From Glue Guns to Global Stages

 

Courtland Studio LLC Principal Paul Lewis

A 40-Year Rose Parade Obsession

Most people spend the last week of December finishing off holiday leftovers and questioning their New Year’s resolutions.

For Courtland Studio LLC principal Paul Lewis, that week involves complete immersion into a world of floral glue, steel frames, and the absolute 8:00 AM New Year’s Day deadline, the Rose Parade Presented by Honda.

Paul’s relationship with the Tournament of Roses is not just a hobby; it is a decades-long passion that started while a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

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The “Flower Power” Origin Story

While Paul’s obsession with the Rose Parade began in the early 1970’s, enjoying his father’s pancake breakfast watching the Parade, it blossomed at Cal Poly. He spent five years on the student float-building team. Here, he learned the most important lesson in design: Deadlines!  The Parade begins at 8:00 AM sharp on January 1st, and the flowers don’t care if you have had a nap.

From Alumnus to Volunteer

After graduating, Paul couldn’t quite quit the habit. He returned year after year as a dedicated alumnus, volunteering with floral decorations.

With 25 years of hands-on volunteer experience in float construction and floral decoration, Paul Lewis took the next step. He joined the Tournament of Roses Association.

As an active member, Paul has traded in his glue gun (mostly) for leadership positions within the organization.

While the planning meetings start in the heat of mid-summer, by late December, Paul is “fully immersed” – code for “he will probably spend 60+ hours working on the Parade during the final two weeks of the year.”

 

Why a Landscape Architect Spends His Time Off Working

You might wonder why a professional who designs high-end gardens for a living would spend his “time off” working with “moving gardens.” According to Paul, the Parade has been a big influence on Courtland Studio LLC:

The Ultimate Deadline: If you can coordinate floats covered in delicate floral arrangements to move down Colorado Boulevard on live TV, managing a residential landscape installation is a walk in the park.

Botanical Mastery: Working with the sheer volume of plant material required for the Parade has given Paul a great knowledge of texture and color.

Life-Long Friendships: Between the midnight shifts and the floral scents, Paul has built a network of friends and colleagues that have shaped him as both a designer and a person.

 

 

Still a Student at Heart

Despite his busy work within the Rose Parade organization, Paul still makes time to decorate alongside the Cal Poly students. It is his way of staying connected to the roots of his craft—and a reminder that no matter how successful you become, there is always room for a little more floral glitter.

The Courtland Studio LLC Golf Tournament: Beer, Birdies, and Giving Back

Because Paul clearly doesn’t have enough on his plate, he started the annual Courtland Studio LLC Invitational Golf Classic that the office hosts every year.

The goal was simple: to get our employees, vendors, and clients away from the phones and onto the green to meet in person. It is a day for:

Socializing: Putting a face to the voice on the other end of the phone.

Strict “Athleticism”:Playing golf, enjoying a cold beer, and a good meal.

The Raffle:  A high-energy event where the prizes are great, and the competition is fierce.

Trophies: Because everyone wants a shiny gold statue for their desk.

 

 

Golfing for a Great Cause

While the trophies and the raffle are a blast, there is a bigger mission at play. Many of our participants donate toward the Courtland Studio LLC Constructive Resource Ecology & Adaptive Technology Endowment (CREATE) Fund to support the Scholarship for Cultivating Strategic Methodologies & Propagating Ubiquitous Ecologies.

This Courtland Studio LLC endowed scholarship is our way of giving back to Cal Poly – providing financial support to students working hard to build their futures in design and landscape architecture.

Through an annual golf tournament, our vendors and clients are helping the next generation of landscape architecture students get their start.

So, whether he’s directing a multi-ton floral masterpiece on Colorado Boulevard or cheering on a golfer at the 9th hole, Paul’s world is built on great design, better friendships, and giving back to Cal Poly where it all started.

 

Featured Image: 1987 Rose Parade “Breaking the Ice“,  Image Credit: Cal Poly Rose Float