Landscape architecture pioneer Rosa Grena Kliass gives lecture at Washington Alexandria Architecture Center

Rosa Grena Kliass, who began her career in landscape architecture more than fifty years ago, is a renowned pioneer in the field. Last week, Kliass, visiting from her native Brazil, gave a lecture on Scale and Significance: Main Issues for Landscape Architecture at the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC) before a full house of students, faculty, administrators, and other interested visitors. She was introduced by Laurel McSherry, director of Virginia Tech's master's landscape architecture program in the National Capital Region.

In the first half of her presentation, Kliass credited a number of projects with influencing her work, including a number of installations in Israel where history is such an important part of the landscape. She then turned to several of her own projects in Brazil.

One of the most notable is Abaeté Park, a project which began in 1993.The Abaeté lagoon was well known for its dramatic scene of black water surrounded by dunes of white sand. By moonlight, visitors would flock to the location to witness this natural wonder. The daytime scene – and the one featured on the picture postcard of Abaeté -- was markedly different. Hundreds of laundresses, accompanied by their children, would occupy the margins of the lake, where they would wash huge bales of colorful clothing and hang them to dry. However, invasions of Abaeté over three decades resulted in impairment of the whole environment, including water pollution and the destruction of natural vegetation.

The restoration of Abaeté began at the government’s request in 1993. As the landscape architect, Kliass was an integral part of a project team that worked to restore the whole area of the lake and recover the natural features of Abaeté, particularly the vegetation. Within the plan, they preserved as many trees and natural elements as possible.  The result is a generous lawn shaded by trees, a square where events are held, a large foyer leading to the park surrounded by large shaded walks, sculptural bleachers, steps, and benches in granite. The area is bounded by a square mound of wood and stairs, allowing access to the lagoon. Other attractions include an activities center with shops, restaurants, and cafeterias, and the Casa de Música da Bahia which hosts activities related to African-Brazilian culture.

The Laundress House is an important part of the design because it preserves the laundering tradition. It has all the facilities necessary for the comfort of laundresses and their children protected by a gallery in curve. These facilities include tanks, toilets, bathrooms, and a nursery. The site also includes a wall of water with children’s toys and a playground with a sand tank.

Kliass told her audience how pleased she was when, twelve years after the project started, she was visiting Abaeté and overheard a woman saying that she had been washing clothes in the lagoon since she was a young girl “but now it is much better!”

Her presentation included some of her other projects in Brazil:  The Youth Park in São Paulo and the Mangrove of the Herons in Belém, PA.

Every project has its difficulties and challenges, said Kliass. “It is always difficult to decide how to landscape a site, especially when you are dealing with public spaces,”  she said.

Often the people who fund a project are making demands, but they really don’t know what is best for the site and those who will be using it, Kliass said. “It is the responsibility of the landscape architect to decide the right thing to do. You should not be dragged down by demands,” she cautioned.

Among those who attended Kliass’s lecture at WAAC were local architect Leslie Solitario, who worked with Kliass in Brazil from 1989 to 1992, and Darwina Neal, chief, Cultural Resources Preservation Services, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Capital Region.

Kliass earned an architecture degree from the University of São Paolo in 1955 and has been dedicated to the professional fields of landscape architecture and urban design since 1960. In 1970, she established her practice of landscape planning and received a Master's degree in 1989. She spearheaded the São Paulo parks department and co-founded the Brazilian Association of Landscape Architects (ABAP) in 1976, serving as its president in 1980, 1983, 1989, 1991, and 2000. Kliass designed landscapes for Brazil's early rooftop terraces.

A reception sponsored by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Student Chapter followed Kliass's lecture.

Posted March 12, 2009