Cover Story

At the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami, Simone Stark offered insights into the multifaceted nature of the profession and the vital role of authenticity and personal experience in shaping effective landscape architecture. Simone began her presentation by emphasizing the importance of authenticity in practice. “It begins with authenticity of self,” she stated. For Simone, the curatorial process of landscape architecture is rooted in the genuine display of one’s personal experiences, skills, and passions. This approach has defined her career, from founding and maintaining her own design-build studio since 2011 to leading the landscape architecture division at Strang Design since 2020, and teaching as an adjunct professor in the graduate program at Florida International Univ...Read More

During the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami, landscape architect Roberto Rovira, professor at FIU and principal at Studio Roberto Rovira, shared his profound passion for the natural world, reflecting on the vibrant landscapes and ecosystems of South Florida. Roberto commenced his talk by highlighting the unique beauty of South Florida’s landscapes, which may lack mountains but boast stunning skies and an irrepressible natural world teeming with life. He shared an inspiring image of a royal poinciana tree outside his studio window, symbolizing the resilience and vitality of nature. Throughout his presentation, Roberto emphasized the transformative power of landscape architecture, showcasing various projects that merge design, art, and environmental stewardship. One notable project inv...Read More

At the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami, Nicole Plunkett, a landscape architect and partner at Cotleur & Hearing, spoke about the importance of diverse perspectives and breaking out of our comfort zones. She is also the founder of Future Landscape Architects of America (FLAA), a non-profit focused on educating K-12 students about the career field of landscape architecture. Nicole’s presentation centered around her personal experience with a pub trivia team. What started as a casual activity turned into a valuable lesson on the benefits of surrounding oneself with a diverse group of individuals. The team comprised professionals from various fields including interior design, software development, law, healthcare, and engineering, among others. This diversity enriched their knowledge base...Read More

At the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami, Patricia Matamoros, Reslience & Adaptation Lead at Savino & Miller Design Studio, challenges the notion that sustainability and resilience should be niche concepts in landscape architecture. She emphasizes that ecosystem services should be at the core of every project undertaken by landscape architects, rather than being considered a subcategory. Patricia advocates for a shift in design approach towards understanding the symbiotic relationship between resilience and ecosystem services. She argues that this shift invites exploration of the hidden benefits that all landscape architecture projects can provide. To achieve this, she highlights the Sustainable Sites Initiative as a framework enabling the implementation of nature-based solutions al...Read More

At the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami, Rocio Martinez, a landscape architect and visual artist, delved into the innovative realm of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and its profound implications for the field of landscape architecture. The presentation unfolded with Rocio sharing her initial experiment with artificial intelligence, showcasing a comparison between her original artwork and a replica generated using generative AI. This demonstration underscored the capacity of AI to mimic and reinterpret artistic concepts, offering intriguing possibilities for creative exploration within the field. Rocio explained the concept of generative AI, emphasizing its reliance on vast datasets encompassing images, videos, and music. However, she highlighted the potential issue of copyright in...Read More

At the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami, Devon King delivered a presentation on the integration of data and design in landscape architecture, emphasizing the importance of workflow, collaboration, and utilizing various software tools. As a landscape architect at EDSA in Fort Lauderdale, Devon shares insights into how data-informed design processes are transforming the industry. The presentation begins with Devon expressing excitement about discussing data-informed design, workflow, and tools utilized in landscape architecture. She highlights the goal of utilizing software without dead ends, exemplified by the transition from Rhino to Revit for documentation purposes. Devon discusses the utilization of data for visualization, analysis, and collaboration, showcasing projects where various so...Read More

Alex Fenech, a landscape architect with Hitchcock Design Group, delivered a compelling talk during the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami. In his presentation, Alex emphasized the significance of leadership in the field of landscape architecture and aimed to inspire individuals at various stages of their careers, from students to seasoned professionals. Alex began the talk by defining leadership as the ability to influence and guide decisions, groups of people, and initiatives. He expressed his passion for leadership within the landscape architecture profession and aimed to encourage and empower the audience to embark on their leadership journey. Using quotes as a narrative thread throughout the presentation, Alex drew inspiration from Walt Disney, highlighting the transformative power of le...Read More

During the Land8x8 Lightning Talks, landscape architect Robert Curtis of Curtis + Rogers Design Studio shares insights gained from almost five years in the landscape architecture profession. He highlights the challenges faced in addressing the climate crisis within the built environment sector, emphasizing perceived limitations and barriers to influence. Robert categorizes the landscape architect’s influence into three spheres: personal, political, and practical. Personal influence involves individual values, political influence addresses structural and systemic factors affecting the design process, and practical influence focuses on implementing design through actions. The speaker identifies barriers such as limited budgets, lack of coordination, cultural values, and regulatory chal...Read More