Toward Legacy

Toward Legacy is a visual and literary walk through 35 years of evolution of the landscape architecture firm, Design Workshop. A formative point in that evolution was the development in 1998 of the philosophical statement around which the company has formed a systematic approach to its work. That statement has become a mandate:

When environment, economics, art and community are combined in harmony with the dictates of the land and needs of society, magical places result. Places that lift the spirit. Sustainable places of timeless beauty, enduring quality and untold value – for our clients, for society and for the well being of our planet.

These extraordinary landscapes are the result of DW Legacy Design^®. This book expresses through essays, project descriptions and case studies how Design Workshop seeks to move projects Toward Legacy.

Toward Legacy contains the following five chapters:

1. Nature
   Nature is critical to human well-being and the continuation of life on Earth. This bond is nurtured by protecting natural areas or rejuvenating damaged ones.
2. Places
   Place-making summons beauty into daily life and offers a platform for people to create meaning in their lives and in the built landscapes of their surroundings.
3. Community
   The design of neighborhoods, villages and towns succeeds when it values and honors both the natural world and the human need for community.
4. Connection
   Configuring the way people come together and engage with nature in urban settings must draw on existing galaxies of information and pattern.
5. Leading Change
   Change begins in people’s hearts and minds. Helping people create a vision for the future gives them the means for making major transitions.

"I've already dipped into it and can't wait to read it cover to cover! What a remarkable acheivement! ... What a Marvelous Beautiful Book! Thank You!"

- Adele Chatfield-Taylor, President,
American Academy in Rome

"Toward Legacy...is a beautiful book! The scope, writing and diagrams make it a "must read" for anyone in architecture, planning, landscape design or the many related fields...You guys are everywhere....It was an absolute pleasure for Neal and I to work with you (albeit briefly). We thought it was a great team with great potential, Keep up the great work..."

- Edward M. Jones, AIA, Principal,
Jones Studio, Inc.