2024 Class of Fellows, Paul Kelsch, FASLA, Potomac Chapter

Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA Byline: Virginia Tech
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Potomac Chapter - Category: Knowledge

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Potomac Chapter - Category: Knowledge

Paul Kelsch's research focuses on the cultural construction of nature and how it is expressed in designed landscape, particularly the interrelationships between ecological understandings of nature and discourses of nature. His study includes such topics as the psychological benefit of experiencing nearby nature and the symbolism of iconic natural scenery. Grounded in landscape history, art, experience, and social theory, much of his work concentrates on historical studies of the parkways of the national capital region and the cultivation of nature and nation along the banks of the Potomac River. Kelsch honors previous generations of Landscape Architects through the care and thoroughness of his documentation and the respect he brings to their subtle artistry, framing their work within broader geographic contexts. He uses Washington, D.C. as a case study for how every city can be read for its local situation and its role within the collective narrative of the American landscape. Kelsch has won numerous awards that testify to the quality and impact of his work, including ASLA chapter awards in historic preservation and national competitions of the Historic American Landscape Survey. He holds professional degrees in landscape architecture and architecture as well as a PhD in cultural geography, which inform his distinctive writing and thought processes. As the Robert L. Turner Chair in Urban Design, Kelsch approaches learning as a means of inquiry and discovery and engages his students in shared exploration of these issues of nature.