Samantha Farrell Folger

ASLA, CPSI

Landscape Architect

At SMMA

  • Samantha’s responsibilities include designing, drafting, and coordinating projects for SMMA’s Site Design Group
  • Excels at designing spaces that serve multiple uses and purposes, as well as promote a connection with nature
  • Draws on her studied, curious, energetic, and team-oriented demeanor to promote collaboration and successful design

Connections to Nature

During her undergraduate studies, Samantha wrote a thesis project about the health benefits of landscapes that support community interactions with nature, and also designed and built a children’s playground in Orica, Honduras. For Samantha, these projects solidified her understanding of nature’s psychological benefits.

“I was strongly influenced by my professors and books like Last Child in the Woods. I see how easy it is for us, no matter our age, to suffer from nature deficit disorder,” she explains.

 

“Smart design helps us connect with nature,” says Samantha. “While it’s fun to create beautiful landscapes, my favorite designs are those that have deeper meaning to their users and, ultimately, a greater impact.” In addition to her design work, she contributes to SMMA’s internal knowledge-sharing by writing and presenting about the benefits of nature to a child’s education.