Classes

Higher Education Course Design and Instruction

University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Greenfield Community College, Greenfield, MA

Tom is a lecturer of Sustainable Landscape Design in the University of Massachusetts’ Sustainable Food and Farming Certificate Program, and at Greenfield Community College (GCC). Tom was engaged to develop and instruct both programs’ first energy-focused landscape design courses, which emphasize connecting building systems with natural systems in an innovative, low maintenance-oriented approach. These classes are exposed to real-life examples of sustainable design, including an urban permaculture microfarm and a deep energy retrofit building, which features a rainwater recycling system and rain gardens. Students range from young undergraduates to seasoned professionals.

Tom has also lectured at Harvard, MIT, and many professional conferences including the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild Conference.

Topics Include:

• The landscape design process
• Graphic communication and presentation styles
• Low maintenance-based design
• Native plant community restoration
• Green roofs and walls
• Local food systems
• Post-industrial landscapes
• Sustainable forestry as related to energy, economy , and ecology