Surfacedesign, Inc. and its principals–James A. Lord MLA ’96, Roderick Wyllie MLA ’98, and Geoff di Girolamo have recently released the firms first monograph, Surfacedesign: Material Landscapes, published by The Monacelli Press. The book chronicles stunning parks, plazas, waterfronts, civic landscapes, and private gardens designed by the firm.

Material Landscapes, by Surfacedesign, 2019. Image courtesy of The Monacelli Press.Fair warning to future Surfacedesign clients and design collaborators: Surfacedesign is going to push you,” writes Alan Maskin, a principal of Olson Kundig Architects, in the foreword to Surfacedesign: Material Landscapes (The Monacelli Press).  “But their ideas, enthusiasm, humor, and interests have never limited them to working within the boundaries of their specific discipline.” The first book on this award-winning landscape architecture and urban design firm reveals thoughtful parks, plazas, waterfronts, civic landscapes, and private gardens that convey beauty, authenticity, and inventiveness.  An interview by landscape theorist, author, and teacher Anita Berrizbeitia with founding partners James A. Lord, FASLA, and Roderick Wyllie, ASLA, investigates the roots of the firm’s design ethos stemming from deep beliefs in the power of narrative to imbue landscape with meaning, to express the history of place, and, most important, to connect people to the places they live, work, travel, and play.

The Monacelli Press (2019)
208 pages; flexibound; $50
ISBN: 978-1-58093-552-4

Image credits
Material Landscapes, by Surfacedesign, 2019. Image courtesy of The Monacelli Press.

For the full press release click here