SUN-A02: Finding Design: Case Studies in the Creative Process

Sunday, October 21, 2018 • 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Session Overview:

Reaching beyond constraints of their sites, landscape architects often create works that are memorable in concept and realization. This session explores ways in which the creative spirit fuels the design process in the work of three landscape architects known for their inspired designs: James Corner, Beka Sturges and Laurie Olin.

Moderator: Susan Cohen FASLA

A Connecticut landscape architect, Susan Cohen has taught in the MLA program at CCNY and at the New York Botanical Garden, where she coordinates their Landscape Design Program. In 1998, she founded, and continues to coordinate, NYBG’s annual Fall Portfolio Lecture Series, which brings international landscape architects to New York to share their work. Her book, The Inspired Landscape, features the work of 21 landscape architects working in the U.S. and around the world.

Panelist: James Corner FASLA

The High Line, New York, NY The High Line, New York, New York

Tongva Park, Santa Monica, California

James Corner is a landscape architect whose firm, Field Operations, is based in New York City, with offices in San Francisco, Philadelphia, London and Shenzhen. His deep interests in public life, social space, ecology and urbanism inform his firm’s approach to design, including distinguished works such as The High Line, Tongva Park, South Park at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Tsim Sha Tsui Prominade in Hong Kong, and Chicago Navy Pier. James’s work has been recognized with the National Design Award and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Architecture, among others. He is a member of the 2018 class of ASLA Fellows.

Panelist: Beka Sturges

The Clark Art Institute, Massachusetts

The Old Quarry, Connecticut The Old Quarry, Connecticut

Beka Sturges, a Principal of Reed Hilderbrand, founded and leads the firm’s New Haven office. Her work, noted for its powerful spatial demonstrations of the cultural and environmental value of landscapes, includes landscapes at Yale and Brown Universities, Storm King Art Center, and Boscobel House and Gardens, as well as private residences. In collaboration with the City of New Haven, she is working on the Mill River Trail, a 4-acre linear park. She served as the project landscape architect and manager for the award-winning landscape at The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She also teaches landscape studios at Connecticut College and is a guest critic at the Yale School of Architecture

Panelist: Laurie Olin FASLA

The American Academy of Rome, Italy

Private Estate, Picardy, France

Born in Wisconsin and raised in Alaska, Laurie Olin is known for his writing and teaching as well as his elegant urban environments, including Columbus Circle and Bryant Park in New York City. From the celebrated Washington Monument Grounds to more recent projects such as the AIA award-winning Barnes Foundation, he and his Philadelphia firm, OLIN, create timeless public spaces that celebrate social gatherings, natural systems, and urban life. A Guggenheim Fellow, an American Academy of Rome Fellow, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he received the NEA’s National Medal of Arts from President Obama. His discussion will include projects in Italy, France, and Spain.

Learning Objectives:

• Discover the role of creative imagination in the design processes of three outstanding landscape architects working today.

• Learn how an unorthodox line of thought, or an unexpected inspiration, can lead to unusual - perhaps magical - design solutions that meet all the criteria of professional work today.

• Understand the ways in which landscape architects find paths to problem solving and design expression by drawing on their personal histories and diverse interests.

• Be inspired to explore and expand your own sources of inspiration.