Michael worked for a famous Japanese landscape architect early in his career who taught him to see things differently.  “He and I would sit at a drafting table together, and draw places so full of imagination, abstract thinking, and nuance that at the end of the session there was black ink everywhere, and I had to remember everything we had decided that day. Looking back, it was an absolute treasure.”

Today, Michael has a deep respect and appreciation for cities, how they evolve, and how they can become more livable.  “We have a lot of work to do in this regard – we are living at a critical moment where everything we do has a measurable impact on our environment and the world around us.  I consider part of my job – and my journey in this world –to be helping create inspired places that allow people to experience their environment at another level of understanding and appreciation,” he says.   As a landscape architect and urbanist, he’s interested in how we can build better cities with design rooted in nature’s intrinsic patterns.  And as a designer, he’s committed to crafting places for people so we can all thrive and grow in our neighborhoods, the places we visit, and in the public realm at large.

Our Perkins Eastman

Michael’s master planning and design work has spanned numerous countries in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East, and he focuses on a collaborative approach to building civic places. Within the practice, he’s active in the mentoring program and enjoys collaboration across several studios, contributing to projects focused on urban design and landscape architecture.