February 5, 2015
UW alum Laurie Olin to deliver Dean’s Distinguished Lecture for College of Built Environments Feb. 11
Laurie Olin
Laurie Olin, teacher, artist, innovator and one of landscape architecture’s most famous names, will return to his alma mater to deliver the College of Built Environments’ 2015 Dean’s Distinguished Lecture at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, in Architecture Hall.
His talk will be titled “Global, Regional, Local; Working Toward a Meaningful Landscape.”
Olin is known for his design of Battery Park City and Bryant Park in New York City, as well as the London’s Bishopsgate, the outdoor sculpture garden at the National Gallery of Art and a post-9/11 redesign of the Washington Monument grounds. He has led the field as a pioneer of the overlay method — involving the integration of a space’s past, present and future. As a teacher he stresses drawing and sketching as essential skills.
Thaisa Way, UW professor of landscape architecture, said, “When Laurie works, he’s thinking about those who will interact with a space and its structures, but he’s also thinking about the future of the community, and how the design can contribute to the larger world community.”
Olin began his study of architecture at the UW, influenced by Professor Richard Haag and architect Victor Steinbrueck, graduating in 1961. He then moved on to the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and the University of Pennsylvania.
“My involvement in civic projects to save the Pike Place Market and historic districts of Seattle, along with a push for new urban spaces and contemporary design, helped shape my life’s direction,” Olin said.
He was a recipient of the 2012 National Medal for the Arts. He is the author of several books and articles on landscape architecture. The Olin Studio is located in Philadelphia.
Seating for the lecture is limited; those interested may register online.
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For more information about the lecture, contact Allie Rock, College of Built Environments advancement services officer, at 206-685-3751 or rocka2@uw.edu.
