Text and photos by Erica Benoit, SPP Environmental Workshop Series Coordinator

More than 70 students filled the workshop classroom at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) in Gig Harbor to engage with Professor of Landscape Architecture Daniel Winterbottom and his students from the University of Washington (UW) College of Built Environments. The students enthusiastically presented six proposals for a re-envisioned prison landscape, one that offers many ecological, psychological and emotional wellness.

Professor Winterbottom first came to WCCW early in 2016, along with Dr. Barb Toews of UW-Tacoma. Both academics saw potential for building restorative landscapes at the prison, for the benefit of both incarcerated individuals and prison staff. They also found willing partners among WCCW’s leadership, particularly Associate Superintendent Felice Davis, Facilities Manager Rod Coberly, and Superintendent Jo Wofford. Even so, it took three years of persistence before Professor Winterbottom had the go-ahead to make the prison the topic of his Therapeutic Master Plan Studio class.

Last month, he and his students presented their recommendations to WCCW’s leadership, which were met with further support and enthusiasm. The next step was to get feedback from the incarcerated individuals, the folks who might be most affected by the potential project. Luckily, there was an opening in the workshop series calendar, creating the perfect opportunity to bring everyone together!

The student groups, with architecture models and posters in hand, presented projects focused on designing a nurturing and healing environment as an exercise of rethinking the landscape of incarceration.

They proposed creating places that stimulate the senses, and that offer both respite and engagement through the garden. Each proposal offered different approaches and methods, but all were intended to create a more humane place for both residents and staff.

Workshop students were especially respectful of the time and effort the UW students put into their projects, and their comments and questions reflected that appreciation.

Overall, workshop students were engaged and excited to hear about the potential to transform their built living environment.