The University of Chicago is proposing that the Obama presidential library be built on about 20 acres of South Side parkland, either in Washington or Jackson parks, according to the university.

The information, released Tuesday, was privately submitted last month to the president and first lady. Since then, pressure has built from library planners who are hoping to avoid any real estate or legal challenges associated with building a library in a public park.

The two sites are:

21 acres in western Jackson Park, bounded by South Stony Island Avenue to the west, South Cornell Avenue to the east, East 60th Street to the north and East 63rd Street to the south.

22 acres in western Washington Park and 11 acres outside of it, stretching as far west as South Prairie Avenue, and encompassing the Garfield Green Line stop. The park space is bounded by South Martin Luther King Drive to the west, Ellsworth Drive to the east, East Garfield Boulevard to the south and East 51st Street to the north.

The parcels outside of Washington Park are controlled by a combination of owners, including the U. of C., the city of Chicago, the Chicago Transit Authority and private individuals or companies.

The museum is expected to occupy only a fraction of the land. As a comparison, if the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas were to be spread out on one floor, it would take up about 5 acres. The entire campus measures 23 acres.

"In the first place, there's a long tradition of museums in the parks in Chicago," said Susan Sher, who is leading the U. of C.'s library bid, about the use of parkland. "When you look at the possibilities and the criteria of having enough space for the legacy of a major historical figure, you can't just plop it in the middle of a shopping center."

In her discussions, Sher said, residents of neighborhoods surrounding the university have jockeyed for the library. Sher has not found any "not-in-my-backyard" resentment, she said.

Residents will get a chance to publicly weigh in at two community hearings, Jan. 13 and Jan. 14, at Hyde Park Academy High School and the Washington Park Fieldhouse,respectively. The Park District is weighing whether to transfer the parcels to City Hall control. Such control was stipulated by library planners, led by Chicago private equity executive Martin Nesbitt.

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U. of C. plans: Obama library in the park

The University of Chicago is proposing that the Obama presidential library be built on about 20 acres of South Side parkland, either in Washington or Jackson parks, according to the university.

The information, released Tuesday, was privately submitted last month to the president and first lady. Since then, pressure has built from library planners who are hoping to avoid any real estate or legal challenges associated with building a library in a public park.

The two sites are:

21 acres in western Jackson Park, bounded by South Stony Island Avenue to the west, South Cornell Avenue to the east, East 60th Street to the north and East 63rd Street to the south.

22 acres in western Washington Park and 11 acres outside of it, stretching as far west as South Prairie Avenue, and encompassing the Garfield Green Line stop. The park acreage is bounded by South Martin Luther King Drive to the west, Ellsworth Drive to the east, East Garfield Boulevard to the south and East 51st Street to the north.

The parcels outside of Washington Park are controlled by a combination of owners, including the U. of C., the city of Chicago, the Chicago Transit Authority and private individuals or companies.

The museum is expected to occupy only a fraction of the land. As a comparison, if the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas were to be spread out on one floor, it would take up about 5 acres. The entire campus measures 23 acres.

"In the first place, there's a long tradition of museums in the parks in Chicago," said Susan Sher, who is leading the U. of C.'s library bid, about the use of parkland. "When you look at the possibilities and the criteria of having enough space for the legacy of a major historical figure, you can't just plop it in the middle of a shopping center."

She said that in her discussions, residents of neighborhoods surrounding the university have jockeyed for the library. Sher has not found any "not-in-my-backyard" resentment, she said.

Residents will get a chance to publicly weigh in at two community hearings, Jan. 13 and Jan. 14, at Hyde Park Academy High School and the Washington Park Fieldhouse, respectively. The Park District is weighing whether to transfer the parcels to City Hall control. Such control was stipulated by library planners, led by Chicago private equity executive Martin Nesbitt.

Read this article:
U. of C. unveils targeted parkland proposed to Obama library officials

Amy Lynch, Star correspondent 7:02 a.m. EST January 3, 2015

Chris Gerrity, an architect with Schmidt Associates, was named the American Institute of Architects Indianas 2014 Young Architect of the Year.(Photo: Amy Lynch/For The Star)

Chris Gerrity isnt just designing structures, hes building relationships.

The American Institute of Architects Indianas 2014 Young Architect of the Year has found a home at Schmidt Associates, where he designs buildings with an aim toward improving local communities.

Case in point, Gerrity has spent the past several years working with Indianapolis Public Schools, leading the project management team for a $700 million capital improvement plan, pursuing LEED certifications for a number of schools and developing online training modules to educate teachers about their new energy-efficient buildings.

Gerrity discovered a love of building early in his own school days.

When I was in third grade, our class project was for each student to build a house out of plastic straws, he said. It was my first memory of learning how I could use simple materials to create an interesting space. I was amazed at how everyone had a different idea about how a house would look, even though we were all using the same materials.

A Chicago native, Gerrity knew he wanted to focus his job search in Indianapolis after graduating from college.

I had met a lot of people in Indianapolis and liked the city, he said. Schmidt Associates was a good fit for me because of its culture and design philosophy. I like that the work we do here is community-based. I also like that there isnt just one design style. Every project we do looks different, because every client is different.

Additionally, Gerrity finds time to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and to mentor young people who are interested in architecture.

More here:
5 questions with Chris Gerrity

Potters Fields London by Gross Max Landscape Architects
Eelco Hooftman of GROSS.MAX was the landscape architect for Potters Fields Park in London. The site was once a pottery in which English Delftware was made. I...

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Potters Fields London by Gross Max Landscape Architects - Video

Elizabeth Hope Cushing: Arthur Shurcliff - From Boston to Colonial Williamsburg
In 1928, the landscape architect and preservationist Arthur A. Shurcliff (18701957) began what became one of the most important examples of the American Col...

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Public Protection through Examination, Licensure, and Regulation

The Landscape Architects Technical Committee (LATC), under the purview of the California Architects Board, was created by the California Legislature to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public by establishing standards for licensure and enforcing the laws and regulations that govern the practice of landscape architecture in California. The LATC is one of the numerous boards, bureaus, commissions, and committees within the Department of Consumer Affairs responsible for consumer protection and the regulation of licensed professionals.

New! 2014 LATC Sunset Review Report

The LATC contracts with the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) to administer ALL sections of the LARE. All four sections are administered concurrently during a two-week period, three times per year. All exam sections are computer-based. For detailed information regarding LARE eligibility, visit the General Exam Information page.

Applying for the LARE

Individuals interested in obtaining a license to practice landscape architecture must submit a completed Eligibility Application to the LATC. Eligibility applications and all required documents must be postmarked no later than 70 days before the date of any Landscape Architect Registration Examination (LARE) section they wish to take.

See the chart below for upcoming eligibility deadlines and LARE administration dates:

To improve services to current candidates for licensure, the LATC will affect the following changes:

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Department of Consumer Affairs Landscape Architects ...

Billy Goodnick, Landscape Architect and Author
In this "Know Your Expert" segment, Holly Hamilton interviews landscape architect Billy Goodnick about his love for gardening (can you say Banzai Master?) an...

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Billy Goodnick, Landscape Architect and Author - Video

AECOM's understanding of how peoples lives shape and are shaped by their environments has provided unique insights into the design and planning of places at all scales. Whether working on a multi-acre corporate landscape, a small urban park, or a year-round resort, our landscape architects and urban designers consider the site's physical surroundings and the needs of the client as well as the financial mechanisms, long-term political effects, implementation, and maintenance of the project.

Our practice is not simply focused on buildings and sites but on systems: the physical framework of streets, squares, parks, plazas and gardens that contribute to sense of place. Effective design requires careful integration of the myriad features of a particular site, from issues of aesthetics and to those of ecology, circulation, infrastructure, visual impacts, and economic viability. AECOM's interdisciplinary approach brings together the best creative and strategic thinkers to facilitate the reciprocal relationships between specific sites and surrounding context.

Our work takes place in a variety of settings, from established downtowns to new communities to university campuses. What all of our projects have in common is the need for practicality, quality, and attractiveness. Underlying all that we do is the ideal of making places where we ourselves and ultimately, many others will want to be.

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Landscape Architecture - Design + Planning - AECOM - A ...

Enjoy a photo gallery of some of the winners.

The tropical look, the woodsy look, the grass-is-good look -- all seem to have given way to the waterwise look in this year's crop of awards from the local chapter of the American Institute of Landscape Architects.

Handed out earlier this month, the chapter recognized big and little civic projects, such as the county government's Waterfront Park on Harbor Drive downtown opened in May and a little leftover freeway right-of-way garden, Tweet Street linear park completed in 2007.

But other winners signaled something else, said chapter president Patricia Trauth.

"Things have picked up," she said. "So you're seeing a lot more development going on."

She also said more submissions came from younger designers than in recent years.

Substantively, she said, many designs feature less ornamental and more drought-tolerant plant palettes.

"You're seeing a lot of businesses and institutions taking the time and money to really convert their landscapes into something that's more sustainable," she said.

That means more native grasses which also complement modern architecture.

Besides the winning projects, the chapter also granted its first stewardship award to county Supervisor Ron Roberts, an architect and leading proponent of the waterfront park.

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Landscape 2014: Waterwise trumps flowers

IOC Pardee Ctr. Sea Level Rise Panel: How Cities Are Adapting to Rising Seas Shifting Coastlines
A panel discussion featuring Brian Swett, Chief of Energy, Environment, Open Space for the City of Boston; David Uschold, Historical Landscape Architect for the US National Park Service;...

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IOC & Pardee Ctr. Sea Level Rise Panel: How Cities Are Adapting to Rising Seas & Shifting Coastlines - Video