Laurinda Spear

July 18, 2012

By: Museum of Contemporary Art

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In conjunction with the exhibition Skyscraper: Art and Architecture Against Gravity, Laurinda Spear, founding principal of Arquitectonica, discusses her practice. Spear designed many of the firm’s signature, award-winning projects. She was also instrumental in the expansion of Arquitectonica into design fields beyond architecture and planning. She first established the interior design practice, ArquitectonicaInteriors, which earned the firm its place in the Interior Design Hall of Fame. Spear established the landscape architecture practice ArquitectonicaGEO, focusing on environmental land planning and landscape design. She also created the design products group, Laurinda Spear Products, which has over 150 products on the market under dozens of global brands.

Spear studied fine arts at Brown University, received her Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University and later a Master of Landscape Architecture from Florida International University. She has taught at Harvard and the University of Miami. She is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and a LEED Accredited Professional. She is the recipient of the AIA Silver Medal and the Rome Prize in Architecture. Spear is active in community affairs and sits on the Board of Architecture and Arts at Florida International University, as well as the board of the National Tropical Botanical Garden.

This talk is presented in partnership with Chicago Women in Architecture.