Celebrating Two Years at Assemblage with Cate!

It’s been two years since Cate joined the Assemblage team. Get to know our landscape designer more!

Originally hailing from Chicago, Cate brings to her work a deep commitment to ecological repair, community engagement, and the transformative potential of design.

Her path to landscape architecture began with interest in ecological restoration and an early background in environmental science. A formative studio project set in the Colombian mountains crystalized her interest in the field. The project demonstrated how design can strengthen social and ecological connections through thoughtful, community-oriented urbanism. This inspiring case study revealed the power of design to bridge environmental understanding with creative problem-solving, shaping her belief that landscapes can simultaneously support ecological systems and enrich everyday human life.

Cate's approach has been influenced by designers and organizations whose work underscores these values, a particular figure of note being Julie Bargmann of D.I.R.T. Studio, whose innovative treatment of post-industrial sites and use of reclaimed materials offered a model for imaginative and responsible land stewardship. At Assemblage, she has had the opportunity to implement these ideas into projects with creative and low waste material salvage and reuse.

Time spent hiking, immersed in natural spaces, observing natural processes, and experiencing landscapes as dynamic systems continues to shape her design perspective and reinforces her commitment to regenerative design methodologies. Cate is especially inspired by sites that carry rich, layered histories and planning movements rooted in environmental justice and community participation. As she continues to grow as a designer and embark on her path to licensure, Cate is excited to one day work on former industrial or brownfield sites, where environmental remediation, cultural meaning, and design innovation intersect.