Terrigenous’ Wunderle honored with Olmsted Award

Scott Wunderle of Terrigenous Landscape Architecture.

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Scott Wunderle, PLA, ASLA of Terrigenous Landscape Architecture of Chester has been award the Olmsted Award from the Vermont Association of Landscape Architects. Vermont Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

The award, named after founding father of American urban landscape architecture Frederick Law Olmsted, celebrates Wunderle’s “tireless commitment to the chapter, dedication to the profession of landscape architecture, service to community, and business leadership.”

The VTASLA presented Wunderle with the award in December 2023.

Wunderle’s vision when he founded Terrigenous 25 years ago was to create a team of writers, artists, engineers and craftsmen who could develop and implement solutions that lie at the intersection of art, narrative and the landscape. They are currently doing just that in a renovated historic building in the Chester Depot.

“I was looking for a way to combine local tools, materials and techniques outdoors in a modern, relevant and useful context,” Wunderle said. “The goal is to reinvent the traditional business model of the family farm and combine it with fine art, architecture and earthworks.”

Wunderle received the award from Tom Hand, president of the Vermont chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and owner and founder of Site Form Studio, a landscape architecture firm in Stowe. “Our profession has to recognize people for going beyond their day to day jobs; for giving back to the community and being role models in their businesses and families,” Hand said. “Scott seemed like a good fit for that.”

“It was nice to be recognized for still being here and continuing to work on a varied set of projects,” Wunderle said of the award. “It marks the half-way point in a life’s work.”

In addition to his work with Terrigenous, Wunderle’s dedication to community and the landscape extends to his position as the VTASLA representative to the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Council, an organization helping to fund projects focused on reviving street trees throughout the state’s downtowns.

Now, Wunderle and hisTerrigenous team focus their attention on the year ahead. “I feel like the last
25 years have been spent figuring out how to conceive of, organize and produce meaningful and rewarding projects,” Wunderle said. “The next 25 years, hopefully, will be spent mentoring the next generation of designers, thinkers and craftspeople.”