Sara Lawler

Sara’s passion for the natural world and personal commitment to sustainable living has brought her to landscape architecture after a variety of educational, professional, and personal experiences that have developed her skills and shaped her perspective as an ecological designer. Sara’s particular interests are in wetland ecology, water reuse and recycling systems, green infrastructure networks, and rare native plant communities.

As an Ecological Designer at PLACE Alliance Northeast, Sara works on a variety of development and restoration projects that integrate ecological and human systems. She provides site assessment through mapping, spatial analysis, and field-work. She contributes to project development from conceptual design through construction documentation with a variety of drafting media and graphic representations including everything from hand sketching to 3D modeling. Sara also utilizes her organization, writing, and communication skills in research, documentation, monitoring, and public outreach including design charrettes, client and community meetings, and presentations.

Sara joined PLACE Alliance in May 2018 after graduating with a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her prior studies include continuing education courses in forest ecology, AutoCAD, and sustainable building from the Community College of Vermont, as well as two degrees from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts: Master in the Art of Teaching and Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art. Her background in art prepared her for the graphic and visual nature of landscape design and helped hone the hand rendering and digital skills that she has been building for many years. Sara’s background in education developed her skills in organization, public speaking, and group dynamics which she now uses in public meetings, client relations, and presentations.