2024

2025 CSI Teams and Projects Announced

heather — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0000

2025 CSI Teams and Projects Announced

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Six faculty Research Fellows and six high-performing landscape projects have been selected for LAF's 2025 Case Study Investigation program.

Case Study Investigation (CSI) is a unique research collaboration and training program for faculty, students, and practitioners. LAF funded faculty-student research teams work with designers to document the impacts of exemplary, high-performing landscape projects. Teams develop methods to quantify the environmental, social, and economic benefits of built projects and produce Case Study Briefs for LAF’s Landscape Performance Series.

A faculty Research Fellow leads each CSI collaboration with the support of a student Research Assistant. The academic teams work with liaisons from design firms to evaluate and document each project. LAF provides training, supporting materials, and feedback throughout the process.

Among the projects selected for the 2025 program are a barren slope in New Mexico turned ethno-botanic public demonstration and research garden utilizing indigenous farming techniques, the largest open space in South Los Angeles, and a multimodal transportation system and linear park that bring bluegrass countryside to Lexington’s urban core. The geographically diverse projects also include a publicly supported working urban farm in Seattle, a creek-centric Indiana town center designed in response to a significant flood event, and the first Living Building Challenge-certified building in Georgia.

The 2025 CSI program kicks off in late January and runs through late July. We look forward to working with this impressive group to document these outstanding projects and their impacts!

Purdue University
+ DAVID RUBIN Land Collective
CSI Research Fellow: Yiwei Huang, PhD
Student Research Assistant: Serine Kao
Project: Grand Junction, Westfield, IN

University of Georgia
+ Andropogon Associates
CSI Research Fellow: Alfie Vick, PLA
Student Research Assistant: Jabari A.S. Lottie
Project: Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, Atlanta, GA

University of Kentucky
+ Gresham Smith
CSI Research Fellow: Jordan Phemister
Student Research Assistant: Mitchell Kubera
Project: Town Branch Commons, Lexington, KY

University of New Mexico
+ radicle
CSI Research Fellow: Anthony Fettes, PLA, PDC
Student Research Assistant: Kailani Gorman
Project: Española Healing Foods Oasis, Española, NM

University of Southern California
+ MIG
CSI Research Fellow: Esther Margulies, PLA
Student Research Assistants: Ashley Stephens and Jordan Fucci
Project: Earvin "Magic" Johnson Park, Los Angeles, CA

University of Washington
+ Berger Partnership
CSI Research Fellow: Vincent Javet
Student Research Assistant: Piper Sallquist
Project: Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands, Seattle, WA

Landscape Performance Case Studies on the World Stage

heather — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Landscape Performance Case Studies on the World Stage

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We are happy to share two new resources – developed and released for COP29 by friends and partners – that use examples and data from our Landscape Performance Series case studies.

"WORKS with Nature: Low Carbon Adaptation Techniques for a Changing World" is by Pamela Conrad (a 2018-19 LAF Fellow), Kotchakorn Voraakhom, and many contributors and collaborators. It compiles 100 landscape-based techniques for adapting, mitigating, and restoring communities and ecosystems. Of these, 23 are Landscape Performance Series Case Study Briefs. The document is intended to serve as inspiration for countries developing their National Adaptation Plans, as well as others around the world. This collaborative effort with the United Nations National Adaptation Planning team was supported by Climate Positive Design, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA), Vestre, and Landscape Forms.

"An Analysis of Benefit Values: 175 Landscape Architecture Case Studies in the U.S." by ASLA and the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center aims to illustrate how landscape architects make design decisions that can maximize the economic benefits of nature-based solutions. Using LAF's Landscape Performance Series case studies, the researchers aggregated the data and applied environmental benefit valuation techniques to show the annual value of benefits in ASLA's 5 key areas. The document was released as a supplement to "Landscape Architecture: Maximizing the Economic Benefits of Nature-based Solutions Through Design", a 10-page brief that summarizes economic benefits for global and U.S. policymakers.

LAF has worked hard to build the Landscape Performance Series and make it a go-to place to find precedents, show value, and make the case for sustainable landscape solutions. So we are thrilled to see it being used by others to advocate for nature-based solutions on the world stage! Big thank you to all of the researchers, design firms, students, and clients who have worked on case studies to build the library over the last 14 years! If you haven't checked it out lately, be sure to at: LandscapePerformance.org

"Practice‐Based Research Now" in Landscape Journal

heather — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

"Practice‐Based Research Now" in Landscape Journal

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New article illuminates how and why professional design offices are pursuing research activities that extend beyond project‐centered work.

A new, LAF-led collaborative article, "Practice-Based Research Now: Purpose, Approach, and a Proposition", is out in the November issue of Landscape Journal. The full text is available for free thanks to the authors/firms who covered the cost to make this article open access.

The article contributes to the dialogue on practice-based research in design through personal statements from the authors, a synthesis of interviews and surveys with 21 design firms, and a proposition and call to action. It discusses motivations, models, and funding for research in practice, as well as new drivers, mechanisms, approaches, and outcomes.

The authors conclude with concrete ideas and an appeal to the landscape architecture discipline's collective responsibility to realign professional practice and make "a concerted effort to develop a functional approach to making practice-based research accessible, replicable, and impactful."

Our legitimacy as practitioners depends on our ability to show that we are having a positive impact. And being trusted to take the lead in the future depends on our ability to learn from our mistakes. This takes research.

Megan Barnes, Anya Domlesky, Allison Harvey, Lisa Hwang, Eric Kramer, Allyson Mendenhall, Margaret Plumb and Rebecca Popowsky

This effort grew out of roundtable discussions organized by LAF, and we thoroughly enjoyed working with everyone to bring this to fruition. Thank you to the co-authors:

Megan Barnes, Senior Program Manager, Landscape Architecture Foundation
Anya Domlesky, Director of Research and Associate Principal, SWA XL Lab
Allison Harvey, Principal, OJB
Lisa Hwang, Design Data and Metrics Specialist, LandDesign
Eric Kramer, Principal, Reed Hilderbrand
Allyson Mendenhall, Chief Practice Resources Officer, Sasaki
Margaret Plumb, Director of DW Legacy Design®, Design Workshop
Rebecca Popowsky, Research Associate, OLIN

And special thanks to Jim LaGro, Robert Ryan, and to all who participated in the surveys and interviews!

UPDATE: Watch the recording from our Dec 4 webinar panel discussion with the article authors.

In Remembrance: Joseph E. Brown, FASLA

heather — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

In Remembrance: Joseph E. Brown, FASLA

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Joe Brown with Jacinta McCann at the LAF Awards Dinner after accepting the 2019 LAF Medal

November 4, 2024

We were saddened to learn that Joe Brown passed away on October 31 from Parkinson’s disease. Joe was a visionary for the landscape architecture discipline, and a long and loyal supporter of and advocate for the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) and our mission.

Joe’s leadership and career accomplishments are widely known. As President and CEO of EDAW from 1992 to 2004, he guided the firm to international prominence and brought landscape architecture to global audiences. When the firm was acquired by AECOM in 2005, his continued leadership brought a landscape architecture perspective to the international multidisciplinary firm, creating new opportunities for impact at scale.

As a writer and thought leader, Joe always encouraged landscape architects to think big. He pushed the profession to take a leadership role in tying all aspects of built environment projects into a cohesive design, no matter how large or complex. He inspired landscape architects to step beyond their comfort zones to effect positive change by taking on non-traditional roles.

Over the years, many notable professionals have shared their memories of Joe and his impact on their careers, often quoting things Joe said that changed their trajectory.

Inspiring, enabling, learning and researching makes our profession stronger. One day a first-tier profession. I believe this and have spent my career helping people to think big, look around the next corner, take risks, and grow.

Joseph E. Brown, FASLA

Among the numerous awards Joe received in his long, influential career was the 2019 LAF Medal, our highest honor for individuals who have made a significant and sustained contribution to LAF’s mission. His colleagues prepared the video below for the awards dinner celebration.

Joe’s funeral will be on Monday November 11 at 10am at St Ignatius Church (650 Parker Street) in San Francisco, followed by a reception at 2pm at the University Club (800 Powell Street). LAF is touched and deeply grateful to be one of the organizations the family requested to make donations to in lieu of flowers:

The Joe Brown and Jacinta McCann Fund for Faculty Research at the Harvard Graduate School of Design - Additional giving details can be found here.
Landscape Architecture Foundation - Please include "In Honor & Memory of Joe Brown" in the memo line of a check or in the prompt for why you are making this online donation.

2019 LAF Medal Video

Welcome 2024-25 Board of Directors!

hannah — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Welcome 2024-25 Board of Directors!

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The new board term brings the annual change in President, along with several Directors assuming new leadership roles and welcoming 9 new Directors.

The 2024-25 LAF Board of Directors began its term on October 5, 2024 at LAF's Annual Board Meeting and events in Washington, DC. Alma Du Solier of Hood Design Studio became President, succeeding Michael Grove, FASLA, of Sasaki. Alexa Bush of the Kresge Foundation became President-Elect after serving as Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Directors Scott LaMont and Austin Allen stepped into Vice President roles, while three other officers continued in their positions on the executive leadership team:

Vice President of Finance: Scott LaMont, EDSA
Vice President of Development: Elaine Kearney, TBG
Vice President of Research: Emily McCoy, FASLA, Design Workshop
Vice President of Leadership: Alexis C. Landes, SCAPE
Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Austin Allen, PhD, Design Jones, LLC/UT Arlington

Kofi Boone of North Carolina State University, Keith Bowers of Biohabitats, Keiko Tsuruta Cramer of WRT, Margie Simmons of Landscape Forms, Alpa Nawre of the University of Florida, Roberto Rovira of Florida International University, and Ernie Wong of site design group retired off the board at the end of their terms. Sandra Nam Cioffi of Qiqo Inc rotated off after serving as an Olmsted Scholar representative. Emily O'Mahoney, FASLA, of 2GHO Inc rotated off after serving in an Ex Officio capacity as the ASLA Representative. Thank you for your dedicated service!

Nine new Directors joined the LAF board, bringing experience and knowledge from a range of professional practice firms and academia. Liz Camuti, the graduate 2018 LAF National Olmsted Scholar, was selected for the open Director position for Olmsted Scholars. ASLA Immediate Past President Su-Lin Kotowicz, FASLA, will serve as the ASLA representative.

Welcome to the new board members:

Patricia Algara, BASE
CL Bohannon, PhD, FASLA, University of Virginia
Meg Calkins, FASLA, North Carolina State University
Liz Camuti, SMM/Tulane University
Kevin Conger, FASLA, CMG
Jennifer Dowdell, Biohabitats
Eric Gilbey, Vectorworks
José de Jesus Leal, MIG
Amy Syverson-Shaffer, Landscape Forms

LAF is honored to work with this distinguished group and the range of talents and experiences they bring. We look forward to the year ahead as we continue to deliver programs and initiatives to increase the transformational impact of landscape architects and allies!

2024 DEI Survey for Landscape Architects and Designers

heather — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 16:00:00 +0000

2024 DEI Survey for Landscape Architects and Designers

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The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) invites landscape architecture professionals to complete our 2024 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Survey for Landscape Architects and Designers.

The survey will help LAF and allied organizations identify areas of opportunity to continue supporting the landscape architecture profession in becoming more equitable and inclusive. The survey follows up on a 2019 effort in which LAF conducted the first discipline-wide individual and organizational surveys addressing DEI issues. This new survey will allow us to compare results to understand where progress has been made and where there is still need.

As the expert on your own experiences, LAF wants to hear from you! Participation is voluntary and all responses will be anonymous. Note that this survey is for individuals who are landscape architecture professionals, not students or educators. (If you are not a trained landscape architect by experience or education, please do not complete the survey.)

Take the Survey

The survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. LAF hopes to learn whether you feel supported, represented, and included in your workplace and how inclusive you find your workplace and the profession overall to be. LAF is also interested in what resources you think might be helpful to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in your workplace and in the profession as a whole.

The survey closes November 22. --> Extended to Dec 6!

In addition to this survey of individuals, LAF will conduct a separate DEI survey of firms/organizations. If you are in a leadership role and interested in participating on behalf of your firm/organization, please reach out to Rachel Booher at rbooher [at] lafoundation.org (rbooher[at]lafoundation[dot]org).

Next year, LAF will publish an executive summary with the results and insights from the surveys. The findings will help to inform LAF’s programs and future initiatives. LAF will also share the data with other landscape architecture capacity organizations to support continued collaboration around these important issues.

LAF at the 2024 ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture

hannah — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 16:00:00 +0000

LAF at the 2024 ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture

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If you'll be in DC for the 2024 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Conference on Landscape Architecture, please join us to celebrate, connect, and share. Stop by our EXPO booth to learn about LAF programs and initiatives and how you can get involved. We hope to see you!

LAF's 39th Annual Benefit*

Date/Time: Sun, Oct 6, 7-10pm
Location: Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard at the National Portrait Gallery
(*Registration Required)
Catch up with friends from practice, academia, and industry over drinks and food in this stunning venue. Tickets to this reception-style event include fine food and an open bar with all proceeds supporting LAF and its key programs and initiatives.

LAF's Booth in the ASLA EXPO Hall (#2620)

Date/Time: Mon, Oct 7, 9:30am-5:30pm; Tue, Oct 8, 10am-2pm
Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Lower Level, Halls A-C
Stop by our booth to learn about LAF programs and funding opportunities, including LAF's Ignite program for BIPOC landscape architecture students and how you can get involved as an internship provider or mentor.

EDUCATIONAL Sessions

All ASLA Conference Education Sessions, Deep Dive, and Practice Basecamp sessions take place in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Featuring LAF staff...

The Research-Practice Ecotone: Models for Authentic Inquiry and Discovery

Date/Time: Mon, Oct 7, 11am-12:15pm ET
Location: Room 151AB
Speakers: Megan Barnes (LAF), Mikyoung Kim, Rebecca Popowsky
Explore new paradigms in the convergence of research and practice through the metaphor of the "ecotone." This panel will discuss integrated models for navigating the research-practice boundary with case studies like Tidal Philly and Ford’s Michigan Central.

A Collaborative Approach to Research: Advancing Practice through Academic Engagements

Date/Time: Tue, Oct 8, 1pm-1:45pm ET
Location: EXPO Hall - Practice Basecamp
Speakers: Bill Estes, Taner Ozdil, Megan Barnes (LAF), Allison Harvey (2020 Deb Mitchell Research Grant Recipient)
This session will address collaborative approaches to research in landscape architecture, bridging the gap between academics and practitioners. Representatives from ASLA’s Education & Practice PPN, CELA, and LAF will discuss opportunities for seamless connections and research advocacy.

Featuring past LAF program participants discussing their LAF-supported work or a continuation of it...

Cool-Kit: Extreme Heat and Equitable Solutions to Promote Heat Resilience

Date/Time: Tue, Oct 8, 8:30am-9:45am ET
Location: Room 147AB
Speakers: Kimberly Garza (2023-24 LAF Fellow), Keenan Gibbons and Salvador Lindquist (2023 Deb Mitchell Research Grant Recipients)
This panel will critically examine extreme heat impacts on disadvantaged communities and propose solutions to visualize and promote cool equity in the built environment.

Sensory-Responsive Design: Qualitative Insights and Design Methodologies for Crafting Neuro-Inclusive Environments

Date/Time: Mon, Oct 7, 11am-12:15pm ET
Location: Room 152B
LAF Program Alums Speaking: Kathryn Finnigan (2023-24 LAF Fellow, 2022 LAF National Olmsted Scholar), Amy Wagenfeld (2022 CSI Research Fellow)
Sensory-responsive design emanates from an evidence-based connection between sensory sensitivities and neurodiversity. To best meet the needs of the neurodiverse community, a sensory-responsive process must be applied in designed landscapes. Attendees will learn about neurodiversity and techniques to apply in the classroom and in practice.

Unlocking the Carbon Potential of Soils

Date/Time: Tue, Oct 8, 8:30-9:45am ET
Location: Room 151AB
LAF Program Alum Speaking: Christopher R. Ng-Hardy (2022-23 LAF Fellow)
Soils hold 80% of global terrestrial carbon stocks and are critical for carbon drawdown. The nitty “gritty” details of how we work with soils hold the greatest potential for carbon sequestration of any aspect of the built environment. This session shares best practices for maximizing carbon storage in designed landscapes.

Connecting the Dots: Best Practices for Designing with and for Disabilities

Date/Time: Tue, Oct 8, 2:30-5pm ET
Location: Room 154AB (Deep Dive)
LAF Program Alum Speaking: Alexa Vaughn (2020-21 LAF Fellow)
Universal Design is evolving to become more nuanced and human-centered. This highly interactive, fun, and creative session will push you to reconsider your defaults. Learn how to leverage code and lived experience to create inclusive and multi-benefit design solutions and craft a design process that centers people with disabilities.

Bringing Nature into the Heart of Darkness: Restorative Justice in the Garden

Date/Time: Tue, Oct 8, 3:45-5pm ET
Location: Room 152AB
LAF Program Alum Speaking: Daniel Winterbottom (2022-23 LAF Fellow)
Can the environment of a maximum-security penitentiary be transformed into a healing oasis that supports restorative justice and transformation? Incarcerated individuals at the Oregon State Penitentiary raised the funds, and two hundred inmates built the Memorial Healing Garden, demonstrating extraordinary commitment, shared purpose, dedication, and hope.

A Conversation: The Power of Equity in Climate Action

Date/Time: Mon, Oct 7, 11am-12:15pm ET
Location: Room 146A
LAF Program Alum Speaking: Deb Guenther (2021-22 LAF Fellow)
Sparking a broad conversation about the role of equity in all work, this session poses ways the ASLA Climate Action Plan can structure equity as the umbrella. The power of centering equity in the plan’s goals and initiatives will be discussed by leaders of BlackLAN and the Climate Action Plan.

A Conversation with Congress: How Landscape Architects Green Schools

Date/Time: Mon, Oct 7, 2-3:15pm ET
Location: Room 147AB
LAF Program Alum Speaking: Claire Latané (2017-18 LAF Fellow)
This session will explore how landscape architects can increase opportunities to green schools through advocacy and promotion of the values of these spaces. Using case studies, policy insights, and practical strategies, landscape architects will learn how to shape and advocate for legislation to implement nature-based solutions in the education environment.

Homelessness and the Fight for Equitable and Compassionate Design

Date/Time: Sun, Oct 6, 3:45-5pm ET
Location: Room 146B
LAF Program Alum Speaking: Brice Maryman (2017-18 LAF Fellow)
Drawing from case studies, ongoing and completed projects, and stakeholder perspectives from around the country, this session offers tools and strategies to help landscape architects understand the challenges and opportunities in designing more just public spaces in partnership with government, unhoused people, and other stakeholders.

Nothing Special: Fostering Innovation in Learning, Teaching, and Practice

Date/Time: Tue, Oct 8, 2-3:15pm ET
Location: Room 146A
LAF Program Alums Speaking: Phillip Fernberg (2022-23 LAF Fellow), Addison Martin (2024 LAF Olmsted Scholar)
Innovation is not an innate gift but a systematically acquired skill; how that acquisition occurs is seldom made explicit. This session will demystify and demonstrate the cultivation of innovative practices from three perspectives: seasoned practitioner turned professor, director of innovation, and aspiring student designing their next career move.

Perspectives: Gabriel Díaz Montemayor

hannah — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 13:40:51 +0000

Perspectives: Gabriel Díaz Montemayor

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Gabriel Díaz Montemayor is an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at the Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

SEPTEMBER 2024

Tell us about yourself.

I’m from Chihuahua City, which is the capital of the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico, bordering Texas and New Mexico. I’ve been in the United States for 17 years. I was originally trained as an architect in my hometown. Interestingly, the first public lecture I attended as an architecture student was from a landscape architect. I remember it was impactful and made me realize that landscape architecture could be a professional path.

Being from northern Mexico, I characterize myself as a border crosser. I was born into a privileged family that had access to a form of visa known as a ‘border crossing card,’ which allowed easy travel to the United States side of the border region. My proximity to the US influenced my cultural identity as I frequently visited El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, which exposed me to different cultures manifested in public landscapes and urban forms.

My family is from Mexico City, so I spent my summers there. It is a big metropolis compared to the much smaller city of Chihuahua. This exposure to different public landscapes and transitioning between places—not really belonging to one place or another—left a lasting impression on me. This experience might have made it easier for me to move to the US with my wife, with whom I now have two American daughters. We moved to the US so I could study an MLA at Auburn University in Alabama. Now I’m an American citizen, and my varied experiences have shaped who I am today.

What are the major themes of your current teaching and practice?

I have always been interested in the US-Mexico border region and have addressed this in multiple ways. I’ve contributed to the planning of Northern Mexican cities, integrating the principles and methods of landscape architecture, which is still an emerging profession in Mexico. This work was mostly done through student projects and sponsored studios.

Recently, I’ve been working with the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Americas, focusing on migration and landscape. We’re looking at how migration—connected to climate change and socio-political, ecological, and geopolitical issues—impacts landscapes. This includes temporary shelters for migrants and communities where diasporas start to gather, both in the US-Mexico border region and places like here in Arkansas. I’m interested in the movement of people and how landscape architecture can address the cultural transformations that come from this phenomenon.

Much of what I’ve described involves working with students or through collaborations like the Migration and Landscapes Group from IFLA. Another important aspect of my work is mentoring and advising young Latinx or Hispanic scholars and faculty in the US. After 17 years as a faculty member, I’m now in a position where I have the experience to support younger scholars. This is fulfilling to me. When I started as a faculty member, I lacked a network of Hispanic and Latinx faculty for support. Now I’m involved in networks like the Deans’ Equity and Inclusion Initiative, which aims to support minority faculty across design disciplines.

How do you think landscape architects, faculty, and others in the field can make the world a better place?

We live in a culture of avoiding difficult truths. Remember that movie Don’t Look Up where scientists discover an asteroid is headed for the planet, and it ends up destroying the planet because society can’t agree on what to do about it or come together. I think the “don’t look up” culture is analogous to a ‘don’t look down’ culture. We share the same spaceship, the same platform, right? I think landscape architects have obvious agency in mitigating the socio-ecological erosion of our common ground, our common places, our common landscapes. When we’re working on border regions and migration, we’re always thinking about this approach and how to emphasize what we share and how we can work together to make our world a better place through engagement and conversation, as opposed to conflict.

What are the biggest challenges facing the profession right now? And where would you like to see changes in the next 10 years?

One challenge is the lack of awareness about landscape architecture and what we do. There’s often a misunderstanding of our profession. Another connected challenge is expanding access to the profession, which continues to be a portrait of exclusivity. We must look at all the components of the system, from elementary education through getting into college and beginning professional practice.

As demographic shifts occur, particularly in the US, landscape architecture needs to adapt and develop curricula that are more flexible and responsive to current realities. Changes in landscape architecture and beyond the discipline in the last few decades have happened faster than our ability to transform our programs of study, and we have some catching up to do and more work to make our teaching and learning more responsive to accelerated and dynamic socio-ecological shifts.

Where can readers learn more about your work?

Field Notes on Design Activism: 7 in Places Journal
Urban and environmental regeneration in Mexican cities: a design framework in the Journal of Urbanism
Recovering Subsidized Housing Developments in Northern México in Sustainability
Floods that Know No Bounds in Landscape Architecture Magazine
ASLA-award-winning student work: “Y Shape Jetty System” and “Public Space Design Guidelines for Saltillo, Mexico”

LAF's Perspectives interview series showcases landscape architects from diverse backgrounds and identities discussing how they came to the profession and where they see it heading. Any opinions expressed in this interview belong solely to the author. Their inclusion in this article does not reflect endorsement by LAF. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

To stay up to date on future Perspectives articles, as well as LAF programs, events, and funding opportunities, subscribe to LAF emails.

In Remembrance: William J. Johnson, FASLA

hannah — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 19:58:55 +0000

In Remembrance: William J. Johnson, FASLA

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September 18, 2024

We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Bill Johnson on September 10, 2024. Bill was a great friend and long-time supporter of the Landscape Architecture Foundation. He served on the LAF Board of Directors from 1987 to 1996, leading as President in 1992.

Bill was known for his analytical thinking and his ability to express complex ideas through insightful drawings. Shortly after co-founding JJR, he was commissioned to draft the University of Michigan’s master plan, which helped establish the firm and led to work throughout the Midwest and East Coast. In addition to his professional practice with JJR, as William J. Johnson Associates, and in partnership with Peter Walker, Johnson was a professor of landscape architecture for 30 years and Dean of the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources for 8 years.

In 2020, he was awarded LAF’s highest honor for an individual, the LAF Medal, in recognition of his groundbreaking integration of planning, analysis, and landscape architecture as well as his commitment to education. When he joined us for a virtual recognition event and panel discussion in 2021, it was a bright spot for us during those difficult days of the pandemic. To celebrate his award, members of the LAF community submitted video tributes to Bill, which can be viewed below.

Bill was an extraordinary man, and I am so honored to have known him. We are so grateful for the support he gave to LAF but also the larger impact he had on the profession and the lives of others.

Barbara Deutsch, FASLA, LAF CEO

More about Bill’s life and legacy can be found in his life story/obituary. In 2017, he was the subject of an in-depth oral history from The Cultural Landscape Foundation.

LAF is honored and deeply grateful for the family’s request to make donations to LAF in lieu of flowers. Through our work to support those pushing the boundaries of the landscape architecture discipline and cultivate the next generation of designers, we are proud to continue Bill’s legacy.

2020 LAF Medal Tribute Video

Students Selected for the Third Cycle of LAF Ignite

hannah — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Students Selected for the Third Cycle of LAF Ignite

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The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) is pleased to announce the third cohort for LAF Ignite, our scholarship-internship-mentorship program for BIPOC students.

Five landscape architecture students have been selected for the third cohort of LAF Ignite. This multi-year program provides participants with an annual $10,000 scholarship, paid summer internships, and various forms of mentorship. Each year, new Ignite students are selected to join the program, and participation is ongoing until they have completed their landscape architecture degree.

These new awardees will join eight continuing Ignite students from previous cohorts.

Congratulations and welcome to the third cohort of LAF Ignite!

Brendan Tyler Hall
MLA + Urbanism/Master of Architecture Candidate
Illinois Institute of Technology

Brendan holds an undergraduate degree in political science, with focuses in philosophy, pre-law, and global studies Before embarking on his graduate studies, Brendan worked as a Crime Policy Analyst at the University of Chicago Urban Labs for nearly three years. During this time, he contributed to projects at the intersection of crime and health policy. Brendan's academic and professional endeavors focus on how design interventions in vacant and blighted lots can positively impact underserved communities. His work integrates the principles of design with the social, cultural, and emotional needs of communities. Brendan envisions establishing his own design studio and think tank to innovate urban design strategies and develop public policy research. Beyond academics and profession, Brendan has a profound interest in various forms of design, including fashion, art, music-making, and film. He is actively working on the "Abolish Slavery" project, highlighting social oppression, racism, and discrimination through visual and sonic
representations.

Johnathan Hampton
MLA Candidate
University of Texas at Arlington

Since he was young, Johnathan Hampton has had an interest in plants. However, a lack of green industry educational resources in school proved to be an obstacle to overcome. Johnathan learned to forge his own path, operating a landscaping business in high school and discovering his passion for design, advocacy, and outreach in the process. He nurtured these passions at Auburn University, where he completed a bachelor’s in Horticulture, Pre-Landscape Architecture. During this time, he served as an Auburn Ag Ambassador and Vice-President of the Auburn Nursery and Landscape Association. As a rising 3rd-year graduate student at UT Arlington, Johnathan’s commitment to outreach has only increased. As Vice President of the university’s Student Chapter ASLA, he aspires to implement new ways of engaging fellow students, youth, and the greater public with landscape architecture. He plans to explore and evaluate K-12 landscape architecture resources in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex for his master’s thesis.

Sara Harris
BLA Candidate
Utah State University

Sara Harris is pursuing a Bachelor’s in the Landscape Architecture and
Environmental Planning program at Utah State University with a minor in Ornamental Horticulture. She believes that the Earth is for all people, plants, and animals and that the environments we produce should reflect that. Sara is passionate about combining her love for the natural world with recreation to create accessible and sustainable spaces for all communities to enjoy. She is interested in parks and open spaces, planting and residential design, playgrounds, and general
architecture. Her goal is to help others appreciate the planet a little more by combining the beauty of nature with the comforts of indoors and by pairing education with play. When she is not in the studio, you can find Sara admiring wildflowers, swimming in lakes, reading a book in the sun, tending to her vegetable garden, or trying out a new video game.

Jaliyah Shephard
BSLA Candidate
North Carolina A&T State University

Jaliyah "Penny" Shepherd hails from Chicago, Illinois. She enjoys jamming on the guitar, building Legos, and staying connected to her spirituality. Mental health awareness is also a big deal for Jaliyah, and that's one of the reasons she chose to major in landscape architecture. Nature has a way of soothing the soul, and Jaliyah wants to design spaces that can provide that same sense of peace and healing for others struggling with their mental health. Beyond her academic pursuits, Jaliyah has channeled her design talents into a clothing brand called SARTORIAL PENNY. Looking ahead, she plans to further expand her knowledge and skills by obtaining a master’s in construction management.

Piper Thyden
BSLA Candidate
Colorado State University

Piper Thyden wants to create spaces that evoke emotions and a sense of closeness. Growing up in Orange County, California she experienced many of these spaces herself and realized how important thoughtful and natural spaces are in shaping the human experience. Her interests include accessibility, water and natural resource management, alternative uses for green spaces, and ecological restoration. Piper was recently elected ASLA Colorado Liaison for her Student Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and is excited to facilitate this coming year's activities. In her free time, you’ll find her outdoors hiking, rock climbing, or paddle boarding with friends. While indoors you’ll find her testing out new recipes, crocheting, or curled up with a good book.

FINALISTS

LAF would also like recognize four finalists who stood out during the Ignite selection process.

Jeff Azurin, BLA, University of Florida
Jeida Brooks, MLA, University of Virginia
Zach Ford, MLA Clemson University
Jacob Thornton, BSLA, North Carolina A&T State University

About LAF Ignite

LAF Ignite was launched in 2022 thanks to the generous investment of 146 Founding Donors. Now in its third cycle, students remain in the program until they have completed their landscape architecture degree. Each new cohort joins the group of continuing Ignite scholars from the past year, with up to 15 Ignite scholars active at a time.

LAF Ignite students receive a $10,000 scholarship annually, are matched with a one-on-one mentor, and use paid summer internships to explore different career paths within landscape architecture.

Landscape architecture professionals who want to get involved can:

Become a mentor. Each winter, LAF accepts applications from potential mentors for the newest cohort of LAF Ignite students.
Host a paid summer internship. Each fall, LAF accepts applications from potential internship providers for the following summer.
Donate. A financial gift to LAF supports Ignite and our other programs to strengthen research, cultivate leadership, and support the next generation of landscape architects.