Starting Your Own Firm

This webinar is part of an emerging professional webinar series, curated by the LAF Olmsted Scholar Network. The series covers topics of particular interest to emerging landscape architects such as professional journeys, alternate modes of practice, and design innovation.

Recording from live webinar on 11/26/2018

LAF Olmsted Scholars Nina Chase of Merritt Chase and Chris Torres of Superjacent share their perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of starting one's own firm and the steps needed to ensure a successful company in the difficult world of private practice.

Merritt Chase is a landscape architecture and urban design firm founded by designers Chris Merritt (LAF Olmsted Scholar 2011) and Nina Chase (LAF Olmsted Scholar 2009). The firm is dedicated to positioning urban landscapes as the foundational building blocks of cities. Merritt Chase works locally in the Midwest and Appalachia, and has been recognized nationally for its public space designs, placemaking initiatives, and research.

Superjacent Landscape Architecture and Urban Design is based in Los Angeles, CA and co-founded by Christopher Torres (LAF Olmsted Scholar 2012) and Tony Paradowski. Landscape protagonists, urban dreamers, and strategic thinkers – Superjacent creates landscapes and visioning for projects of all scales, built upon innovative design concepts and authentic experiences. Working from concept through construction administration, we collaborate with public, private, non-profit, institutional, community, and private clients to inspire new connections between the landscape and human environments.