Cameron Melo
Bachelors of Landscape Architecture, Boston Architectural College (2020)
Masters of Landscape Architecture, Harvard Graduate School of Design (2023)
Fourteen weeks ago, I started my internship with a group of amazing people. Since then, I’ve made great friendships with not only my fellow coworkers, but also with other members of the Salem community. The office provides opportunity for community members to engage with each other. Watching pickleball, swapping plants, and attending dinner nights has really shown the true essence of what this firm does, placemaking.
As part of the internship, I was invited to take part in the design process of an undeveloped space on the property. We held a charette to design a garden space that will extend the studio area outside. Needless to say, inspiration was easy to find during the charette.
Being able to collaborate with fellow designers on workflows has improved my skills with programs. Everyone was more then willing to help me improve and become more efficient. Being able to sit down and just focus on programs is something I haven’t been able to do during the school year. I’ve also been able to explore different workflows without being tied down to company standards. One drawing I’m most proud of from my internship is the lighting design for Xian. When I was asked to start this drawing, we didn’t know what the final product would look like. It was a challenging drawing to do but was worth it in the end.
Helping Michael Blier bring his designs to life has been one of the most rewarding experiences. Being able to learn his design process will help to inform my own. His relationship with pen and paper is something that is not pushed enough in academia.
The projects I worked on were so diverse in locality and scale. A project in Charlestown that aims to activate the public realm of a difficult site was one of my favorites. Another project called Sadiyaat Lagoons looked at connecting a park system of a whole neighborhood. Designing at this scale required good communication and coordination which felt effortless with my coworkers.
I feel more confident to start my last year at Harvard GSD, bringing with me all the design and technical knowledge I learned this summer. This knowledge gives me more time to focus on my research and designs. Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend my summer.
