Bill Estes

Lecturer + Affiliate Faculty

Bill’s passion for landscape architecture stems from a philosophy of design in which built and natural systems can co-exist. He thrives on the variety of challenges we face in creating a built environment that layers ecological design with human needs to create holistic experiences and environments. Over the past 20 years, Bill has practiced as a landscape architect at design firms in Kentucky, Rhode Island, Florida, Beijing, and Washington with projects located in the United States, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, Central and Southeast Asia, the Middle East. With this broad range of domestic and international experience, Bill has a nuanced understanding of working in diverse regions, environments, and cultures. His work finds inspiration in the unique and complex stories of place and translating those through design to create meaningful places that endure.

In addition to his work experience, Bill served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Kentucky and assisted in the preparation of curriculum for Columbia University’s School of Continuing Education. His teaching interests build upon past experience and research to explore pedagogical approaches to technical education within the landscape architectural curriculum with a focus on topographic manipulation. This exploration places emphasis on the integration of the artistic and problem-solving capacities of a landscape architect with a goal of developing greater technical proficiency inclusive of theory, critical thinking, and aesthetics. This endeavor is aimed at easing graduate’s transition into the profession and preparing future generations of creative and technically skilled landscape architects to address the challenges of tomorrow.

Bill Estes received his BSLA from the University of Kentucky and MLA from the University of Washington. He is a senior landscape architect with MIG in Seattle and is a licensed landscape architect in Washington state, Kentucky, and Rhode Island and a LEED Accredited Professional. Bill is actively involved with the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) for which he serves as co- chair of the ASLA Education and Practice Professional Practice Network (PPN) and a member of the Honors and Awards Advisory Committee. Previous projects have won design awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects Florida Chapter, and the Kentucky chapter of the American Planning Association.