Business Women Awards 2022
Achievement Honoree Kris Bradner, Traverse Landscape Architects LLC
AMONG THE TYPICAL college prep courses offered at Kris Bradner’s high school, something different piqued her interest.
The private school she attended in Woodbury, Conn., had a required vocational agriculture program, which included classes on landscape design taught by Eugene Wisniewski. His passion inspired Bradner.
While becoming a landscape architect wasn’t exactly a traditional career path, Wisniewski presented the subject matter as fascinating, impactful and something Bradner could continue to study beyond high school.
“He talked about it, showed us things, was interested in plants and how the landscape and design of open space affects people,” Bradner said of the late Wisniewski. “He talked about the fact that we could go on and study this. He was instrumental in me looking at schools for landscape architecture.”
Bradner learned that she liked the professional aspect of the work itself, especially the problem-solving, the process required, taking charge and figuring out how to get goals accomplished. She’s honed those skills over the years to become principal at Traverse Landscape Architects LLC in Providence.
On recent projects, Traverse has enhanced education facilities with native vegetation that are habitats for birds and butterflies, producing project-based learning options; utilized salvaged granite from foundation work to keep a cohesive design; and integrated interior and exterior spaces.
All of it comes together to “enhance human experience through design,” with spaces to walk, gather, learn and coexist with nature more effectively.
At the Castle Hill Inn in Newport, the firm designed an outdoor dining area – called The Lawn – overlooking the waterfront. The space was particularly challenging because of the steep terrain and rock below the soil.
When Rhode Island College built a new nursing building on its Providence campus, Traverse was hired to develop the landscaping plans.
Traverse has also worked on exterior spaces of other prominent school projects, such as the construction of the new East Providence High School and the Barrington Middle School.
In fact, schools, including public and private new construction and additions, now represent about 60% of its business.
Bradner is pleased with the firm’s growth over the last decade and she’s proud of the rich dynamics within the organization, based on relationship-building.
