Architect Robert Hull, a co-founder of the Miller Hull Partnership LLC, died April 7 from complications related to a stroke suffered while he was on sabbatical in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He was 69 years old.

During his 46-year career, Hull had a significant impact on the architecture of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. Along with numerous residences throughout the San Juan Islands, regional design credits include the Open Window, Epiphany, Bertschi and Bush Schools in Seattle, Conibear Shellhouse at the University of Washington, Seattle Pacific University Science Building and University Center for Performing Arts, Discovery Park Visitors Center and the Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center. In Oregon, his work includes the Tillamook Forest Center and Yaquina Interpretive Center on the Oregon Coast. He also led the design of waterfront developments in San Diego, including the Wharf and Pier 32 marinas.

"When you sat down for a design meeting with Bob, you had to be at the top of your game, whether you were an architect, an engineer or a landscape architect," says Craig Curtis, a Miller Hull partner who worked directly with Hull for 27 years. "But Bob challenged you in such a genuine and constructive way. It was a pleasure working with him."

Hull began his design career in the New York City office of Marcel Breuer. He and David Miller, whom he met while studying architecture at Washington State University, Pullman, formed the Seattle-based Miller Hull in 1977. The 66-person firm, which also has an office in San Diego, received the 2003 American Institute of Architects National Firm Award for "sustained design excellence."

Miller Hull has long been known for sustainable buildings. It is the architect for Bullitt Center, in Seattle, which was recently selected as the Editors' Choice among ENR's Top Projects of 2013. The year-old building is on deck to become the nation's first urban mid-rise speculative development to be certified under the International Living Future Institute's demanding sustainable-building rating system, called the Living Building Challenge.

"Bob possessed incredible talent, passion and compassion," says Jon D. Magnusson, a senior principal of structural engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Seattle. "He will be missed by the design community and communities throughout the world."

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Architect Robert Hull, Co-founder of the Miller Hull Partnership, Dies at Age 69

David Hughes, a landscape architect with an affinity for native flora and natural landscapes, often rips out dead, overgrown or otherwise undesirable plants to make way for new ones.

But he doesn't haul away that nasty Japanese honeysuckle, Chinese white mulberry or Norway maple for delivery to the dump, curb or chipper. Instead, Hughes prizes what other designers and gardeners dispose of -- more so if it's scarred by deer browsing, insect damage or disease.

That's because, in addition to designing ecologically responsible landscapes in the Philadelphia region, Hughes, 46, is a skilled woodworker who makes rustic furniture from garden "debris."

A bench built by David Hughes from red cedar and black locust. (Courtesy of David Hughes/Philadelphia Inquirer)

"To me, it's a nice marriage -- landscaping and woodworking," he says. In fact, his 5-year-old business in Doylestown is called Weatherwood Design. It comprises about 70 percent landscaping and 30 percent woodworking.

Storm-felled trees and gnarly vines make good raw materials, Hughes says. So do pruned branches, old barn boards and stuff plucked, with permission, from the side of the road.

One of Hughes' friends, an arborist, scouts out intriguing branches and discarded trunks. And Hughes helps local preserves thin out invasive or dead trees. Each July 4, again with permission, he rescues unwanted driftwood from death by bonfire at a public beach in Maryland.

The rescued materials might sit for years on the one-acre property Hughes shares with his widowed dad, Merritt, a retired English teacher. Logs, planks, sticks and scraps are stacked along the driveway, in the yard and in and around Hughes' densely packed 8-by-12-foot workshop.

"It's hard to throw anything out," he says a bit sheepishly of the jars of nails, screws and bolts and the saws, planes and other tools of his trade.

David Hughes created this 4-foot-tall garden gate using native Eastern red cedar and Moravian tiles. (Courtesy of David Hughes/Philadelphia Inquirer)

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Craftsman transforms garden debris into outdoor furniture

Award-winning landscape architectural firm Nelson Byrd Woltz achieves beautification and excellence through ecological revitalization, indigenous design, integrity of historical intent, and stewardship of space hallmarks the Memorial Park Conservancy prioritized for Memorial Parks Long-Range Master Plan. It is precisely this synergy of approach and vision that made Nelson Byrd Woltz the perfect partner for planning Memorial Parks sustainable future.

Need for a Master Design Plan for Memorial Park evolved naturally from collective concerns by the City of Houston, The Uptown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) #16, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, along with the Memorial Park Conservancy. Issues ranged from reforestation, traffic, accessibility, and ecological decline to a need for a way to address growth, improve facilities, and achieve balance for the park as a recreational and environmental asset.

It is very exciting to have Thomas Woltz design the blueprint for the future of Memorial Park, said Mayor Annise D. Parker. His vision, innovation, and influence will render a healthier, more bountiful public amenity for Houstonians near term, and provide a rich, lasting legacy for future generations. Equally as exciting, we hope every Houstonian will be engaged in the process.

The Memorial Park Conservancy secured approval from the Houston Parks and Recreation Department in 2012 to lay the groundwork and embarked on a lengthy research and interview process for the selection of a landscape architect to develop the Long-Range Master Plan. In May 2013, the Uptown TIRZ boundary was expanded to include Memorial Park, which provided much needed financial support.

The selection of Nelson Byrd Woltz not only ensures a healthy, sustainable future for Memorial Park, but also through ecological and landscape transformation, designed with robust public input, can exponentially elevate its asset significance for generations to come.

In 2011, as we began developing a long-term forestry management plan for Memorial Park we experienced a historic drought, said Joe Turner, director, Houston Parks and Recreation Department. This drought was the driving force behind the need for a new master plan for the park. We look forward to a plan that will steward one of Houstons most beloved parks while it addresses the changing environmental conditions and the needs of the daily users.

Already Houstons largest urban-center park and a sentimental favorite for millions of Houstonians, Memorial Park encompasses 1,500 acres that attracts 4 million residents each year. Some 10,000 visitors use the parks Seymour Leiberman Exer-Trail daily, the premier running facility in the city. A highly regarded 18-hole golf course, active tennis, swimming, cycling, bird watching, and fitness facilities are accentuated by the parks wooded character, which has been devastatingly damaged by drought and human interaction.

Nelson Byrd Woltz has the extensive experience in ecological restoration we desire, explained Memorial Park Conservancy chair Jim Porter. The sheer beauty of their work masterfully triggers a cascade of positive ecological benefits, where depleted landscapes are brought back to life using native plants and the resurgence of local animals. This expertise is precisely what Memorial Park needs and deserves.

Firm owner Thomas L. Woltz is widely considered the rising star in landscape architecture. The New York School of Interior Design recently awarded him the inaugural Thomas N. Armstrong III Award in Landscape Design. In 2011, he was invested into the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Council of Fellows, one of the highest honors achieved in the profession. Woltz creates models of biodiversity and sustainability, replete with beauty, form, and function, recognized by more than 80 national, regional, and international awards.

This is a rare opportunity to set Memorial Park on a more resilient course; to ensure its longevity for the thousands of people using it every day; to create a rich and varied ecosystem further enhancing the experience of the park for its many users; and to envision and articulate the critical balance between intense and active use and preservation, said Thomas L. Woltz, owner of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. It is time to celebrate and embrace the unique ecology of southeast Texas and the natural and cultural history of the park. With the help of Houstonians we can create a beautiful and enduring park for tomorrow and for future generations.

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Nelson Byrd Woltz firm creating Memorial Park Master Plan; open house for comment is April 16

Dr.Ali Kemal Arkun #39;s Portfolio - Senior Landscape Architect and Urban Designer
After I graduated from Turkish Education Association Ankara College in 1996, I attended Bilkent University. I graduated at the top of my class with a 3.70 / 4.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average...

By: DrAli Kemal Arkun

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Dr.Ali Kemal Arkun's Portfolio - Senior Landscape Architect and Urban Designer - Video

Designing a consilient life: Story Musgrave at TEDxWellesleyCollege
Story Musgrave was born on a dairy farm in Stockbridge, MA. He was in the forests alone at 3, floated his homebuilt rafts on rivers and rode combines by 5, drove trucks and tractors at 10,...

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Designing a consilient life: Story Musgrave at TEDxWellesleyCollege - Video

American Society of Landscape Architects logo. (PRNewsFoto/American Society of Landscape Architects)

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Society of Landscape Architects is launching two new educational resources that will help young people and teachers explore the landscape architecture professiona newly redesigned Career Discovery website and the new Tools for Teachers. The launch is part of ASLA's outreach for National Landscape Architecture Month in April.

The Career Discovery website, aimed at students in middle school and high school, explains what a landscape architect does and how to become one. With a background that features the evolution of Columbus Circle in New York City from sketch to reality, the website shows how landscape architects creatively solve complex urban and environmental issues through design. Columbus Circle was redesigned by OLIN, a landscape architecture firm, and received a 2006 ASLA Honor Award in the General Design category.

The website also includes two videos"Personal Paths" and "Why Become a Landscape Architect?"featuring landscape architects and designers on why landscape architecture is the perfect career for art- and science-oriented students.

Tools for Teachers is a new education hub for K-12 teachers. It is loaded with fun, free classroom activities that will inspire lesson plans and start classroom dialogues about landscape architecture. It includes links to all of ASLA's educational resources, including:

"Students need to know at an earlier age why landscape architecture is a fun, rewarding, and important career that helps communities become great places to live," said Mark A. Focht, FASLA, president of ASLA and first deputy commissioner of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. "Our educational and career discovery resources will help them and their teachers get excited about what we do and why it matters."

"We invite students and their teachers and families to check out our resources and learn more about the landscape architecture profession," said Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA, the executive vice president and CEO of ASLA. "Landscape architects draw upon their knowledge of the environment, science, and art to design outdoor environments and related green infrastructure, such as plazas, campuses, parks, playgrounds, streetscapes, and residential properties. Their work is everywhere."

These resources are an opportunity for students to explore landscape architecture, a career they may not have heard much about, and learn the pathways of becoming a landscape architect.

Note: Media are welcome to download the "Personal Paths" and "Why Become a Landscape Architect?" videos from Vimeo as long as they are unedited and ASLA is given credit. For more information, please contact Karen Grajales.

About the American Society of Landscape ArchitectsFounded in 1899, ASLA is the national professional association for landscape architects, representing more than 15,000 members in 49 professional chapters and 72 student chapters. Members of the Society use the "ASLA" suffix after their names to denote membership and their commitment to the highest ethical standards of the profession. The Society's mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education and fellowship. Learn more about landscape architecture online at http://www.asla.org.

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American Society of Landscape Architects Launches New Educational Resources for K-12 Teachers and Students

by Eve Sonary Heng, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on April 9, 2014, Wednesday

KUCHING: The Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia (Ilam) and the International Federation of Landscape Architects (Ifla) Asia Pacific will be holding an international event in conjunction with Architect Month and the Ifla 2014 Asia Pacific Congress from April 28 to 30 here.

This is the first time that Malaysia as a whole and particularly Sarawak play host to the international congress, revealed Ilam president Mohd Fadrillah Mohd Taib.

The event, which will be held at the Pullman Hotel Kuching is themed a Greener Tomorrow which I feel is related to our Sarawak culture, natural resources, and green technology.

The theme means more than just plants and nature; it encompasses the methodology and finding of best practice in handling the environment and improving living conditions, he told the press yesterday.

We plan to look at sustainable, economic, value added benefits for communities in totality and at causing less environmental impact and providing more energy efficient management strategies, he added.

With these principles as guide, he said delegates will delve into sub-themes namely Greener Technology, Greener Tourism and Greener Heritage. On who should attend the congress, he replied they could be policy makers, engineers, planners, architects, developers and contractors, and others including nursery owners, green technology product manufacturers, government agencies, local governments, tour operators, hotel and resort owners, foresters, researchers as well as educators.

The congress will showcase some of the best sustainable technology and research knowledge which takes into consideration natural and cultural context.

He said in conjunction with the Ifla 2014 Asia Pacific Congress, fringe activities will also be held, including International Student Charrette from April 25 to 27, Ifla Asia Pacific Regional Council Meeting on April 27, Malaysia Landscape Architecture Awards and Ilam Gala Night on April 29, Spouse Programme on April 28 and 29 and Technical Visits on April 30.

He explained that at the moment, 160 students from six countries (Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand) have registered for the International Student Charrette, which will be held at the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV).

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Sarawak to host international landscaping congress

Local landscape architects tour Ft. Monroe to learn about the areas that are being considered for new landscaping.

HAMPTON With a master plan in place, Fort Monroe officials are looking for a landscape architect firm with experience creating public trails, who can create programs for green areas and who have worked on other National Park Service sites.

Experience riding a bicycle isn't required, but it's recommended.

Fort Monroe officials gave prospective bidders a 90-minute bike tour of the 565-acre property Wednesday afternoon. The Fort Monroe Authority is seeking landscape architects to take the property's master plan and create programs and activities within existing spaces on under-utilized sites.

Keith Oliver, a principal at Norfolk-based InSites Landscape Architecture, said he visited Fort Monroe as a child, but never had the opportunity to ride around the property on a bicycle.

He was among the 31 prospective bidders for the project to sign in at the gathering.

"It really is a ground-breaking project to work on," Oliver said. "I don't know of anything like it around here."

Fort Monroe Authority Executive Director Glenn Oder said the winning firm must be within a day's drive of the property, which excluded Sasaki Associates, the Boston-based company that created the fort's master plan.

"This is going to be an interactive relationship with the Fort Monroe staff," Oder said. "The further away you are, the more challenging it becomes."

The entrance is one of the sites authority officials believe is vital to create an impression on residents and visitors.

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Candidates for Fort Monroe landscape architect firm take bicycle tour | With Video

Why Become a Landscape Architect?
Landscape architects and designers explain why landscape architecture might be the perfect profession for you.

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Why Become a Landscape Architect? - Video

Day in the Life: Landscape Architect
Janice Nicol, landscape architect at The Office of Cheryl Barton, an award-winning firm in San Francisco, shares the importance of creative expression and pa...

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Day in the Life: Landscape Architect - Video