Liat Margolis is the co-author of Living Systems: Innovative Materials & Technologies for Landscape Architecture. In this dispatch, Liat discusses her book, her engagement with the world of materials, the GSD Materials Collection, the University of Toronto and the cocoa jute log.

Gary Hilderbrand is a founding principals of Reed Hilderbrand and a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome. Gary joins Terragrams to discuss his partnership with Douglas Reed, professional practice, multiple career paths, and his role in the 5th European Biennal of Landscape Architecture in Barcelona.

Chris Reed is a registered landscape architect and the principal and founder of the Boston-based practice Stoss Landscape Urbanism. Stoss operates within and between the fields of urban design, landscape architecture and planning and recognizes the urban context, large and small-scale ecological systems and functionality as basic tenets of its practice.

Kristine Jensen is a Danish landscape architect with her Studio AKJT in Aarhus. At the Aarhus School of Architecture, she received her PhD and Masters of Architecture in Landscape Architecture. She is the winner of the 5th Rosa Barba European Landscape Prize for the Nicolai Kulturcenter project.

In this dispatch we are in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and are joined by Richard Forman. Richard is Harvard University’s Professor of Advanced Environmental Studies in the Field of Landscape Ecology. Richard discusses the hurdles to creating a healthy urban environment, endangered landscapes, who is making a difference today, and teaching at the GSD.

Reuben Rainey returns to Terragrams and discusses his latest work on Garden Story: Inspiring Spaces, Healing Places, a 10-part series of half-hour programs for Public Television on how gardens improve our lives and our communities. He also gives us more insight on his nearly 3 decades of teaching at UVA and on the career of Robert Royston.

In this dispatch, Reuben Rainey talks to Robert Royston (1918-2008), a pioneer of modernism in landscape architecture. After volunteering to fight in World War II, he established a rich collaboration with Garret Eckbo and Edward Williams. During this period, and thereafter, Royston designed an extraordinary large number of suburban parks. His most recent firm has evolved into Royston Hanamoto Alley & Abbey.

With her studio, Wanted, Meijerink has built 2 gardens for the International Garden Festival of Metis in Quebec and is presently working on a roof deck for a 700 unit tower in Miami as well as a masterplan for a development near Shanghai. At the GSD, Meijerink is researching the benefits of asphalt and in our dispatch discusses her 'asphalt manifesto' and the On Asphalt project.

Elizabeth Meyer is an Associate Professor and has twice acted as the Director of Landscape Architecture at the University of Virginia. Here, she discusses her latest book project entitled 'Groundwork', past and present landscape architectural theory, creativity, site interpretation, the ASLA Student Awards, women in the practice, and the MOMA Groundswell Exhibition.

Niall Kirkwood is a former Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In this dispatch, Mr. Kirkwood recalls his introduction to the world of landscape architecture, describes the role of the super absorbent polymer in his Sponge City project, and discusses the research of his books and research.