Our Founder's Journey

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Mel began in the construction industry a little over 10 years ago. She began in the industry as an entry-level labor worker in a hardscape & pool building company without any knowledge on anything regarding construction. She was able to withstand the intense physical work for several years until she then realized that her job position at the time was not what she would want to be in for the rest of her life simply because she was always driven by wanting to progress to higher challenges in her professional part of life. Throughout all her school years (as early as first grade and beyond high school), she was constantly being awarded for being the "Most Artistic/Creative", along with crafting the "Best Science Projects". The awards and recognitions were always something she felt proud of as she always found art and science as the two subjects she felt quite passionate for. Her pass time (her way of easing the mind) always consisted of drawing, of which is true even to this day. If she is not drawing, she is creating, experimenting, or watching films that relate to science. Her broad imagination and creativity has always been within her, but she did not seem to know of a way on how to utilize it in a professional manner. As time progressed, she began working her way up in the construction industry, due to her highly adaptive and learning skills, of which she then earned herself becoming Head of Office at a Hardscape and Masonry company. Regardless of her high placement in the field, she still felt there was more she needed to achieve. Having the fact she grew up in a family where entrepreneurship was highly common, she couldn't refrain from not feeling conformed to her current professional level of which lead her to assisting in running the entire the company shortly after. It was at this time, she began working as a leader being provided the title of Project Manager of which now her duties was to oversee and incorporate creative problem solving for the Labor Crews, Architects, Designers and other Keyholders. The new experience brought her an entirely different and challenging perspective about the construction industry. She closely observed how these Architects and Designers would work and she always found herself suggesting different alternatives to provide adaptable solutions for the obstacles the design team or others would encounter. Her knowledge obtained from initially working as a construction laborer has been a significant advantage that most other design professionals never had the opportunity to experience, as her knowledge does not only come from learning technical standards, but it sets her apart for physically knowing the building process of which brings endless possibilities to guide or correct the proper building of the project she has in her hands. Several months in her current job position, she realized her potential career had been laid out in front of her eyes the entire time in the industry. With her superior knowledge in construction, and her passion for art and science, she would make of a great Architectural Designer. At that moment she knew she could create a company that would greatly thrive in this construction-filled city. That is when she decided to head over to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Record/County Clerk Building and create the foundation of DesignScapes, where her long-anticipated journey as a Landscape Designer began.