M2L Associates is pleased to welcome Jonathan Alvarez to the firm. A native Houstonian, Jonathan is a fighting Texas A&M University Aggie who earned a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture. Following graduation he gained valuable project experience at SLA Studio Land, which then merged with Asakura Robinson, and a short stint at Murr Inc., where he honed important rendering and technology skills.
M2L Principal Lynn Mauer said Jonathan’s diverse skills mean he can hit the ground running. “Jonathan’s well-rounded experience and his curiosity have helped him fit in right away and make an immediate contribution in the studio,” she said. “He’s eager to learn and make an impact. Welcome, Jon!”
More about Jonathan in his own words:
Tell us about your road to becoming a landscape architect at M2L?
Architecture has always interested me, but I never knew about landscape architecture until two years before college. At Texas A&M, I had two internships: one at AJ’s Landscaping & Design, a residential firm where I helped design, learned about site inventory, and helped lead an installation crew. My second internship was at SLA, a commercial firm that helped make me the professional I am today. That firm was smaller than AJ’s, so I got to experience and learn more from the design and administrative perspectives. SLA would also become my first job out of college before it was merged into Asakura Robinson. There I learned to work alongside people from such varied and rich backgrounds. My time at Asakura Robinson was fun since I got to dabble a bit in urban planning, tree health and mentoring interns.
What are your career aspirations and goals at M2L?
I want to be able to look at Houston in 20 to 25 years and say I helped make it a better place to live, visit and explore. Landscape architecture attracted me because of what it means to communities and how it can help define places. Since becoming a professional, I’ve learned that the spaces we create can impact lives in ways we don’t even know. From the environmental impact to sentimental significance, I’m glad I get a chance to wake up every day and say I’m making the world I live in a better place.
What are your interests outside of work?
My spare time is filled with listening to music, reading books, drawing or video games. A big passion of mine is history and culture, so much so that I graduated with a minor in world history. I speak conversational Spanish and am learning French. Some interests I’ve been researching lately are digital photography and digital art.