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Description
The Landscape of Future History
Thursday, April 25, 2024 / 6:00 pm Reception / 6:30 pm Program
Members: $20 / General Public: $25
The Webb Deane Stevens Museum is pleased to present landscape architect David Rubin in conversation with Executive Director Brenton Grom. Mr. Rubin, the founding principal of DAVID RUBIN Land Collective, joins us in advance of receiving the Elvira Broome Doolan Medal from the Garden Club of America at its annual meeting in Hartford. His remarks will explore the firm’s ethos of “empathy-driven design,” followed by a fireside chat with Mr. Grom about their recent collaboration at the George Read II House & Gardens in Old New Castle, Delaware, which resulted in a new design for the landscape that will unite many layers of history while serving as a gathering place for the community that helped shape the plan.
DAVID RUBIN Land Collective practices landscape architecture from a mission of empathy, problem solving on behalf of their clients, and empowering constituencies through accessibility (which they define as an “invitation to participate”). Because of their belief that landscapes are written to be read, they strive to manage change in historic landscapes rather than to preserve them wholesale. They “lift the bell jar” off of historic sites in an effort to ensure that contemporary society can access and value what has come before, allowing these public treasures to be loved and understood by the 21st century.
About: David A. Rubin, PLA, FASLA, FAAR is the founding principal of DAVID RUBIN Land Collective, a landscape architecture, urban design, and planning studio committed to practicing with an emphasis on socially purposeful design strategies. David’s visionary contribution to the field in “empathy-driven design” is a hallmark of the studio, earning increasing renown for fusing issues of social justice in cities with excellence in the design of public spaces. Educated at Connecticut College and Harvard University, he has taught and lectured at a number of institutions, including Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, the University of Pennsylvania School of Design, Louisiana State University, and Southern California Institute of Architecture. David is a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome, a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and recipient of the 2024 Elvira Broome Doolan medal which recognizes innovative work in landscape architecture with emphasis on city planning and civic improvement in urban areas. He was appointed by the U.S. State Department to serve on their Industry Advisory Group (IAG) to promote best practices in landscape architecture in Overseas Building Operations (OBO). His projects have received awards and honors from the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Society of College and University Planners, and the American Institute of Architects, among others.
David’s current work includes Grand Junction Park in Westfield, IN, a socially-purposeful, environmentally-resilient, and inclusive park focused on human engagement; the National World War I Memorial, new comfort stations throughout the National Mall and the Tidal Basin Master Plan; Franklin Park, and an expanse of riverfront along the Anacostia in Washington, D.C.; multiple projects for the Fort Wayne Riverfront in Indiana; and a new plaza for Temple University in Philadelphia. His studio’s work includes diverse typologies in locations from Los Angeles to Rome, Berlin, Cape Town, New York City, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia.
Date & Time
Thu, Apr 25, 2024 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Venue Details
Webb Deane Stevens Museum
211 Main StreetWethersfield, Connecticut 06109
