Landscape Architecture Podcast

Michael Todoran

Mission Statement: Our mission is to explore the hidden stories, innovations, and ideas that shape the landscapes around us. Through in-depth conversations with designers, planners, and visionaries, we delve into the art, science, and impact of landscape architecture. Each episode seeks to uncover how the spaces we design reflect our values, influence our lives, and transform our world. With curiosity and nuance, we aim to make the invisible elements of landscape architecture visible—connecting listeners to the environments they move through every day and fostering a deeper appreciation for the intersection of nature, design, and human experience.

  1. Sep 11

    Darren Baldwin 2

    In this follow-up conversation, Michael Todoran sits down again with Darren Baldwin, President of Pikus 3D https://pikus3d.com/, to go deeper into how 3D-printed concrete is changing the way landscape architects design, collaborate, and solve problems. The conversation moves beyond the initial novelty of watching a massive 3D printer in action and into what the technology actually makes possible. Darren discusses how removing the traditional constraints of molds and formwork can give designers greater freedom, allowing an early sketch or idea to stay intact as it moves from concept into fabrication. Michael and Darren explore Pikus 3D's design-assist process, the use of physical miniatures to help designers and clients understand projects, working directly in 3D rather than relying solely on conventional shop drawings, and how architects are becoming increasingly comfortable specifying additive-manufactured concrete. Darren also shares real-world examples of the technology in action, including custom stepping stones developed to solve an unexpected water-flow problem, lightweight concrete elements for challenging structural conditions, and projects where rapid fabrication turned site constraints into design opportunities. As 3D-printed concrete moves from something new and experimental toward a more established part of the design process, the conversation raises a larger question for landscape architects: What becomes possible when the limitations we have associated with concrete begin to disappear? https://www.hapsagency.com/ and https://www.landfx.com/

  2. Aug 31

    Torey Carter-Conneen ASLA CEO

    https://www.hapsagency.com/ PR for landscape architects Torey Carter-Conneen has served as Chief Executive Officer of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) since 2020, leading the 16,000-member organization through a period of significant change for both the association and the profession. In this conversation, Torey joins Michael Todoran to discuss what he has learned about landscape architecture after entering the profession from outside of design, and why curiosity has become central to the way he leads ASLA. Using ASLA's industry research as a starting point, they explore the business realities facing landscape architecture firms today: building and diversifying backlog, preparing for economic uncertainty, developing stronger relationships with architects and developers, and learning to communicate the economic value of landscape architecture in language clients understand. The conversation also moves beyond business into leadership itself. Torey and Michael discuss the value of asking questions, the problem with "fake it till you make it," imposter syndrome, and why even highly accomplished leaders continue to question themselves and their work. They also examine ASLA's role in advocating for licensure, communicating the profession's impact to the public, strengthening community engagement, and connecting landscape architecture to larger conversations around resilience, climate, public health, development, and the everyday places people inhabit. It is a wide-ranging conversation about leading a profession, running a practice, understanding your audience, and making a stronger case for why landscape architecture matters.

4.6
out of 5
62 Ratings

About

Mission Statement: Our mission is to explore the hidden stories, innovations, and ideas that shape the landscapes around us. Through in-depth conversations with designers, planners, and visionaries, we delve into the art, science, and impact of landscape architecture. Each episode seeks to uncover how the spaces we design reflect our values, influence our lives, and transform our world. With curiosity and nuance, we aim to make the invisible elements of landscape architecture visible—connecting listeners to the environments they move through every day and fostering a deeper appreciation for the intersection of nature, design, and human experience.

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