Landscape Architecture In the News
A sampling of recent press coverage of landscape architecture. Keyword terms are noted by “>>>” and “<<<” marks.

Bay Area landscape architects take the lion's share of ASLA awards
San Francisco Chronicle
Date: 10/03/07

Cities, like people, develop personalities based on a combination of nature versus nurture…As a result, landscape architecture has been breaking new ground here for at least 50 years.  That distinction will be reaffirmed when Bay Area>>>landscape architects<<< receive more design awards than any other metropolitan area in the country at the>>> American Society of Landscape Architects'<<< annual meeting, which starts Saturday and ends Tuesday. The meeting, for >>>ASLA<<< members only, will be held at the Moscone Center, with sojourns to various Bay Area parks and private gardens.

Landscapers go green
San Francisco Examiner
Date: 10/04/07

By this point, many people know that a perfectly plush lawn isn’t the most environmentally-friendly choice for large swaths of the country. But what’s the greenest greenery for the plots around homes and offices? That’s a question the >>>landscape architecture<<< industry is trying to answer now, as it meets at Moscone Center this weekend. The >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< is preparing formal standards for what will constitute an eco-friendly domesticated landscape, which the group hopes will be incorporated into the existing Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council. The first draft of the standards will be released within two months, >>> ASLA<<<spokesman Jim Lapides said.

Events in the San Francisco Bay area for Monday, Oct. 8
Santa Barbara News Press
Date: 10/08/07

>>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< holds annual meeting and expo. Location: 747 Howard St., San Francisco Contact: (202) 898-2444 10 A.M. SOLDIER WAR OBJECTOR - News conference on a new trial for Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, who publicly refused deployment to Iraq and has been court-martialed twice. The second court-martial had been scheduled to start Tuesday but a federal court judge has temporarily blocked the military trial. Location: Portsmouth Square, Clay at Kearny St., San Francisco.

ASLA presents awards              
Construction Bulletin
Date: 10/10/07

The >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< presented student awards for designs in 2007. Among them was an honor award in the General category to Bret C. Wieseler at the University of Minnesota student chapter of ASLA. Bret's design was "(In)Security: Access and Anxiety in the Wall Street Financial District" that explored a new design vocabulary in direct response to the climate of fear and paranoia that currently envelopes contemporary urban design. The project revolved around the current and future state of security surrounding Wall Street and the alternatives to security measures.

Taking it to the Next Level: Newsmakers as Vanguards of the Profession               
LandscapeOnline
Date: 10/17/07

An Interview with Martha Schwartz, >>>ASLA<<< Martha Schwartz, ASLA-The use of her materials originated from an interest in pop art. The use of everyday objects as a way to reject the mainstream and embrace art intrigued her. Likewise, the art of earthworks interested her in the fact that they were conceptual as well as site specific.

The Firms of Northern California
LandscapeOnline
Date: 10/17/07

The Firms of Northern California With the >>>ASLA<<< Show in San Francisco this year, we invited landscape architectural firms in Northern California to present their work in this largely pictorial feature. Forty-two firms participated, plus three university programs, the largest number of firms we've ever presented for this feature, twice as many firms as last year's showcase. The firms sent LASN images of three to five projects each, plus brief descriptions of the projects and their firms. We let the firms speak for themselves, but did edit for space where required. It's interesting to see how the firms present themselves. We know you'll enjoy

ABA Holds Annual Convention in Tubac                          
Southwest Contractor
Date: 10/15/07

Oct. 5-9 >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< Annual Meeting & EXPO Moscone Convention Center San Francisco, Calif. www.asla.org Oct. 12 13th Annual Arizona Concrete Contractors Association Benefit Carefree Resort & Villas Phoenix, Ariz. Contact: ACCA at 602 631-4083 Oct. 10-12 REMODELING Show 2007 Madalay Bay Convention Center Las Vegas, Nev. Contact: 972-536-6461 Oct. 11-13 Arizona Builders' Alliance Annual

Is College Landscaping Green Enough?
Chronicle of Higher Education
Date: 10/08/07

So you've built a new building, and it's so energy efficient and environmentally sensitive that you've earned a LEED Silver rating. That's all well and good. But what about that landscaping in the courtyard nearby, or that grassy quad across the campus? How sustainable are all those non-native plants and ever-thirsty lawns?...The effort, dubbed the Sustainable Sites Initiative, is led by the >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< , the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin, and the United States Botanic Garden.

LEED for landscapes
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Date: 10/16/07

Hoping to build on the success of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification program, the >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< is promoting a new rating system, the Sustainable Sites Initiative, to measure the sustainability of landscape design projects. The council is lending its support and eventually will adopt the program into its LEED system.

Landscaping to Get Green Standards
Lawn and Landscape Magazine
Date: 10/10/07

Amid the growing notoriety for the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system for environmentally sustainable buildings, many landscape industry members have wondered why such a comprehensive program places little emphasis on a building’s landscaping…Enter the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SSI), a partnership of the >>> American Society of Landscape Architects<<<, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the United States Botanic Garden in conjunction with other stakeholders. 

ArchitectureWeek - Environment - 2007.1010                              
ArchitectureWeek
Date: 10/11/07

Building Expo - Arizona Republic, 2007.1004 >>>ASLA<<< to Create Rating System for Sustainable Landscape Design - Greener Buildings, 2007.1004 Affordable Apartments in Chicago Obtain LEED Certification - Multi-housing News, 2007.1003 Eco-House Is Award-Winner for Family of Ten - Telegraph, 2007.1003 Grand Plan for a Farm in the City - Sydney Morning Herald, 2007.1003 How Green Is Silicon Valley? - SiliconValley.com, 2007.1003 U.S. Promotes Swap to Energy-Saving Light Bulbs - Reuters, 2007.1003 EPA Launches Tool to Help Measure Emissions from Commercial Buildings - Greener Buildings, 2007.1001 More Schools Are Riding an Eco-Friendly

Landscaping to Get Green Standards
Lawn & Landscape
Date: 10/10/07

Sites Initiative (SSI), a partnership of the >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<<, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the United States Botanic Garden in conjunction with other stakeholders. Fritz Steiner and Nancy Somerville announce the Sustainable Sites Initiative at ASLA's annual conference in San Francisco on Oct. 6. Much like LEED does for the building sector, SSI will measure the sustainability of designed landscapes. Though SSI is a standalone system, the USGBC is lending its support to the project and plans to adopt SSI metrics into the LEED system once they¿re finished. The group¿s preliminary draft report, designed

New Program Aims to Develop Green Landscape Metrics             
FacilitiesNet
Date: 10/08/07

The new system is under development by The >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< (ASLA), The University of Texas at Austin's Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and the United States Botanic Garden. "This will provide the missing link for green building standards," says Nancy Somerville, executive vice president and CEO of ASLA. "Developers, designers, owners, and public officials will now have the tools at hand to significantly increase sustainability in the built environment, from interiors to landscapes." Additional program partners include the U.S. Green Building Council, the Environmental Protection Agency's GreenScapes Program,