Diana Balmori
Encyclopedia
Diana Balmori is an internationally renowned landscape
and urban designer
. She is also the founder of the landscape design
firm, Balmori Associates.
, Spain
, Diana Balmori spent most of her childhood in Spain and England
before her family settled in Argentina
. Her mother Dorothy Ling (born in England) was an extraordinary musician and musicologist. Her father Clemente Hernando Balmori (born in Spain) was one of the most influential Spanish linguistic experts. Diana was an extremely imaginative and creative child, and was drawn to the arts at an early age. She learned to sing, dance, play piano, and her parents encouraged her to explore a wide range of mediums – literature and poetry, Latin and Greek, painting and music. As she forayed into the design world, she brought many of these influences with her, greatly informing her successful and unique design style.
She graduated from high school
at the age of 16 and decided to study at the Architecture School at the Universidad Nacional de Tucuman in Argentina
in the undergraduate program, and then emigrated to the United States
. Balmori continued her education at the University of California
at Los Angeles
, earning her Ph.D in Urban History
and graduating with highest honors. After graduation, she entered the world of academia
, accepting a teaching position at the State University of New York
and eventually holding undergraduate seminars in Landscape History at Yale School of Architecture
. All the while, Balmori continued her own education, studying landscape architecture
at Radcliffe College
, until she was made partner at Cesar Pelli Associates, where she also founded their in-house Landscape Architecture department. She continued to work as a partner at CPA before leaving in 1990 to start her own firm, Balmori Associates.
grew out of her interest in public space
; the way it is used and designed, and its role and effect on the larger environment. Her design style is recognized by the way it creates a fluid interface between landscape and structure in the development of urban public spaces. The work explores how form can respond to a new understanding of nature – not simply as visual imitation – but contingent on an understanding of process. Diana Balmori has established a signature and functional aesthetic by applying inventive design thinking to a careful study of the social aspects of ecological, hydrological and temporal dimensions of projects.
She is also an innovator in sustainable systems; one aspect of this is in the area of green roofs. This “fifth façade”, as Balmori has called the huge expanse of urban rooftops, is now a frontier for designers and architects. By exploring this fifth façade, it becomes possible to change not only how a building looks, but also how it functions; green roofs offer an alternative future in the evolution of the urban landscape and can alleviate urban air pollution
, heat island effects and the handling of stormwater
.
Diana Balmori frequently collaborates with artists and architects.
, Spain, where her landscape designs run alongside the Nervion River and adjacent to the building of the Guggenheim Bilbao
. She realized the extraordinary concept of Robert Smithson
for a floating island
around New York City, and is in early development for the building of a Public Administration Town in Korea
.
In addition to her prolific work as Principal Designer for Balmori Associates, Dr. Balmori has written extensively on cities, environment, and the history of design. She links her practice with foundations and academic institutions. Her most recent book “A Landscape Manifesto “ is scheduled to be released to the public on September 2010. She has also written Tra Fiume e Cittá, Paesaggi, Progetti e Principi in 2009 about her particular view on waterfront projects. In 2009 the C3 book “ Balmori” was also released and chronicles her work, from sketches and writings to Master Plans and completed projects. . In 2007 she wrote “Land and Natural Development (LAND) Code: Guidelines for Sustainable Land Development”, co-authored by Yale colleague, Gaboury Benoit, and published in March, 2007 by Yale University Press
.
Dr. Balmori has been honored by numerous institutions, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Institute of Architects. In 2006, Dr. Balmori was appointed a Senior Fellow in Garden and Landscape Studies at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, DC.; Dr. Balmori serves her second term on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.
Dr. Balmori held the Davenport Chair of Architectural Design for the Spring 2004 at the Yale School of Architecture and was the William Henry Bishop Visiting Professor of Architectural Design in the Fall 2008 at the Yale School of Architecture and she also teaches in the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. She is a member of the American Historical Association, and the American Society of Landscape Architects. She is a Fellow for the Dumbarton Oaks Garden & Landscape History Institute and Harvard University
, as well as being on the Board at the Van Alen Institute in New York City
and Minetta Brook, a Public Art Organization. She served as a Committee Member for the Comprehensive Design Landscape Plan for the White House
in 1999. Dr. Balmori also served a four year term on the U.S Commission of Fine Arts in Washington D.C.
In 2009, Diana Balmori's firm, Balmori Associates, moved into a new space in Meat Packing District, New York City. She is currently involved in various public projects in New York, and is in various stages of development of projects internationally.
Diana Balmori lives and works in New York City.
Landscape design
Landscape design is an independent profession and a design and art tradition, practised by landscape designers, combining nature and culture. In contemporary practice landscape design bridges between landscape architecture and garden design.-Design scope:...
and urban designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
. She is also the founder of the landscape design
Landscape design
Landscape design is an independent profession and a design and art tradition, practised by landscape designers, combining nature and culture. In contemporary practice landscape design bridges between landscape architecture and garden design.-Design scope:...
firm, Balmori Associates.
Early life
Born in GijónGijón
Gijón , officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Diana Balmori spent most of her childhood in Spain and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
before her family settled in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Her mother Dorothy Ling (born in England) was an extraordinary musician and musicologist. Her father Clemente Hernando Balmori (born in Spain) was one of the most influential Spanish linguistic experts. Diana was an extremely imaginative and creative child, and was drawn to the arts at an early age. She learned to sing, dance, play piano, and her parents encouraged her to explore a wide range of mediums – literature and poetry, Latin and Greek, painting and music. As she forayed into the design world, she brought many of these influences with her, greatly informing her successful and unique design style.
She graduated from high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
at the age of 16 and decided to study at the Architecture School at the Universidad Nacional de Tucuman in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
in the undergraduate program, and then emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Balmori continued her education at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
at Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, earning her Ph.D in Urban History
Urban History
Urban history is a field of history that examines the historical nature of cities and towns, and the process of urbanization. The approach tends to be multidisciplinary, crossing boundaries into fields like social history, architectural history, urban sociology, urban geography and archaeology.At...
and graduating with highest honors. After graduation, she entered the world of academia
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
, accepting a teaching position at the State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
and eventually holding undergraduate seminars in Landscape History at Yale School of Architecture
Yale School of Architecture
The Yale School of Architecture is one of the constituent professional schools of Yale University. It is generally considered to be one of the most prestigious architecture schools in the world.- History :...
. All the while, Balmori continued her own education, studying landscape architecture
Landscape architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions...
at Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
, until she was made partner at Cesar Pelli Associates, where she also founded their in-house Landscape Architecture department. She continued to work as a partner at CPA before leaving in 1990 to start her own firm, Balmori Associates.
Style
Dr. Balmori's interest in landscape and urban designUrban design
Urban design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities, and in particular the shaping and uses of urban public space. It has traditionally been regarded as a disciplinary subset of urban planning, landscape architecture, or architecture and in more recent times has...
grew out of her interest in public space
Public space
A public space is a social space such as a town square that is open and accessible to all, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic level. One of the earliest examples of public spaces are commons. For example, no fees or paid tickets are required for entry, nor are the entrants...
; the way it is used and designed, and its role and effect on the larger environment. Her design style is recognized by the way it creates a fluid interface between landscape and structure in the development of urban public spaces. The work explores how form can respond to a new understanding of nature – not simply as visual imitation – but contingent on an understanding of process. Diana Balmori has established a signature and functional aesthetic by applying inventive design thinking to a careful study of the social aspects of ecological, hydrological and temporal dimensions of projects.
She is also an innovator in sustainable systems; one aspect of this is in the area of green roofs. This “fifth façade”, as Balmori has called the huge expanse of urban rooftops, is now a frontier for designers and architects. By exploring this fifth façade, it becomes possible to change not only how a building looks, but also how it functions; green roofs offer an alternative future in the evolution of the urban landscape and can alleviate urban air pollution
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
, heat island effects and the handling of stormwater
Stormwater
Stormwater is water that originates during precipitation events. It may also be used to apply to water that originates with snowmelt that enters the stormwater system...
.
Diana Balmori frequently collaborates with artists and architects.
Other works
Diana Balmori has been the principle landscape designer on many highly innovative projects, including the Master Plan for the Abandiobarra District in BilbaoBilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, Spain, where her landscape designs run alongside the Nervion River and adjacent to the building of the Guggenheim Bilbao
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art, designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, built by Ferrovial, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It is built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Atlantic Coast. The...
. She realized the extraordinary concept of Robert Smithson
Robert Smithson
Robert Smithson was an American artist famous for his land art.-Background and education:Smithson was born in Passaic, New Jersey and studied painting and drawing in New York City at the Art Students League of New York....
for a floating island
Floating island
A floating island is a mass of floating aquatic plants, mud, and peat ranging in thickness from a few inches to several feet. Floating islands are a common natural phenomenon that are found in many parts of the world. They exist less commonly as a man-made phenomenon...
around New York City, and is in early development for the building of a Public Administration Town in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
.
In addition to her prolific work as Principal Designer for Balmori Associates, Dr. Balmori has written extensively on cities, environment, and the history of design. She links her practice with foundations and academic institutions. Her most recent book “A Landscape Manifesto “ is scheduled to be released to the public on September 2010. She has also written Tra Fiume e Cittá, Paesaggi, Progetti e Principi in 2009 about her particular view on waterfront projects. In 2009 the C3 book “ Balmori” was also released and chronicles her work, from sketches and writings to Master Plans and completed projects. . In 2007 she wrote “Land and Natural Development (LAND) Code: Guidelines for Sustainable Land Development”, co-authored by Yale colleague, Gaboury Benoit, and published in March, 2007 by Yale University Press
Yale University Press
Yale University Press is a book publisher founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day. It became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but remains financially and operationally autonomous....
.
Dr. Balmori has been honored by numerous institutions, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Institute of Architects. In 2006, Dr. Balmori was appointed a Senior Fellow in Garden and Landscape Studies at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, DC.; Dr. Balmori serves her second term on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.
Dr. Balmori held the Davenport Chair of Architectural Design for the Spring 2004 at the Yale School of Architecture and was the William Henry Bishop Visiting Professor of Architectural Design in the Fall 2008 at the Yale School of Architecture and she also teaches in the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. She is a member of the American Historical Association, and the American Society of Landscape Architects. She is a Fellow for the Dumbarton Oaks Garden & Landscape History Institute and Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, as well as being on the Board at the Van Alen Institute in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Minetta Brook, a Public Art Organization. She served as a Committee Member for the Comprehensive Design Landscape Plan for the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
in 1999. Dr. Balmori also served a four year term on the U.S Commission of Fine Arts in Washington D.C.
In 2009, Diana Balmori's firm, Balmori Associates, moved into a new space in Meat Packing District, New York City. She is currently involved in various public projects in New York, and is in various stages of development of projects internationally.
Diana Balmori lives and works in New York City.
Publications
- “A Landscape Manifesto”: Yale University Press, (United States) 2010
- “Tra Fiume e Cittá Paesaggi, Progetti e Principi”: Bollati Boringhieri, (Italy) 2009
- “Balmori”: C3 Publications, (Korea) 2007
- “The Land and Natural Development (LAND) Code, Guidelines for Sustainable Land Development” co-authored with Gaboury Benoit: John Wiley and Sons Ltd. (United States) 2006
- “Mapping in The Age of Digital Media: The Yale Symposium” co-authored with M. Silver: John Wiley and Sons Ltd. (United Kingdom) 2003
- “Information Exchange: How Cities Renew, Rebuild and Remember” Interview with Joan Oakman and Paulsen Sherida: Van Alen Institute, (United States) 2003
- “Saarinen House and Garden: A Total Work of Art” co-authored with Roy Slade, and Gregory Wittkopp, photography by Balthazar Korab: Harry N. Abrams, (United States) 1995
- “Transitory Gardens, Uprooted Lives” co-authored with Margaret Morton: Yale University Press, (United States) 1995
- “Redesigning the American Lawn” A Search for Environmental Harmony co-authored with F. Herbert Bormann and GordoGeballe: Yale University Press, (United States) 1993
- “Trails for the Twenty-First Century: Planning, Design,and Management Manual for Multi-Use Trail,” co-authored with Charles A. Flink, Peter Lagerwey, and Robert M.Searns, ed. Karen-Lee Ryan National Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: Island Press, (United States) 1993
- “Beatrix Farrand, American Landscapes:Garden and Campus Designs” co-authored with Diane McGuire and Eleanor McPeck: Sagapress, (United States) 1985
Publications featuring Diana Balmori
- Ivy, Robert. "Editorial: Beyond Legalisms." Architectural Record November 2007 Beyond Legalisms
- Sokol, David. "Asian Cities Go Green." Business Week November 2007 Asian Cities Go Green
- "Campa de los Ingleses." Europaconcorsi
- Usborne, David. “Perfect Company.” Monocale July 2007: 84–88.
- Merkel, Jane. “Urban American Landscape” AD March–April 2007: 36–47.
- Kim, JinOh. “Principal of Balmori Associates: Diana Balmori” ela March 2007: 114–116.
- JooEun, YeeOh. “International Competition for the Master Plan of Public Administration Town.” C3 March 2007: 136–145
- Chamberlain, Lisa. “View from the Bridge.” Metropolis Magazine September 2006: 97–101.
- Chamberlain, Lisa. “ Silvercup Sprouts” Polis July 2006
- Martineau, Kim. “Activists Blaze Trail Through Yale.” The Hartford Current 5 February” 2006.
- Lockhart. “Coming to the East 40's: Ground Zero.” Curbed 10 November 2005.
- Williams, Sam. “Cool(er) Roofs” Gotham Gazette October 2005
- Moore, Bob. St. Louis Front Page "St. Louis Riverfront Plan – If You Dream It, Can You Build It?"
- Kennedy, Randy. "It's Not Easy Making Art That Floats." The New York Times 10 August 2005.
- Chamberlain, Lisa. "A Roof Garden? It's Much More Than That." The New York Times 10 August 2005.
- Chamberlain, Lisa. "Green roofs sprouting across U.S. skylines." International Herald Tribune. August 2005.