Date of Award

8-2026

Degree Type

Creative Project

Degree Name

Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

Department

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

Committee Chair(s)

David Evans (committee chair)

Committee

David Evans

Committee

Ole R. Sleipness

Committee

Andreé Walker Bravo

Abstract

Utah is facing a water crisis. The state’s aggressive rate of population growth combined with its dry climate makes it difficult to meet water demands and has pushed the Great Salt Lake to the verge of collapse. Utah residents can save water by installing waterwise landscapes instead of lawns. As one of Utah's most prominent organizations and a strong advocate for earth stewardship, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is well positioned to lead a cultural shift toward more sustainable landscaping practices by showcasing well-designed, well-maintained waterwise landscapes at its chapels. The purpose of this project is to generate design concepts for four chapel landscapes in Salt Lake County which currently have a high percentage of turf coverage. The designs focus on water conservation and other goals The Church has for its landscapes, which include mitigating the heat island effect, supporting pollinators, educating users, and improving accessibility. Because of the sheer number of Church meetinghouses in Utah, retrofitting their landscapes to be more waterwise has potential to save an immense amount of water and expose a vast number of Utahns to a turf alternative. The designs are informed and supported by thorough research. The research methods employed in this study are literature review and case studies. Topics covered in the literature review are water conservation, earth stewardship, and The Church’s commitment to sustainability. Case studies discuss plant and material palettes and design choices at six selected locations. The result of this project is four landscape design schematics.

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