The entire staff of OLIN celebrated the long anticipated spring weather by spending time together over lunch in a makeshift dining hall created in the studio.

OLIN is currently teaching the first-ever studio for landscape architecture at SCI-Arc in Los Angeles, one of the country’s most innovative and distinguished independent architecture schools. The focus of the studio will be the urban re-engagement of Los Angeles with the Los Angeles River, both in its entirety and at selected sites within the City. Water supply, quality, and management are among the most critical concerns affecting every nation around the world. Deemed by the United Nations as a critical issue to the global environment, water security is becoming especially relevant, as almost 70 percent of the world population will reside in urban areas by 2050. Existing models of city form and infrastructure will need to be re-imagined to address these challenges. Within this context, SCI-Arc students will develop an understanding of the natural, social, cultural, economic, and built systems of the region, using the Los Angeles River as the laboratory and vehicle for exploration of urban water management, multi-functional infrastructure, and evolving models of city form. This process will immerse the students in the complex issues associated with urban river systems and offer an opportunity for a dynamic collaboration with practicing landscape architects and other design, engineering, and technical experts.

Left: Paulo Pellegrino, Professor of Landscape Planning and Design, University of São Paulo; Right: David Rubin, Partner, OLIN

OLIN Partner David Rubin recently gave two presentations at the International Federation of Landscape Architects in Rio. The theme of the conference was Green Infrastructure: High Performance Landscapes. David participated in a panel that examined green infrastructure from a global perspective, followed by a presentation on his current project Potomac Park Levee located on the National Mall in Washington, DC. OLIN will ensure that the new levee, which is up to eight feed tall in some locations, will be well integrated into this significant cultural landscape.

The City of Portland celebrated the grand opening of Director Park this week.

Full article and video…

Laurie Olin will present “It’s Called Landscape Architecture, Not Landscape Gardening For a Reason” at SCI-Arc on Wednesday, October 14 at 7:00 pm. SCI-Arc is located at 960 East 3rd Street, Los Angeles. The lecture is free and will be held in W.M. Keck Lecture Hall.

OLIN Partner and Director of Research Skip Graffam, Associate Sophie Robitaille

OLIN Partner and Director of Research Skip Graffam and Associate Sophie Robitaille have been selected to present at the 2009 American Society of Landscape Architects Annual Meeting in Chicago from September 18 - 21.

Skip will present “Building Design Research Connections: The Role of Research in Professional Practice.” The session will examine the role and methodologies of research in professional practice, review ongoing research trends in landscape architecture and suggest strategies for advancing the collaboration between academics and practitioners.

Sophie will lead an educational session titled “Promoting Prosperity of Cities through Landscape Architecture.” The session will demonstrate how landscape architecture can enhance the success of infrastructure projects currently being funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Growing Minds: members of OLIN with Philadelphia middle school sudents

Members of OLIN volunteered to help Philadelphia middle school students design a garden at Richard Allen Preparatory School. The students are part of the Growing Minds program which aspires to motivate young people to create positive change in the community through gardening and landscape design. The OLIN team engaged students in brainstorm sessions to help them visualize the design of their garden, working with physical site models and building consensus through group discussion and presentation. The OLIN crew then helped students install a garden path, build Adirondack-style benches from discarded wood crate palettes and plant various shrubs and herbaceous plants ranging from scented silver thyme, lantana, hydrangeas and ornamental grasses.

Stormwater management at Yale University, Science Hill

Skip Graffam, OLIN Partner/Director of Research and Judith Nitsch, President of Nitsch Engineering, will present sustainable approaches to stormwater management at the 2009 AIA Conference in San Francisco. OLIN and Nitsch Engineering have worked together for ten years on projects around the world to implement sustainable stormwater management solutions. Their presentation will feature case studies of stormwater management best practices that successfully balance design concept, effective engineering solutions, regulatory requirements and project budget.

Contact OLIN at info@theolinstudio.com for more details on these upcoming lectures:

2.28.09 David Rubin, LABASH 2009, The Pennsylvania State University

3.13.09 David Rubin, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University

3.26.09 Dennis McGlade, Downtown Baltimore Business Over Breakfast

3.31.09 David Rubin, Colorado State University

4.02.09 David Rubin, Philadelphia University

4.02.09 Susan Weiler, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

4.30.09 Skip Graffam, AIA 2009 National Convention