Roderick Wyllie, FASLA

Surfacedesign Inc, San Francisco
by Staff

Northern California Chapter - Category: Works

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Northern California Chapter - Category: Works

Roderick Wyllie's horticultural knowledge and passion for craft and material authenticity have led to a portfolio of unique projects that includes public parks, campuses, wineries, and residential gardens. He considers planting a primary lens from which to design, rather than a secondary tool to support larger concepts and he creates spaces that are multifaceted expressions of site complexities, user-needs, and larger ecological systems, while also curating moments of beauty. As a founding partner at Surfacedesign, Roderick is a mentor and resource for all employees, sharing current discourse and praxis of the profession and creating an environment that sparks curiosity and dialogue. He brings this model to his teaching as well, leading studios at multiple institutions. Among his most celebrated projects are: Lands End Lookout, San Francisco-seeds were harvested from the site's micro-watershed and propagated to create a lush and resilient plant palette requiring no irrigation; Faust Winery, St. Helena, CA-a painterly landscape that is a journey from light to dark; and Museum of Steel, Monterrey, Mexico-subtle grading that peels up from the ground creating a dramatic patterned green roof that is both sculptural and sweeping. Roderick draws on his background in music and art history to root projects in narratives that embed layers of meaning and discovery into his celebrated portfolio of works.