U of A Landscape Architecture Alumna Rooted in Practice, Growing Toward Regulation

For Candace Melton Dillingham, landscape architecture has always been about people. Whether she's designing residential landscapes or helping shape professional standards through regulation, her focus remains the same: creating spaces that serve people while protecting their health, safety and welfare.

An alumna of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, Dillingham has spent nearly 30 years building a career that blends private practice with professional service. Today, she owns her own landscape architecture firm and serves as Oklahoma's delegate to CLARB, the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards, the organization that supports licensure and regulation for landscape architects across more than 50 jurisdictions worldwide.

After graduating from the U of A in 1995 with a degree in landscape architecture, Dillingham began her career with The Mehlburger Firm in Little Rock. Working alongside engineers, architects, surveyors, hydrologists, interior designers and landscape architects gave her an early appreciation for how closely the design professions work together.

She moved to Tulsa in 1997 to join The Jacob Braun Company, where she credits mentor Jacob "Joe" Braun with helping shape her approach to design. Working on large multidisciplinary projects and seeing landscape architects lead project teams expanded her understanding of what the profession could accomplish.

Those experiences gave her the confidence to launch her own firm, Skii Landscape Architecture, in 2000. Over the last two decades, Dillingham has completed more than 600 projects, specializing primarily in custom residential landscapes while also contributing to public projects, including bicycle trails for the City of Tulsa and Tulsa River Parks.

When asked about her biggest professional accomplishment, Dillingham doesn't point to a single project. Instead, she points to longevity and the ability to persevere. Like many design professionals, she faced significant challenges during the 2008-09 recession as residential work slowed dramatically. Navigating that period and keeping her business moving forward remains one of the accomplishments she values most.

"Equally important," she said, "has been the opportunity to create outdoor environments that homeowners are proud of and that add lasting value to one of their most significant assets — their home. Helping clients realize the full potential of their property has always been incredibly rewarding."

In 2021, Oklahoma's governor appointed Dillingham to the Oklahoma Board of Architects, Landscape Architects and Licensed Interior Designers. The appointment also made her Oklahoma's delegate to CLARB.

Through CLARB, Dillingham works with delegates from across the United States and beyond to discuss licensure, professional mobility and the future of landscape architecture regulation.

Serving as both a practicing landscape architect and a regulator has given her a broader perspective on the profession. While practicing designers focus on creating safe, functional spaces, regulatory work focuses on developing and maintaining standards that protect the public across jurisdictions. For Dillingham, those roles naturally complement one another.

"Serving as both a practitioner and a regulator requires wearing two distinct hats, but both roles are guided by the same commitment to advancing the profession while safeguarding the public we serve," she said.

Dillingham was originally drawn to landscape architecture because it combines science, design, mathematics and environmental stewardship. She's especially interested in how people experience spaces and how thoughtful design can influence human behavior.

"I've always been fascinated by how people move through space and how thoughtful design can influence the way someone feels — whether that's safe, inspired, energized, refreshed or connected," Dillingham said. "Landscape architecture allows us to shape experiences while addressing practical challenges, which creates a unique balance between creativity and technical expertise."

Outside the office, she enjoys sketching and running marathons, two hobbies she says influence the way she experiences landscapes. Spending hours moving through outdoor environments gives her a unique perspective on circulation, comfort and safety. Her husband is also a landscape architect, and the pair often find themselves discussing and evaluating the spaces they visit together.

What has kept Dillingham engaged throughout her career is the variety. Every project presents a different site, different challenges and different opportunities to learn, making it a profession that continues to evolve alongside the people practicing it.

As CLARB continues working to strengthen the profession, she sees opportunities to expand engagement with member boards, licensed professionals, students, industry partners and manufacturers. She also believes landscape architecture's designation as a STEM discipline will continue opening doors for research, funding and interdisciplinary collaboration.

"If CLARB can support those efforts through collaboration, education and shared knowledge, then we have an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the profession on a broader scale, which then, in turn, promotes health, safety and welfare efforts," Dillingham said.

For students and young professionals, her advice is straightforward: find a mentor and pursue licensure early. She encourages students to build relationships with professors, classmates and supervisors, noting that landscape architects are eager to share their knowledge with the next generation.

When reviewing student portfolios, she looks beyond technical ability. Communication skills, she says, are just as important. Being able to confidently explain design decisions to clients, contractors and colleagues can be just as valuable as producing strong work.

Today, Dillingham continues leading her firm with the support of two interns and her husband while remaining actively involved in CLARB. Although her responsibilities have expanded over the years, her motivation hasn't changed.

No matter the task at hand, Dillingham remains committed to strengthening the profession and creating spaces that will better serve the people who use them going forward.

"Whether you're designing a public park or helping establish professional standards through regulation, there is a shared understanding that the decisions we make today will influence communities for years to come," Dillingham said. "The work is not simply about creating attractive places. It is about ensuring those places are healthy, safe, functional, resilient and enduring."

Read the full Q&A with Candace Melton Dillingham.