LACF Congratulates Sari Halldorson Haines
About Sari
My interest in ecology is rooted in a desire to share. I spent my summers as a child on the shores of and swimming in Lake Winnipeg, sometimes referred to as the world’s most endangered lake. I can recognize now how formative these experiences were in developing my design interests; I believe we care for things we feel connected to, and swimming connects us to water. I see landscape architecture as a tool to be able to share the magic of swimming with others, and in turn to foster greater ecological care.
Student Statement
The support of the Walter H. Kehm Scholarship will allow me to focus full-time on my practicum research and design. My work explores how restoring urban water for swimming can serve as both an ecological and social project. Based in Winnipeg, the project proposes a series of natural swimming pools along Sturgeon Creek, fed by spring floodwaters and filtered naturally. It challenges practices of control and instead embraces the seasonal fluctuations of water as an essential ecological process and exciting recreational opportunity, much like the skating trails we enjoy in the winter months.
My academic and design interests focus on the intersection of ecological restoration and social connection. I believe landscape architecture has the power to restore not only natural systems, but also our relationships with them. Swimming offers a direct, sensory way to connect people with water. It’s rooted in a simple idea: we care about things we are connected to. By designing spaces where that connection can happen, I hope to foster greater care for the abundance of water that runs through our city.
Challenging the standard practice of how we live with natural systems, particularly in cities, is especially critical in today’s changing climate. I see landscape architecture as uniquely positioned to reimagine how we live alongside natural systems, both technically and culturally. At its most fundamental, I believe we need to learn how to work with natural dynamics rather than against them.
Leadership has been an important part of my time as both an undergraduate and graduate student. In studio, I often take on the role of organizer. I believe we all have valuable knowledge and skills to offer; I see it as a priority to empower those around me to share – with peers, professors, and the public. In student government, I am currently serving as president of our Landscape Architecture Student Association, and I owe much of what we accomplish to the creativity and commitment of my peers. Much like in studio, I see leadership as an act of collaboration. I approach my role as one where I must be curious, supportive, and foster an environment where others can contribute their best ideas.
I am deeply grateful to Walter H. Kehm and the Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation for their support. This scholarship allows me to focus on work that connects human and natural systems, and to continue learning and sharing how landscape architecture can help people live more closely with and care more deeply for water.