Laurie Olin awarded Building Institute’s Bybee Prize
Laurie Olin has received the 2010 Bybee Prize from the Building Institute. The Prize is named in honor of James Daniel Bybee, a long standing member of the Institute. The Bybee Prize is awarded to an individual for a body of work executed over time and distinguished by outstanding use of stone in building or landscape applications.
Sustainablility and the Green Belt
“Studio Slavonice,” a landscape architecture workshop led by OLIN Partners Laurie Olin and Hallie Boyce at the University of Pennsylvania, explores sustainable development of the Green Belt, an area of the former Iron Curtain containing some of the most significant habitats for biodiversity in Europe. Olin and Boyce, along with 15 of their students, travelled to Slavonice to present the results of the workshop with the local community at the Centre for the Future, an organization that promotes research directed toward a sustainable, just and diverse future.
U.S. Embassy featured in The Dirt
Read more about the project on the ASLA’s blog The Dirt
OLIN selected as Landscape Architect for new U.S. Embassy in London
Design from winning team KieranTimberlake/OLIN
OLIN is proud to announce that its team, led by renowned architects KieranTimberlake, has won the design competition for the new U.S. Embassy in London. Partners Laurie Olin and Hallie Boyce will lead the design efforts. From among 37 architectural submissions, four finalists were chosen to explore the symbolism of the Embassy and its presence and position in the cityscape of London. OLIN was the landscape architect of choice for three of the four competition finalists: KieranTimberlake, Morphosis and Richard Meier & Partners, all of whom worked for nearly a year before making their final presentations to the jury.
The U.S. Department of State’s goal was to create an Embassy and landscape with a timeless quality to appropriately represent the United States of America in the United Kingdom. The winning team was selected by a distinguished jury of both American and British leaders in the fields of architecture, academia and diplomacy for a design which “met the goal of creating a modern, welcoming, timeless, safe and energy efficient embassy for the 21st century.”
The anticipated ground breaking for the Embassy will be in 2013 with a goal to complete construction in 2017. In addition to KieranTimberlake and OLIN, members of the winning team include Arup for Sustainability, MEP/FP and Civil Engineering; Weidlinger Associates for Structural and Blast Engineering; Gensler for workplace design; Davis Langdon for Cost Consulting; and Sako & Associates for Technical Security.
Recent WorkOLIN selected as Landscape Architect for new U.S. Embassy in London Hallie Boyce, Laurie Olin
Yale University’s Kroon Hall Receives Multiple Honors
Yale University’s Kroon Hall School of Forestry and Environmental Studies recently received numerous design awards including Metropolis Magazine’s Smart Environmental Award, honors from the American Institute of Architects, New England Chapter and the American Institute of Architects, Connecticut Chapter, as well as a Tucker Design Award for the project’s incorporation of natural stone.
Since its founding in 1900 as the first professional forestry program in the United States, the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies has grown into a leading institution for the study of the environment. Kroon Hall, which has been awarded LEED Platinum Status, is the new home for the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and will serve as a cornerstone for the ambitious sustainable and green construction efforts across the Yale campus. Its stormwater treatment system captures roof and site runoff, as well as excess water pumped from fountain drains. A unique and interactive stormwater basin collects and cleanses stormwater for greywater use within the building while itself becoming a dynamic public space, expressing a relationship between the architecture and landscape that is both transparent and didactic.
Grand Opening of Director Park
The City of Portland celebrated the grand opening of Director Park this week.
Laurie Olin at SCI-Arc
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.
Coming Soon: Director Park, Portland
With the redevelopment of an entire city block - a former parking lot - a significant urban plaza, built entirely over structure, will be introduced into the heart of Portland this fall. OLIN’s design creates new open spaces with a range of microclimates, amenities, and places for activity that will become a unique destination and landmark for residents and visitors. A key feature of Director Park will be an open, glass and wood canopy, accessible from the adjacent sidewalk and sitting high along the street’s edge, offering views over the plaza. The canopy will incorporate innovative stormwater techniques to capture and reuse runoff on-site to support the irrigation of plants during the dry months.
Columbus Circle Explored at MAD
L to R: Laurie Olin and Tom Finkelpearl, Executive Director of the Queens Museum of Art
Laurie Olin presented his redesign of Columbus Circle at a public event held at the Museum of Art and Design in NYC. Olin described how his designed transformed Columbus Circle from an abandoned traffic circle into an active, dynamic, social space at the center of New York City. He was joined by Tom Finkelpearl, Executive Director of the Queens Museum of Art, to discuss the social function of landscape and public architecture, and the role of public art in creating spaces for open dialog in the urban realm.
