Claire Agre

Abstract

As one of civilization’s oldest artforms, the garden is fundamental to the human condition. During covid, the renewed interest in gardens and thoughtful management of those ecosystems closest to home comes in alignment with an urgent need for the active and ongoing stewardship of our public and private places. Recent research shows that botanical gardens, more than parks or even wetlands, offer the greatest cooling impact in our cities, bolstering their importance in addition to their well understood conservation focus. This talk will explore the connection between conservation and care in current landscape practice, from the scale of the garden to the regional territory.

Biography

Claire’s work begins with a dedication to leave our world better than we found it.

Broadening landscape practice with a background in painting and ecology, her work puts physical and social connectivity at the forefront.  Claire turned to design after studying ecology at the Roberto Burle Marx-designed Wilson Botanical Garden at Las Cruces Research Station. Her experience there instilled a belief that gardens are uniquely suited to bridge the humanities and the sciences, the individual and the collective, beauty and care.

She has led numerous plans for Longwood Gardens, The Houston Botanic Garden, Naples Botanical Garden, and The Land and Garden Preserve on Mount Desert Island, Maine. She is leading allied projects at multiple cultural institutions nationwide including The Portland Museum of Art, The Nasher Museum of Art, and the Baltimore Museum of Art. Her built work includes a robust portfolio of public parks and gardens, including Governors Island, Druid Hill Park, and the Rose Kennedy Greenway’s North Meadow.

Claire holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University. She is a clear and compelling speaker and design critic, frequently joining juries and panels nationwide.