Driving positive change for the profession: An Update on TBG’s Idea Lab Fellowship

At TBG, inquisitiveness is at the heart of who we are. As landscape architects, we are driven to push boundaries, explore new ideas, and create innovative, forward-thinking solutions that shape the built environment. One way we foster this culture of exploration is through Idea Lab—a structured internal fellowship that empowers team members to delve into topics of their choosing, all in service of advancing TBG’s work and the field of landscape architecture.

Idea Lab provides participants with mentorship, leadership development, and communication coaching, equipping them with the tools to refine and articulate their ideas. This program cultivates promising concepts and accelerates their growth, reinforcing our commitment to driving positive change within our profession. Recently, our latest cohort took center stage, sharing their proposals with the entire firm.

Celebrating the 2024/2025 Cohort 

This year’s Idea Lab cohort brought a diverse range of topics and perspectives to the table. We celebrate the dedication and creativity of:

• Ryan Blair and Jake Burgus
• Natalie Campbell and Eric Stranghoner
• Leah Gundrum
• Matt Yeager
• Samantha Whitney

Amid their daily project work, these individuals embraced the opportunity to think outside the box and push the profession forward. Their contributions reflect TBG’s core values and our collective pursuit of innovation.

Rethinking Burial Practices Through Landscape Architecture

Among the many compelling ideas presented, one stood out as particularly visionary. Leah Gundrum’s proposal, Death is not the End, was selected as the winning Idea Lab submission. Leah, a designer in our San Antonio office, brings a unique background to landscape architecture, with experience in embryology, death doula work, and artistic expression. Her interdisciplinary approach fuels her design perspective, embracing the natural cycles of life, transformation, and community.

As this year’s winner, Leah will receive four weeks of dedicated research time and up to $5,000 in reimbursable expenses to further develop her idea, mentored by Managing Principal Elaine Kearney.

Leah’s research explores how landscape architects can play a role in redefining burial practices by promoting green burials—an environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional, resource-intensive methods. By designing burial grounds that seamlessly integrate with natural ecosystems, we can foster a more thoughtful and ecologically responsible approach to end-of-life spaces. Her work aims to shift cultural perspectives on death while positioning landscape architects as leaders in creating spaces that support both ecological health and community well-being.

Leah’s fellowship will take her across the globe, where she will study existing examples of green burial landscapes and interview designers and cemetery operators to gather best practices. Her research includes visits to:

• The Cemetery – Stockholm
• Highgate Cemetery – London
• Westall Park Green Cemetery – London
• Glastonbury Tor – Glastonbury
• Avebury UNESCO World Heritage site – Wiltshire
• Mount Auburn Cemetery – Boston
• Penn Forest Natural Burial Park – Pittsburgh
• West Laurel (a SITES Accredited cemetery) – Philadelphia

From these insights, Leah will craft an essay exploring the role of placemaking in green burial design in Texas. Her work represents an exciting opportunity to expand TBG’s role in sustainable, meaningful landscape interventions.

We are incredibly proud of Leah and the entire 2024/2025 Idea Lab cohort. Their curiosity and commitment to advancing our field embody the spirit of Idea Lab and TBG’s dedication to continuous learning and innovation. We look forward to seeing how these ideas evolve and inspire the future of landscape architecture.