The Process of Representation
OLIN Guests Rhett Russo (left) and Suzanne Matthew
As part of OLIN’s monthly symposia exploring the link between theory and practice, we recently welcomed Rhett Russo and Suzanne Mathew to our April symposium. Relating to their individual professional experiences, both speakers presented on the concept of representation in landscape design.
Rhett Russo is the founder of Specific Objects, Inc., an interdisciplinary sustainable design practice based in New York, and the recipient of numerous professional awards, including the SOM Fellowship, the Van Alen Institute Dinkeloo Fellow at The American Academy in Rome, and the Young Architect’s Award from the Architectural League of New York. In his presentation, Rhett spoke about his work exploring the transmissive capacities of matter and the natural world’s ecologies, as well as the methods in which the natural world has been represented throughout history.
Suzanne Mathew, a designer at Landworks Studio in Boston, earned dual master’s degrees in Landscape Architecture and Architecture from the University of Virginia. She has also been the recipient of numerous academic honors including the Stanley and Helen Abott Award for Excellence in Landscape Architecture and the Carlo Pelliccia Fellowship. Having conducted extensive research on temporal and dynamic phenomena, Suzanne described her approach to utilizing digital parametric programs to represent and observe phenomenological processes.
Following the presentations, studio members and guests engaged in an open discussion about the processes of representation and how those processes influence the ways designers envision and realize the ephemeral qualities of landscape.
To learn more about OLIN’s continuing lecture series, click here.
