Paul Kelsch Elected Fellow of American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)

Congratulations to Paul Kelsch, who has been elected as one of the 40 new 2024 fellows of the Prestigious American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

ASLA Fellows are recognized for their exceptional contributions to the landscape architecture profession and society at large. Election to the ASLA Council of Fellows is among the highest honors the ASLA bestows on members and is based on works, leadership/management, knowledge and service.

Paul Kelsch’s research focuses on the cultural construction of nature and how it is expressed in designed landscape, particularly the interrelationships between ecological understandings of nature and discourses of nature. His study includes such topics as the psychological benefit of experiencing nearby nature and the symbolism of iconic natural scenery. Grounded in landscape history, art, experience, and social theory, much of his work concentrates on historical studies of the parkways of the national capital region and the other cultivation of nature and nation along the banks of the Potomac River.

Paul honors previous generations of landscape architects through the care and thoroughness of his documentation and the respect he brings to their subtle artistry, framing their work within broader geographic contexts. He uses Washington as a case study for how every city can be read for its local situation and its role within the collective narrative of the American landscape.

Paul has won numerous awards that testify to the quality and impact of his work, including ASLA chapter awards in historic preservation and national competitions of the Historic American Landscape Survey. He holds professional degrees in landscape architecture and architecture as well as a PhD in cultural geography, which inform his distinctive writing and thought processes. As the Robert L. Turner Chair in Urban Design, Paul approaches learning as a means of inquiry and discovery and engages his students in shared exploration of these issues of nature.

ASLA Fellows will be elevated during a special investiture ceremony at the 2024 Conference on Landscape Architecture, which will be held in Washington, D.C., Oct. 6-9, 2024.