Hobbies and interests
Skateboarding
Reading
Academic
Economics
Architecture
Speculative Fiction
I read books multiple times per month
Jaxon Mawhiney
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FinalistJaxon Mawhiney
1,045
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FinalistBio
Everybody needs a plant in their house.
Education
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Architecture
Minors:
- Botany/Plant Biology, Other
Miscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
Career
Dream career field:
Plant Nursery Owner
Dream career goals:
Founder
Day Camp Counselor
Stars Gymnastics2018 – 20202 yearsLifeguard
Foothills Swim & Racquet Club2017 – 20181 yearUsher/Ticket Taker
ICON Cinemas2019 – 20201 year
Sports
Skateboarding
Club2018 – Present6 years
Arts
Air Academy High School
Illustration2016 – 2020
Future Interests
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Entrepreneurship
Amplify Green Innovation Scholarship
Climate change is an intricate issue with so many moving components that it's nearly impossible to comprehensively examine the subject all at once. As such, countless nuances are left out of the discussion when discussing the topic at large, and one of the most significant is the impact that urban development has on environments. For most of human history, it has been widely accepted that in order to create a habitat appropriate for humans, we must destroy existing habitats appropriate for other forms of life. Unfortunately, until recently, this sentiment has been true. The most effective way to create a safe and prosperous community for most of (western) history has been to remove the natural in favor of artificial environments.
While this method of 'replacing' nature with society has been effective for some time, mankind is approaching a tipping point. So much of the earth's natural landscape has been modified to the point of hostility that we are facing a crisis. Humans need more space to live, and animals need more space to roam, forage, and hunt. There's only so much space on earth, so we're left with a difficult decision: do we sacrifice the well-being of all other living things on earth in favor of humankind, or vice versa?
Thankfully, there's a third option. Humanity has developed such a vast and complex web of knowledge regarding science, technology, and the natural world that we are now able to design environments suitable for both human and 'natural' habitation ('natural' denoting plants, wildlife, and ecosystems that exist without serving the benefit of humans). I hope to spend my career as an architect designing biophilic environments that enhance nature's work rather than obliterate it in hopes of starting fresh. Homes can be designed in energy-efficient ways in order to reduce climate control costs, raised off the ground in order to allow microbiomes to thrive in the shade typically introduced my tree canopies, even built into the earth itself to allow for vegetative cover over the roof and walls, which can help increase heat absorption from the atmosphere among other benefits. This is not a comprehensive list of biophilic design techniques, obviously, but reflects the sentiment quite of sustainability quite well.
The bottom line is that humanity and nature are both running out of space, and that means something needs to change unless we want to give up much of what gave us the incredible world we live in in the first place. By creating homes, offices, stores, and society at large in a way that benefits both Mankind and the natural world alike, we can greatly expand our modern concept of an inclusively designed community to reach beyond just including humans.