Lauren Irwin has lived in Arkansas for more than a decade, but her story began in the beautiful desert landscape of Gilbert, Arizona, where wide-open skies and arid landscapes shaped her early surroundings. Around 2010, her family moved to Northwest Arkansas, and she was struck by the stark differences.
She was immediately fascinated by the rich forests and natural beauty of the Ozarks. The dense greenery, layered hills, and the stillness of the region were unlike anything she was used to growing up. This experience laid the foundation for her passion for landscape and architecture. That curiosity grew during high school, when Lauren worked in parks and recreation. She held several positions focused on outdoor recreation and public spaces, experiences that gave her an early look at how people interact with their environment. It was here that she first put words to the way that thoughtful design could influence and shape cities and neighborhoods, which sparked her interest in working with communities through design.
Later, while spending time exploring parks and green spaces throughout Northwest Arkansas, she began to notice the experience of the design. Noting that in all of the places she was visiting, she felt the thought and care that went into each detail of the park. Curious about who was behind them, she began to do some digging, only to realize that Ecological Design Group was behind a lot of them: Coler Mountain Bike Preserve, Osage Park, and Lake Atalanta, to name a few.
At the time, Lauren was studying civil engineering because she wanted a career that contributed to the places where people live and gather. Learning more about EDG's work introduced her to landscape architecture and a design approach that blends ecology, community, and creativity. That discovery led her to change her major and pursue landscape architecture.
