Carol Mayer-Reed
Carol Mayer-Reed, FASLA, is a principal of Mayer/Reed, Inc., based in Portland, Oregon. She embraces collaborative teamwork among clients, stakeholders, and staff to address complex and challenging urban projects. Throughout the last 40 years, her design work has emerged from a process that explores the social, cultural, ecological, and historic contexts of each place. This process yields timeless spaces that are catalytic, appropriate to the context, and that resonate with a genuine identify and character deeply felt by the inhabitants and users. Her design-oriented, multidisciplinary approach to sustainability and her commitment to excellence have resulted in a reputation for social understanding, environmental consciousness, and creative problem-solving. She enjoys both leading and being part of creative teams, both internally and externally, that work toward common goals.
Mayer/Reed is recognized regionally and nationally for design excellence and innovative, sustainable design solutions. Ms. Mayer-Reed’s experience represents a wide array of project types in both public and private sectors, ranging from waterfront and site master planning to transportation corridors, urban renewal projects, museums, parks and recreation, government services facilities, and corporate and higher-education campuses. Her work has been widely published, and she frequently presents at national conferences and university design programs.
Statement: Cornelia Hahn Oberlander has inspired me since the mid-1970s when I was a graduate student. During a field trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, I witnessed her urban design work for Robson Square. I was also struck by the cultural and environmental sensitivity in her artful design approach to the Museum of Anthropology. These two projects at opposite ends of the urban/rural spectrum indicated an impressive ability to work within the context of these sites, and with the architects, to achieve a seamless integration of building and landscape. These projects, in particular, strongly influenced me to pursue professional practice in the Pacific Northwest.
I’ve gotten to know Cornelia through the American Society of Landscape Architects over the decades and remain inspired by who she is and her amazing life story. She remains a strong supporter of women in our profession and is a recognized pioneer in forging positive relationships among design professionals. In doing so, she has demonstrated a high degree of respect and professional integrity throughout her long career. It’s rewarding to understand how our profession has expanded over the last 40 to 50 years. As landscape architects, we serve to educate and initiate essential conversations about life within our communities. We pursue the ideals of beauty and art, and we shape our cities in meaningful ways and advocate for the stewardship of our environment. Cornelia has played a significant role in the evolution of our profession, and I’m delighted that this program by The Cultural Landscape Foundation honors her with the naming of the Oberlander Prize.