CHARRETTE & CAPSTONE The Great Salt Lake

“This class has broadened my understanding of landscape architecture, and I now recognize its importance in large-scale projects. It has added yet another dimension to our profession, highlighting the many things that landscape architects can do. It has been a positive experience for me, and I have been grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such amazing people in the studio.”

- William Frieder

Laep 4120

Spring of 2023 was an exciting semester for the Senior Capstone class. The focus of the department-wide charrette and the resulting projects was the existential threat of losing our Great Salt Lake. LAEP senior class leadership during the Charrette yielded proposals responding to ten exciting and relevant questions. The seniors then chose to take five of those initiatives through the rest of the semester, all focusing on getting water into our Great Salt Lake.

The five initiatives are:

GSL Eastern Shoreline: An eastern shoreline model for development to establish a western frontage of responsible development and increased awareness of the critical importance of the GSL wetland environments.

Bear River Massacre Site: Design of a landscape commemorating the tragic Bear River Massacre in Southern Idaho with responsible treatment of the river and surrounding lands. These best practices to ‘heal’ the river and subsequently the GSL can be used throughout the GSL watershed.

International Center for Saline Lake Research: Design of a saline lake research center on Antelope

Island that attracts global experts and their research, citizens of Utah, tourists, and school groups.

The Jordan River Confluence: Planning and design of new central park in Salt Lake City at the Jordan River Millcreek Confluence and adjacent to the I-15/I-80 - near the “Spaghetti Bowl.”

Designer’s Toolkit: Creation of a toolkit guiding professionals and citizens in land use and landscape design decisions that return water to the Lake.

Though the five teams had the same end goal of getting water to the Lake, the projects varied widely, which was a different approach to the Senior Capstone Class than in years past. This opportunity allowed the students to have a unique studio and stakeholder experience in their efforts to Save the Great Salt Lake.

“This year’s capstone project has helped me realize the importance of working collaboratively with classmates and professionals to create solutions for complex problems. I have used the skills I’ve learned in the past four years to work with my team and propose a Jordan River revitalization idea and a Wasatch Central Park that introduces the idea of putting nature first. Hopefully, what we have done in our studio will provide precedents for communities throughout Utah to follow. I have enjoyed working on this project and hearing from classmates about their ideas of getting more water to the Great Salt Lake and protecting the lake.”

-Annika Tingey