ERICA THATCHER BUSA
Associate
Born and raised in coastal Massachusetts with ample time spent in northern New Hampshire, Erica maintains one foot in the mountains and one in the sea. Always up for a good adventure, her explorations have led her on visits throughout New Zealand, Fiji, Europe, India, the continental U.S., and Hawaii. She has also thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail.
Erica grew up with the smell of sawdust and the sound of power tools as her parents painstakingly renovated their 1870s home for nearly two decades. This early exposure to construction contributed to her interest in crafting objects and reshaping spaces. At Carnegie Mellon University, Erica focused on sculpture and installation work, taking a year to finesse her language skills in Metzingen and Berlin, Germany. She graduated with University Honors and a dual degree in Fine Arts and German.
Erica’s fascination with materials and spatial relationships and her passion for the outdoors led her to pursue a Master in Landscape Architecture from the University of Virginia. During her time at UVa, Erica developed a deep interest in encouraging and creating meaningful interactions between our communities and their surrounding ecologies. She has a particular interest in site context, native plants, detail at a human scale, and the sculptural opportunities presented by landforms and planting strategies.
Prior to joining MCLD, Erica worked at Gregory Lombardi Design and OCULUS in Washington, D.C.. She also completed an historic design and accessibility residency in Kilkenny County, Ireland. She has worked on large- and small-scale residential, mixed-use, institutional, and public space projects.
In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her husband and daughter, mountain biking, breaking out the power tools for various construction projects, and planning her family’s next adventure.