SCASLA Achievement Award
The judges highlighted the project’s strong research and analysis, with clear concepts and diagrams that were easy to understand. The evocative “Woven Basket” theme and precedent images brought a strong sense of place, while creative ideas like the tower walk stood out, even if they felt grand in scale. The sections and visuals were compelling, and the narrative showed thoughtful intent. Overall, a beautifully presented project with strong vision and creativity.
REWOVEN begins with a question: what if the pressures threatening Runyon Canyon could become the forces that help hold it together? Facing wildfire risk, erosion, drought, and the impact of nearly two million visitors each year, the project reimagines the canyon as a living system where Fire, Water, and People work together rather than compete. Inspired by Tongva coiled basketry and informed by correspondence with Kelly Leah Stewart, the basket becomes more than a visual idea—it becomes a way of understanding relationships. Rooted slopes hold soil, planted swales slow and hold water, tended edges support fire resilience, and gathering spaces invite people into the ongoing care of the canyon.
From South Arrival to City View, Sunset Overlook, the Summit, and North Arrival, REWOVEN unfolds as a journey through five connected places shaped by native planting, regenerative trails, water-sensitive design, shade, learning, and moments of pause. The project transforms ecological repair into something visitors can experience—something they can walk through, understand, and become part of. REWOVEN imagines a canyon where resilience is not hidden infrastructure, but a visible relationship between land, water, fire, and the people who care for it.
About
Patrese Winter
I’m a Brazilian-born landscape designer from Maceió who has called Los Angeles home for nearly two decades. Before landscape architecture, I worked as a biology researcher, an experience that taught me to ask questions, look beyond the obvious, and search deeply for the relationships behind what I see. At the same time, I have always been deeply artistic. As the founder of Beverly Hills Orchids, I spent years working closely with plants, composition, color, and the emotional connection people have with the natural world. My background in visual storytelling and entrepreneurship further shaped the way I think about experience, communication, and human connection.
Landscape architecture brought all of those worlds together. Through UCLA Extension’s Landscape Architecture Program, I found a field where research and creativity are equally important—where understanding ecology, history, culture, and people can lead to meaningful design. I approach each project with curiosity first: learning the place before trying to change it, then using design and storytelling to make those discoveries visible. I’m inspired by landscapes that do more than look beautiful—places that restore ecological systems, strengthen our relationship with nature, and give people a reason to care for what comes next.