Current Work: Field Operations

Current Work: Field Operations James Corner Moderated by Ken Smith and Kate Orff James Corner, the founder and director of Field Operations, will present his firm’s recent and current work, which includes the development of Fresh Kills Park on Staten Island and the transformation of the High Line. Landscape architect Kate Orff will moderate a conversation with Mr. Corner following his presentation. Field Operations, based in New York City, is a landscape architecture and urban design practice, comprising 35 professionals, many with cross-disciplinary backgrounds in landscape architecture, urban design, architecture, and communication art. Field Operations’ mandate is to create “intelligent, high-quality design solutions for cities, landscapes, and public spaces.” The practice works collaboratively with some of the world’s leading architects, planners, engineers, ecologists, and artists, including Richard Meier, Frank Gehry, Thom Mayne, Renzo Piano, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Tomato, and Olafur Eliasson. Field Operations’ expertise is reflected in a diverse range of projects, from the design of entire sectors of cities to intimate garden spaces; the design of large public parks and urban spaces to housing and mixed-use urban developments; the reclamation of landfills, derelict brownfield sites and other post-industrial landscapes for new public uses and private development; to the preservation of large-scale natural resources. Current projects include transformation of the 2,200-acre landfill site Fresh Kills on Staten Island, into what will be one of the world’s largest urban parks; the High Line in New York City; the transformation of 83 acres at the heart of San Juan, Puerto Rico into a 7-million sf state-of-the-art Science City; the Busan Civil Park on the site of a former US Army base in Busan, Korea; the 925 acre Lake Ontario Park on the Toronto waterfront; the Botanical Garden of Puerto Rico; a 4-million sf urban redevelopment project, with 20 acres of public open space, in Westport, Baltimore; the transformation of a former penal farm into a 4,500-acre urban park in Memphis, Tennessee; a new waterfront city in Chuncheon, Korea; a master plan for the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus; and the master plan of the 40-acre Great Falls Park in Paterson, New Jersey. The work of James Corner and Field Operations has been recognized by the New York City Arts Commission Award for Excellence in Design; the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Design; the Daimler-Chrysler Award for Design Innovation; the Architectural League of New York; and other professional design awards and prizes. The firm’s work has been published and exhibited internationally, including at the Venice Biennale; the Lisbon Triennale; ArchiLAB, Paris; the Royal College of Art, London; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. James Corner is also chair of and professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design. He received his Bachelor of Arts in landscape architecture at Manchester Metropolitan University, England and his Master of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Pennsylvania. Tickets are required for admission to League programs. Tickets are free for League members; $10 for non-members. Members may reserve a ticket by e-mailing [email protected]. Member tickets will be held at the check-in desk; unclaimed tickets will be released fifteen minutes after the start of the program. Non-members may purchase tickets at www.archleague.org > events from December 2 until noon of the day of the program. Co-sponsored by The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of The Cooper Union. AIA and New York State continuing education credits are available. This program was made possible in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.