GROSS.MAX at the AA

I missed the first Landscape Urbanism lecture by Eelco Hooftman at the AA but luckily they’ve put a video of it, and many other lectures, up on their website. Click the link below to watch it…

 http://www.aaschool.ac.uk/VIDEO/lecture.php?ID=1940 

...and here's the one by Martha Schwartz:

 http://www.aaschool.ac.uk//VIDEO/lecture.php?ID=1955

Eco Assignment 2

Think I'm going to choose Epping Forest for mine


View Larger Map

Actually, I'm going to narrow it down a bit and do this place nearby instead:

http://www.essexwt.org.uk/visitor_centres__nature_reserves/roding_valley_meadows/

UK forests 'under unprecedented threat from disease'

The EU plant health regime is no longer fit for purpose in preventing fatal plant diseases, says the Forestry Commission

The leaves of this ash tree show signs of ash dieback. Photograph: The Food and Environment Research Agency

The UK's forests are under "unprecedented threat" from foreign pests and diseases, according to the government department responsible for the protection of forests and woodlands.

The ash dieback fungus found in East Anglia last week is just the latest invader to pose a serious threat to UK trees, and government ecologists say that more than 3m larch trees as well as thousands of mature oaks and chestnuts have been felled in the past three years to prevent similar fatal plant diseases from spreading out of control.

"We are under an unprecedented level of threat from a range of exotic pests and diseases, a lot associated with the international trade in live plants," said the Forestry Commission. "There are protections in place but the EU plant health regime is no longer fit for purpose. Too many pests and diseases are still getting through."

More than 100,000 ash trees have already been felled to prevent the spread of ash dieback, or Chalara fraxinea, since the disease was identified in March.

But very many more larch trees have had to be cut down in the West Country, Wales and Scotland this year to prevent a plant disease caused by the Phytophthora ramorum pathogen from spreading. Known as "sudden oak death" in the US, it so far has not infected British oaks, but since its discovery in the wild in 2009 it has been found extensively in larch populations in south-west England, Wales and south-west Scotland, resulting in many of the trees being felled over a wide area.

"We now have six to eight organisms in the British Isles that are a real concern. In the 1960s and 70s it was Dutch elm disease, which killed 30m trees; in the 1990s it was a new Phytophthora which devastated alders along riverbanks. But in the last 10 years we have had as many new diseases as we had in the previous 40 or 50 years," said Joan Webber, principal pathologist at Forest Research, the Forestry Commission's research arm.

Plant experts are particularly concerned about the oak processionary moth, which arrived in west London in 2009 and has now developed two major populations. "It has the potential to spread anywhere there are oak trees. It is extending its range and has become established in the Netherlands and Belgium, possibly as a result of climate change and warmer winters," says the Forestry Commission.

Plant pathogens are on the rise globally and Britain is particularly susceptible because of its increasingly warm, wet winters and because it is a centre of world trade. Easy access to plants from around the world has encouraged gardeners to buy millions of exotic plants, many of which can arrive diseased. Some plants can only enter Britain with "passports", but the majority of diseases are only identifiable in laboratories.

The diseases and pests can arrive by several routes, say ecologists. In March, more than 250 live larvae of the Asian longhorn beetle, which can kill oak and willows, were found in trees in Kent. More than 2,000 trees had to be felled and burned. It was thought to have entered in wooden packaging for Chinese stone.

Dothistroma needle blight, which affects a range of conifer species, threatens commercial forests by significantly reducing timber yields. It has been found in all of the commission's forest districts in England and Scotland, and three out of four forest districts in Wales.

Tony Kirkham, head of the arboretum at Kew Gardens, which has 14,000 trees and has seen many attacked in the past few years, said some of the most serious threats came from the oak processionary moth. The caterpillars can cause serious defoliation and weaken oaks to the point where they are prone to other diseases.

Ash tree disease. Photograph: Graphic

Ash to ashes

1992 The fungus behind Ash dieback, Chalara fraxinea, emerges in Poland.

2009 The Horticultural Trades Association warns the government that the fungus, now widespread in Denmark, could spread to the UK, and calls for an import ban. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs decides taking no action is appropriate.

2010 Disease confirmed in the Netherlands and Belgium.

February 2012 Infected trees detected in the UK for the first time, in a nursery in Buckinghamshire.

Summer 2012 Outbreaks of ash dieback identified at plantations and nurseries across England and Scotland, from County Durham to Berkshire.

October 2012 First cases in the wild identified in Norfolk and Suffolk. The government imposes an import ban.

guardian.co.uk

More Recent TED Talks

 

 

 

 

James Balog: Time-lapse proof of extreme ice loss

Tollesbury saltmarsh

The Tollesbury and Orplands Managed Retreat Sites

South East Biodiversity Strategy for Saltmarshes

Coastal Saltmarsh

 What is it?

Coastal saltmarshes comprise the upper, vegetated portions of intertidal mudflats, lying approximately between mean high water neap tides and mean high water spring tides.

Saltmarshes are usually restricted to comparatively sheltered locations in five main situations:

• in estuaries
• in saline lagoons
• behind barrier islands
• at the heads of sea lochs
• on beach plains

The development of saltmarsh vegetation is dependent on the presence of intertidal mudflats. Saltmarsh vegetation consists of a limited number of halophytic (salt tolerant) species adapted to regular immersion by the tides. A natural saltmarsh system shows a clear zonation [does this word exist?] according to the frequency of inundation. At the lowest level, the pioneer glassworts Salicornia spp can withstand immersion by as many as 600 tides per year, while transitional species of the upper marsh can withstand only occasional inundation.

The communities of stabilised saltmarsh can be divided into species-poor low-mid marsh, and the more diverse communities of the mid-upper marsh. On traditionally grazed sites, saltmarsh vegetation is shorter and dominated by grasses. At the upper tidal limits, true saltmarsh communities are replaced by drift-line, swamp or transitional communities that can only withstand occasional inundation. Saltmarsh communities are additionally affected by differences in climate, the particle size of the sediment and, within estuaries, by decreasing salinity in the upper reaches.

Saltmarshes are an important resource for wading birds and wildfowl. They act as high tide refuges for birds feeding on adjacent mudflats, as breeding sites for waders, gulls and terns, and as a source of food for passerine birds, particularly in autumn and winter. In winter, grazed saltmarshes are used as feeding grounds by large flocks of wild ducks and geese.

Areas with high structural and plant diversity, particularly where freshwater seepages provide a transition from fresh to brackish conditions, are particularly important for invertebrates.

Saltmarshes also provide sheltered nursery sites for several species of fish.

Please see the UK BAP website or the BAP habitat definition for more information.

The situation in the South East 

Extent in England	app. 32,500 ha
Extent in the SE region	2,500 ha
Percentage UK resource in the SE	8%
Extent covered by SSSI designation	data to be added

Rate of Change

 It is estimated that 20% of the saltmarsh resource in Kent and Essex was lost between 1973 and 1988. The best available information suggests that saltmarshes in the UK are being lost to erosion at a rate of 100ha a year.

County	1998 extent (ha)	2008 extent (ha)
Berkshire	NA	NA
Buckinghamshire	NA	NA
Hampshire	2,660	data to be added
Isle of Wight	160	data to be added
Kent	1,390	datato be added
Oxfordshire	NA	NA
Surrey	NA	NA
Sussex	815	data to be added
Total	5,025	2,500

1998 data taken from 'The Biodiversity of South East England - An Audit and Assessment' published by the Wildlife Trusts of South East England and the RSPB, South East and Central Regions  

2008 data taken from regional or national BAP habitat inventory. Please note that some of the changes listed here are due to improvements in mapping and habitat definition. 

For the 2008 report on intertidal habitats please follow this link.

Current threats

The main threats to this habitat are:

• Land claim. Large-scale saltmarsh land claim schemes for agriculture are now rare. Piecemeal smaller scale land claim for industry, port facilities, transport infrastructure and waste disposal is still comparatively common, and marina development on saltmarsh sites occurs occasionally. Such developments usually affect the more botanically diverse upper marsh and landward transition zones.
• Erosion and 'coastal squeeze'. Erosion of the seaward edge of saltmarshes occurs widely in the high-energy locations of the larger estuaries as a result of coastal processes.
• Accretion. Accretion and development of saltmarsh is occurring on parts of the British coastline, notably in North West England where sediments are comparatively coarse and isostatic uplift largely negates sea level rise. However, this accretion is not sufficient to offset the national net loss of saltmarsh, and in many cases the newly created habitats differ from those being lost due to regional differences.
• Sediment dynamics. Local sediment budgets may be affected by coast protection works, or by changes in estuary morphology caused by land claim, dredging of shipping channels and the impacts of flood defence works over the years.
• Cord grass. The small cordgrass, Spartina maritima, is the only species of cordgrass native to Great Britain. The smooth cordgrass, S. alterniflora, is a naturalised alien that was introduced to the UK in the 1820s. This introduction led to its subsequent crossing with S. maritima resulting in both a sterile hybrid, Townsend?s cordgrass S.townsendii, and a fertile hybrid, commoncordgrass S. anglica. The latter readily colonises mudflats and has spread around the coast. It has also been extensively planted to aid stabilisation of mudflats and as a prelude to land-claim. Common cordgrass often produces extensive monoculture swards of much less intrinsic value to wildlife, and in many areas is considered to be a threat to bird feeding grounds on mudflats. As a result, attempts have been made to control it at several locations, although in some areas it is undergoing dieback for reasons not fully understood.
• Grazing. Grazing has a marked effect on the structure and composition of saltmarsh vegetation by reducing the height of the vegetation and the diversity of plant and invertebrate species. Intensive grazing creates a sward attractive to wintering and passage wildfowl and waders, while less intense grazing produces a tussocky structure which favours breeding waders. In recent decades, some grazed saltmarshes have been abandoned, leading to domination of the mid to upper marsh by rank grasses. Intensive grazing is considered to be a problem in some areas.
• Other human influences. Saltmarshes are affected by a range of other human influences including waste tipping, pollution, drowning by barrage construction, and military activity. Turf cutting is a traditional activity in some areas. Oil pollution can potentially destroy saltmarsh vegetation and while it usually recovers, sediment may be lost during the period of die-back. The effects of recreational pressure are not well understood but may be locally significant. Agricultural improvement (re-seeding and draining) has affected the upper edge and transition zones of some saltmarshes in the past and may still occur on a small scale. Eutrophication due to sewage effluent and agricultural fertiliser run-off has caused local problems of algal growth on saltmarshes.

Vision for coastal saltmarsh

The South East Biodiversity Forum’s vision for this habitat is that there should be:

• No further loss of existing habitat
• Good management, including visitor management, on all extant sites
• No damage to site integrity from activities arising outside the sites, eg. inadequately managed public access
• Re-creation of sand dunes on appropriate sites to restore some past losses, including the linking up of fragmented sites
• Greater public appreciation of sand dunes and their specialist wildlife, including greater awareness of the impacts of human pressures, such as dog-walking, mountain-biking, dumping of waste
• Creation of alternative green space around important sand dunes under pressure for increasing new housing

How we can deliver this vision

•  MoD Integrated Land Management Plans (www.defence-estates.mod.uk/conservation/2_biodiversity.php)
• Provision of land management advice by statutory (Natural England) and non-statutory agencies (NGOs)
• Agreements under Higher Level Stewardship
• Project funding (SITA Trust, WREN etc)
• Site management plans
• Minerals after-use (http://www.afterminerals.com/)
• Land purchase/management agreements by NGOs
• River restoration linked to Water Framework Directive Programme of measures
• Catchment Sensitive Farming tackling diffuse pollution issue

Original article - Coastal Saltmarsh · Habitat & Species · South East England Biodiversity Forum

Hadlow History

Looking around for Assignment 1 research material and found this as a free Google book: 

The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent vol.5

Written around the end of 1700, this guy Edward really really knew a lot about Kent. I saw he got at least as far as Volume 12! But 5 seems the most Hadlowy.

Nice coat hanger!

If you've got time to think about coat hangers then why not think about this one?

DIY: How to Make Suet Winter Bird Feeders

What you’ll need:

Rendered suet, tallow, or lard, at room temperature (most supermarkets carry it, or you can ask a local butcher to reserve some for you)
A bag of mixed wild bird seed (make sure it’s a safe brand!)
A bag of raw sunflower seeds (also for wild birds)
Chopped dried apples, blueberries, cranberries
Chopped peanuts (unsalted and raw)
Plastic containers (like for cream cheese or dips)
Halved coconut shells or orange peels (if filling them as feeders)
A large bowl
Spoons (wooden and metal)
Thick cotton or hemp twine

Poke or melt holes through the bottoms of your plastic containers, and thread about 4 inches worth of twine through each hole. For each one, make a sturdy knot (tied 2-3 times), and on the outside of the container, allow another 2 feet of twine to hang freely—this will be the hanger for your suet snack, while the knotted bit is the anchor within the center of it.

Heat the suet gently in a saucepan until it’s all melted. In the large bowl, combine the various seeds and dried fruit, and then pour the melted fat into the seed mixture. Use your wooden spoon to stir this around until it’s mixed together thoroughly, and then use a combination of metal and wooden spoons to dole it out evenly into the containers. Once they’ve all been filled, leave them to cool and harden up for a couple of hours. If you find that you have more suet-seed mix than you need, pour that into a freezer-safe container and keep it frozen so you can use it for another batch in the future.

Once the mixture has solidified, you can either cut the container away from it to free it, or try to pop the disc out by immersing the plastic in hot water so the edges of the suet ring melt a little—this makes it easier to slide out. As alternatives to free-form “puck”-style snacks, you can pack this mixture into hollowed-out coconut shells, or spread it thickly onto large pine cones to be hung from branches as well. Hang your feeders in shady spots from sturdy tree branches, and prepare to make many little hearts flutter happily as neighbourhood birds come to peck away at the gift you’ve given them.

*Note: If you already have metal cage suet-feeders, you can just use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as your mold, and then cut squares out of the hardened suet mixture to fit inside the cage. Please also remember that fresh drinking water for wild birds is just as important as food, so if you do plan to create some feeders, setting out a bowl of water is a good idea as well; just keep an eye on it so you can replace it if and when it freezes solid.

See the article on inhabitat.com

Ash Disease in the Guardian

Ash trees make up around 5% of woodland in Britain, according to Forestry Commission Photograph: Maxim Toporskiy/Alamy

Scientist in charge of tackling the spread of the deadly ash diebackfungus that has devastated woodlands in parts of Europe has conceded the fungus could be disastrous for Britain's ash trees with serious knock-on ecological consequences.

Professor Ian Boyd has been put in charge of a government task force dealing with the crisis as a ban on the import and movement of ash trees comes into effect on Monday.

Boyd, chief scientific adviser at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said there was a small chance that Britain's ash trees may have a resistance to the disease.

But speaking to the BBC Radio's World This Weekend he added: "We don't know that yet. In general we have to accept that this is a bit of a disaster for our ash trees."

He said his team was considering the kind of emergency measures used to tackle the spread of animal diseases like foot and mouth or bird flu.

"With plants we don't have as instant a reaction ... as we do with animal pathogens. And maybe we ought to be moving in that direction," he said. More than 100,000 ash trees have been destroyed so far in England and Scotland.

Boyd added: "Ecologically it is going to change the countryside very significantly. Parallels have been made with Dutch elm disease of the 1970s. This is not good news for the countryside."

Around 100 staff have been redeployed from the Forestry Commission and the Food and Environment and Research Agency are to focus on the crisis after 10 cases of the disease were confirmed in separate woodlands in East Anglia. With a further 12 sites in East Anglia and Kent awaiting results to confirm the disease.

Last year trade unions at the Forestry Commission warned the Commons' science and technology committee that a 25% budget cut would hit the agency's ability to detect the spread of tree diseases.

A leaked staff consultation document from February last year said: "There is no capacity to deal with costs of disease or other calamity."

The government has denied opposition claims that it has been slow to react to discovery of the disease in Britain.

The fungus, known as Chalara fraxinea was first discovered among trees imported to a nursery in Buckinghamshire in February.

It causes leaf loss and can lead to the death of the tree. It has wiped out between 60% to 90% of ash trees in some areas of Denmark and is becoming widespread throughout central Europe.

The latest cases in East Anglia and Kent are thought to have spread by the wind from the continent. The location of infected sites offers some hope that the disease can be contained, according to Forestry Commission spokesman Charlton Clark.

"We don't want to be complacent, but if it is confined to a relatively small number and area in East Anglia then we might decide that it is worth the effort and expense of trying to eradicate it," he said. "If too many sites and trees are involved then the policy probably would be containment to stop it spreading out of East Anglia, There's a hope that at worst we can contain it in that area. If the wind is able to throw it further across Britain, then we would be looking at a very difficult situation."

Clark said it was too early to estimate the cost of trying to eradicate the disease.

One cause for hope is that the disease has not been found in woodland outside East Anglia and Kent, Clark said. "We have been getting very few reports from elsewhere in the country. In fact the reports we have been getting from elsewhere show that ash is looking quite healthy this year. That's hopeful sign that maybe it hasn't spread that far," he said.

Clark pointed out that ash trees make up around 5% of woodland in Britain, not a third of British trees as some newspapers have reported.

University of East Anglia researcher Chris Panter said that if ash trees suffer large scale declines, 60 of the country's rarest insect species could be at risk of being lost from Britain.

"As well as 80 common insects, at least 60 of the rarest insect species in the UK have an association with ash trees – these are mostly rare beetles and flies," he said.

Scarce species could become even scarcer and may even be lost, he warned.

"Ironically, many of the rare species associated with ash depend on the dead or dying branches of old trees, but if infected trees are ultimately cleared away then even these species will suffer also.

"Ash is also important for many lichens and mosses that grow in its bark, and its seeds are an important food for wood mice," he added.

Rene Olivieri, chairman of The Wildlife Trusts, said: "Ash trees, as hedgerow and field trees, are an important feature in our landscape and also a key component of ecologically unique woodlands that support rare species.

"For example, upland ash woods, such as those in the Peak District, support rare woodland flowers, a rich invertebrate fauna and important lichens.

"Their loss would have a dramatic negative impact on our natural environment."

Guardian

Garrulus glandarius

Just saw this little chap on the windowsill, and then again over in the park messing about with a Eucalyptus.

Hanging Tree Tent

Probably great for avoiding bears.

Edinburgh Gardens Raingarden

Name: Edinburgh Gardens Raingarden
Location: Edinburgh Gardens: St Georges Road- Fitzroy North, Melbourne- Australia
Design Year: 2010
Year of Construction: 2011-2012
Area: 700 m2
Budget: $1,000,000.00
Design Company: GHD Pty Ltd
Clients: Melbourne Water in collaboration with City of Yarra
Image credits: all GHD owned

Project Summary

The raingarden is to provide a sustainable source of treated stormwater for the parks mature trees and sporting fields in a way that added to the existing landscape character of the park and added interest for users. Melbourne has experienced drought conditions for a number of years now and this project was to replace the existing need for potable water being used to irrigate our parks and gardens.

This raingarden is designed to remove 16,000 kg of annual total suspended solids per year of operation. It will also remove a further 160 kg of nutrients, phosphorus and nitrogen, through vegetation growth. This litter and pollutants would otherwise end up in Melbourne’s waterways. Filtered water is then collected into a 200KL underground storage tank, and used to irrigate existing trees within the Edinburgh Gardens; providing around 60% of their irrigation needs in a normal year.

In a normal year, the raingarden is expected to reduce potable water use for irrigation by 4 ML per annum.

The project involved sourcing stormwater from the North Fitzroy Main Drain and diverting it to a newly designed terraced raingarden within the Edinburgh Gardens, with the treated water being harvested for storage and irrigation of the trees within the park and local precinct. The main components of the project were:

• Diversion pipe from North Fitzroy Main Drain with gross pollutant trap.

• Surcharge pit into 700 sq.m rain garden.

• Terraced raingarden with appropriate planting and filter media to treat stormwater.

• Overflow pit with underground pipe connected to 200 kilo-litre underground storage facility with pump to irrigation distribution.

As described above the majority of the works undertaken to achieve this were underground with the large raingarden providing the visual element. The main design features of the raingarden are:

• Filter media and appropriate plants that help to treat the stormwater through uptake of excessive nutrients and filtering fine sediments.

• Four large terraces that respond to the sites natural grade, therefore minimising the requirement for taller retaining walls and balustrade, allowing informal public interaction,

• Terrace walls that extend out into the landscape to create lawn ‘room’ areas for passive recreation. These areas will create elevated views over the raingarden and provide different spatial experience in this area of the park which is currently characterised by large unbroken lawn areas.

• The strong lines of the extended terrace walls is repeated in the bands of planting in response to the recent history of the site as the location for the Inner Circle Railway Line.

• A ‘zig zagging’ feature steel low flow channel, connected to the surcharge pit, that delivers water to all four terraces in rain events.

• New tree planting to provide shade and enclosure for new small lawn areas

• Continuously curved edge to reinforce line of new shared path and existing avenue planting

landezine.com

Chamber of Commerce with green walls by Chartier-Corbasson

Article on dezeen.com

Leyteire Square by Debarre Duplantiers Associés

Leyteire Square by Debarre Duplantiers Associés

landezine.com

The historical centre of Bordeaux University sets a new beginning : the Opération Campus begins with urban design at its heart. These spaces are currently closed, intended solely for receiving deliveries, however the project intends to turn them into a lively heart of the University, where intermingling can take place. The initial meaning of “campus” can be retrieved through an intense central green space.

This series of courtyards becomes a network of interactive spaces, as well as a part of the city : a number of facilities animate the center of the square (museum, café , amphitheaters) and contribute to its urban value. The addition of planted elements lends a human scale to the existing hardscape by providing shade, delineating paths, and acting to filter air, sound, and light that enters the space.

This, in turn, combats the Urban Heat Island Effect, providing more pleasant interior spaces during the hot summer months.

In plan, a certain hierarchy is established between the wide-open center, and more intimate spaces along the space’s edges. This variety of spaces invites a wide range of activities common for a university campus, from eating lunch in the sun, to meeting with colleagues and professors, to hosting celebrations and festivals.

Landscape Architect Creates Thoughtful Outdoor Spaces

Article from Boston.com

By Cindy Atoji Keene

The smallest details count in landscape design, from storm water drainage systems to paving materials and seasonal plant color. It is not unusual, for example, for landscape architects to spend an entire day just planning the placement of trash receptacles and making sure a garbage truck can back up into the site to remove waste, said Michael D'Angelo, 27, a landscape architect at Copley Wolff Design Group in Boston.

"When designing spaces and the elements within the spaces, it is vital to ensure that all of the details have been given a thorough review. For instance, do we have enough seating? Will it accommodate those with disabilities? Are the materials suitable? And even: how will we prevent skateboarders from 'grinding' on the seat walls and benches and destroying the surfaces? Of course most changes can be made all the way up to construction, but there is surely a cost associated with that."

D'Angelo's experience spans from green roof decks to college campuses. A LEED professional in building design and construction, he is currently working on the penthouse terrace at The Clarendon, a 33-story luxury residential tower located in the Back Bay. He is also working on the headquarters expansion for an insurance company, which includes nearly a city block of streetscape revitalization, and the addition of two public parks. "I strive to make landscaping memorable by including a unique feature that draws people there, whether it's a quiet corner to sit and read, or a beautiful garden terrace," said D'Angelo.

Q: You're currently designing a fountain for a park -- what's the thought process behind it?

A: This is a 36-foot long, 18-foot-high water feature that will be an iconic focal point. Large buildings surround it, so from a design aspect, the fountain needs to be scaled correctly or it will look 'off.' We develop actual physical models as well as computer models and look at it from all vantage points to make sure it's the right axis and size. In addition, there are safety concerns, such as worries about people slipping and falling, so mechanical devices need to be built-in to shut the water off if it's too cold or windy.

Q: Urban architects such as yourself are often creating 'streetscapes.' What is a streetscape?

A: This is a phrase we use in the industry to talk about an area adjacent to a building, whether it's a concrete sidewalk or a seating area. The site-planning looks at adjacent use, whether retail or a restaurant, and whether pedestrian access is needed. If trees will be planted in a sidewalk, there is a lot of science involved, such as using soils developed by different universities that provide both structural support for sidewalks as well as nourishments for the trees to grow.

Q: What some of your favorite plants?

A: I really like working with a really simple color palette. I prefer using a handful of plants, versus 50 to 60. This gives a strong vivid impact when looking at the landscape from afar.

Q: Why the increasing popularity of green roofs?

A: Green roofs create insulation for buildings, which lowers heating and cooling costs and absorbs run-off from the rain. When designing a green roof, it's important to consider the roof's weight limitations, so only a minimum amount of soil can be used. For example, if only four inches of soil is used, then succulent plant material such as sedums are one of the few options.

Q: What do you think is an example of excellent urban landscape design?

A: Chicago has a lot of really cool public spaces, such as Millennium Park. I love to travel around the country and study what other people are doing. That's what inspires me.

Q: Who is your architectural role model or hero?

A: Frederick Law Olmsted, who is widely considered the father of American landscape architecture. It's amazing how many thousands of projects he did, including park design and public spaces. He had a very simple and natural style that I try to reference in my work.

Q: What does your own backyard look like?

A: I have a 10x12 backyard in South Boston. I have four very nice planters, a grill, and a table squeezed in there -- but I really enjoyed planting those four planters!