A Day in the Life of Dylan Anslow, Landscape Architect at Herrera
On Tuesday morning, Dylan Anslow arrived at Herrera’s Portland office by bike. By 8:30, she was in her first meeting of the day, collaborating with engineers on graphic figures for a project in Kent, WA.
By 8:45, Dylan had welcomed a new employee, caught up with a colleague, and made herself a cup of tea in the office kitchen.
At 9:00, Dylan joined a meeting with her team, project partners, and the City of Bellingham staff discussing shared-use trail standards.
A little before 10:00, she sat down with another colleague to review “red lines” for the Mendota Urban Greening project in California’s Central Valley. Red lines are drawing edits that are traditionally done in a red pen, leading to the name “red lines”.
By mid-morning, Dylan was working on the State Route 167 completion project, a major transportation corridor endeavor with WSDOT that Herrera has been supporting for several years. Dylan’s focus was designing habitat elements for construction details. She and her colleague discussed the next steps, including collaborating with scientists to make sure their designs meet habitat requirements.
At 10:45, Dylan stepped out for a quick tea break with colleagues at Smith, acozy cafe across the street. She ordered a Harvest Moon Latte-a cousin of the pumpkin spice latte-before heading back to her desk.
Dylan (left) with a colleague at Smith
By 11:00, she was working on the Mendota project again. Her people leader, Bernie Alonzo, had sketched out a concept for a triangle park inspired by the region’s agricultural and canal landscapes. Dylan worked on adding details like Loquat and Persimmon trees for an orchard – an element suggested by a project partner. She checked in with an arborist and a landscape designer to figure out the best tree pit sizes, to ensure that the trees would have enough space to grow.
At 11:30, she attended a business development meeting and, at noon, joined the company-wide town hall. The town hall meeting focused on HR-related updates and questions.
After lunch, Dylan responded to business development messages, filed expense reports, and prepared for her 3:00pm client meeting for the Mendota project. At 4:00, she finished her day with a cost-estimating discussion for Mendota with a project partner.
Outstanding Emerging Professional Award
Dylan recently received the Outstanding Emerging Professional Award from ASLA Oregon. This award celebrates individuals in the first five years of their landscape architecture careers who demonstrate exceptional potential and significant contributions to the field.
Reflecting on the recognition, Dylan shared, “It was really validating. I feel like I found the right career for my skills and values and am proud to have become a Landscape Architect in my first few years of practice. This award feels like a testament to that effort.”
With early career challenges and entering the workforce during the pandemic, Dylan’s connection to ASLA and its welcoming professional community became a source of support. “Grad school was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but the kindness and encouragement from the ASLA community kept me going.”
Receiving this award also offered Dylan a chance to reflect on the mentors and colleagues who played pivotal roles in her growth. “It was meaningful to shout out the people who’ve guided and supported me and to think about how I can pay it forward.”
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