Kate Orff
Kate Orff, FASLA, is the founder of SCAPE Landscape Architecture DPC in New York, New York, and New Orleans, Louisiana. She is a professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, where she also directs the Urban Design Program and the Center for Resilient Cities and Landscapes. In 2017 Ms. Orff became the first landscape architect to receive the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship.
Statement: Women have always been key in the history of urban landscapes, from Beatrix Farrand to Cornelia Hahn Oberlander. But Cornelia has played a crucial role. In her lifetime, she brought the discipline of landscape architecture into the public realm through large, consequential urban projects, working with architects and builders to reshape cities. Her work is celebrated for its broad attention to urban design and landform, but Cornelia never lost sight of the power of small things—the vegetable patch, the sweet pea bloom, the fruit tree, the playground. For me, Cornelia’s legacy is a reminder to think big and be an active participant in the urban and environmental issues of our time, but never to forget the materiality, textures, and joy of a thriving neighborhood ecosystem. She is an exemplar of generosity, openness, graciousness, and curiosity—a person inseparable from social and civic life beyond the office. These are among the best qualities any landscape architect can have. I am glad to be part of the Oberlander Prize Advisory Committee and to donate on her behalf.