Jayden is a second-year graduating MLA student from Germanton, North Carolina. He holds a B.A. in Architecture from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. With a background in architecture/design, he was able to participate in the 2-Year Advanced track to earn his MLA.
What are you currently working on in studio?
I am currently in the Appalachia Regional Studio with Faye Nixon. The studio looks at landscape on a larger scale: the scale of a region. Within the studio I am researching the cultivation of timber and lumber within Appalachian forests, understanding the history, policies, and actions taking place today. The studio begins with research on your topic, then identifying a dilemma or problem that will then be used later in the semester for a design project. The studio also focuses on GIS as a tool and workflow, making maps to understand interactions and flows within a system. A highlight of the Appalachia Regional Studio is the week-long studio trip through the region. We drove through the hills and hollers, visiting residents and learning about the history of coal and cultivation.
What was your undergraduate degree and how did it influence your decision to pursue an MLA?
My undergraduate degree was at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where I pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture. During my education, I kept finding myself more drawn to the site than the actual building I was designing, especially during the site analysis portion of a project. I became interested in the various systems that played off one another and how the building would connect to the greater city it was based in. I also became interested in sustainable materials and considering where we source our materials from and the potential damage to the land from cultivation. With a design background, I knew about landscape architecture, so I started searching schools and reaching out to programs. I eventually found UTK and all the incredible things the school was producing and the variety within the program. I also enjoyed the city of Knoxville and knew it would be the right fit for me.
Do you have any internships or externship experience?
In the summer of 2026, I interned with UT Extension on the Agriculture Campus under the Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science department. In the internship, I participated in streambank restoration projects as well as creating fact sheets for native plant gardens at a residential level. I learned more about landscape architecture on a residential scale and was able to use what I learned in class to create fact sheets for Tennessee residents. One of the most enjoyable experiences from this internship was visiting native plant nurseries, which helped me learn more about the connection between landscape architects and nurseries.
What will you miss about Knoxville?
What I will miss most is definitely the football games in Neyland. The game-day atmosphere is unmatched in Knoxville, and I try to go to every game I can.
What is one food you cannot resist?
I have to say Cookout; it's always open late and is a great place to go when I need a quick break from projects.