans to Enrich the World
“As a child, I built forts. Now, I manipulate earth, stone and plants, focusing my creative energy on gardens,” says Max Cohen ’10 (landscape architecture). “The landscapes that inform me are far reaching—from the farmlands of the Midwest to the Northeastern forests, all the way to the rainbow corals of the South Pacific,” Cohen says, noting that he has lived in many very diverse areas. “My parents prioritized adventure. On one grad school student’s budget, they found ways to expose my siblings and me to exciting places: parks, museums, and mountains. I developed a playful relationship with my environments, as well as an intimate appreciation for the outdoors.”
Cohen has traveled widely within this country and abroad. “Seeing raw cultural landscapes and attempting to understand why and how they were formed fascinate me,” he says. “The harmonious, meticulously maintained Japanese gardens, the functional, productive Israeli gardens, the formal symmetry of European gardens: each culture has a unique interpretation of the concept of their form and function. I also have a burgeoning interest in cultural plant palettes and how they have changed over time in relation to diseases and shifting cultural demands.”
Choosing landscape architecture as his major, Cohen says, “combined all of my interests and strengths: plants, creativity, art, enriching the world. Working with Larry Malam, an environmental artist in Harvard, MA, for a couple of summers was eye-opening. We did some really exciting projects, building gardens and balanced stone sculptures. Then, in 2006, I began an apprenticeship with Denis Wagner, a master gardener, who has taught me the ins and outs of plant maintenance and introduced me to unique plant varieties that enhance landscape.”
The landscape architecture program, Cohen points out, is providing him with a strong background in site analysis, design and presentation. “John Taylor, a studio professor who shares my excitement for horticulture, stimulated exploration of new directions. Professor Jack Ahern has educated me on forest ecology, resilience, and landscape urbanism,” Cohen says. “Our current collaboration on building a rain garden on campus has taught me firsthand not only about the importance of background research and making the right connections in a design project but also about rain garden plants and sustainable design materials for college campuses. And Professor Joseph Volpe has recruited me to take on a project that incorporates computer modeling into his housing development design studio. Working closely with professors turned me on to the idea of graduate school. I've been admitted to the University of Michigan, but might defer my attendance to focus on some personal growth, work and travel.”
Plant classes heavily supplemented Cohen’s major. “Courses in plant pathology, botany, plant identification, forest ecology, and chemistry have only increased my passion for plants and served as the driving concepts behind my studio designs,” he says. Certainly, those designs and Cohen’s dedication are getting some notable recognition. Both the Boston Society of Landscape Architects and the National Garden Club awarded him scholarships this past year. “My latest studio focused on a struggling area of Springfield, MA,” Cohen says, “I developed a design concept implementing urban agriculture and permaculture to catalyze community activity and interaction with surrounding businesses that are more affluent.”
This outdoorsman appreciates UMass’s location in the Pioneer Valley. Hiking, triathlon, mountain biking, kayaking, running, and more are on Cohen’s extracurricular agenda, and he is quick to note that they are all readily doable in Amherst and nearby. “UMass is a great school for motivated people who seek out opportunities. And outstanding faculty members will work with you and actually create opportunities. For spring break this year I participated in a landscape architecture study tour of Paris, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. It was a great experience, especially because all of these cities contain prime examples of contemporary landscape architecture and firms on the cutting edge.”
As for the future, Cohen is eager to explore South American landscapes, continuing to broaden his perspectives. “I want to infuse my academic knowledge of plants with a passion for social justice and increased advocacy for third world issues,” he says. “Most people feel that development, especially in an urban setting, is antithetical to environmental sustainability. My time within the landscape architecture program, however, has fixed within me an ardent conviction that the intelligent usage of plants and urban agriculture can have positive effects on the globe.”
April 7, 2010
