BSLA Fieldbook BSLA 2015 Spring Fieldbook | Page 40

BSLA

/ MEMBER

ROB HOOVER, ASLA
NATURE MIGHT HEAL

I

n 1982 after four years of professional
practice in Landscape Architecture, I
crossed what I call my first “professional
threshold.” Enrolling in Harvard
University’s Graduate School of
Design, I began my personal
quest to answer the
question, “I love what
I do, but why?” At
Harvard, I was
introduced to
environmental art
by Professor Cherie
Kluesing, the
healing component
of landscape by
LOEB Fellow Vince
Healy, and design
excellence by the
Landscape Architecture
Chair Laurie Olin. At
graduation in 1985, I was recognized
by the American Society of Landscape
Architects for Excellence in the Study of
Landscape Architecture. I was also recognized
by Harvard as one of three students in my
class to graduate with the highest honor
available, “Graduation with Distinction.”

“Maine Touring Artist,” going
on to win several public art
design competitions.

In 1995, based on
the questions my
environmental art was
asking, I crossed my second
professional threshold
when asked to design three
gardens, one for each of the three
phases of Alzheimer’s disease. Applying
the philosophical approach I developed
designing public art—that is, the professional
responsibility and moral obligation to “get it
right”—I researched, developed and published
the first-of-its-kind, therapeutic landscape
design theory/methodology for the complete
spectrum of Alzheimer’s disease. The paper,
After graduation I relocated to Portland,
Healing Gardens and Alzheimer’s Disease,
Maine in 1987, and founded Studio L.A., my
was published in the 1995 March/April issue
first Landscape
of The American
Architecture
I am more c ommi t t e d t h a n eve r Journal of
firm. During
t o s t u dy i n g a nd a dvo c a t i n g f o r Alzheimer’s Disease
this period
and remains
I continued
t h e h e ali n g , r e s t o ra t ive p owe r s remarkably
to explore
of n at u re f o r o ur e l d e r s , t h o s e relevant to this
nature, healing,
day. The project,
and design
w i t h d e me nt i a a nd t h o s e a t t h e Sedgewood
via public
Commons, won
e nd o f l i f e
environmental
numerous National
art. In 1990 I
awards and went
was registered
on to be recognized by the International
as a landscape “Sculptor” with the Maine
Community for its cutting edge work.
Arts Commission and later was elected as a

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