School of Planning, Design and Construction

When we landed in London, it all became real. Our class was finally beginning to embark on the study abroad trip that we had been looking forward to for three years. With Professor Xiowei Li and alumni Robert Chipman, we commuted on the Piccadilly line from Heathrow Airport to the Royal National Hotel, where we would spend the following three weeks calling home. We made it there safely despite the chaos of traveling with luggage and the unusuality of the lane usage with the left sides being prioritized, our first conquest. Upon arrival, we set down our bags and immediately went to explore what we could on the first day. Within the first few hours, we had taken the iconic double-decker red bus and witnessed the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. A few of us had split and traveled along the Thames River to see the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, and some outstanding street performers, whereas a few walked through the shopping districts and the corridors of London. We returned to the Russell Square neighborhood for a group welcoming dinner and discussed our plans for our time being abroad. It was all surreal.

The first week we visited many historical sites that we had only seen in photos before when sketching and preparing from the human ecology building, the sketches and history were much better in person. The first stop was the famous St. Paul’s Cathedral in central London. We admired Sir Christopher Wren’s design of the large dome and cross shaped building, scattered with brightly colored murals by Sir James Thornhill. We climbed 526 steps to the top of the cathedral where we had a breathtaking view of the London skyline. Other days included Kew Gardens, Blenheim Palace, the Borough Street Market, Tower Bridge, the London Castle, and much more. These famous landmarks gave us context to the city's history, age, and size. Although London's spring weather was not inviting, the busy streets and everyone’s excitement kept the spirits high. 

Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday provided everyone the ideal opportunity to explore the city at their own pace, immersing themselves in London completely. Students had the chance to revisit St. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey to attend Easter services in a stunning church as well as dine at Camden Market and the buffets located throughout Chinatown. In the comfort of the local pub, many of us found comfort while catching up on drawing and watercoloring. The long days made for longer nights as we explored the different nightlife scenes the city offered. 

The second week began with a visit to Greenwich with one of many sketch crawls led by Bob Chipman. Students stood on both sides of the prime meridian and toured the old queens house near the Old Royal Naval College. We continued exploring the area in depth by visiting the painted ceilings, which was a sight to behold. Students also explored the Maritime Museum as well as stopped to capture the London skyline from the top of Greenwich Park within our sketchbooks. In the following days the class visited Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park where we took sight of the iconic designs such as the wetlands, Zaha Hadid’s Aquatic Center, and many significant landmarks in connection to the Olympics. Within this week, we also visited Regents

Park where we had the opportunity to witness the design of formal english Gardens, take in wildlife, and visit more vibrant markets filled with life and food. 

Week three entailed train rides to the outskirts of London with the class visiting Rye, Stonehenge, Stourhead, and Salisbury. The old port town of Rye was home to the Mermaid Inn, St. Mary’s Church, and the historical land gates constructed to fend from the French invasions. The visit to Salisbury included a visit to the Salisbury Cathedral, the largest spire in the United Kingdom where we saw one of the four remaining copies of the original Magna Carta. The week concluded with a visit to the SOM office, an internationally recognized interdisciplinary firm, and presentations of our project for the plaza outside the Tate Modern Museum. 

Three weeks had flown by as the class now ventured to Lisbon with faculty Fatemah Saeidi-Rizi and alumni Josh Seyfried. Everyone was immediately revived after leaving the rainy UK for the warmth of Portugal. Although our time in Lisbon was limited, we made the most of it. With only slight sunburns, the class visited the Belém Tower, went to the top of that Monument to the Discoveries, saw the Mosteiro Dos Jerónimos, Praça de Comèrcio and the Jardim Botânico Tropical. Evenings were spent in companionship, as the hostel kitchen became a place of bonding through cooking and entertainment. 

After a busy couple of days, the coach picked up the class to head inland to Portalegre. Working with graphic communication students from the Institution Politecnico de Portalegre, the class had a three day charrette to design a sustainable campus master plan for the Portalegre campus. Long days working alongside the local students, each group produced a project that embraced the site's beautiful topography, natural landscape, and ideas of the excited university. The work days were finished with large group dinners of traditional Portuguese cuisine like Bacalhau à Bràs, sardines, seafood soup, Pastel de nata, and sangria. 

We could not be more thankful to all the planning that went into this trip from faculty, the professors and alumni who joined us on this adventure, and the Chipman family for their commitment to Michigan State’s Landscape Architecture study abroad program. From our unique experiences in London to those in Lisbon, where we were immersed in totally different environments and cultures, each day taught us valuable information about the history and profession of landscape architecture that would not be able to be captured in the classroom.