13.06.2022
Rasmus Astrup: 'City Nature' - The 2022 Cornelia Hahn Oberlander Lecture
In spring 2022, SLA partner and design principal Rasmus Astrup was invited to give the annual Cornelia Hahn Oberlander Lecture by the UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture in Vancouver.
In his lecture, Rasmus provides insights into SLA’s design process, thinking, and projects – and our ongoing work as Lead Landscape Designers for the QUAYSIDE development in Waterfront Toronto and the masterplan for the former Toronto airport DOWNSVIEW.
Cornelia Hahn Oberlander (1921-2021) was a trailblazing Canadian landscape architect who revolutionized mid-20th century urban play spaces, cleared the path for women in the profession, and designed several national and international projects of high natural, functional, and aesthetic beauty.
The filming of the 2022 Cornelia Hahn Oberlander Lecture is provided by our generous clients Icona Properties:
Perspectives
Why Darkness Matters: Acknowledging the Rhythms of Nature
When did you last see a starry night sky? For city-dwellers, this experience may feel like a distant memory. Our extensive use of artificial light has turned ‘darkness’ into a diminishing phenomenon – not only affecting stargazers but also the health of humans, wildlife, and trees. As Pernille Bech-Larsen, lighting designer at SLA, will unfold, we have plenty of good reasons to let a little more darkness into our cities.
The Values of Nature:
A Need for a New Driver of Urban Development
Imagine your quality of life being just as dependent on urban development as on social media. What would that lead to? The answer to that question depends on the drivers of urban development.
Our economies, livelihoods, and well-being all depend on our most precious asset: Nature
These were the opening lines of Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta’s report “The Economics of Biodiversity” and were also at the center of the conversation our CEO, Mette Skjold, had with Dasgupta at the UIA World Congress of Architects CPH 2023.
They agreed that we, as humans, depend on nature – not only as a source of resources and wealth but also as the foundation for our physical and mental well-being. We are not separate from nature. We are nature.
