We Are Loureiro: Andrew Freifeld
May 9th, 2023
Andrew Freifeld, the newest addition to Loureiro’s Landscape Architecture division, spent several years working as a teacher, even living abroad and teaching kindergarten in Budapest for two years. A graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in Boston, Andrew wanted to find a way of applying and expanding his background in the arts and to create inclusive outdoor spaces that everyone can access.
“I’ve always been inspired to connect with others and create places that people can enjoy,” says Andrew. “I lived in New York City working with artists and I came to realize that not everyone gets the opportunity to enjoy art. So much stuff is stuck behind gallery walls and many don’t get the chance to experience and appreciate it.”
Realizing that he didn’t quite fit the mold of a traditional teacher, Andrew started reflecting on his background and passions when considering next steps in his career.
“I’ve always had a love for plants. Growing up, my mother volunteered at local flower shows and I remember going with her and seeing these beautiful drawings done by landscape architects and landscape designers from local firms - that made a big impression on me.”
On the advice of an aunt, Andrew sought out a graduate school program for Landscape Architecture at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia.
“It just seemed like the right fit,” recalls Andrew. “My best experiences were always creating gardens with my students.”
He reflects fondly upon his national service with AmeriCorps in California where he worked with students that needed assistance meeting their high school requirements to get their diplomas.
“One of the projects we worked on was designing a garden. When we finished, the principal told me he noticed that the kids had been hanging out at the garden during the weekend and enjoying the space. He shared that school was admittedly one of the last places the students wanted to be but the fact that they hung out at the garden in their free time really stuck with me and inspired me.”
Andrew is currently working towards his professional licensure, and has been getting his feet wet working on plans for a local synagogue, and a rooftop garden at a building in Hartford. Andrew has a focus on tactical urbanism, developing change through small but incremental steps toward building cities for entire communities rather than designated individuals or groups. Recently, he developed a plan for a local restaurant that started up a food truck during the pandemic to expand their business and make themselves more accessible.
“This was a perfect example of tactical urbanism in action - being able to enhance and activate the space outside the restaurant to help draw more people in, and to make it a focal point for the Town,” says Andrew.
“In landscape architecture, I get to design a space for people to enjoy. Almost all the work I’ve done is in the public realm. Public parks, master plans, plans for trails and playgrounds. It’s important to me to be able to share what I create with as many people as possible.”
Outside of work, Andrew spends time working on the 200 year old home he and his wife bought during the pandemic. Having labored as a stonemason in college, Andrew takes pride in tackling any home-improvement projects head-on. An anti-lawn advocate, he recently planted a meadow, and is at work maintaining it.
