Chris Brown Named Fellow, American Society Landscape Architects

PHOENIX, AZ--(Marketwire - Sep 27, 2012) - SmithGroupJJR, one of the nation's leading architecture, engineering and planning firms, is pleased to announce that Christopher Brown, FASLA, LEED AP BD+C, vice president and landscape architecture studio director, has been elevated to the Council of Fellows of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). The designation of Fellow is conferred upon individuals in recognition of exceptional professional accomplishments over a sustained period of time. Brown will be honored at an investiture ceremony at ASLA's Annual Meeting and Expo, to be held September 30 in Phoenix.

Possessing nearly 30 years of experience, Brown earned a bachelor of science in urban planning and landscape architecture from Arizona State University and a master of science in real estate development from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a registered landscape architect in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Nevada, Texas and Wyoming, and is a LEED accredited professional. He is also an active member of the Urban Land Institute and board member of the Valley Forward Association.

Brown has garnered the reputation as an innovator and national leader in sustainable site design and restoration for arid environments. He has led landscape architectural design efforts for many notable and award-winning projects throughout Arizona. Significant works include the Gateway to McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Scottsdale; Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center, Phoenix; and a series of collaborative design efforts for the Phoenix Zoo.

Brown also served as landscape design principal for the 34-acre multi-use George "Doc" Cavalliere Park in Scottsdale. The park is one of only 150 projects selected into the two-year pilot program conducted by Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES). SITES is an interdisciplinary effort 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 to create voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land design, construction and maintenance practices. As part of this pilot initiative, George "Doc" Cavalliere Park is among the first projects in the United States and abroad to demonstrate the application of The Sustainable Sites Initiative: Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009. The guidelines, released November 2009, establish a four-star rating system based upon a 250-point scale. The park is anticipated to be first SITES Certified project in Arizona.

Founded in 1899, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is the national professional association representing landscape architects. ASLA strives to increase the public's awareness of and appreciation for the profession of landscape architecture and its contributions to quality of life. The organization supports public policy initiatives pertaining to professional licensure, the environment, sustainable design, livable communities, surface transportation, historic preservation, and stormwater management issues, among others. ASLA's membership totals over 15,400, with fewer than 1,100 receiving the prestigious distinction of fellowship.

SmithGroupJJR is one of the largest architecture, engineering and planning firms in the U.S., and was the recipient of the 2011 Landscape Architecture Firm Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects. The firm also ranked #1 for design quality based on design awards won in Architect magazine's 2011 annual best firms ranking. A national leader in sustainable design, SmithGroupJJR has 363 LEED professionals and 75 LEED certified projects.

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Chris Brown Named Fellow, American Society Landscape Architects