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Students from Gies College of Business have partnered with the Department of Landscape Architecture (DLA) to bring new life to the outdoor spaces surrounding Gies. Through the DLA’s Design Build Studio Project, led by Assistant Professor Conor O’Shea, students are installing a colorful pollinator garden south of the Business Instructional Facility and east of the new Steven S. Wymer Hall.
Designed to attract seven native butterfly species—including Monarchs and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails—the garden reflects a careful balance of ecological function and aesthetic appeal. Each student researched a specific butterfly and curated plant selections to support its lifecycle.
“The Gies Business Courtyard provides so much space for us to do something big that not only supports over 50 species of native pollinators and insects but also create a difference in a space that will be used and seen by thousands of students and faculty,” said Johanna Gonzalez in the Gies article, a third-year student involved in the project.
Inspired by the nearby Harkness Slope renovation, the initiative was sparked by Gies Business’s interest in revitalizing sparse outdoor planters. Students worked closely with Gies leadership and University committees, gaining valuable experience in business communication, budgeting, and project management. The team also used virtual reality to model the garden’s nearly 4,000 plants before installation.
“We hope business students and faculty immerse themselves in the gardens and become proponents of building these into urban design,” said third-year student Sofia Pajak.
To read the original article and learn more about the project, check out Gies Business initiative blooms with new courtyard enhancing campus ecology, aesthetics on Gies Business News.