Brian Stuhr
Brian Stuhr is the founding principal of Figure/Ground, a landscape architecture and urban design practice in Boise, Idaho. Fascinated by the complex relationships between people and their environments, Brian has a unique background rooted in earthwork construction, cultural anthropology, technology and art. This interdisciplinary foundation informs his diverse portfolio, which he has built over the past 15 years working on projects in the Pacific NW, Alaska and Hawai’i.
Early in his career, Brian worked with Ki Concepts in Hawai’i, where he developed a deep appreciation for the ways in which culture and landscape are intertwined; a perspective that continues to inform his design thinking. He then spent seven years in Portland, Oregon working for Mayer/Reed, contributing to award-winning projects across diverse scales and typologies. His portfolio includes national cemeteries, civic and institutional spaces, large-scale transportation planning, educational campuses, sports stadiums, urban streetscapes, public plazas, wineries, hospitality properties, and select private residences. Notable projects include Lakeridge Middle School, the Oregon Convention Center Plaza, and the Renovation of the Oregon State Capitol. His work reflects an ever-evolving interest in design, construction, and the collaborative, thoughtful processes and craftsmanship required to create meaningful places of lasting impact.
Committed to the advancement of landscape architecture, Brian has served on various panels and boards at the local and state levels in both Hawai’i and Oregon. He is deeply passionate about the design process, design education, materiality, technology and drawing. Ask him about drones and AI, about working with stone, the importance of sketching and hand graphics, or catch him at the next conference or studio crit.
Brian earned a bachelor's in anthropology from Willamette University and master’s degrees in both landscape architecture and urban design from the University of Colorado at Denver.