Profile: Founded in 1972, the Maryland Chapter of the ASLA is the professional association for landscape architects, representing more than 335 members within Maryland in 2019. Landscape architecture is a comprehensive discipline of land analysis, planning, design, management, preservation, and rehabilitation. ASLA promotes the landscape architecture profession and advances the practice through advocacy, education, communication, and fellowship.

 

Led by President, Larissa Torres, and President-Elect, Benjamin Boyd, 2019 was a productive year for the ASLA Maryland Chapter. The focus was on member knowledge-sharing, networking, student engagement, legislative advocacy, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. In January, following the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show, the Maryland and Potomac chapters partnered to host a happy hour with drinks and conversation. In February, the Maryland chapter was pleased to host a lecture and reception with ASLA President Shawn Kelly at Morgan State University School of Architecture & Planning. Also, in February, a Job Shadow Week was held in which 15 firms across public, private and nonprofit practices hosted landscape architecture students from Morgan State University and the University of Maryland, with a week of mentorship and networking events. In April, the chapter Awards Gala recognized design achievements by those across the state of Maryland, and brought together members, students, sponsors and affiliates for a celebration at Cylburn Arboretum in Baltimore. The awards included student scholarships a student fellowship and offered recognition to Maryland State Assembly representatives for support of the landscape architecture profession in state legislation and policy. The Annual Conference, also held in April, focused on 'Specialties Across Landscape' with a diverse array of speakers for an immersive day of continuing education and interaction. The event also featured student portfolio reviews, and an exhibitor expo. Throughout the spring, MDASLA served as a major sponsor of lecture series and design competition, 'Edge: Harbor and City'. In concert with AIA Baltimore and APA Maryland, the programs addressed timely issues at urban and waterfront edges locally, nationally and internationally, including health and ecology, resiliency in the face of rising sea levels and powerful storms, and social equity. An interdisciplinary design competition focused on design ideas for Baltimore's harbor through public exhibitions and a publication. Also, along with AIA Baltimore and Morgan State School of Architecture and Planning, MDASLA partnered on a Health and Wellness Design project showcase, and a symposium on public health and the built environment. In September, the annual Victor Stanley Lecture featured Daniel Vasini of West 8 with a talk on 'Smart Cities as Second Nature' to an audience of practitioners, students and faculty at the University of Maryland. Firms across the state participated in ASLA's [Park]ing Day festivities, to showcase creative ideas for reclaiming parking spaces as pocket parks for the day and to engage the public about the role of landscape architects. At the ASLA conference in San Diego, MDASLA partnered with Potomac ASLA on a happy hour to encourage our members to make valuable connections at the Annual Meeting. Our annual LARE prep course, held in November, brought instructor Cheryl Corson for a review of all four exam sessions, and to gain worthwhile knowledge, study tips, and study materials in a group setting. In 2019, MDASLA contracted with AIA Baltimore to provide management services for the Maryland chapter, with a goal to solidify resources for chapter management and programming. Goals were also to develop more capacity for the board and member leaders to focus on strategic issues and advancing member service and new opportunities for interdisciplinary engagement for the landscape architecture community as part of the Baltimore Center for Architecture and Design to open in early 2020.

As seen in LASN magazine, December 2019.