Brian Charlton

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  • brian charlton hobby shot ann arbor smithgroup

Brian professes to enjoying "large, complex urban design projects—the more challenging the better." His portfolio is full of them: Detroit Riverwalk, the Dequindre Cut and perhaps his favorite, Link Detroit, a greenway through the city "with a complicated funding structure, tight schedule, critical deadlines, and a series of unforeseen design and implementation challenges," which clearly left him undaunted. "The work we do leads to significant and tangible benefits to communities," he says. "It gives me an unending desire to go above and beyond what is expected." Brian discovered his dream career at Kansas State. "After hearing a lecture on the environment and how landscape architects influence the world we live in, I changed my major the next day and never looked back," he recalls. Brian’s connection with the environment extends to his favorite pastime, scuba diving. His dream destination: "Palau, Micronesia, diving like you’re in the middle of your own National Geographic special."