In case you were wondering…
In July 2011, I resigned from Conservation Design Forum. At the time, I was concerned that the collective work of our industry has built —- under the rubric of sustainable design —- was something much less than promised.
So I decided to take a working sabbatical. I would spend the next 6 months understanding the true costs of the landscapes that I had drawn by getting to know the people responsible for those pieces of the process. To learn about materials, I worked with Lake Street Landscape Supply. To understand plants, I job shadowed Midwest Groundcovers. To understand the concerns of the contractor, I visited with Christy Webber Landscapes. Along the way, I spoke with many other kind & engaged leaders in supporting industries.
During this period, I continue to consult on projects that push my understanding of sustainable urbanism. I maintain my design practice in a studio shared with Kujawa Architecture at the Kimball Arts Center (1757 N Kimball) in Humboldt Park. I am a facilitator with Archeworks, a design/build school focused on creating answers to wicked social & environmental problems.
If you are interested in collaborating or catching up, please be in touch. ryan[at]ryanwilson.org
