Boston Architectural College: Landscapes for Adaptation — The Work of Kongjian Yu
On October 20, 2025, the Boston Architectural College hosted the Maurice F. Childs Memorial Lecture titled "Landscapes for Adaptation: The Work of Kongjian Yu," presented by Charles Waldheim, John E. Irving Professor of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and Yufan Gao, Core Faculty in the School of Landscape Architecture at BAC. Over the past three decades, Professor Kongjian Yu led a counter-current movement in landscape architecture, resisting the destructive forces of industrial urbanization by rooting design in traditional wisdom, ecological science, and nature’s resilience. He rejected the ornamental "Little Feet" aesthetics and advocated for a "Big Feet Revolution," redefining beauty through function, productivity, and authenticity in landscape and urban design. Professor Yu's signature strategies include "Landscape Security Patterns," "Nature-Based Solutions," and "Sponge Cities/Planet," aiming to shape urban systems that heal rather than harm the planet. This lecture not only reflected on Professor Kongjian Yu's life and achievements but also explored his profound impact on global ecological urbanism and how his design practices have driven environmental restoration and social transformation.
......
