BIO’S
TOM HESSEL
TOM HESSEL, LEED AP
Project Manager, Associate
Tom Hessel has over five years of design, CAD Management, and project management experience within the field of landscape architecture. Having previously worked for two years with Jeffrey Gordon Smith, Landscape Architecture, and most recently, three and a half years with Pamela Burton + Company, Landscape Architects, he has recently returned to the central coast to re-join Jeffrey Smith and pursue a deeper understanding of what it takes to design, detail, manage and construct built environments. He has worked on a variety of projects in the United States and abroad, including mixed-use commercial developments, municipal and institutional projects, as well as large-scale and high-end residential projects.
Tom is focused on landscape architectural design that incorporates ecology, native and drought-tolerant plants, unique use of materials, water resource management, and sustainable design practices to produce informative, site-specific landscapes. His design sensibility is focused on amplifying the experience and perceptions of exterior space through manipulations of topography, plant materials and built form.
Tom’s passion for artistic expression extends beyond Landscape Architecture into his personal life and some of his interests include photography (architecture, nature, travel, and wedding), custom furniture design and fabrication, graphic design and communication, and he has been a musician for more than fifteen years. Tom strives to discover artistic inspiration in all things and believes that art+design is multi-faceted and doesn’t start or end in one arena but that they are all connected and should all be celebrated and explored.
Tom is currently overseeing and implementing the development of a new marketing campaign and looking to expand the market where JGS Landscape Architecture provides services. He has co-taught landscape planting design at California Polytechnic State University while a student, and recently lectured on 3-D design techniques with SketchUp for the Environmental Horticulture department at CAL POLY, San Luis Obispo, CA.
Education
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo, CA
Memberships
United States Green Building Council (USGBC)
To contact Tom email:
Native Landscape, Regional Style, Modern Landscapes, Mid-Century Modern Landscapes, Contemporary, Site Specific, Drought Tolerant, xeriscape, genius loci, regionalism, site specific design