Joseph Brooks - Land Collective Blog #1

Land Collective: Winter Months

Hi colleagues,

The following is an (accidentally) unpublished blog post written on 1.30.2026. It captures my early experience working in the office of David Rubin Land Collective throughout the month of January.

I miss you all and hope you are doing well.

Joseph

The first employee I knew by name at Land Collective was Ms. Mittens. Our CFO (Chief Feline Officer) greeted me cheerfully at the door when I walked into the studio on my first day. Four hours later, I was immersed in construction documents related to the implementation of the Wilmington Riverfront East Master Plan alongside RAMSA, rectifying the placement of tree pits with subgrade utilities, calculating soil volumes, and developing paving patterns. This dichotomy of work and play perfectly describes the environment in our Philadelphia office.

Ref. 1 Ms. Mittens requires attention.

I find the balance between high design and practical buildability exemplified in the projects I'm working on fascinating. All of my mentors are remarkable designers, yes, but they're also materials experts, grading savants, and deft CAD managers. They represent a diverse cross-section of American landscape architecture theory and practice, from landscape urbanism to infrastructural design. David Rubin is an apt curator, not only of his vast collection of antique garden tools and art, but of his collaborators. I am excited to learn more about the practice and business of built design as I continue working in this office. 

The city of Philadelphia is proving to be an influential teacher as well. I didn't realize how much I missed the northeast, or how pleasant my return to life in an urban center would be. Already, I have begun exploring the city's vast network of parks, squares, and public spaces. I'm currently anchored in West Philadelphia, a region saturated with plural histories of religious and cultural empowerment, social connection, and attempts at erasure by societal and governmental forces. My travels have taken me to the historic alleys of Old City, the soaring (if currently dormant) plateaus of Fairmount Park, and the vibrant murals of Lancaster Avenue. 

Ref. 2 Sunset on the Belmont Plateau.

I'm also plunging into the rich alternative music scene here in West Philly -- every concert I've been to so far has been in the basement of a stranger's house. It's nice to leave my work at the office and think/write/sketch/walk in this new city unfettered. I look forward to continuing to eat my way through the Ethiopian restaurants near my house as well.

Ref. 3 Excerpt of West Philly's architectural vocabulary.

I've already learned so much about how the business and production pipeline of landscape architecture operates, and I feel that I am beginning to grow past the role of a designer into a rounded practitioner. No longer do I hesitate when selecting plants and pavers, or cower at the thought of details. Deadlines, clients, and consultants have grounded me in a way that shapes my work through constraint. I am excited to begin hunting for ways to push the envelope of practice within this more embodied setting.

I hope to discuss my work more in future posts, as some currently-secret projects begin to go public. Stay warm - I know it's a struggle for my fellow LSU students in the cold North.