Environmental studies or engineering?

Hi Erin!

First off, would you be more interested in ensuring the building would be able to support the garden, selecting the right plants or designing a rainwater filtration system & cistern? A civil engineer would be involved with the calculations to determine if the roof and building structure could support the garden. Soil is VERY heavy, plus the plants would need water which adds to the weight that the building would need to support. If you'd be more interested in the layout of the garden and selecting plants based on what grows well in the area then a program in landscape architecture may be what you should look into. Landscape Architects select the types of plants and where they would be located to ensure the garden functions ascetically and biodiversity. Almost all projects that I work on involve a landscape architect. A rainwater filtration system and cistern would probably need to be designed by an engineer, but not necessarily a civil engineer as some mechanical engineers design these types of systems. Calculations for the volume of rainwater the system would need to store as well as the design of an emergency overflow would be done by an engineer. I am not familiar with a degree in environmental studies, but I would recommend that you speak with someone who has completed this degree to determine the types of job opportunities that would be available to you once you graduate. I'd also like to point out that the salary of engineers tend to be much higher than someone with an environmental science degree and sometimes the entry level positions would be basically the same!

I would highly suggest that you reach out to local urban gardeners before you begin your degree program as they may know of resources that would be highly beneficial to you. Plus, ask about their background you may learn that a degree isn't even needed to reach your dream! Have you heard of UpGarden or Seattle Urban Farm Company? A quick google search led me to those two organizations! A plethora of start-up incubators exist that may be a good route for you to explore as well. Such as UnLtd USA that is based in Austin, TX specifically for social entrepreneurs. Are there any in Seattle that would fit your dream?

Hope this helps!