feature

The Office of Dan Kiley: Joe Karr Oral History

Born in Rochelle, Illinois, Joe Karr studied landscape architecture at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, under noted professor Stanley White. Karr then earned his M.L.A. from the University of Pennsylvania under the direction of Ian McHarg and Karl Linn, working for the National Park Service in Philadelphia while completing his degree. After serving in the U.S. Army, Karr accepted a position in Charlotte, Vermont, with the Office of Dan Kiley. Both Vermont and Kiley would prove to be strong influences on Karr. During his six years with Kiley's practice (1963-1969), Karr worked on the Oakland Museum of California and the Ford Foundation Atrium, among other noteworthy projects. His co-workers included Henry Arnold, Peter Ker Walker, Ian Tyndall, Philip Shipman, Roger Osbaldeston, and Harriet Pattison.

After leaving Kiley's office, Karr started his own practice in Chicago, Illinois, where he continued to collaborate with preeminent Chicago Modernist architects, including Harry Weese. Karr’s vision has shaped many important sites in America’s heartland, including the Ameritech Center in Hoffman Estates, IL, Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, IL, and the Wrigley Global Innovation Center in Chicago, along with the Terman Engineering Center at Stanford University, the IBM campus in East Fishkill, New York, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In addition to his prolific career as a designer, Karr became involved with the American Society of Landscape Architects’ (ASLA) Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board, helping to establish the educational framework for the profession of landscape architecture. He was named a Fellow of the ASLA in 1992.

Oral History Framework

Video clips are divided into three categories: BIOGRAPHY, DESIGN, and PROJECTS.

Each clip is between 1 and 6 minutes long.

Interview: Joe Karr was interviewed by Charles A. Birnbaum in Washington, D.C. in May 2017.

Joe Karr Oral History Transcript.pdf

Reflections: The Cultural Landscape Foundation contacted Karr's colleagues and professional associates to share their stories and memories.

Joe Karr Reflections.pdf

YouTube Clip Listing by Category


BIOGRAPHY 1. The Office of Dan Kiley: Joe Karr Biography; Stanley White at the University of Illinois Karr's recollections about an influential professor who spurred his students' creativity through seemingly random, but ultimately effective exercises. Interviewed by Charles A. Birnbaum, May 2017. 2. The Office of Dan Kiley: Joe Karr Biography; Wings Point Joe Karr discusses what it meant to work for the Office of Dan Kiley at Wings Point, VT. The location on Lake Champlain was a major inspiration for the team, shaping not only their design work but also their personal lives. 3. The Office of Dan Kiley: Joe Karr Biography; We Trusted Dan Kiley’s management style, and frequent travel, promoted collaboration, camaraderie and self-confidence among his team of 25-30-year-old designers. Interviewed by Charles A. Birnbaum, May 2017. 4. The Office of Dan Kiley: Joe Karr Biography; Columbus and Dan Kiley How did Columbus, IN become a Modernist mecca? Landscape architect Joe Karr discusses the creation of the list of the preferred architects who worked in Columbus – a list that only included one landscape architect, Dan Kiley, with whom Karr worked from 1963-1969.			DESIGN 1. The Office of Dan Kiley: Joe Karr on Design; A Kiley Landscape Design isn’t predetermined; it evolves out of the site, the program and the client’s needs. Moreover, landscape architecture and architecture are interwoven, not separate.. Interviewed by Charles A. Birnbaum, May 2017. 2. The Office of Dan Kiley: Joe Karr on Design; The Right Tree Kiley knew trees – their structure, texture, color, form and hardiness, and their appropriateness for a designed landscape. Interviewed by Charles A. Birnbaum, May 2017. 3. The Office of Dan Kiley: Joe Karr on Design; Geometry The order of Kiley’s geometric designs took their cues, in part, from the inherent geometry found in natural forms, such as snowflakes. Interviewed by Charles A. Birnbaum, May 2017.		PROJECTS 1. The Office of Dan Kiley: Joe Karr Projects; Oakland Museum of California Karr’s initial job was the museum’s roof garden, one of the first in the country, which had nearly 200 planters on multiple levels. Interviewed by Charles A. Birnbaum, May 2017. 2. The Office of Dan Kiley: Joe Karr Projects; Ford Foundation Atrium Installing 35-foot-tall magnolia trees that each weighed nine tons on a steep building site was one of many challenges faced in creating a garden in a 120-foot-tall atrium. Interviewed by Charles A. Birnbaum, May 2017. 3. The Office of Dan Kiley: Joe Karr Projects; Ameritech Center Careful teamwork was necessary to create a 200-acre corporate campus with extensive exterior and interior gardens, including parking structures hidden by the landscape. Interviewed by Charles A. Birnbaum, May 2017. 4. The Office of Dan Kiley: Joe Karr Projects; Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery Constructed on the site of a former 24,000-acre munitions plant, the landscape integrates a second-growth forest to provide a serene setting for veterans and their families. Interviewed by Charles A. Birnbaum, May 2017.

Production Credits and Acknowledgments

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Charles A. Birnbaum, FASLA, FAAR

INTERVIEWER

Charles A. Birnbaum, FASLA, FAAR

PROJECT MANAGER

Barrett Doherty, ASLA

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Barrett Doherty, ASLA

EDITOR/ANIMATION

Barrett Doherty, ASLA

COMPOSER

Brian Cho

TRANSCRIPT EDITOR

Scott Craver, FAAR

The Cultural Landscape Foundation would like to thank the many people who contributed to making the Office of Dan Kiley: Joe Karr Oral History a reality.

A project such as this comes to life only through the tremendous efforts of many individuals and organizations. Thank you to Joe Karr for making time in his schedule for the May 2017 interview, traveling to Washington, D.C., and generously sharing his extensive personal archives of images. We are grateful for the images from the publication, 100 Years of Landscape Architecture at the University of Illinois, compiled by Professor Gary Kesler and made available by the Landscape Architecture Department at The University of Illinois. Linda Scinto of Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates LLC kindly provided several drawings of the Ford Foundation and photographs of Kevin Roche. We are especially grateful to the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), our Annual Sponsor for the oral history series.

There were many generous funders for this oral history, starting with the Hubbard Educational Foundation, Hoerr Schaudt, James Lord, David Calle, Paul Guzzetta, James A. Stevenson, Raymond Jungles, Inc., Pamela Self, Jeff Carbo, Bruce A. Church, Alexis Woods, Michael Albert, Kenny Gallt, Bradley McCauley, Mario Nievera, Susan Turner, Linda Corkery, Mark Stanley, John Howard, Bonnie LePard, Tim Ball, Charles A. Birnbaum, Kevin Finley, Frank Mariani, Deborah Nevins, Seth Rodewald-Bates, Charlene Roise, Joan Shafran, Kevin Vancina, Mark Dennis, Charlie Proutt, Margaret Robinson, and Chloe Imus.

Photographs, prints, and drawings reproduced courtesy of the following individuals and institutions:

Henry Arnold; Charles A. Birnbaum; Marion Brenner; Antonio Miguel de Campos; Bruce Davidson, Magnum Photos; Tom Fox; Joan Halifax; Tom Harris; Joe Karr; Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates LLC; Aaron Kiley; David Leventi; Pascalou Petit; Rushil; and Schnobby.

University and Museum Archives:

University of Illinois Archives, Champaign Urbana, Courtesy the University of Illinois Archives, image number: 0003064

The Office of Dan Kiley: Joe Karr Oral History

Oral History Framework

Related Content

Oral History Sponsors

Support From