by Robert Mueting
February 2010
Larry Halprin is so much a part of our professional lives at RJM Design Group that it is impossible to use the past tense when thinking about him, discussing him, or writing about him. So I won’t use the past tense! Larry is first and foremost a wonderful man. I have enjoyed the warmth of his friendship, the tremendous benefits of his mentoring, and the shear joy of his performance. He is a performer. In relaying a story about Larry at an interview for the Yosemite Falls Approach, one panel member described him thus: “A grisly old man walking in as though he was right off the mountain. He was all by himself and he told us what needed to be done.” That is the Larry Halprin I have worked with, known, and loved for the past twenty years. Yes, I said loved – though not in the Biblical sense! Larry always reminds us, “to define our terms.”
Larry’s language is always precise. He once corrected a prospective client who said that he was providing a “gracious accommodation” by delaying a site visit so that he could attend. "Well," Larry responded, “it may be gracious of you, but it certainly is not a big accommodation.” Larry had adjusted his travel schedule to attend the site meeting via his return flight from Israel.
Larry is passionate -- passionate about the environment, about people, and about the profession of landscape architecture. While sitting on a beautiful patio overlooking the Potomac River shortly after the dedication ceremony for the FDR Memorial, Larry shared his frustration with landscape architecture and landscape architects: “Landscape architecture is not providing leadership. No one is writing about important environmental issues. We need to lead the way. I am especially frustrated by young landscape architects, they need to publish, speak out, provide solutions.” Being quite a bit younger than Larry, and pinioned by the stare of his piercing blue eyes, I took his comments personally. So far, I have not lived up to his challenge. As a German-Irish Catholic, I have enough guilt to go around, so I am sharing the challenge with my son who is also a landscape architect -- based, no doubt, on the influence of Larry.
Larry is also passionate about family. He is very concerned about the world situation that faces his children and grandchildren. I know he wishes that he could leave them a world that was less complex, convoluted, bureaucratized, and politicized. He wishes that all of these problems could be resolved creatively as he would solve a design project. Larry knew that I shared this intense concern for family and In the glow of a campfire in Yosemite Valley Larry said to me, “You must be very proud to have a son who is carrying on your work.”
I believe that the success of my design business, and its survival in difficult times, is due in large part to Lawrence Halprin’s “Take Part” Consensus Workshop process. Larry gives us all a great legacy -- a community workshop process, many wonderful projects, numerous books and articles, and the memory of a passionate and talented mentor for our profession.
God bless you Larry.
Photo: Halprin and Mueting (Photo courtesy Robert Mueting)