How a Professional Landscape Architect Approaches Design
At Qunity, we believe great design is more than lines on a blueprint — it’s about creating environments that tell stories, embrace and inspire communities, and shape how we experience the world. Meet Courtney McQueen, a Landscape Architect and Project Coordinator whose work embodies this philosophy. With a passion for leveraging creativity and technical expertise to drive development initiatives, Courtney brings a unique approach to her work. Her adeptness in fostering teamwork and wielding artistic vision transforms spaces across North Carolina.
With over 15 years of experience spanning local government and private land development, Courtney has honed a comprehensive understanding of project development. As a creative strategist, she specializes in conceptualizing and implementing projects that address practical needs, enhance aesthetics, and accommodate community aspirations. Once she knows a project’s parameters and goals, she considers the experience she wants an individual to have when engaging with the space. This meditation upon how to stimulate an experience via design forges a deeper meaning between a person and their surroundings.
Courtney first discovered landscape architecture was her calling early in her architecture studies at Hampton University. She was intent on maximizing spatial design criteria and found the challenge best met through the blending of exterior and interior spaces.
Now, unifying structured components with surrounding landscapes is a creative process that drives her forward. Inspired by her experiences and surroundings, she observes standout spaces, analyzes their impact, and recreates those feelings in her designs. Courtney’s designs are guided by the site, blending self-analysis, environmental connection, and creativity to create cohesive, user-centered spaces.
Through her Radicle Roots Book Series, Courtney, author and illustrator, channels her passion for teaching children about the natural and built environment. Her stories enrich her young readership with a deeper understanding of the world around them, encouraging them to become active participants in shaping their own communities. She hopes her books and visits to local classrooms will raise awareness about the relevance of landscape architecture and ultimately inspire more young people to pursue careers in the field. In her series, through her agility in breaking down complex processes to identify core values and key concepts (something she does every day at Qunity), she inspires and informs growing minds. Her commitment to educating the next generation about the built environment pays off in dividends.
From the Carpenter Fall Subdivision to the Shady Grove Community Park to the Snow Hill Veterinary Campus, Courtney’s projects reflect a deep commitment to meaningful design and a dedication to crafting experiences that connect with the community at hand. Her approach proves that great design is about more than what meets the eye; it’s about understanding human needs, connecting to the physical environment, and creating spaces that inspire and uplift. Qunity is proud to have professionals like Courtney who are not just designing our environment but imagining how we interact with it. With her distinctive blend of creative vision and technical expertise, Courtney is building community through design and inspiring the next generation of landscape architects.
Written by Amalia Rizos
