MNLA’s New York City-based practice is seeking a Landscape Architect with 3-7 years of experience to join our team to design inspired landscapes and envision thoughtful place-making.
About MNLA:
MNLA creates transformative landscapes that connect communities and elevate ecological design. Our award-winning 32 person firm and has worked to reinvigorate, heal, and mediate places for over a quarter century. Current projects are located throughout the United States and include shorelines and piers, public open spaces and plazas, cultural institutions and historic sites, and campus planning and design. Please visit our website for more info www.mnlandscape.com
Required Skills:
We are seeking a highly motivated, enthusiastic, and committed candidate that demonstrates the following skills:
Preferred Qualifications/ Skills:
MNLA invests in its employees and offers a competitive salary based on experience, annual professional practice allowances for continuing education and licensure, health insurance and FSA, and a 401k/Profit Sharing Plan. Our team engages in active mentorship at all phases of design from concept to construction.
This is a full-time position based in New York City for immediate hire. The office currently works in a flexible-hybrid model that allows staff to balance their individual schedule with a minimum of three days in our lower Manhattan office.
All MNLA employees and interns must be fully vaccinated/boosted against COVID-19.
MNLA is an equal-opportunity employer.
Please send your resume and portfolio to info@mnlandscape.com. In the subject line please indicate the position you are applying for. Limit 10MB. Portfolio should clearly indicate applicant’s role on project and work authorization status.
St. Paul’s Chapel opened in 1766 and has been continuously operating since. It survived the fire of 1776 and after September 11th St. Paul’s became known as the ‘Chapel that Stood’.
MNLA, a leading landscape architecture firm responsible for the design of Little Island and Waterline Square in New York City, ushers in an era of transformative change and proudly announces the elevation of Alexis Gagné, Dan Yannaccone, Johanna Phelps, and Martha Desbiens to the role of Associate Principals. This strategic move marks a pivotal moment in MNLA's journey and underscores its commitment to growth, innovation, and steadfast values.
For over three decades, MNLA has upheld its core values, defined by transformation, a comprehensive vision and inclusive process that guides its design methodology and approach, and advocacy, a fundamental tenet of engendering incremental positive change. This leadership progression is a testament to the firm's evolution, as it continues to shape resilient business strategies.
“At this crucial juncture in landscape architecture, shaped by environmental challenges and a commitment to systemic change, MNLA stands poised for growth," said Founding Principal Signe Nielsen. “As the firm steps into an exciting new chapter, we will continue to apply the same care and thoughtfulness as we have in the past to our clients, design, and staff. I have full confidence in our new associate principals and am thrilled to work closely with them through this progression.”
The newly appointed Associate Principals bring a wealth of expertise and dedication to MNLA's legacy. As they continue their leadership roles, they will offer mentorship and act as reliable resources for the entire team while also taking on expanded responsibilities. Their multifaceted contributions are poised to significantly fuel the firm's success.
The leadership progression includes a close collaboration between existing Principals and the new Associate Principals. To ensure continuity and guidance during this shift, Founding Principal Signe Nielsen, along with Principals Rob DeMarco and Molly Bourne, will draw from their successful experience having assumed Principal roles in 1994 and 2014, respectively. Notably, as the firm celebrates its 30th anniversary, Signe’s leadership mirrors a rich history spanning three decades of dedication to the firm’s development.
"What employees can expect is a continued commitment to design, mentorship, training, and a collaborative approach to project success," said DeMarco. "We believe in the collective strength of our team, and this progression is an opportunity for advancement and growth for all."
“We are confident that Alexis, Dan, Johanna, and Martha will play pivotal roles in steering projects toward success while nurturing the development of our team members,” added Bourne.
The new leadership marks a strategic move for MNLA, reinforcing its unwavering dedication to advocating for transformative change, innovation, and a collective vision that shapes landscapes for the betterment of communities and the environment. It also demonstrates the firm's commitment to maintaining private, female-majority ownership and its recognition as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) and to pursuing work aligned with its core values, exploring new markets, and making tangible contributions to society.
MNLA is seeking a dynamic student to fill our 2024 summer internship position. The role runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, requiring a minimum of 10 weeks, and is a paid position where the student will gain experience in a variety of project phases and typologies.
Please email letter of interest, resume with three references, and portfolio to Ms. Katrina Williams, Human Resources Administrator at kwilliams@mnlandscape.com. No phone calls please.
Skills Required:
Undergraduate or graduate students advancing to their second through final year of study in an accredited landscape architecture program with the following characteristics:
What you may be working on:
The office is currently working in a flexible-hybrid model that allows interns to balance their individual schedule with a minimum of three days in our lower Manhattan office. If an intern chooses to work in the office and remotely then the intern must have a reliable remote computer and internet service.
MNLA requires all employees and interns to be fully vaccinated with booster.
MNLA is an equal-opportunity employer.
Schedule:
The ASLA-NY Plant Research Group is for professionals to collectively expand and share our knowledge of urban plants. This month’s walk will explore the gardens and meadows of Governor’s Island and will be led by MNLA Principal Molly Bourne.
If interested in the event, please email wendy.aslany@gmail.com
Event Timing – walk begins at 4:00 pm – please take the 3:15 ferry from the Battery Maritime Building. Meeting Location – Liggett Terrace
MNLA's Signe Nielsen is one of three whose work will be celebrated in NYBG's upcoming 2024 Winter Lecture Series From Skyline to Shoreline: Imaginative Waterfronts of NYC.
Signe's talk will discuss the importance of the choreography of Little Island and how its pathways allow the visitor to choose their own experience. Please click through for more info.
Explore NYC’s unique public park in this documentary and discover how the island came to be from founder Barry Diller, landscape architect Signe Nielsen and Park leadership. ALL ARTS Docs can be streamed on demand through their app on Apple TV, Roku, and AmazonFireTV. The full episode can also be viewed by clicking here.
Signe was recently featured in a documentary series hosted by the former mayor of the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough in Montreal that speaks to civic responsibility and how to encourage engagement through design. An edited version of episode 2- Gatineau can be watched by clicking on the title above.
With the ever-changing intersection of our natural and built environment, landscape architecture has never been more important in both advocating and delivering responsible and beautiful design. Each of these recently elevated individuals exemplifies consistent commitment to the creation of transformative landscapes. We wish them continued professional growth and success as valued members of the MNLA team!
MNLA’s New York City-based practice is seeking one or two Landscape Architects with 4-7 years of experience to join our team to design inspired landscapes and envision thoughtful place-making.
About MNLA:
MNLA creates transformative landscapes that connect communities and elevate ecological design. Our award-winning 27-person firm has worked to reinvigorate, heal, and mediate places for over a quarter century. Current projects are located throughout the United States and include shorelines and piers, public open spaces and plazas, cultural institutions and historic sites, and campus planning and design.
Required Skills:
Preferred Qualifications/ Skills:
MNLA invests in its employees and offers a competitive salary based on experience, annual professional practice allowances for continuing education and licensure, health insurance and FSA, and a 401k/Profit Sharing Plan. Our team engages in active mentorship at all phases of design from concept to construction.
This is a full-time position based in New York City for immediate hire. The office currently works in a flexible-hybrid model that allows staff to balance their individual schedule with a minimum of three days in our lower Manhattan office.
All MNLA employees and interns must be fully vaccinated/boosted against COVID-19.
MNLA is an equal-opportunity employer.
Salary is $68K to 82K per year commensurate with experience.
Please send your resume and portfolio to info@mnlandscape.com. In the subject line please indicate the position you are applying for. Limit 10MB. Portfolio should clearly indicate applicant’s role on project and work authorization status.
MNLA is participating in one education session at this year's ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture. Alda Chan, AICP, Director of Resiliency for NYC Parks, Trever Holland, Chair, Community Board 3 Parks, Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Waterfront Committee, and MNLA's Noriko Maeda will lead a session that speaks to the intersection of resilient design and environmental justice at New York's Pier 42.
Paths to Collective Resilience and Environmental Justice: Charting Pier 42
FRI-B06Friday, November 11, 2022
11:00am -12:00pm
PTMoscone Center, Room 213-214
San Francisco, CA
Little Island has been awarded the 2022 Best Urban Landscape MASterworks award by The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS). Established in 2001, the MASterworks Awards honor projects that make a significant contribution to New York City’s built environment.
To celebrate this win, MNLA will be hosting an exploration of Little Island with MAS on Wednesday, November 2, 4:30-5:30PM. Please click through for free ticket info.
Signe Nielsen and members of the visionary Design for Freedom Movement recently spoke with Madame Architect to discuss the initiative, the pilot projects, and actionable change.
The Design for Freedom movement brings industry leaders together to eliminate forced labor in building materials supply chains, create true market transformation, and build a more equitable future. Please click through to read more.
Facing climate change and rising sea levels, this symposium to be held at the Park Avenue Armory convenes artists, activists, and designers to engage the meeting of land with water. This afternoon activation is inspired by acclaimed director Peter Sellars’ call to “listen to the oceans,” and by director and scholar May Joseph‘s call for cosmopolitan citizenship in “fluid New York.” From the work of Indigenous water protectors who challenge extractive futures to urban planners responding to waterfront access, Art at Water’s Edge will offer an intergenerational forum for the imagination in action.
Signe will be taking part in Session 3: Where Do We Go From Here? scheduled from 4:00pm - 6:30pm. Please click through for ticket info and full symposium details.
MNLA has two tours to offer as part of Archtober, New York City’s month-long celebration of architecture and design.
On October 7, join MNLA's Signe Nielsen and Architect of Record Fabian Jabro from Standard Architects for a special tour of Little Island. No need to RSVP, just meet us at the top of the North Bridge at 11:00 am or 12:30 pm.
On October 12, MNLA's Molly Bourne will be hosting a tour of Waterline Square Park at noon. Join the waitlist here to attend.
Signe Nielsen was recently celebrated as Wave Hill's guest of honor at their annual Gardener's Party fund raiser. While making a significant impact on public open space throughout her career in New York City, Signe has also recently played a hand in the current iteration of Wave Hill, which has become more accessible under her guidance.The funds raised at the annual Gardener’s Party go towards programs like the volunteer program, which keeps the Wave Hill garden beautiful and open to the students, locals, and urban pilgrims who frequent it.
MNLA's Little Island will be featured in the upcoming Experimental Landings exhibition. Co-hosted by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and Pratt Institute's School of Architecture (SoA), Experimental Landings interrogates how designers assert agency through the representation, organization, and formation of land. Understood as an elastic and open-ended framework of consideration this collective exhibition of work will showcase how architecture and landscape experiments across "land" address new definitions of formal practice across the themes of Artificial Earths, Seeding Resilience, Imaging Ground, and Mapping Maintenance. Opening July 8th at the Graduate Architecture and Urban Design outpost on Governors Island through September 1.
The Environmental Justice Forum (EJF)—a weekly gathering that first convened on June 16th, 2020—is a grassroots, non-hierarchical effort among MNLA staff to see and uncover the racial injustices within our communities, our work, and the field of landscape architecture. In EJF, we aim to leverage the tools of communication, listening, and planning to work toward co-creating a just and equitable urban fabric.
In EJF, we challenge ourselves and each other to understand how our personal identities affect how we design and study the public realm; we attempt to uncover historical trends, policies, and actions that have insidiously imbued racism, misogyny, homophobia, ableism, xenophobia, classism, and transphobia into our urban landscapes; we reflect on our approach to meeting and working with communities, and to studying a project site; we look inward at where we hold privilege and work toward leveraging it; we aim to consider the experiences of those with and without privilege, while centering and learning from the narratives of Black People, Indigenous People, and People of Color as we keep designing the public realm of a city that so desperately needs it.
Months into a pandemic that slowed the metronome of New York City and the globe, the murder of George Floyd by Minnesota police ignited nationwide protests and a reckoning with the centuries of racism built into political, economic, social, and cultural systems of the United States. These racial inequities are intrinsic to the urban fabric. Recognizing that the ‘good’ we try to do as designers of the urban realm wasn’t always good enough and indeed often supporting systemically racist power structures, a groundswell of MNLA staff embarked on this co-learning project. Week by week, we began to scratch the surface about how isolated incidents of violence toward Black people fit within a much larger narrative of systemic racism and inequality.
As time went on, our conversations turned to questions of action: what can we do, as a group of employees at one landscape architecture firm, to work toward a more just and equitable office, industry, and city? We started small with a monthly Book Club and used guided exercises to discuss where we have and lack privilege in our personal identities. But there was an increasing need to do more, and take bigger steps. We had working meetings devoted to writing down all of our interests, ranging from developing an anti-racist design vocabulary to studying zoning practices to doing more educational outreach in high schools. These areas of interest then spawned smaller working groups, discussions, Slack channels, and action items. Some goals, like developing an equitable community engagement plan, volunteering in our local communities, and embedding our research in internal office practices and projects, continue to this day.
The amorphousness of EJF allowed us the freedom and flexibility to keep taking the group in new and/or multiple directions. If there was not enough time or personnel to accomplish a goal in its entirety, that was okay. If a goal was simply too far beyond the scope of landscape architecture, that was okay. Again and again we would confront the nagging feeling of wanting to make a difference but accepting that it was too big for us to solve alone, or not even up to landscape architects to solve it at all.
EJF’s magic and success lies in our collective commitment to keep learning and trying new things. Through trying (and sometimes failing), we learn where we have power, as individuals and as landscape architects, and where we do not. This alone is critical in our understanding of where we fit into the fight for racial, social, and environmental justice in the built environment.
We look forward to sharing more of what we’ve learned and worked on in this space and on Instagram. We hope that our endeavors can inspire others to do the same in their places of work. We have learned that our work and the workplace are not immune to politics and the perniciousness of social inequity. And most importantly, we have each other to keep the momentum going, to stay inspired and committed to making a difference, one week at a time.
These promotions represent consistent leadership and dedication to the practice, while elevating MNLA's commitment to advocacy and transformation in landscape architecture. We look forward to their contributions both to the firm and to the field this year and beyond.
JACOB KUHN, ASLA, WEDG – Senior Landscape Designer
ERIN MCCABE, RLA, ASLA – Senior Landscape Architect
YELENA ZOLOTOREVSKAYA, RLA - Senior Landscape Architect
MNLA is seeking a dynamic student to fill our summer 2022 internship position. The internship runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, requiring a minimum of 10 weeks, and is a paid position where the student will gain experience in a variety of project phases.
Skills Required:
Undergraduate or graduate students advancing to their second through final year of study in an accredited landscape architecture program with the following characteristics:
-A great attitude
-Graphic skills using the Adobe Suite
-AutoCAD proficiency
-Plant knowledge
-Rhino 3D modeling
-GIS skills a plus
-Lumion knowledge is a plus
-Good organizational skills
What you may be working on:
-Design collaboration with project teams
-Preparation of Graphics and Construction Documents
-Attend internal and external project meetings
-Site visits to construction sites
-Research
MNLA requires all employees and interns to be fully vaccinated with booster.
The office is currently working in a flexible-hybrid model that allows interns to balance their individual schedule with a minimum of three days in our lower Manhattan office. If an intern chooses to work both in the office and remotely then the intern must have a reliable remote computer and internet service.
Schedule:
Deadline for submission of application materials is February 11, 2022
Selection, inclusive of video conference interviews, by February 25, 2022.
Please email letter of interest, resume with three references, and portfolio to Ms. Katrina Williams, Administrative Manager at kwilliams@mnlandscape.com
Subject line shall indicate position above. Portfolio images must be sent as a single PDF no larger than 10 MB. Candidates will receive email confirmation that their material was received. No phone calls please.
Heatherwick Studio, MNLA and Arup recently chatted with ArchDaily on their collaborative design for New York's Little Island. Click through to listen now.
Two MNLA projects are recipients of the 2021 ULI NY Awards for Excellence in Development. The Urban Land Institute’s prestigious awards program honors best-in-class development in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors that reflect responsible land use practice and creation of sustainable, thriving communities.
Stavros Niarchos Foundation-David Rockefeller River Campus at The Rockefeller University was awarded Excellence in Institutional Development. MNLA designed 1.4 acres of new open space that, for the first time, engages and celebrates the riverfront location of the campus and affords a place of respite.
Industry City was awarded Excellence in Repositioning and Development. MNLA designed the open-to-the-public Courtyard 3/4, which successfully captures the scale of, and views within, a post-industrial space.
Join the award-winning creative team at MNLA. Our New York City-based practice is looking for skilled Landscape Architects and Designers to immediately fill the following two positions:
Landscape Designer (1-3 years) Landscape Designer/Architect (3-5 years)
MNLA is a collaborative landscape architecture practice that creates thoughtful place-making and ecological design solutions at multiple scales for over 25 years. We are committed to transformation and advocacy as a living and evolving philosophy that represents our firm’s values and culture and believe that landscape architecture is more than a profession – it is an optimistic way of seeing the world and envisioning possibilities that are both beautiful and responsible.
We are seeking two highly motivated, enthusiastic, and committed candidates that demonstrate the following skills:
Strong graphic and verbal communication, fluency in ACAD, Adobe Creative Suite and 3d modeling, ability to work on a team and individually, excellent organizational abilities, strength in both remote and in-person work models, and knowledge of plant material.
MNLA invests in its employees and offers a competitive salary based on experience, annual professional practice allowances for continuing education and licensure, health insurance, and a 401k/Profit Sharing Plan. Our team engages in active mentorship at all phases of design from concept to construction. The office is currently working in a flexible-hybrid model that allows employees to balance their individual schedule while working in the office and remotely.
Please send your resume and portfolio to info@mnlandscape.com. In the subject line please indicate the position you are applying for. Limit 10MB. Portfolio should clearly indicate applicant’s role on project and work authorization status. We will be accepting resumes through October 1, 2021. No phone calls please.
MNLA is pleased to announce 2021 promotions. Our new Associate and Senior Landscape Architect share our passion for creating exemplary spaces at varying scales as well as demonstrated leadership and dedication to MNLA. Our Director of Accounting is being elevated for his commitment to our staff and our clients and keeping us financially healthy. Our practice is rooted in collaboration and we look forward to their continued contributions both to the firm and to the field this year and beyond.
STACIE ELLICKSON, RLA, ASLA, WEDG
We are thrilled to share that Industry City, Waterline Square, the National Veteran’s Resource Center, and The Stavros Niarchos Foundation-David Rockefeller River Campus at The Rockefeller University are finalists in several categories in the ULI New York Awards for Excellence. The awards recognize projects that enhance the sustainability, viability, and vitality of their communities - which directly echo several of our firm's core values. MNLA is proud to have collaborated with each project team, providing landscape architecture services. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eaZgwAy
Little Island, the new 2.4-acre urban park and performance venue situated above the Hudson River in New York City officially opens to the public today. Owned by the Hudson River Park and designed by Heatherwick Studio and the New York-based landscape architecture firm MNLA, the opening of Little Island is the culmination of over 8 years of planning, development and construction.
MNLA collaborated with Heatherwick Studio to realize the park, its circulation system, and to design performance spaces including an open plaza for recreational and educational programs, as well as leading the design of the comprehensive landscape. Using the team’s 3D model, we were able to effectively determine the layers of gravel, geofoam and soils that make up the surficial topography.
“Little Island is a special place that affords New Yorkers the rare opportunity to experience a multi-sensory landscape. As one strolls through the park many destinations beckon—overlooks with unparalleled views, cultural venues with continually changing offerings, sloping lawns for picnics, and seating nooks with contemplative sights. Each of these is engulfed by a unique landscape that transitions from a rich diversity of colors and textures to open grasslands as one ascends the three hills. My hope is that visitors are surprised and delighted each time they come. This has been an amazing journey that could not have been realized without the entire design team’s extraordinary collaboration, and I especially appreciate the dedication of our firm’s Senior Associate Dan Yannaccone.”
-Signe Nielsen, MNLA Founding Principal
Additional information and visuals can be found here, here, and here
MNLA's Principal Emerita Kim Mathews, RLA, FASLA recently spoke with Scenic Hudson about her planning and design work for West Point Foundry Preserve in Cold Spring, NY as part of their new #MeetTheMakers series. Please click through to read more.
Join us Tuesday January 26, when Signe Nielsen will be giving a sneak peek of the planting on Little Island as part of the 25th anniversary of Plant-O-Rama, a (virtual) symposium and trade show for horticulture professionals. Her talk, Little Island: A Refuge in the Storm, is scheduled for 9:45am. Registration for the full Zoom event can be found here.
Signe Nielsen joins Sage & Coombe Architects and Todd Williams Billie Tsien Architects to discuss the renovation of The Noguchi Museum on Monday, October 19 at 1pm. This program is part of Archtober's month-long celebration of architecture and design in New York. This program is free - please click through for registration information.
Panelists: Charles Renfro, Mitchel J Silver, Pam Elam
This panel is part of the fourth annual City of Tomorrow real estate forum, the only B2C and B2B forum uniting key players from the worlds of architecture, real estate, and interior design to address the following questions: What does the city of tomorrow look like in a post–covid world? How can we make a city like New York healthier? How can we build a more equitable and sustainable future through public policy, infrastructure, urban planning and design? What lessons can policy-makers, developers and designers learn from the crisis?
Registration is FREE.
NYCEDC Chief Operating Officer Rachel Loeb, NYC Parks Queens Borough Commissioner Michael Dockett, DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, Interim Queens Borough President Sharon Lee, Council Member I. Daneek Miller, Council Member Adrienne Adams, MNLA's Noriko Maeda and community leaders today celebrated the completion of the Atlantic Avenue Extension project and opened the newly created Gateway Park in Queens.
Designed by MNLA the 0.86 acre park boasts a new playground, additional open space,and shaded seating and builds on the firm’s revitalization plan for downtown Jamaica. "We're thrilled this long-awaited project offering open space and safe roadways is complete for all of the residents in this community to enjoy,” said Community Board 12 District Manager Ms. Yvonne Reddick.
CEUs will be provided. Please click through for registration information.
ERIC GARNER - JOHN CRAWFORD III - MICHAEL BROWN - EZELL FORD - DANTE PARKER - MICHELLE CUSSEAUX - LAQUAN MCDONALD - GEORGE MANN - TANISHA ANDERSON - AKAI GURLEY - TAMIR RICE - RUMAIN BRISBON - JERAME REID MATTHEW AJIBADE - FRANK SMART - NATASHA MCKENNA - TONY ROBINSON ANTHONY HILL - MYA HALL - PHILIP WHITE - ERIC HARRIS - WALTER SCOTT WILLIAM CHAPMAN II - ALEXIA CHRISTIAN - BRENDON GLENN - VICTOR MANUEL LAROSA - JONATHAN SANDERS - FREDDIE GRAY - JOSEPH MANN - SALVADO ELLSWOOD - SANDRA BLAND - ALBERT JOSEPH DAVIS - DARRIUS STEWART - BILLY RAY DAVIS - SAMUEL DUBOSE - MICHAEL SABBIE - BRIAN KEITH DAY - CHRISTIAN TAYLOR - TROY ROBINSON - ASSHAMS PHAROAH MANLEY - FELIX KUMI - KEITH HARRISON MCLEOD - JUNIOR PROSPER - LAMONTEZ JONES - PATERSON BROWN - DOMINIC HUTCHINSON - ANTHONY ASHFORD - ALONZO SMITH - TYREE CRAWFORD - INDIA KAGER - LA’VANTE BIGGS - MICHAEL LEE MARSHALL - JAMAR CLARK - RICHARD PERKINS - NATHANIEL HARRIS PICKETT - BENNI LEE TIGNOR MIGUEL ESPINAL - MICHAEL NOEL - KEVIN MATTHEWS - BETTIE JONES - QUINTONIO LEGRIER - KEITH CHILDRESS JR. - JANET WILSON - RANDY NELSON - ANTRONIE SCOTT - WENDELL CELESTINE - DAVID JOSEPH - CALIN ROQUEMORE - DYZHAWN PERKINS - CHRISTOPHER DAVIS - MARCO LOUD - PETER GAINES - TORREY ROBINSON - DARIUS ROBINSON - KEVIN HICKS - MARY TRUXILLO - DEMARCUS SEMER - WILLIE TILLMAN - TERRILL THOMAS - SYLVILLE SMITH - ALTON STERLING PHILANDRO CASTILE - TERENCE CRUTCHER - PAUL O’NEAL - ALTERIA WOODS JORDAN EDWARDS - AARON BAILEY - RONELL FOSTER - STEPHON CLARK ANTWON ROSE II - BOTHAM JEAN - PAMELA TURNER - DOMINIQUE CLAYTON ATATIANA JEFFERSON - CHRISTOPHER WHITFIELD - CHRISTOPHER MCCOVEY ERIC REASON - MICHAEL LORENZO DEAN - BREONNA TAYLOR - GEORGE FLOYD
“The rate at which black Americans are killed by police is more than twice as high as the rate for white Americans. This is a non-comprehensive list of deaths at the hands of police in the U.S. since Eric Garner’s death in July 2014.”
LA Johnson/NPR
“A Decade of Watching Black People Die”
It is undeniable that racial injustice is embedded into our urban fabric. For decades Black Americans have faced unequal access to housing, open space, education, and other public services. Racist, exclusionary practices are revealed in public spaces, where we see unequal and unjust treatment of Black people by law enforcement and other members of the public. In both openly hostile and concealed ways, Black people have been disregarded as equal members of the public realm.
Individually and collectively, we have contributed to a system that dehumanizes Black people. We cannot deny the enduring trauma of oppression, and the need to amplify Black voices.
Black Lives Matter.
“To be seen, to live with dignity, and to be connected.”
BLM Co-Founder Alicia Garza
MNLA commits to anti-racist transformation of the built environment and landscape architecture profession.
We have established an internal MNLA Advocacy Team to evaluate our initiatives and expression of our firm’s core values.
We will reexamine our community outreach, site analysis, precedent studies, and research strategies to strengthen the inclusion and social justice foundations we design from.
We will reconsider our design vocabulary and establish an accessible, anti-racist, anti-oppressive glossary to better communicate our process and intentions.
We will examine our staff and intern hiring practices. We commit to increasing diversity within the profession and support organizations that build equity and diversity in the public realm, landscape architecture, and in allied professions.
MNLA is pleased to announce 2020 promotions. They reflect demonstrated leadership and dedication to the practice, while elevating and championing MNLA's commitment to advocacy and transformation in landscape architecture. We look forward to their contributions both to the firm and to the field this year and beyond.
Senior Landscape Architect
WILLIAM HART, RLA, ASLA,LEED™AP
Senior Associate
MELISSA HOW, RLA, ASLA, LEED™AP
Associate
Senior Associate
Senior Landscape Architect
MNLA is currently seeking a Summer 2020 intern! Applications are due February 28th. Please click here for more info.
On November 14, Signe Nielsen will be presenting an in-depth look at her signature projects and practice as an urban designer at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum as part of their landscape lecture series. Please click through for more info.
For OHNY Weekend, Open House New York will be hosting an afternoon of talks and performances to celebrate the opening of the TWA Hotel. Associate Alexis Gagne will take part in a panel discussion with the design team to discuss the reinvention of a Saarinen icon. This event is now sold out. To sign up for the waitlist, click here.
A diverse panel of “East River experts” that includes designers, developers, and community representatives will convene at the Center for Architecture on October 21 to present their experiences and conflicting views on access and development along the Lower East River.
This is the first program in a series of forums on The Future of the NYC Waterfront planned through 2020 to conduct outreach, intending to inform the NYC Comprehensive Waterfront Plan: Vision 2030 through the Waterfront Management Advisory Board. Please click through for more info.
Person Place Thing is an interview show hosted by Randy Cohen based on the idea that people are particularly engaging when they speak, not directly about themselves, but about something they care about.
The result: surprising stories from great speakers. The next installment of Person Place Thing will be a live conversation with Signe Nielsen, FASLA, Founding Principal of MNLA on Thursday, September 5 at the Center for Architecture. Click through to learn more about ticket info and more. https://calendar.aiany.org/2019/08/05/person-place-thing-with-randy-cohen-featuring-signe-nielsen/
On Saturday July 20, Signe will join the AIANY Women in Architecture Committee for a special networking architecture cruise focused on a wide range of waterfront projects designed or built by women. Featured projects will include Pier 55, Hudson River Park and Pier 42, a critical missing link of public access along the shoreline. Please click through for more details and registration information.
MNLA is excited to announce that our entry "All Aboard! Reclaiming Hill & Del" has won the Jury Award for the DL&W Corridor Design Ideas Competition. The Western New York Land Conservancy launched the Reimagining the DL&W Corridor: International Design Ideas Competition in November 2018 to revive an abandoned stretch of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western (DL&W) railway that runs from Canalside to the Solar City plant in Buffalo, NY.
“It is exciting to see that the winning designs focused on creating a gathering place for the community that is alive with the history and the voice of the surrounding neighborhoods,” said Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes. “It’s just another move toward reconnecting the people with our most treasured resource – our waterfront.”
As part of NYCxDesign, the Fine Arts Federation of New York, in collaboration with the New York City Public Design Commission, is exploring the next frontier in people-friendly urban street design: shared spaces.
Signe Nielsen will be a respondent to a presentation given by Vishaan Chakrabarti, Principal of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism | PAU on the creation and implementation of shared spaces around the world on Wednesday, May 15 at 5pm. This event is free, with registration required. Please click through for more info.
MNLA is pleased to announce 2019 promotions. Our new Associate, along with five new Senior Landscape Architects, exemplify exceptional design skills and leadership. MNLA's practice is rooted in collaboration and we look forward to their contributions to both the firm and the field in the years ahead.
Martha Desbiens, RLA, ASLA, SITES AP
A recording of Signe and Molly's September 10 event with David Burney at the Center for Architecture is now available and can be found here.
MNLA is thrilled to receive a New Jersey ASLA Honor award for Randall's Island Connector in the category Landscape Architectural Design - Site Design. The awards ceremony took place on Monday, February 11th at the NJ ASLA Annual Meeting in Atlantic City, NJ where Managing Principal Rob DeMarco accepted.
MNLA is thrilled to be part of Open House New York 2018! We will be giving tours of Spring Street Park and Industry City this weekend - check out www.ohny.org/weekend to plan your weekend!
On Tuesday, October 3rd MNLA staff spent the day on Governors Island working with the Trust’s horticultural staff to prune and care for recently planted trees. This volunteer day provided the opportunity for landscape designers and horticulture staff to engage in a dialogue on the design and maintenance of the park’s landscapes. We are grateful to the staff at the Trust for Governors Island for hosting our team and for the opportunity to help guide the vision for the park’s plantings.
The village of Westbury was awarded a $10 million state grant for downtown revitalization, with all of its priority projects now officially funded. MNLA, as part of the BJH Advisors’ Westbury Downtown Revitalization Initiative worked with the community to identify these improvement projects within Westbury’s downtown core as well as the greater Westbury/Nassau County area. Proposed streetscape improvements will create a sense of identity for downtown Westbury, while being adaptive enough to work with site constraints encountered during the future design and construction phases.
Last night Governors Island Phase 2: The Hills was awarded the Best Urban Landscape MASterworks award by The Municipal Art Society. This annual competition recognizes projects completed in the preceding year that made a significant contribution to New York’s built environment.
The Fashion Institute of Technology's (FIT) New Academic Building will receive an award from the Public Design Commission of the City of New York this evening at the 35th Annual Awards for Excellence in Design. Projects considered for the award only include developments proposed on city-owned properties, and candidates are usually submitted by various city agencies. The building, designed by SHoP with landscape design by MNLA, will be located on the northern edge of the campus and host smart classrooms, a textile lab, administrative offices, and a student life hall.
Since its groundbreaking in December 2016, the project team has moved 22,000 cubic yards of soil to date to create a world-class airport hotel at JFK International Airport. The hotel is scheduled to open in late 2018/early 2019.
MNLA is part of the design team that will transform the Sheridan Expressway. Please click through for more info.
The Whitney Museum was awarded a 2017 American Architecture Award by The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
MNLA, along with West 8, landed an ASLA NY Honor Award for Governor's Island Phase 2: The Hills as announced on March 17. Our firm, alongside Snohetta, also landed a Merit Award for our work on the Times Square Reconstruction. The awards will be distributed at the ASLA-NY Design Awards Ceremony and Reception which will be held Thursday, April 6 at the Center for Architecture in New York City. All winning projects will also be on display at the Center through April.
MNLA is part of the Todd Williams Billie Tsien Architects team who was bestowed with a Merit Award for Architecture for the Kim and Tritton Residence Halls, Haverford College, Haverford, PA.
Signe was named one of the top 100 influencers of the landscape architecture and design industry by www.fixr.com
How can government agencies rethink public space to sustain lasting value?
Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017 // 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
The Arsenal Gallery // 830 Fifth Ave., Third Floor
For the second installment of the Parks Without Borders Discussion Series, this discussion will delve into how government agencies can rethink guidelines, concepts, and expectations to sustain lasting value, helping to support a more seamless public realm.
Speakers: Justin Moore, AICP, Executive Director and Signe Nielsen, FASLA, President NYC Public Design Commission
Moderator: Nancy Prince, Deputy Chief of Design, NYC Parks
RSVP here.