UCSC Press Release:Major Landscape Award

UCSC NAV BAR

September 14, 1999
Contact: Francine Tyler (831) 459-2495; ftyler@cats.ucsc.edu
UC Santa Cruz recognized as having one of America's best landscapes
Award cites integration of campus architecture, natural landscape
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SANTA CRUZ, CA-What do UC Santa Cruz, Hearst Castle, and Disneyland have in common? Each is among the most beautifully landscaped spots in the country, according to the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).
The ASLA has recognized the landscape of UCSC and 361 other sites nationwide in celebration of the national professional society's 100-year anniversary. The sites will each receive a brass Medallion Award and will be featured this week in a presentation at the ASLA's national meeting in Boston.
"The awards recognize landscapes that have had educational value to the public at large, and which represent good landscape architecture," said Glenn Rock, president of the Northern California Chapter of the ASLA. At UCSC, the award recognizes how well the buildings were integrated into the landscape, particularly the existing tree canopy, said Rock. "The designers really took advantage of the trees and both on- and off-site views," he added.
Twenty-two of the award-winning sites are college or university campuses. In addition to UCSC, three other California academic landscapes received recognition: UC Berkeley, UCLA's Murphy Sculpture Garden, and Stanford University.
Nominations for the award were made by the society's 47 chapters. The Northern California Chapter nominated 13 sites in the chapter area. Sometime this fall, the ASLA plans to present UCSC with its Medallion Award during a ceremony on campus. In nominating UCSC for the award, the chapter cited the campus's "nationally recognized tradition of commitment to good design and high landscape values."
Even before the campus opened to its first students in 1965, UCSC had identified principles that would guide campus growth into the future, said Frank Zwart, assistant vice chancellor for planning and construction.
Early campus planners first articulated these principles in the 1963 Long Range Development plan. Thomas D. Church, a landscape architect, was one of the plan's authors.
Church observed that the campus should be developed as a unique synthesis of architecture and landscape. In particular, he recommended that the campus's redwood groves be viewed as more important than the buildings themselves in visual composition.
"Instead of remaking the land, the land must remake our standard conceptions of building and plaza and parking lot," Church wrote in the Long Range Development Plan.
"UCSC has worked hard during the last 30 years to live up to that original vision," said Zwart, who also serves as campus architect. "The ASLA Medallion Award is both a welcome recognition of our successes and a challenge to redouble our efforts as the campus moves forward with its continuing development."
For more information about the Medallion Award or the ASLA, go to the association's Web site at www.asla.org/asla/
#####
Press Release Home | Search Press Releases | Press Release Archive | Services for Journalists

UCSC nav bar

Maintained by:pioweb@cats.ucsc.edu



September 14, 1999 Contact: Francine Tyler (831) 459-2495; ftyler@cats.ucsc.edu UC Santa Cruz recognized as having one of America's best landscapes Award cites integration of campus architecture, natural landscape FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SANTA CRUZ, CA-What do UC Santa Cruz, Hearst Castle, and Disneyland have in common? Each is among the most beautifully landscaped spots in the country, according to the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). The ASLA has recognized the landscape of UCSC and 361 other sites nationwide in celebration of the national professional society's 100-year anniversary. The sites will each receive a brass Medallion Award and will be featured this week in a presentation at the ASLA's national meeting in Boston. "The awards recognize landscapes that have had educational value to the public at large, and which represent good landscape architecture," said Glenn Rock, president of the Northern California Chapter of the ASLA. At UCSC, the award recognizes how well the buildings were integrated into the landscape, particularly the existing tree canopy, said Rock. "The designers really took advantage of the trees and both on- and off-site views," he added. Twenty-two of the award-winning sites are college or university campuses. In addition to UCSC, three other California academic landscapes received recognition: UC Berkeley, UCLA's Murphy Sculpture Garden, and Stanford University. Nominations for the award were made by the society's 47 chapters. The Northern California Chapter nominated 13 sites in the chapter area. Sometime this fall, the ASLA plans to present UCSC with its Medallion Award during a ceremony on campus. In nominating UCSC for the award, the chapter cited the campus's "nationally recognized tradition of commitment to good design and high landscape values." Even before the campus opened to its first students in 1965, UCSC had identified principles that would guide campus growth into the future, said Frank Zwart, assistant vice chancellor for planning and construction. Early campus planners first articulated these principles in the 1963 Long Range Development plan. Thomas D. Church, a landscape architect, was one of the plan's authors. Church observed that the campus should be developed as a unique synthesis of architecture and landscape. In particular, he recommended that the campus's redwood groves be viewed as more important than the buildings themselves in visual composition. "Instead of remaking the land, the land must remake our standard conceptions of building and plaza and parking lot," Church wrote in the Long Range Development Plan. "UCSC has worked hard during the last 30 years to live up to that original vision," said Zwart, who also serves as campus architect. "The ASLA Medallion Award is both a welcome recognition of our successes and a challenge to redouble our efforts as the campus moves forward with its continuing development." For more information about the Medallion Award or the ASLA, go to the association's Web site at www.asla.org/asla/ ##### Press Release Home \| Search Press Releases \| Press Release Archive \| Services for Journalists
	Maintained by:pioweb@cats.ucsc.edu