Ken Smith (born 1953) is an internationally acclaimed American

landscape architect A landscape architect is a person who is educated in the field of landscape architecture. The practice of landscape architecture includes: site analysis, site inventory, site planning, land planning, planting design, grading, storm water manage ...

Biography

Kenneth W. Smith was born in

Waukee, Iowa Waukee is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,940 at the time of the 2020 U.S. Census. It is part of the Des Moines – West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2017, Apple Inc. chose Waukee as th ...

, and attended

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricult ...

, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture in 1976. After graduation, he apprenticed with sculptor Paul Shao, and worked for the Iowa Conservation Commission in Parks and Recreation Planning. He attended the

Harvard Graduate School of Design The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) is the graduate school of design at Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It offers master's and doctoral programs in architecture, landscape architecture, urba ...

, and received his Master in Landscape Architecture in 1986. After working in the office of Peter Walker and

Martha Schwartz Martha Schwartz (born November 21, 1950) is an American landscape architect and educator. Schwartz is the founding principal of Martha Schwartz Partners, a landscape architecture firm based in London, New York City, and Shanghai. She was for a t ...

, he opened his own office
Ken Smith Workshop
in New York City in 1992. Smith is active as an educator, teaching as an adjunct professor at the

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...

from 1992 to 1996, and as a visiting design critic at the

from 1997 to the present. In 2012, Smith was honored as a Fellow of the

American Society of Landscape Architects The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is a professional association for landscape architects in the United States. The ASLA's mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education, and fellowship. ...

. In addition, Smith is also a board member of the

Architectural League of New York The Architectural League of New York is a non-profit organization "for creative and intellectual work in architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construct ...

and is active in advocating preservation of modern works of landscape architecture. Smith was the recipient of the 2011 Christian Petersen Design Award presented by the Iowa State University College of Design. He is well known for his work on the Roof Garden of New York City's

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

, which consists of white gravel, recycled black rubber, crushed glass, sculptural stones and artificial boxwood plants in a camouflage pattern. Smith was a member of the THINK Team in the World Trade Center competition in 2002. Smith was awarded a major commission for

Orange County Great Park The Great Park is a public park in Irvine, California, with a focus on sports, agriculture, and the arts. It is a non-aviation reuse of the decommissioned Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) El Toro. The Orange Co ...

, a urban park on the decommissioned El Toro Marine Base in Orange County,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Ken is responsible for the landscape architecture of the

World One World One is a , 76-floor skyscraper in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. As of 2024, it is the second tallest completed building in India and the fourth tallest overall. It is on the site of the defunct Shrinivas Mill. The site also houses two ot ...

project in Mumbai, India.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Ken 1953 births Living people American landscape architects Iowa State University alumni Harvard Graduate School of Design alumni Harvard University staff City College of New York faculty People from Waukee, Iowa