These are things that I’ve experienced or accumulated through my time at the University of Washington that have shaped my experiences. Without these artifacts, I would not be who I am today.
Study Abroad,
Dals Långed, Sweden
It was during this study abroad that I was able to experience design and Landscape Architecture for the first time. I was able to learn about myself and my interests, as well as experience true autonomy over the summer. The gallery above is a combination of places I’ve seen, people I’ve met and experiences I will never forget.
A sauna in Gothenburg that we visited to study different styles of sauna. It was an instant icebreaker to sweat with strangers on the first day of meeting them. 
A sports club in Sweden that we visited for a lesson in sauna architecture. 
Outside the sports club sauna. 
A quick break on the side of a road for lunch as we trekked to find one of the worlds best blacksmiths. We found his home and he came out to meet us, but informed us that he had retired due to a family hardship. The story he shared and the beautiful sights we saw along the way made the journey an adventure, even if we did not walk home with knifes from his shop. 
A strange hole in the wall at Not Quite, an old paper mill that has been turned into an art commune. We climbed inside not knowing where it would lead us… 
Some friends climbing out of the rooftop hole that the mysterious wall-hole led to. There was an entire rooftop area we explored that overlooked the grounds of the art commune. 
Phia looking at bees on a tree before we went on a hike near the house we stayed at in Sweden. 
We went on a train to get from Stockholm to Gothenburg and found a man with a box full of records and spoons. He moved his things and let us sit with him in his cart and explained he was selling the spoons he had carved. A friend had struck up a deeper conversation about carving spoons as their common interest and we ended up with a spoon from this man on the train. The man told us that Swedish royalty have his spoons. Well, now, so do I. 
A day we got lost on the wrong train on the way to a field trip to visit an artful water collection point. 
Phia sitting at the watershed enjoying the flowers! 
A spoon carved by Caleb that was left at the site to use for water while in the sauna. He had been carving this during the evenings for weeks. 
Students sitting in the finished courtyard that we built, looking over the Dalsland canal. 
A view of the entryway into the sauna we built. I put up most of the siding! 
A view inside the sauna through the many windows overlooking the lake. The metal bowl was forged by a student and meant to hold water to be used while taking a sauna. 
A view of the upper deck that I helped design and implement. This is a lookout point that oversees the lake, the sauna and kitchen we built, and the dock where many people stop to enter the small town. 
A full view of the courtyard. Not pictured to the right is the small outdoor kitchen that was built.
Electromagnetic Waves
Physics Coursework
Before joining CEP, I was an intended physics major. The technical world was completely new to me and I was amazed by all that it has to offer. A specific moment that defined my love for learning happened in a demonstration during PHYS 122, Electromagnetism. We saw a lightbulb turn on without being plugged into a power source. The bulb was drawing from current in the magnetic field that was active due to a Tesla coil. It was during this moment I realized the natural world had so much more to offer and that real magic was not as far away as one would think.
S.W.B.E
(the worst band you’ll ever see live)
I joined SWBE before I was accepted to the University of Washington. The contrast that it held for me in regards to my lifestyle and the choices I made in and out of school helped keep me grounded and constantly reminded me why I decided to pursue higher education. Playing music and having fun with friends was a way to take a break from academia and spend time with people who were affected by changes happening in their neighborhoods. The people I interact with when I play music are part of the reason I feel strongly about Urban Planning and ensuring that the future of cities should be in the hands of those who plan with intention and genuinely good interests at heart.
L ARCH 300
My first experience with intentional design
This course was my first autonomous exposure to landscape architecture. I was able to work on projects individually and experience the feeling of problem solving and designing in my own style, which had not been the case in Sweden. The projects I worked on in this course were purely my own and it was very empowering to be able to exercise creative solutions to the tasks assigned.
Brittany H M Gillia 