Nestled between the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial, the National Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial design is underway! 

The OLIN team is drawing inspiration from the dunes and oases of the Kuwaiti desert landscape, as well as other symbolic elements, to commemorate the sacrifices and collaboration of the coalition nations that served during the conflict. 

As part of the design process, the team is creating life-size mockups of the memorial walls and art, such as the Bald eagle and Saker falcon, the national birds of the United States and Kuwait, respectively. This helps the team understand what materials, angles, and dimensions work best to create a meaningful and compelling memorial experience for visitors.

Learn more about the Memorial here.

Images courtesy of Robert J. Eccleston

With funding from the EPA, the research team is collaborating with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (PPR) to retrofit a Fairmont Park stormwater bioretention basin that was previously damaged in Hurricane Ida. Building on our past research in the greenhouse and lab, the team is designing the pilot bioretention basin, testing the performance of GBS under real-world conditions. By monitoring the basin from Fall 2022 through Fall 2023, we’ll expand our understanding of GBS’ effects on water flow and quality, and its suitability as a planting medium. 

Learn more about Soilless Soil here.

Images courtesy of EL&P

OLIN Landscape Designer Max Dickson joined forces with the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, hosting LGBTQ+ PUBLIC SPACES: Preservation of Historic Queer Landscapes, a free virtual presentation that dived into the history and untold stories of queer public spaces. 

Max and NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project co-director Ken Lustbader explored local and national sites, such as the Stonewall National Monument at Christopher Park and Central Park, and shed light on the roles of preservationists and designers to increase the overall visibility and preservation of culturally significant LGBTQ+ landscapes.

Max originally began research on this topic through OLIN Labs and collaboratively created the Pridescapes research initiative that explores LGBTQ+ landscapes and seeks to clarify the crucial importance of preserving LGBTQ+ spaces, telling untold LGBTQ+ histories, and imagining new futures for culturally significant LGBTQ+ landscapes.

Listen to the webinar here.