Landscape architecture students design sustainable master plan for storm-battered island in The Bahamas

The island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas has many attractive features—pink sand beaches, coral reefs, a rich culture—and one huge challenge: self-sustainability. Recently, Clemson University landscape architecture students partnered with the non-profit One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF) to design a vision for a sustainable future.

The undergraduate landscape architecture studio led by Professor Hala Nassar in Fall 2022 created a master plan for One Eleuthera Foundation’s proposed Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI).

Nassar noted that while Eleuthera’s economy thrived in the first half of the 20th century, between 1965 and 1995, tourism and agriculture began to decline. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian dealt a blow with devastating damage and flooding.

“As these changes continue to threaten the local economy and environment, the island is exploring methods to adapt and enhance climate resiliency,” Nassar said.