On Monday, December 8th, Chair Roberto Rovira moderated the “Territories” discussion at the Coastlines: Architecture, Landscape, and the Construction of Waterscapes Design Symposium by Harvard Graduate School of Design, in Miami’s Design District. The session speakers were Pierre Bélanger, Guy Nordenson, and Justine Kwiatkowski Vélez.
Leading architects, landscape architects, engineers, developers, and planners took part in discussions grounded in the exciting research being conducted by members of the GSD community in Cambridge and worldwide. Harvard GSD Dean Mohsen Mostafavi engaged participants in discussions related to designing on, in, or near water and the unique challenges related to these environments in this era of unprecedented climate change. (Source: Harvard GSD)
Roberto Rovira is Chair of Landscape Architecture + Environmental and Urban Design at Florida International University (FIU) and principal of the interdisciplinary Studio Roberto Rovira, recognized for its creative approach in the fields of landscape architecture, public art, and design. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University in 1990, and a Masters in Landscape Architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 1998, where he was Dean’s Scholar, recipient of the Award of Merit from the ASLA, and founder of the installation group Guerrilla Gardens. Rovira has lived in Latin America, Europe, and Japan and is a former U. S. Naval Officer, having served primarily in Asia and the Persian Gulf from 1990 to 1994.
Rovira has been a lead designer in national and international projects in the U. S., Latin America, and the Middle East, and his work ranges from installations to urban projects. He has been a guest critic at Harvard, UC Berkeley, RISD, California College of the Arts, and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, among others, and his research and creative work have been supported by grants from the Van Alen Institute, the US Department of Transportation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Broward, to name a few.
Rovira’s work has been published by the Journal of Landscape Architecture, Princeton Architectural Press, Routledge/Taylor-Francis, HarperCollins, Landscape Architecture Magazine, ACSA, CELA, Univision, the Miami Herald, Fairchild Tropical & Botanical Garden Magazine, Design Book Magazine, Curbed, Miami Today, South Florida Business Journal, Trama, El Nuevo Herald, and others. He was recognized by the American Institute of Architects as Landscape Architect of the Year in 2007, as one of FIU’s Top Scholars in 2009, and in over 10 open and public international competitions including First Place in the Miami Monument Competition in 2005 and an Award of Distinction at the San Francisco Botanical Garden Circle competition in 2009.
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