Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture Wins 2014 Smithsonian National Design Award

Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture recently won the 2014 National Design Landscape Architecture Award from the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Conceived by the museum to “honor lasting achievement in American Design,” the National Design Awards draw attention to 10 jury-selected award categories, one of which is landscape architecture. The San Francisco-based firm, which was recognized as a Finalist for the National Design Awards three times prior, joins an acclaimed list of landscape architecture award recipients that include Margie Ruddick (2013), Stoss Landscape Architecture (2012), and Lawrence Halprin (2000).

Alder Lane Farm

Children’s Garden

Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture is famous for their seamless integration of landscape and architecture on project types that span single family residences, affordable housing, education, public parks, institutional campuses, and hotels. The 15-person firm’s skillful attention to site conditions and the craft of construction continuously set them apart. Winner of numerous awards, including seven ASLA Honor Awards and an ASLA Award of Excellence, the firm has been repeatedly recognized for their material sensibility that lends itself to details of crisp, restrained, geometries framed against rich plant palettes, allowing environmental processes to unfold within demonstrably constructed environments. The resulting compositions offer highly structured spaces and a focused awareness of phenomenological elements.

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Founded by Andrea Cochran, FASLA, in 1998, the firm focuses its mission on sustainability, the influence of which shows through in their careful detailing and effective plant selections. Their work is recognized internationally, and in addition to the numerous awards, a monograph of their work titled,Andrea Cochran: Landscapes, was written by Mary Meyers and published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2009.

Geyserville Residence

Energy Biosciences Building

Now in its 15th year, the National Design Awards program recognizes “design as a vital humanistic tool in shaping the world, and seeks to increase national awareness of design by educating the public and promoting excellence, innovation, and lasting achievement.” Each year, the awards are accompanied by additional educational events, lectures, panels, and workshops. This year’s Honorary Patron of the National Design Awards will be First Lady Michelle Obama.

The Nueva School

Alongside Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture, 2014’s other National Design Award recipients are Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar for Lifetime Achievement; Witold Rybczynski for Design Mind; Etsy for Corporate & Institutional Achievement; Brooks + Scarpa for Architecture Design; Office for Communication Design; Narciso Rodriguez for Fashion Design; Aaron Koblin for Interaction Design; Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors for Interior Design; and LUNAR for Product Design. The award recipients will be honored at a gala dinner Thursday, Oct. 9, at Pier Sixty in New York.

St. Helena Residence

The 2014 jury was comprised of:

Eric Anderson, associate dean, College of Fine Arts, associate professor, School of Design, co-director, Integrated Innovation Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

Kate Aronowitz, former director of design at Facebook and LinkedIn

Celerie Kemble, principal, Kemble Interiors

Tom Kundig, principal/owner, Olson Kundig Architects

Bruce Mau, co-founder, Massive Change Network

Ivan Poupyrev, technical program lead, executive, Google

Lucinda Sanders, CEO and partner, OLIN

Anna Sui, fashion designer, Anna Sui

Armin Vit, principal, UnderConsideration LLC

Via Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

Images via Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture

Kyle O’Connor is a landscape and architectural designer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Follow him on Twitter at @kyledoconnor and on his blog, The Municipal Interface.