Erin Dibos is an Associate in OJB’s Solana Beach office.

What inspired you to become a landscape architect?
Growing up in Southern California, I had been exposed to some great open spaces including Balboa Park, the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Channel Islands. From a young age, I cultivated a fascination with ecosystems and the associated elements within them – botanicals, hydrology, topography and microclimates. I discovered that landscape architecture is the perfect way to work within these living systems to make them accessible to people, while maintaining their natural ecosystem services.

How has an artist or landscape architect influenced your design and plant materials?
Artists like Van Gogh, Monet and Gauguin portray plants in their paintings as beautiful gestures in the landscape, inspiring me to use specimen plants in an artistic way.

What is your focus when designing? What makes your work rewarding?
My focus when designing is people and the ability to offer them the rewards of being outdoors: trees to provide shade and beauty; amenities to invite people to enjoy the space; and sustainable strategies to ensure a healthy future for the community.

Where do you go to feel inspired?
Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego.

What has been your favorite OJB project to work on and why?
The UC San Diego East Campus Visioning Study was a very rewarding project with OJB and Safdie Rabines architects. The project aimed to work within the University’s planning parameters to enhance the UC San Diego Health System campus and its interface with the dynamic surroundings. We worked to guide people into the campus from the new Light Rail station, and other pedestrian and bicycle access points.