| Bob Close, FASLA, joins AECOM |
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Leading Landscape Architect Joins AECOM’s Minneapolis Office MINNEAPOLIS – Sept. 27, 2011 – Bob Close, FASLA, has joined AECOM as director, landscape architecture for the Midwest region. For the past 35 years, Close has served as president and founding partner of Twin Cities-based Close Landscape Architecture+, where his work focused on the creation of engaging, sustainable and livable environments for both public and private clients. In his new role with AECOM, Close will develop a landscape architecture and urban design practice in Minneapolis, partnering with AECOM professionals in Chicago to build a regional practice focused on innovative approaches to urban revitalization and the design of successful and sustainable public places. His studio will complement the existing architecture and engineering capabilities of the Minneapolis office to bring the best ideas together to create lasting value for clients and communities. “We have been shaping the built environment in the Twin Cities and around the world for more than a century,” said AECOM Design Principal Mic Johnson, AIA. “Bob adds a new dimension to this legacy. He has dedicated his career to improving communities through the development of places that respect our natural world and enhance quality of life. His body of work and commitment to design excellence make Bob a great addition to AECOM and the Minneapolis office.” Close’s experience ranges from the design of urban parks, public spaces and institutions to master planning for campuses, cities, housing developments and private facilities. His work can be found throughout the Twin Cities region and surrounding five-state area, including such notable projects as the Saint Paul on the Mississippi Development Framework, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus Master Plan, Ramsey Town Center (Ramsey, Minn.), Lake Street/Midtown Greenway Framework Plan (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Upper Landing Park (Saint Paul, Minn.). His past collaborations with AECOM are significant and include healthcare campuses, corporate planning, transit-oriented design and urban corridors. Specific projects include Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota’s Campus Expansion (Minneapolis, Minn.); Gundersen Lutheran Campus Renewal (LaCrosse, Wis.); Mercy Hospital West (Cincinnati, Ohio); the Dow Chemical Company 1790 Building (Midland, Mich.); the West Bank District Masterplan (Minneapolis, Minn.) and the Saint Paul Ford Plant Study (Saint Paul, Minn.). Close is eager to build on this legacy of work. “AECOM is one of the world’s leading landscape consultancies, shaping some of the most influential places worldwide. These are places that improve quality of life, generate economic development and promote the responsible use of land and resources. To be part of such a renowned practice is an exciting opportunity for me, both personally and professionally.” Close earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Studio Arts from the University of Minnesota, and was elevated to the Council of Fellows of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) in 2007. In addition to leading a well-regarded practice, Close taught urban design and landscape architecture studios at the University of Minnesota College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture for nine years, and interdisciplinary design studios at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design for three. He is active in the Urban Land Institute Minnesota District Council and served five terms as an advisor to the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council on its Livable Communities Advisory Committee. About AECOM Questions/Information Sarah Crouch # # # |
