Landscape Architecture Foundation

Olmsted Scholar Natalie Weiss recently graduated with her MLA from the University of Washington. She now works as a Climate Resilience Specialist for the City of Olympia, Washington. Natalie holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania in Mathematical Biology and has professional experience in environmental policy analysis and geospatial data science. Her analytical background inspired her to pursue landscape architecture as a way to alleviate climate impacts on a local scale. Her work relies on community engagement and participatory processes to ensure cultural relevance, site-specificity, and longevity. Natalie is passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration and uses digital media, public health, and environmental management to design healthy, climate-resilient landscapes for all. Named for Frederick Law Olmsted, the LAF Olmsted Scholars Program is the premier leadership recognition program for landscape architecture students. Now in its 17th year, the program honors students who advance sustainable design and foster human and societal benefits through ideas, influence, communication, service, and leadership. #landscapearchitecture #landscapearchitecturestudents

A Danish study of over 900,000 people nationwide indicates that children who grew up with the most green space surrounding their residence had up to 55% lower risk of developing a psychiatric disorder—independent from other known risk factors—than children who grew up with the least green space. This study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2019. See a full citation and doi link to access the study here: https://lnkd.in/eXtcdi47 This is just one of 200 entries in our Landscape Performance Fact Fact Library, a searchable collection of landscape benefits derived from published research. Browse the whole Fast Fact Library collection at https://lnkd.in/e4WDkUpB

Designed landscapes can build resilience through stormwater management and flood control while offering many co-benefits for people and planet. In this free webinar, three research teams from LAF's 2024 Case Study Investigation (CSI) program will present these exemplary projects and the findings from their work to quantify their environmental, social, and economic benefits: - Mission Creek Stormwater Park in San Francisco, CA - Southwest Resiliency Park in Hoboken, NJ - Waterloo Park in Austin, TX Register to join us Oct 29, 2-3pm EDT. 1.0 PDH (LA CES/HSW) may be earned upon completion of a short quiz following the webinar. https://lnkd.in/emn2JZHj Want to see more of the 2024 CSI research? Plan to join us for the other webinars in the series: Designed Destinations on Nov 5 and Inclusive Spaces on Nov 20. And look for the final case studies to start rolling out on LandscapePerformance.org later this month.

Thank you to the Virginia Tech College of Architecture, Arts, and Design Landscape Architecture Department for hosting LAF's Megan Barnes and Heather Whitlow as part of the "Learning Landscape Laboratory" charrette team looking at research and learning opportunities on the Virgina Tech campus along the largely-buried Stroubles Creek. We really enjoyed interacting with students, engaging with faculty from different departments and facilities staff, meeting the other consultants, sharing lessons from our work in landscape performance, and learning about the sites. Can't wait to see how all the great discussions and ideas come together! Special thanks to Assistant Professor Jenn Engelke for organizing the event and inviting us. It was a pleasure to participate!

Olmsted Scholar Adrian Robins recently graduated from the University of Virginia's MLA program and now works as a research specialist at the UVA Natural Infrastructure Lab. His thesis looked at coastal resilience on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Adrian has a bachelor's degree in environmental science from the University of Oregon and served as a Peace Corps volunteer to support food security in Nepal. Named for Frederick Law Olmsted, the LAF Olmsted Scholars Program is the premier leadership recognition program for landscape architecture students. Now in its 17th year, the program honors students who advance sustainable design and foster human and societal benefits through ideas, influence, communication, service, and leadership. #landscapearchitecture #landscapearchitecturestudents

Interested in assessing the performance of a built landscape project? Our next Case Study Investigation (CSI) program runs Jan-Jul 2025. Applications are now open and due Nov 1. Faculty and firms apply in partnership to evaluate and document the benefits of a specific project, which becomes part of our LandscapePerformance.org case study library. Selected faculty receive an honorarium and stipend to support a student Research Assistant. For firms, CSI is an opportunity to learn from built projects, demonstrate leadership in performance-based design, and strengthen relationships with clients and other project stakeholders. Learn more at: www.lafoundation.org/csi Image: Tools used by the 2024 CSI team from the University of Connecticut to do field work in their assessment of Muscota Marsh in New York City.

LAF invites landscape architecture professionals to complete our 2024 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Survey for Landscape Architects and Designers. https://lnkd.in/eeD5RCMY This survey mirrors a 2019 effort by LAF to conduct the first discipline-wide individual and organizational surveys addressing DEI issues. This new survey will allow us to compare results to understand whether and how things have changed over the last 5 years. The survey takes 15-20 minutes to complete. 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.) As the expert on your own experiences, LAF wants to hear from you! The questions get at how inclusive you find your workplace and the profession overall to be, as well as what resources you think might be helpful to further support DEI.

Can't believe this was almost two weeks ago now. HUGE thank you to the 600+ friends and supporters who came to our 39th Annual Benefit on October 6! The GGN designed Kogod Courtyard in the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery provided the perfect setting to catch up and to welcome first-time attendees to the LAF community. These are a just a few of the event images from Brittany Greeson. You can see more at: https://lnkd.in/eVqUr-Kz Thanks again to our sponsors for making this unforgettable evening possible to support LAF and our key programs and initiatives! Diamond Sponsor: IRONSMITH Platinum Sponsors: BrightView Landscapes | Landscape Forms Gold Sponsors: KOMPAN Inc Americas | Landscape Structures | Maglin Site Furniture | Urbidermis & Belloch Forestal Silver Sponsors: ASL Stone | Columbia Green Technologies | OTL | Permaloc Corporation | Rain Bird Corporation | Site Pieces | The Sustainable SITES Initiative | Tournesol Siteworks | USA SHADE Bronze Sponsors: APE Studio | Berliner Seilfabrik Play Equipment Corporation | Environmental Design, Inc. | Escofet 1886 | Hanover Architectural Products | Kafka Granite LLC | Land F/X | mmcité usa | SavATree | Urban Accessories Promotion Partner: American Society of Landscape Architects

Aishwarya Dharmarajan is the 2024 Graduate Olmsted Scholar from the University of California, Berkeley where she recently completed her MLA. She now works as a Junior Landscape Designer at BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group in New York City. Aishwarya completed her undergraduate architecture degree at Kamala Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies. Her professional career as an architect includes projects ranging from public adaptive reuse spaces to private residential clients. Her work at Berkely integrated ecological principles focusing on restoration and plant communities. Named for Frederick Law Olmsted, the LAF Olmsted Scholars Program is the premier leadership recognition program for landscape architecture students. Now in its 17th year, the program honors students who advance sustainable design and foster human and societal benefits through ideas, influence, communication, service, and leadership. #landscapearchitecture #landscapearchitecturestudents

The start of the new term for our Board of Directors brings new leadership. We welcome Alma Du Solier as LAF President! She took the reins from Immediate Past President Michael Grove -- we are deeply grateful for his dedicated service! Alexa Bush became President-Elect, and Directors Scott LaMont and Austin Allen stepped into Vice President roles. 2024-25 LAF Board of Directors leadership President: Alma Du Solier, Hood Design Studio President-Elect: Alexa Bush, Kresge Foundation Immediate Past President: Michael Grove, Sasaki Vice President of Finance: Scott LaMont, EDSA Vice President of Development: Elaine Kearney, TBG Vice President of Research: Emily McCoy, Design Workshop Vice President of Leadership: Alexis C. Landes, SCAPE Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Austin Allen, PhD, Design Jones, UT Arlington We are excited to work with this extraordinary group! See the full 2024-25 LAF Board of Directors at: https://lnkd.in/ej8nSV3b