The Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture is the annual conference for educators, students, and practitioners in the academic field of landscape architecture. Terrie Brightman, Senior Associate at Merritt Chase, will be presenting “Analog Antidotes to Derivative Digital Doldrums” alongside Matt McMahon, Director of Landscape Architecture at Snohetta, and Lisa DuRusssel, Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Michigan. The 2023 CELA Conference is in San Antonio Texas, March 15th-18th.
Nina Chase Invited to give Keynote at LAbash 2023
LAbash is the national conference for landscape architecture students, organized by landscape architecture students. Hosted each year by a different university, LAbash has been convening students since 1970. This year, LAbash is hosted by Kansas State’s Landscape Architecture Department in Manhattan, Kansas. Nina Chase will deliver one of the keynote lectures alongside Kene Okigbo, Matt Williams, and Michael Grove. Check out the full schedule of events here. Thank you to LAbash leadership team for the invitation.
Merritt Chase heads West to the 2022 ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture
This week we are excited to reconvene with our, colleagues, friends, and mentors in San Francisco for the 2022 ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture. The Merritt Chase team will be active participating in panels, hosting events, and supporting the work of profession. We hope to see you there!
Education Session
Join Nina Chase and Chris Merritt for “The Power of Partnership: Dynamic Duos and Collaborative Design Practices” on Saturday, November 12th at 3:45pm. Nina and Chris are presenting with Diane Lipovsky and Stacy Passmore, Co-founders and Principals of Superbloom in Denver, CO, and Kim Garza and Erik Prince, Principals of Atlas Lab in Sacramento, CA.
Leadership
Say hello to Alexandra Mei, incoming President of the St. Louis ASLA Chapter at the ASLA Chapter Presidents’ Council on Thursday, November 10th.
Special Events
Join Alexandra Mei at the 2022 WxLA Celebration on Friday, November 11th. Alexandra was a WxLA Scholar in 2020.
The full Merritt Chase team will be celebrating an impactful year of work by the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) at LAF’s 37th Annual Benefit on Friday, November 11th. Nina Chase, LAF Board Emeritus, and Chris Merritt were LAF Olmsted Scholars.
Harvard Graduate School of Design alums, join Nina Chase, Chris Merritt, Alexandra Mei, and Danica Liongson at the Harvard GSD Alumni Reception on Saturday, November 12th. Nina Chase is currently the Co-chair of the Harvard GSD Alumni Council.
Exhibit Columbus Announces Public by Design
This week, the 2023 Exhibit Columbus theme, Public by Design, was announced.
“The theme of the fourth cycle of Exhibit Columbus, Public by Design, builds on the legacy of Columbus, Indiana to explore how collaborations between communities and designers can revitalize and reimagine historic downtowns as equitable, beautiful, healthy, and joyful places. Public by Design serves as a platform for many communities to become energized about the values of inclusivity, care, and generosity. This cycle celebrates creative methods of collaboration that communities and designers can use to grow a sense of belonging and connection in public spaces.”
Exhibit Columbus is an annual celebration of community, architecture, art, and design that builds upon the modernist design legacy of Columbus, Indiana. Chris Merritt currently serves as a 2023 Exhibit Columbus Curatorial Partner alongside Paola Aguirre, Lauren Pacheco, Bryony Roberts, Raymund Ryan, and Holly Warren. More information on Public by Design, the selected participants, and the 2023 schedule of events can be found on Exhibit Columbus’s website here.
Penn State's Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Community Outreach, Research, and Evaluation wins AIA Pittsburgh Award
Penn State’s Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Community Outreach, Research, and Evaluation was recently awarded an AIA Pittsburgh Honor Award. The Center is home to CORE, a program that focuses on fostering positive youth development in Erie County, PA.
Merritt Chase collaborated with GBBN on the design of the landscape.
Congratulations to GBBN and Penn State!
White River Farm wins Indiana ASLA Award
Last week, White River Farm was awarded an 2022 Indiana Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects Award. Thank you to the Indiana Chapter of ASLA and the awards jury. More information on all the 2022 Award Winners can be found here.
Merritt Chase led the landscape architectural planning for the project and is currently executing first phase projects. Project partners include El Dorado Architects.
Nina Chase and Terrie Brightman Elected to Lead Alumni Organizations
Congratulations to Nina Chase and Terrie Brightman! Nina and Terrie have been elected to lead their respective alumni organizations at Harvard and Penn State.
Nina now serves as the Co-Chair of the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) Alumni Council. The Alumni Council is the primary representative body of Harvard GSD alumni. Nina graduated with her Masters in Landscape Architecture from the Harvard GSD in 2012. She has served on the Alumni Council since 2018 and shares the role of Alumni Council Co-Chair with Riki Nishimura, Principal at Populous.
Terrie is currently the President of the Penn State Landscape Architecture Affiliate Program Group (APG) Alumni Board. Terrie graduated from Penn State in 2004 and has served on the Board since 2020. She also serves as the Alumni Coordinator for the Board’s mentorship program.
Merritt Chase Welcomes Paityn Monagan
Merritt Chase is excited to welcome Paityn Monagan to the team! Paityn is a landscape designer whose work focuses on communicating and interpreting complex ideas and translating them into simple designs and concepts. She previously worked at Environmental Planning and Design and The Neighborhood Design Center.
Read Paityn’s bio and learn more about our full team on our About page here.
Merritt Chase Welcomes Danica Liongson
Merritt Chase is excited to welcome Danica Liongson to the team! Danica is a landscape designer with a focus on public realm projects that connect ecological and social systems. She previously worked at Reed Hilderbrand and SCAPE.
Read Danica’s bio and learn more about our full team on our About page here.
The Andy Warhol Museum's Pop District debuts!
The Andy Warhol Museum’s Pop District debuted this week, complete with Merritt Chase’s Silver Streets installation! In the near future, The Pop District will be home to a six-block expansion of the museum. Merritt Chase has been working with The Andy Warhol Museum to build momentum for this long-term vision by conceptualizing the short-term design and activation of the Pop District’s public realm.
Merritt Chase’s Silver Streets concept takes inspiration from the silver surfaces and furniture in The Factory, Andy Warhol's infamous New York City studio. The Factory’s silver walls, tin foil ceiling, and spray-painted furniture were the backdrop to the colorful art and people in Andy Warhol’s orbit. Today, the public realm of the Pop District becomes a new, outdoor backdrop for the colorful art of The Andy Warhol Museum and the people of Pittsburgh. The Museum’s adjacent streets, alley, and parking lots have been temporarily transformed with silver paint, silver chairs, and silver scaffolding into a series of outdoor galleries and gathering spaces.
The Pop District is now home to two new public art installations, Michael Loveland’s Social Sculpture and Typoe’s Over The Rainbow mural. More installations will be populating the silver streets soon!
Read more about the Pop District in the New York Times here.