Sasaki is a design firm specializing in

Architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

Interior Design Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordina ...

Urban Design Urban design is an approach to the design of buildings and the spaces between them that focuses on specific design processes and outcomes. In addition to designing and shaping the physical features of towns, cities, and regional spaces, urban de ...

, Space Planning,

Landscape Architecture Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for constructio ...

Ecology Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...

Civil Engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...

, and

Place Branding Place branding (includes place marketing and place promotion) is a term based on the idea that "cities and regions can be branded," whereby branding techniques and other marketing strategies are applied to "the economic, political and cultural dev ...

. The firm is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, but practices on an international scale, with offices in Shanghai, and Denver, Colorado, and clients and projects globally.

History

Sasaki was founded in 1953 by landscape architect

Hideo Sasaki Hideo Sasaki (25 November 1919 – 30 August 2000) was a Japanese American landscape architect. Biography Hideo Sasaki was born in Reedley, California, on 25 November 1919. He grew up working on his family's California truck farm, and harvesti ...

while he served as a professor and landscape architecture chair at the

Harvard Graduate School of Design The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) is the graduate school of design at Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It offers master's and doctoral programs in architecture, landscape architecture, urban ...

. Sasaki was founded upon collaborative, interdisciplinary design, unprecedented in design practice at the time, and an emphasis on the integration of land, buildings, people, and their contexts. Through the mid to late 1900s, Sasaki designed plazas (including

Copley Square Copley Square , named for painter John Singleton Copley, is a public square in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, bounded by Boylston Street, Clarendon Street, St. James Avenue, and Dartmouth Street. Prior to 1883 it was known as Art Square due to it ...

), corporate parks, college campuses, and master plans, among other projects. The firm includes a team of in house designers, software developers, and data analysts who support the practice. Today, Sasaki has over 300 employees across its diverse practice areas and between its two offices. The firm engages in a wide variety of project types, across its many disciplines.

Milestones

In 2000, in honor of the passing of the firm's founder, the family of Hideo Sasaki together with Sasaki and other financial supporters, established the Sasaki Foundation. The foundation, which is a separate entity from Sasaki, gives yearly grants, supporting community-led research at Sasaki. In 2012, Sasaki opened an office in Shanghai to support the firm's work in China and the larger Asia Pacific region. In 2018, Sasaki opened the Incubator, a

coworking Coworking is an arrangement in which workers for different companies share an office space. It allows cost savings and convenience through the use of common infrastructures, such as equipment, utilities and receptionist and custodial services, a ...

space designed by and located within the Sasaki campus, which houses the Sasaki Foundation as curator of programming. The 5,000 square-foot space is home to several like-minded non-profits, organizations, and individuals. In 2020, Sasaki established a new office in Denver, Colorado, marking the firm's third physical studio location. Opening an office in Denver, a region where Sasaki has been working since the 1960s, positions Sasaki to deliver on projects across western North America.

Awards and recognition

In 2007, Sasaki was honored as the

American Society of Landscape Architects The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is a professional association for landscape architects in the United States. The ASLA's mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education, and fellowship ...

firm of the year. In 2012, Sasaki won the American Planning Association firm of the year award. Sasaki has earned numerous consecutive Pierre L'Enfant International Planning awards from the American Planning Association. In 2017, two of the five annual finalists for the

Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence The Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence (RBA) was established in 1986 by Cambridge, Massachusetts architect Simeon Bruner. The award is named after Simeon Bruner's late father, Rudy Bruner, founder of the Bruner Foundation. According to the Bru ...

were Sasaki projects: the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building (Boston, MA) and the Chicago Riverwalk both were recognized as silver medalists. Sasaki has been named a top 50 firm by Architect Magazine numerous times. The firm has been recognized by the Boston Society of Landscape Architects (BSLA),

Boston Society of Architects One of the oldest and largest chapters of the AIA, the Boston Society of Architects (BSA) is a nonprofit membership organization committed to architecture, design and the built environment. History On June 20, 1867, approximately 50 architects co ...

(BSA), American Planning Association (APA),

American Institute of Architecture The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to sup ...

(AIA),

Society for College and University Planning The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) is a professional association for the integration of planning in higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also ...

(SCUP), Urban Land Initiative (ULI),

Dezeen ''Dezeen'' is an online architecture, interiors and design magazine based in London, with offices in Hoxton and also previously in New York City. History ''Dezeen'' was launched in London by Marcus Fairs at the end of November 2006. Its New Yo ...

, and

Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is a monthly American business magazine published in print and online that focuses on technology, business, and design. It publishes six print issues per year. History ''Fast Company'' was launched in November 1995 by Alan Web ...

, among others.

Research

Notable Sasaki-sponsored research projects include Sea-Change Boston (2016 ASLA Honor Award), Shifting Gears: An Urbanist's take on autonomous vehicles (2019 Fast Company honorable mention), Understanding Homelessness, and Where Design Meets Play.

Select projects

Sasaki has a large portfolio of work, which includes: * Charleston Waterfront Park; Charleston, SC * 2008 Beijing Olympic Green; Beijing, China * Bruce C. Bolling Building (with Mecanoo Architecten); Boston, MA *

Chicago Riverwalk The Chicago Riverwalk is a multi-use public space located on the south bank of the main branch of the Chicago River in Chicago, extending from Lake Michigan and Lake Shore Drive westward to Lake Street. The Chicago Riverwalk contains restaurant ...

; Chicago, IL (Phases 2 and 3) *

Universidad de Lima The University of Lima ( es, Universidad de Lima) is a private nonprofit university in Lima, Peru. It was founded in 1962 and it is considered one of the most prestigious and remembered universities in Peru. The decision to create the Universi ...

Masterplan; Lima, Peru * Nord Family Greenway; Cleveland, OH * Zidell Yards Masterplan; Portland, OR *

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...

Virtue Fieldhouse; Middlebury, VT *

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...

New England Research and Development Center (NERD); Cambridge, MA * Chengdu Panda Reserve; Chengdu, China * Bonnet Springs Park; Lakeland, FL * Tecnologico de Monterrey new main library; Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico * Wuhan

Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...

Riverfront Park; Wuhan, China *

Clemson University Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enro ...

Core Campus Dining Facility; Clemson, SC *

Wolverine Worldwide Wolverine World Wide, Inc. or Wolverine Worldwide, is a publicly traded American footwear manufacturer based in Rockford, Michigan. The shoemaker is known for its eponymous brand, Wolverine Boots and Shoes, as well as other brands, such as Hush P ...

; Waltham, MA *

Virginia Polytechnic Institute Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...

and State University Master Plan Update; Blacksburg, VA *

Sacred Heart University Sacred Heart University (SHU) is a private, Catholic university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded in 1963 by the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sacred Heart was the first Catholic uni ...

Martire Business and Communications Center; Fairfield, CT * The Lawn on D; Boston, MA *

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

Campus Master Plan and Innovation District Framework; Seattle, WA * Smale Riverfront Park; Cincinnati, OH *

Salisbury University Salisbury University is a public university in Salisbury, Maryland. Founded in 1925, Salisbury is a member of the University System of Maryland, with a fall 2016 enrollment of 8,748. Salisbury University offers 42 distinct undergraduate and 14 ...

Patricia R Guerrieri Academic Commons; Salisbury, MD * Dar Ul-aman and Massoud Corridor Districts;

Kabul, Afghanistan Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...

* The Incubator at Sasaki; Watertown, MA *

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Hall; Washington D.C. *

Boston City Hall Plaza City Hall Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts, is a large, open, public space in the Government Center area of the city. The architectural firm Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles designed the plaza in 1962 to accompany Boston's new City Hall building. The ...

; Boston, MA *

Denver Airport Denver International Airport , locally known as DIA, is an international airport in the Western United States, primarily serving metropolitan Denver, Colorado, as well as the greater Front Range Urban Corridor. At , it is the largest airport i ...

Strategic Plan; Denver, CO * Lincoln Memorial Landscape and Reflecting Pool; Washington D.C. *

Greenwich Academy Greenwich Academy is an independent, college-preparatory day school for girls in Greenwich, Connecticut. Founded in 1827, it is the oldest girls' school in Connecticut. Greenwich Academy's motto is ''Ad Ingenium Faciendum,'' "Toward the Building o ...

Masterplan; Greenwhich, CT * 798 Arts District Plan; Beijing, China *

The Lawrenceville School The Lawrenceville School is a coeducational preparatory school for boarding and day students located in the Lawrenceville section of Lawrence Township, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. Lawrenceville is a member of the Eight Scho ...

Masterplan and Implementation; Lawrenceville NJ * 401 Congress Street; Boston, MA

Gallery

File:Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, Boston, US 03.jpg, Bruce C Bolling Building (with Mecanoo Architecten); Boston, MA File:Looking northeast - new Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool - 2012-09-13 (7984298087).jpg, Lincoln Memorial Landscape and Reflecting Pool; Washington D.C. File:Bonnet Springs Park Design.jpg, Bonnet Springs Park; Lakeland, FL File:Chengdu Panda Reserve Rendering.jpg, Chengdu Panda Reserve; Chengdu, China File:Universidad de Lima Sasaki Masterplan.jpg, Universidad de Lima Masterplan; Lima, Peru File:Wuhan Yangtze Riverfront Park Design.jpg, Wuhan Yangtze Riverfront Park; Wuhan, China File:Waterfront Park, Charleston 2.jpg, Charleston Waterfront Park; Charleston, SC

References

{{Authority control Landscape architecture Planning Urban design Interior design Ecology