BOSTON – Sasaki, a global design firm with offices in Boston, Denver, and Shanghai, announced that DLANDstudio, an award-winning design firm located in Brooklyn, New York, is joining Sasaki and will integrate into Sasaki’s interdisciplinary design practice.
This partnership brings together two leading design firms to collectively tackle 21st century design challenges centered around climate adaptation, biodiversity loss, environmental justice, and social equity. This partnership also establishes a new location for Sasaki in New York that will serve local, national, and international clients.
“As we continue to grow our practice and build the next generation of design leaders, integrating DLANDstudio with Sasaki will allow us to deepen our bench of talented designers, thought leaders, and builders to help solve the complex social, ecological, and climatic challenges of the 21st century,” said Michael Grove, Sasaki Chair of Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Ecology. “With this partnership, Sasaki will enhance our commitment to resiliency and environmental justice, increase our geographical impact, and continue the evolution of Sasaki’s influential legacy.”
“Environmental justice was, and remains, an important driver of the work that we do every day,” said Susannah Drake, FASLA, FAIA and founding principal. “We recognized that, to realize our design vision, we needed a deeper team with a global track record of compelling and beautiful built work. Upon entering into conversations with Sasaki, we knew that we had found the right partner to help us deliver the goals that we have been working toward for the past 18 years. We are thrilled to join Sasaki and embark upon this new journey together.”
Founded in 2005 by Susannah Drake, FASLA, FAIA, DLANDstudio has worked to make cities more ecologically productive, developed methods to layer environmental, engineering, and political structures and made real change in the built environment. Drake will join Sasaki as Principal and contribute to the firm’s design excellence and strategic plan goals.
DLANDstudio’s unique design practice has helped to redefine the role of public space to incorporate green infrastructure, restore native ecologies, and mitigate climate change. Employing the firm’s innovative and socially accountable process, the DLAND team has created beloved and enduring landscapes, parks, and cultural destinations. DLANDstudio’s projects include the QueensWay and Gowanus Canal Sponge ParkTM in Brooklyn, Argenta Plaza in North Little Rock, Arkansas, and the Tidal Basin Ideas Lab in Washington, DC, which outlines a design solution to secure a resilient future for this iconic national space in the era of rapid climate change. All of DLANDstudio’s projects incorporate innovative design with sustainable, ecologically-centric thinking.
DLANDstudio has received numerous awards and accolades, and their work is featured in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. This portfolio complements Sasaki’s influential body of work which spans the globe with award-winning work including the Chicago Riverwalk, Xuhui Runway Park, Smale Riverfront Park, Bonnet Springs Park, the Lincoln Memorial Landscape and Reflection Pool, Boston City Hall Plaza, and many others.
As a result of this partnership, Sasaki will be able to pursue new opportunities across all market sectors and continue to design industry-leading projects globally.
