Five months after joining the New York office of Snøhetta, Daniel Ibba is working on a campus design project that has just finished its schematic design phase. From concept design to 3D modeling and spatial detailing, he has been responsible for the design of two specific areas of the project: the entry stairs and one of the plaza spaces. When Ibba started at the Oslo-based design firm in August 2022, he was already familiar with the project: in fact, he picked up right where he left off at the end of his co-op experience at Snøhetta.

Established in 2020, the Knowlton Landscape Architecture Co-Op Program provides junior and senior landscape architecture students the opportunity to gain valuable professional work experience before graduation and allows firms to connect with advanced undergraduate students. Co-op participation runs from January through April with the option to continue through the summer to early August.

“My co-op experience at Snøhetta fully integrated me into the workflow and environment of the firm,” said Ibba, who graduated from Knowlton in May 2022. “I was involved with all aspects of my project, including graphics, concept design, documentation, 3D modeling, physical modeling, and even presenting my work internally and externally. In this way, the co-op made me more confident in my ability to transition from a student to a full-time employee.”

Now completing her senior year in the landscape architecture program, Sophie Flinner had a similarly immersive experience at Spackman Mossop Michaels during the spring 2022 semester. When she started her program at the award-winning landscape architecture and urban design in New Orleans, Flinner worked on construction documentation, rendering, researching city codes, finding data for GIS, and design charrettes with the New Orleans community.

“There were opportunities where the principals of the firm would allow me to do planting plans or other designs with limited help from others,” said Flinner. “It allowed me to build confidence in myself since they had confidence in me.”

 Planting plans for the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans

Flinner’s planting plans focused on flora valuable to butterfly and bird species at the Audubon Zoo, which required her …