LECTURE: Landscape Architect Mark Rios

The School of Landscape Architecture is proud to present Mark Rios, FAIA, FASLA, Founding Principal of Rios Clementi Hale Studios, as the second speaker of the Fall 2013 Lecture Series. Join us on Wednesday, November 6th @ 6:30pm to hear Mr. Rios describe his all encompassing collaborative design process which has culminated in world renowned projects.

As Founding Principal [of Rios Clementi Hale Studios], Mark Rios has led both the design and business direction of Rios Clementi Hale Studios since first establishing the firm Rios Associates in 1985. Under his design leadership, the firm has developed an international reputation for its collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach, establishing an award-winning tradition across an unprecedented range of design disciplines. His vision has always been to create complete environments – outside and inside – and to design all the elements that give each place its character.

Formally trained in both architecture and landscape architecture, Mark’s eclectic interests and innate curiosity have propelled his creative explorations beyond traditional professional borders. The firm – renamed in 2003 to acknowledge its collaborative nature – spans the design disciplines of architecture, landscape, interiors, urban design, graphics, branding, planning, and product design for clients that include entertainment studios and venues, cultural institutions, schools and universities, city agencies and departments, retail and restaurant establishments, and private individuals. Mark has been honored with over 50 professional design awards during his career and his projects have been widely published in over 100 national and international books and periodicals. Landscape commissions have ranged from the design of public parks, plazas, and streets, to private gardens, furniture, and products inspired by Mark’s desire for everyone to take note of and appreciate their surrounding ecological and cultural environments.

Mark was Chairman of Landscape Architecture at USC from 2001 to 2007, and has been on the faculty at UCLA. He was elevated to AIA Fellow in 1999 and to ASLA Fellow in 2006. Mark received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from USC, and both a Master of Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture degrees from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

Select projects Mark has worked on include Grand Park, The California Endowment, Nokia Plaza at LA Live and the First Street Master Plan.