A team of UMass Amherst landscape architecture students led by Samantha Solano, PhD will participate in the 2025 Envision Resilience Challenge in the coastal towns of Bath and Harpswell, Maine. Envision Resilience Challenge is a coastal resilience initiative that connects academia, local leadership, and community members and inspires coastal communities to envision innovative approaches to the impacts of climate change.
The UMass design studio will compete with teams from the University of Maine at Augusta’s architecture program, Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D), Northeastern University College of Arts, Media and Design (CAMD), and the University of Virginia School of Architecture to develop creative solutions for Midcoast communities facing rising sea levels and challenges related to housing, stormwater management, coastal infrastructure, and more. The heart of the challenge will take place during the fall semester when teams will visit Bath and Harpswell to meet and collaborate with community leaders and stakeholders, as well as artists, fishermen, and local business owners.
According to a recent press release, teams will use these visits and other engagement opportunities to “research, identify, and propose innovative, community-driven designs that address climate challenges and strengthen local resilience while celebrating the region’s maritime heritage and natural beauty.”
Beyond site visits, teams will advance their work through studio sessions, speaker series, and virtual mid-term and final jury reviews.
Earlier this month, Envision Resilience faculty leads connected with community partners during a three-day workshop in Bath and Harpswell, where they discussed their plans and desired outcomes for this year's challenge. Key partners included representatives from city planning, housing, and sustainability offices, local nonprofits and land trusts, conservation committees, and individual artists, designers, and landscape architects.
“I am most excited about the opportunity for our students to engage with the urgent issues of sea-level rise and flooding and how a landscape approach can support the community of Bath, ME in reducing the severity of extreme climatic induced pressures,” said Professor Solano of the UMass design studio.
In 2023, Solano partnered with Frank Sleegers, PhD to lead two UMass teams through the Envision Resilience Challenge in New Bedford and Fairhaven, MA. This year, Solano looks forward to being in relationship with the Envision Resilience team and other partner universities.
“Our students will be exposed to an extended network of people and ideas, and this experience has the potential to revolutionize how they see themselves contributing to the urgent resilient futures ahead,” Solano added.
With the groundwork set, the 2025 Envision Resilience Challenge will enter an exciting next phase of programming once universities start classes in August. The challenge will conclude in January 2026 when teams will present their final design proposals to the Bath and Harpswell communities through exhibitions, public art, and continued community programming.