Landscape Institute
Message from the Director
Just as a designer enjoys seeing a project or garden as it nears completion and fruition, as a Director, I look forward to releasing each new catalog when our curriculum planning and program development, accomplished behind the scenes, is finally ready for the public. This Fall/Winter 2009 catalog is particularly special given the Landscape Institutes move to join the Boston Architectural College in Boston’s Back Bay. We have worked hard to draw together diverse but complementary elements for the education and enjoyment of our constituents and, as ever, we are fortunate to have the ongoing dedication of our long-term faculty, and look forward to the addition of new talent, including Nan Sinton and Tobias Wolf.
Ms. Sinton will be joining us to lead study tours to explore spectacular flora in places such as Morocco, and picturesque Saxon Transylvania. Lovers of history are sure to enjoy her fascinating fall class on horticultural anthropology, without traveling any farther than Boston. Ms. Sinton, former manager of Horticulture Magazine’s tour department, is also president and co-founder of Sinton & Michener Associates, a horticultural design consultancy since 1987; Fellow of the Linnaean Society of London in 1989; and co-authored of the Taylor’s Guide to Groundcovers (2001).
Tobias Wolf’s strong design skills and experience make him a great resource for the school and its students. Mr. Wolf has taught design, drawing, and architectural history at the Rhode Island School of Design, Cornell University, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges. We are happy to have him return to the Institute this fall, combining his design insights with his interest in cultural and natural processes on landforms.
I believe the semester is off to a powerful start at our new home, the Boston Architectural College, featuring creative design, skill development, and content-rich courses. In addition to the catalog offerings, please visit the Institute’s website for news on special events, workshops, lectures, and symposiums, the-bac.edu/landscapeinstitute
Last but not least, congratulations to Catherine Wiersema, the 2009 recipient of the distinguished faculty award for excellence in teaching. Ms. Wiersema’s popular class “Landscape Design Professional Practice” is a valuable tool for students looking to launch their own design practices. For the first time this fall Ms. Wiersema is offering an “Advanced Professional Practice” course for graduates and students who own their own businesses. Ms. Wiersema earned an MBA from Simmons College; she is a wonderful example of a successful Landscape Institute graduate, generous teacher, and prolific designer.
Heather D. Heimarck, Director
The Landscape Institute at the BAC