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ha!~ I’ll let you know when something interesting happens to me!

I think I own this one or have at least read some of it.

I think this is more about the work than the man if this is the same book I’m thinking of. That’s great, but reading about someones work gets kind of old after a while. I can only read so much about individual projects or styles, or theories..I was hoping to find more about the man, though…[Read more]

Can I start with you Tanya?

Ha, I didnt mean to say I was interested in writing about one myself, just interested in reading and surprised I couldnt find much..

too many – you have to extend your stay! Bike through Central, or you will never see it – Prospect Park is a way better design, but you have to get out to Brooklyn,(also must bike through to see whole thing), Paley Park really famous, the High Line, walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, from Brooklyn to Manhattan, one of my favorite things in the world…[Read more]

The beer’s still waiting; the answer will come with the beer. Cheers!

Your mom? Who is your mom, Rico? Dona Flor and her three Husbands? (never seen that, just geussing!)

Interesting concept. I don’t think that LAs generally have the egos to do stuff like this. But that explains why there are so many architects who do write their own books (or hire people to do it)

Check out this:

http://www.amazon.com/Clearing-Distance-Frederick-Olmsted-America/dp/0684865750/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268070614&sr=1-9

The…[Read more]

Final week of your status, situation and outlook, please offer it.

Dorothee Imbert wrote one about Garrett Eckbo while he was still alive, excellent book that looks into his influences, education, and practice.

I agree! It would be very interesting to read about formative influences and life experiences. Get started, Nick! Find an interesting landscape architect and “biographize” them as Trace said!

the James Van Sweden is sort of a combination of both childhood and built works….

I’d still be interested in Eckbo…coming up as a designer in the mid-century hipster age, founding the largest la firm in the world.

Of course, Lapidus was well-known in the arch community for his hotel design, but not necessarily for his ‘rock star’ designer status or cutting edge work- but he had an interesting life filled with interesting…[Read more]

People like animals. I don’t like the idea of mixing uses – I say go for total prarie/ woodland restoration, with elevated decking paths through it, and use site for sculptural representations of animals appropriate for the site – have a competition for winning sculpture for each appropriate animal sculpture – …

?
Just a thought..And maybe if…[Read more]

great idea, Nick – do a biography on someone living, so you can get some first-hand stuff..I agree completely about the bored and confused masses…Agatha Christie has a murder story that revolves around a Lanscape Arch (forget what exactly he is called..) and his garden masterpiece in a quarry he is working on his whole life..

who would be good…[Read more]

The thing I liked about the Lapidus book was the honesty and candidness. He went beyond his work and wrote about his childhood, upbringing, clients, projects, and personal life. For me, it was so interesting because I could draw parallels between my experiences and his. I could see how a suceessful architect made his way through life, through many…[Read more]

I don’t think anyone is suggesting that the licensing process should not be rigorous; only that the appropriate information be accessible and commensurate with the investment one makes in it. Those of us who have not worked in a mulit-disciplinary broad service firm or who have been out of work have to rely heavily on accurate, available…[Read more]

I don’t think they’re really autobiographies, but you could check out ‘Gardens are for People’ by Tom Church and ‘Gardens Make Me Laugh’ by James Rose.
More contemporary are the Ten Landscapes series published by Rockport (I think some of them are out of print, but you can find them used)- there are a number of them including Mario Schjetnan,…[Read more]

Thanks.

I actually own Devil in the White City, but havent gotten around to actually reading it. It sounds interesting and has always come highly recommended from everyone I’ve talked to about it, but I was hoping to find something about a more contemporary LA/Designer.

I’m sort of surprised MVVA, Walker, Schwartz, Halprin, Haag, Eckbo, etc, etc…[Read more]

This book about Olmsted http://www.amazon.com/Clearing-Distance-Frederick-Olmsted-America/dp/0684865750/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_5 is supposed to be good. I’ve heard recommendations from at least two people who read it, though I have yet to read it myself. I read his The Most Beautiful House in the World and found him to have a very comfortable, lucid…[Read more]

Jennifer, I’m really glad you shared this link. I hope everyone has a chance to see this.
As a landscape architect and landscape designer, I’m frustrated that the landscape architects of California actually let language such as this exist, virtually forcing landscape designers to only get specific about planting plans. Does it not seem a bit…[Read more]