Architecture Sarasota has named internationally acclaimed landscape architecture and urban design practice OLIN as the 2025 recipient of its Philip Hanson Hiss Award, recognizing their transformative landscapes that enrich communities and connect culture with the living world, including the recent revitalization of Sarasota’s Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, a 2024 TIME’s World’s Greatest Place.

Architecture Sarasota’s prestigious annual award honors today’s pioneers and champions of innovative design within the global built environment and commemorates the legacy of Philip Hanson Hiss III (1910-1988). Hiss was a driving force and major proponent of the Sarasota School of Architecture, an influential movement in modern architecture tailored specifically to the distinct geography, climate, and social fabric of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Past Award recipients include architects Toshiko Mori and Lord Norman Foster.

Philip Hiss believed good design was integral to a larger set of values and practices that defined the Sarasota School. These principles included designs adapted to the natural environment and responsive to the socio-cultural context; a spirit of experimentation, innovation, and transformation; and a commitment to democratic ideals and civic responsibility, including accessibility for all. Presented annually, the recipient makes a presentation and the award is bestowed at a dinner celebration.

Richard Roark, RLA, Chief Purpose Officer and Partner at OLIN, will represent the studio at the Awards activities, Roark has been instrumental in driving a legacy of public-centered design, ensuring that landscape architecture remains a vital force for environmental stewardship, social cohesion, and sustainable urban transformation. He will deliver a lecture on Thursday, March 27th and then will accept the award on OLIN’s behalf at a celebratory gala and benefit on Friday, March 28th. Both events will be held at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the display and study of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads and ferns, and other tropical plants. OLIN developed a new master plan for Selby, which recently completed Phase 1 of the project.

Just as Hiss fostered a community of forward-thinking architects like Paul Rudolph, whose Umbrella House became an icon of the Sarasota School movement, OLIN cultivates a collaborative approach, deeply respecting the site, cultural context, and programmatic possibilities of each project. Founded in 1976 through a creative partnership between Robert Hannah and Laurie Olin, OLIN’s designs emphasize the expressive power of place, seamlessly integrating ecology, infrastructure, and social engagement to create landscapes that foster human interaction, recreation, and community. Their work echoes the Sarasota School’s emphasis on site-responsiveness, to design with the environment rather than against it. OLIN LABS, which explores innovation across five focus areas — eco, people, tech, design, and build — further demonstrates their commitment to research, education, and technological advancement.

“Design really is an act of collaborative intelligence. Some of that intelligence is nature in and of itself and the other pieces are all those who come together to make something larger than oneself,” says Roark, reflecting OLIN’s collaborative ethos. This sentiment resonates with the legacy of Paul Rudolph, who emphasized, “We think of buildings in and of themselves. That isn’t any good at all. That’s not the way it is, not the way it has ever been, not the way it will ever be. Buildings are absolutely and completely dependent on what’s around them.”

OLIN’s transformative work at Sarasota’s Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, a TIME’s World’s Greatest Places in 2024 and a USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Award recipient, exemplifies their approach. Since 2017, OLIN has collaborated closely with Selby Gardens to develop a master plan that balances growth with preservation, reinforcing the institution’s global excellence as a living museum of the arts and sciences. At the heart of this vision is Palm Avenue, reimagined as a garden esplanade anchored by the Epiphyte Epicenter, a circular plaza celebrating Selby’s renowned botanical collections. The expansion features contemporary facilities like the Morganroth Family Living Energy Access Facility (LEAF), incorporating hurricane-resilient strategies, green infrastructure, and a garden-to-table restaurant, and the Steinwachs Family Plant Research Center, revitalizing Selby’s international research capacity. Phase 2 will include a state-of-the-art, net-zero Botanical Conservatory, securing Selby’s future as a leader in botanical research and environmental education. The reimagined Selby Gardens demonstrates OLIN’s ability to create spaces that are both environmentally responsible and culturally enriching.

OLIN’s work spans diverse scales and typologies. Beyond Sarasota, their portfolio showcases their commitment to these principles globally, with projects like Bryant Park in New York, the Getty Center in Los Angeles, the 11th Street Bridge Park in Washington, D.C., and the Ensemble of Constantin Brâncuși at Târgu Jiu, Romania.

“Our team at OLIN is honored to receive this esteemed recognition from Architecture Sarasota. The values embodied in the Hiss Award and Philip Hiss’s legacy—innovation, responsiveness to genuine needs, and a willingness to challenge precedent—are central to our practice as we shape meaningful and lasting landscapes.” – Richard Roark, RLA, Chief Purpose Officer and Partner at OLIN

“On behalf of all of us at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, we are thrilled and honored that OLIN is being recognized with the distinguished Hiss Award from Architecture Sarasota. OLIN’s visionary design for Selby Gardens’ Master Plan and the implementation of Phase One has transformed our site into a visually striking space that fosters visitor engagement, enhances biodiversity, and promotes environmental stewardship— all while ensuring resiliency and fostering innovation. Through the seamless integration of nature and design, OLIN has elevated this institution, securing its lasting impact for generations to come. We look forward to breaking ground on Phase Two of OLIN’s Master Plan later this year.” – Jennifer Rominiecki, President and CEO, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

“Echoing the core values and principles of the Sarasota School of Architecture, OLIN demonstrates that thoughtful, contextually driven design can celebrate the unique character of a place while enhancing the life of communities and its residents. OLIN’s inspired collaboration with Marie Selby Botanical Gardens demonstrates the power of design thinking to realize a vision and reimagine a significant place at the intersection of natural and cultural heritage.” – Morris Hylton III, President of Architecture Sarasota

ABOUT ARCHITECTURE SARASOTA: With a vision of transforming places and inspiring lives, Architecture Sarasota is dedicated to stewarding the legacy of the Sarasota School, and providing a forum for the education, advocacy and celebration of good design in the global built environment. With a focus on research and collaborations, Architecture Sarasota is helping develop design strategies that address critical issues ranging from coastal resilience and a changing climate to sustainable urbanism to affordable housing.

ABOUT MARIE SELBY BOTANICAL GARDENS: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens provides 45 acres of bayfront sanctuaries connecting people with air plants of the world, native nature, and our regional history. Established by forward-thinking women of their time, Selby Gardens is composed of the 15-acre Downtown Sarasota campus and the 30-acre Historic Spanish Point campus in the Osprey area of Sarasota County, Florida. The Downtown Sarasota campus on Sarasota Bay is the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the display and study of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads and ferns, and other tropical plants. There is a significant focus on botany, horticulture, education, historical preservation, and the environment. Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus features the world’s first net positive energy botanical garden complex, generating more energy than it consumes. The Historic Spanish Point campus is located less than 10 miles south along Little Sarasota Bay. One of the largest preserves showcasing native Florida plants and active archaeology that is interpreted for and open to the public, it celebrates an archaeological record that encompasses approximately 5,000 years of Florida history. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a Smithsonian Affiliate and is also accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Selby Gardens was selected for Time magazine’s annual list of the “World’s Greatest Places 2024.” For more information visit www.selby.org.

February 18, 2025

The new project initiative launches with a new website and survey City launches website and survey to gather community input on park needs through and announces the development of a Park Needs Assessment

LOS ANGELES – The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks is undertaking a Park Needs Assessment to evaluate the nearly 16,000 acres of public parkland and amenities in the City. As critical infrastructure in our communities, parks are a foundational part of life in Los Angeles.

The Park Needs Assessment process was commissioned by the Department of Recreation and Parks to identify the current needs, challenges, and opportunities for improvement across the Department’s vast network of parks and recreational facilities. It will guide future investment in park infrastructure and amenities that is reflective of the diverse communities across the City and its projected population growth.    

The Park Needs Assessment will include four phases and the public is encouraged to engage at each step of the process. The first phase will help the Department of Recreation and Parks to understand the public’s knowledge of the park system and gather feedback on its overall performance.

Community meetings to launch the project will be held on the following dates:

• Tuesday, March 4, 2025: Ramona Hall (CD1) from 6-8pm
• Wednesday, March 5, 2025: Wilmington RC (CD15) from 6-8pm
• Thursday, March 6, 2025: Algin Sutton RC (CD8) from 6-8pm
• Saturday, March 8, 2025: Victory Vineland RC (CD2) from 10am-12pm
• Tuesday, March 11 2025: Tarzana Child Care Building (CD3) from 6-8pm
• Thursday, March 13, 2025: Westchester RC (CD11) from 6-8pm
• Saturday, March 15, 2025: Lincoln Park SCC (CD14) from 10am-12pm
• Tuesday, March 18, 2025: Virtual, from 6pm-8pm

“Assessing park needs and community priorities is foundational to maintaining a world-class park system for both Los Angeles residents and visitors,” said Jimmy Kim, General Manager, Department of Recreation and Parks. “The team is looking forward to engaging with community members across the City this year and developing an innovative and equitable assessment that will guide the department’s future efforts.”

Importance of the Park Needs Assessment

“This park needs assessment will be the best in its class,” said Jon Christensen, a UCLA professor who has studied park needs assessments around the country and is serving as a consultant in the process. “It will set the stage for improving and expanding our park system across the city, prioritizing areas of highest need, and focusing park funding to achieve visible, tangible results for the residents of Los Angeles.”

“We are honored to support the City of Los Angeles in the development of a robust park needs assessment that will serve the residents of LA for decades to come,” said Jessica Henson, the project’s Consultant Lead from OLIN. She continued, “Parks are critical for our communities, providing not only places to recreate and rest but also places where people come together to learn, create, and celebrate.”

Community Engagement Process

The Park Needs Assessment process will include numerous opportunities for the community to share ideas and feedback through a variety of engagement methods, such as in-person and virtual community meetings, pop-up events, partnerships with community-based organizations, equity-focused events, key group meetings, surveys, and a project website. With a focus on equitable, innovative, and creative community engagement, the process aims to ensure that all Angelenos’ voices are heard and valued, using both in-person and digital tools to encourage active participation. The feedback gathered throughout this process will help inform future decisions related to park improvements, funding, and new development.

Survey

The team will be conducting a statistically valid survey to help ensure input from a representative cross-section of Los Angeles residents. Surveys can be completed online, at parks across the city, and also in-person at an upcoming March engagement meeting. The survey allows people who do not have time to attend in-person events to share their ideas and experiences about the park system. Go to the project website to take the survey and/or share with your family, friends and neighbors at needs.parks.lacity.gov.

Next Steps

• Spring/Summer 2025: Community outreach will focus on understanding and refining public priorities for existing park amenities.
• Fall 2025: Draft Park Needs Assessment for Public Review
• Winter 2025-2026: Anticipated Completion of Park Needs Assessment

PROJECT INFORMATION

ABOUT THE CITY OF LA DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION AND PARKS

The Department of Recreation and Parks operates over 550 park sites and 92 miles of trails that cover over 16,000 acres of land in Los Angeles.

The park system includes some of the world’s most iconic parks such as Griffith Park, Sepulveda Basin, Echo Park, and MacArthur Park, as well as hundreds of community and neighborhood parks, Venice Beach, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, and 12 museums.

PROJECT TEAM

The project is being led by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. A Technical Advisory Committee, a Steering Committee, City of LA elected offices and staff, government departments, and organizations will provide guidance to the project team.

Through a competitive “request for proposal” process, the City selected OLIN and their team that includes their subconsultants Kounkuey Design Initiative, Agency: Artifact, The Robert Group, Estolano Advisors, Geosyntec Consultants, GreenInfo Network, HR&A, Better World Group, Dharam Consulting, Calvada, LANDAU Design + Technology, ETC Institute, and West of West Architecture, and was approved by a unanimous vote of the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners in December 2024.

For more information, and to stay updated on community events and engagement opportunities, please visit our project website at needs.parks.lacity.gov.

“We as a species can no longer stand on the sidelines. It is the responsibility of every human to commit to some form of CLIMATE ACTION. As designers of our environment, OLIN is actively working toward a more resilient planet and enthusiastically endorses ALSA’s Climate Action Plan.”

Lucinda R. Sanders, Ed.D., FASLA
CEO and President of OLIN

OLIN’s Lucinda Sanders joined a group of 26 CEOs representing the world’s largest and most influential landscape architecture firms released a public letter committing their firms to achieve the goals laid out in the American Society of Landscape Architects Climate Action Plan, most notably a commitment to make landscape architecture a zero-emissions profession by 2040. The firms signing onto the letter have designed many of the most-visited parks, public plazas, stadium grounds, waterfronts, and transportation corridors across the United States and around the world, representing tens of billions of dollars of public and private infrastructure.

The letter reads in part: “Because we work so closely with land and water, landscape architects are natural leaders in designing climate-resilient communities—from stormwater management to green infrastructure to sustainable transportation to biodiversity conservation. Every day, we design nature-based solutions to help build communities that are more resilient to extreme weather, more equitable for everyone, and more supportive of human health and wellness.”

The letter expresses key business commitments: “We publicly and expressly endorse, support, and commit to the goals articulated in the American Society of Landscape Architects Climate Action Plan, which sets specific and extraordinarily ambitious goals for the profession of landscape architecture to become a zero-emission profession by 2040, including in our business operations, designed landscapes, and the materials and products used in our work.”

The businesses represented on the letter collectively do more than $350 million in revenues annually and lead or contribute to projects with more than $1 billion in construction value annually. Their work influences millions of acres in more than 50 countries every year.

“Leaders of more than two dozen top-tier firms that influence billions of dollars in infrastructure spending and millions of acres of land have just pledged to make their profession zero emissions by 2040—this is a really big deal,” said American Society of Landscape Architects CEO Torey Carter-Conneen. “These are people who have the skills and imagination to make it happen: They’re already designing resilient waterfronts, parks that soak up stormwater, and urban forests that take greenhouse gasses out of the atmosphere and cool our cities. Landscape architects know how to get it done. Every sector of the economy has to tackle climate resilience, and landscape architects will do their part.”

The CEOs called on governments, clients, and peers in the closing section of the letter, writing in part: “We call on our colleagues in allied disciplines to partner with us in designing and implementing solutions. We call on leaders in government at every level to prioritize resilience, emissions reductions, and human wellbeing in their policymaking. We call on our clients to be bold and curious as we design the future together.”

The full letter is available here.

OLIN is a design studio comprised of an enthusiastic team of landscape architects, planners, urban designers, and collaborators, based in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Our work is predicated on developing innovative and tailored approaches to social engagement, environmental and social responsibility and justice, and financial and operational sustainability in the context of awe-inspiring and beautiful designs built with finesse and craft. Our award-winning projects cross boundaries of scale, typology, and site condition, yet are all driven by our central vision: To Create Places That Enhance Life. Furthering our deep belief in enhancing biodiversity and utilizing nature-based solutions, OLIN has made a commitment to address carbon reduction and climate action through our operations, practice, and advocacy. This ethos is embodied in OLIN’s leadership and advocacy in the field, advancing new tools for carbon calculation, developing and sourcing more sustainable materials, and translating learning directly into our practice.

We understand the need to constantly deepen our understanding of the complexities of our work, which we do through OLIN Labs. As a conduit between academia and practice, OLIN Labs recognizes the value of open dialogue and knowledge sharing among individuals with different expertise and methods but with common purpose.

Starting in 2023, OLIN Labs hosted programming aligned with global Climate Week, consisting of internal discussions with allied professionals advancing climate justice, biodiversity, the carbon economy, and sustainable materials. These conversations highlight synergies between fellow practitioners, academics, and researchers who are united in creating better solutions for planning and design that prioritize planetary survival; we aspire to accomplish this by reducing energy consumption, restoring and enhancing natural systems, building community resilience, conserving resources, fostering widespread economic prosperity, and improving quality of life outcomes, with the goal of inciting action and a collective future vision.

Connecting ideas to action, OLIN Labs declared 2024 to be the Year of Climate Action. Labs is incubating multiple initiatives that are advancing discrete climate themes, from communication, to metrics, to sustainable specifications.