Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects

Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects
Name	Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects
Type	Private
Founded	2000
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Industry	Landscape architecture
Key people	Mark Mathews; Anna Nielsen
Services	Landscape design; urban design; ecological restoration

Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects is a contemporary landscape architecture practice based in San Francisco known for urban parks, waterfront revitalization, campus landscapes, and ecological restoration. The firm operates at the intersection of urbanism and ecology, engaging clients across municipal agencies, universities, cultural institutions, and private developers. Projects span California, the United States, and international commissions, involving collaborations with design firms, engineering consultancies, and arts organizations.

History

Founded in 2000 by Mark Mathews and Anna Nielsen, the firm emerged after formative experiences at studios associated with James Corner, Martha Schwartz, Peter Walker, Hargreaves Associates, and SWA Group. Early commissions included collaborations with municipal offices such as the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, the Port of San Francisco, and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, linking the practice to regional initiatives led by agencies like the National Park Service and the California Coastal Commission. During the 2000s the office expanded through partnerships with architectural firms including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, SOM, Kohn Pedersen Fox, and Foster + Partners on mixed-use waterfront projects. The 2010s saw engagements with universities such as Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, San Francisco, and cultural institutions including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Contemporary Jewish Museum. International work involved collaborations in projects connected to agencies like the Greater London Authority, Transport for London, and municipal governments in Vancouver, Melbourne, and Copenhagen. The practice has participated in juries, taught studios at institutions including the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the University of California, Berkeley College of Environmental Design, and the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, and contributed to policy dialogues convened by organizations such as the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Urban Land Institute, and the Congress for the New Urbanism.

Notable Projects

The firm’s portfolio includes urban park commissions with municipal partners such as the City and County of San Francisco and the City of Oakland, waterfront frameworks with ports including the Port of Long Beach and the Port of San Diego, and campus plazas for institutions like Stanford University and the California College of the Arts. Noteworthy collaborations include public realm work adjacent to projects by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Herzog & de Meuron, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and OMA. The practice contributed landscape components to major mixed-use developments linked to developers such as Related Companies, The Trump Organization, and Tishman Speyer. Internationally, commissions include waterfront promenade studies associated with Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, urban realm strategies for the Greater London Authority and precinct designs tied to City of Melbourne initiatives. Civic park projects engaged funding programs from foundations like the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, and the Russell Family Foundation. Infrastructure-adjacent site design work involved coordination with agencies including Caltrans, Bay Area Rapid Transit, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York). The firm has executed restoration projects in partnership with conservation groups like the Nature Conservancy, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and the California Native Plant Society.

Design Philosophy and Approach

The firm articulates a design approach informed by influences from practitioners such as Ian McHarg, Lawrence Halprin, Peter Walker, Maya Lin, and Michael Van Valkenburgh. Projects emphasize ecological performance, resilient systems, and public programming—principles shared with entities like the Rockefeller Foundation resilience initiatives and the 100 Resilient Cities network. Methodologically, the office integrates analysis tools and collaborators including ArcGIS, HydroCAD, AutoCAD, Rhinoceros, Grasshopper 3D, and environmental engineers from firms like Arup and AECOM. The studio pursues collaborative processes with stakeholders such as city planning departments, arts commissioners, transit agencies, and community development corporations like Enterprise Community Partners. Design work frequently engages public art partnerships with organizations such as the NEA and local arts councils, and implements planting strategies guided by organizations including the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the California Native Plant Society.

Awards and Recognition

The practice has received professional recognition from award-giving bodies including the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the National Parks Conservation Association, and municipal design awards from cities such as San Francisco and Oakland. Projects have been honored in biennials and exhibitions organized by institutions like the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Civic Center of Los Angeles, and the Architectural League of New York. Publications and awards lists have referenced the firm in outlets and prize programs run by Architectural Record, Landscape Architecture Magazine, Dezeen, Domus, Metropolis, Bluefield, and the Royal Institute of British Architects when projects intersected with significant architectural collaborators. Grant and fellowship support has come through programs administered by organizations like the Getty Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Organizational Structure and Key Personnel

The firm is structured as a private design studio with teams organized around project typologies: civic parks, waterfronts, campuses, and restoration. Leadership includes co-founders Mark Mathews and Anna Nielsen supported by senior associates, project managers, and technical staff. The office employs licensed professionals with registrations in jurisdictions overseen by boards such as the California Architects Board for collaborative architectural partnerships and state licensing boards for landscape architects. The studio frequently brings in partner firms including Sasaki, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Hargreaves Jones, SWA Group, and engineering consultants like Stantec and WSP Global. Advisory roles have included adjunct critics from schools such as the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Yale School of Architecture, and the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.

Publications and Media Coverage

Work by the firm has been featured in periodicals and platforms including Landscape Architecture Magazine, Architectural Record, The New York Times, The Guardian, The San Francisco Chronicle, and design blogs such as ArchDaily and Designboom. Projects have appeared in monographs and edited volumes by publishers like Princeton Architectural Press and Routledge, and in academic journals associated with institutions including the Journal of Urban Design and the Harvard Design Magazine. The firm has participated in panels and lectures at venues like the Civic Center San Francisco, the San Francisco Planning Commission, the American Institute of Architects, and international conferences convened by IUCN and the World Urban Forum.

Category:Landscape architecture firms