Peter Emerson
Peter melds landscape, planning, and architecture at all scales of design, while working closely with stakeholders, collaborators, and clients to create inspiring places for living, leisure, labor, and learning.
Peter has built a career around complex projects and integrated design. Since joining RIOS, Peter has quickly contributed these skills to become an integral part of the overall practice, and now helps to lead a practice of 60 landscape architects as a Studio Director. His wealth of experience designing and building campus landscapes, parks, and iconic public spaces has been an asset to some of RIOS’ most challenging projects.
His experience spans levels of scale and expertise, from organic farming systems in southeastern Pennsylvania to international experience designing landscapes on six continents and building projects on five, including new U.S. Embassy sites that promote ecological diplomacy and design excellence abroad. Prior to becoming a landscape architect, he developed two organic farming operations: one at the Rodale Institute Experimental Farm, and the other for Goodwill Industries International. His stance on productive landscapes is that they should be both beautiful and accessible. His projects find balance, whether it be between security and accessibility like at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool and grounds, or design and programming like at Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts in the Houston Theater District. It is common that his projects address, respect, and respond to culturally and historically significant site designs, such as for Village Green (Baldwin Hills Village) Landscape Framework Plan and Hollywood Bowl Centennial Vision Plan in Los Angeles. He is a registered landscape architect and a 2009 Olmsted Scholar.