Landscape Architect Articles

2012 LAX Speakers Michelle Sullivan - Biodiversity + Sustainability: Uncovering Nature in the Urban Core01-03-12 | News

2012 LA Expo Sponsors

Biodiversity + Sustainability: Uncovering Nature in the Urban Core, 1.5 CEUs APLD, 1.5 CEUs LA CES, 1.5 CEUs LEED

Presented by: Michelle Sullivan, Mia Lehrer + Associates, Milan Mitrovich, SoCal Ecology and Lila Higgins, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Friday, March 30th - 12:00 - 1:30 PM

Course Description:

This seminar focuses on creating biodiversity habitats in highly designed spaces within the urban core. These environments become a place of respite and reflection, a mixture of landscapes that set the stage for nature exploration and discovery. Two projects: a park and a museum have taken the initiative in designing environments that support a greater ecological functioning. These projects will be presented as examples of how landscape architecture can intervene in adding ecological value to communities.

One of the first objectives is to understand the local area and its connection to the broader region. In Irvine, the Orange County Great Park located in the center of the county, is where planned diversity of plants and animals will restore much of the county?EUR??,,????'?????<
Another objective is making nature visible to the visitor. Visitors have a transformative experience that heightens their sensory perception of nature in a city. The ?EUR??,,????'?????<
Sustainability is intertwined in the site through structures, systems and technologies to create a healthy balance between meeting human needs and promoting environmental health. At the Orange County Great Park, sustainability is made tangible by addressing critical issues of our time such as water and energy, revealing the site history and providing meaningful social spaces within and beyond the park. The landscape character of the museum campus explores sustainability within the site in its walls, paving, planting, bridges, water features and site furnishings.

Through the fragmentation of greenscapes in Southern California the landscape becomes the place where biodiversity forms the relationship of the climate, soil, birds, insects, and other fauna create a natural environment which is ripe for exploration. Each project has similar yet distinctive outcomes for an educational and immersive experience supporting an ecological framework.

Biography:

Michelle Sullivan, (pictured above) Principal at Mia Lehrer + Associates has over 25 years experience in landscape architecture. She was involved in managing the design and engineering teams as well as the Landscape Architecture team into comprehensive design deliverables for the Orange County Great Park, a 1,347 acre park in Irvine, California. She also has been instrumental in developing and building the award winning 27 acre Orange County Great Park Preview Park. Ms. Sullivan is currently managing the landscape architecture design/development of the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum - North Campus, a new exciting urban destination with over 3.5 acres of outdoor exhibits that will foster nature within the city.

Prior to Mia Lehrer + Associates she worked for Walt Disney Imagineering, the resort and theme park design and engineering group for the Walt Disney Company for over 15 years. She has worked on a range of projects from resort wide master plans, to theme park planning and development, to more focused theme park land, attraction, retail and entertainment venues. While employed at Disney she was mentored by the preeminent world horticulturist ?EUR??,,????'?????<
Michelle Sullivan, RLA, ASLA, LEED AP, Principal, Mia Lehrer + Associates

Milan Mitrovich, PhD

Biography:

Dr. Mitrovich?EUR??,,????'?????<
Milan Mitrovich, PhD, Principal, SoCal Ecology

Lila Higgins

Biography:

Lila Higgins is a museum educator with 10 years of experience in environmental education, exhibit development, and citizen science programming. In late 2008 she joined the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles (NHM) working in the Education & Exhibits department. She oversees the Museum?EUR??,,????'?????<
Lila Higgins, Manager, Citizen Science and Live Animals, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Schedule subject to change