Theodore Hoerr, Founding Principal of Terrain Work, will be teaching Plants & Design at RISD with fellow plant aficionado Adam Anderson of Design Under Sky this spring. We will focus on how to innovate with plants in design and bring these living creatures back to the forefront of the design conversation in landscape architecture.
Over the last few decades plants have often been reduced to "green infrastructure" while the discourse surrounding them has been limited to largely ecological functions. These issues are important, no doubt, but they cast plants as more an instrumental tool rather than an artful muse. Plants have also been frequently maligned as just another "material" along with the likes of stone, brick, or concrete. We aim to change this. Along with our students our course will explore how plants have the ability to create culture, shape space, and provide atmospheric effects creating new experiences in the built environment. If there are any plant lovers out there we would love to hear your thoughts on this topic! Contact us at thoerr@terrainwork.com.