Laurinda Hope Spear facts for kids

Laurinda Hope Spear (born in 1950) is an American architect and landscape architect. She lives and works in Miami, Florida. She helped start a big company called Arquitectonica in 1977. This company designs buildings, plans cities, and decorates interiors. In 2005, she also started another company, ArquitectonicaGEO (or ArqGEO). This firm focuses on landscape architecture and designing cities in a way that is good for the environment.

Early Life and Education

Laurinda Spear was born in 1950 and has lived in Miami for most of her life. She went to Everglades School and graduated in 1968. She then studied at Brown University, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1972.

Later, she earned a Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University in 1975. In 1978, she won the Rome Prize in Architecture, which is a special award for architects. She became a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1992. In 1999, she was honored by Interior Design Magazine.

After working as an architect for many years, she decided to go back to school. She earned a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from Florida International University in 2006.

Career Highlights

Laurinda Spear co-founded Arquitectonica in 1977 with other architects like Bernardo Fort-Brescia. In the early years, their company designed many colorful and unique buildings in Miami. These buildings, like the Pink House and the Atlantis, quickly became famous.

Spear also brought a new style to the inside of Arquitectonica's buildings. This led her to design products for international companies. For example, in 2000, she designed an innovative glass fan called the "Whirlybird" for The Modern Fan Company.

Focus on Nature and Environment

After two decades, Spear became very interested in nature. She wanted to understand how buildings fit into their surroundings. She felt it was important for architects to consider the natural environment.

Around 2005, she realized that to design buildings correctly, she also needed to be a landscape architect. So, she went back to school to study landscape architecture. After getting her master's degree and license, she started ArqGEO in 2005.

ArqGEO is a company that works on projects that combine building design with landscape design. They want to make the line between buildings and nature less clear.

Today, Spear focuses on how buildings fit into their sites. She believes the site, or the land around the building, is very important. ArqGEO works on projects that create strong and healthy landscapes. These projects help deal with big challenges like climate change and other issues facing communities.

Spear believes it is important to rethink how we use nature in our world. She wants to make sure that green spaces are available for everyone. She often says that "planting more trees is what will make a difference."

Published Works

In 2020, Laurinda Spear released a book called GEO BIO MIAMI. The book talks about many topics she cares about. These include green infrastructure, climate change, and how to manage rainwater. It also explains the great value that landscape architecture brings to a project.

Personal Life

Laurinda Spear is married to Bernardo Fort Brescia. They live and work in Coconut Grove, Florida.

See also

In Spanish: Laurinda Hope Spear para niños