On September 17, 2010, former Urbana resident and UIUC alumnus Stuart O. Dawson presented the Stanley White & Alumni Lecture, “Stanley, Hideo and Chuck,” for the Joint Architecture/Landscape Architecture Fall Lecture Series.  Dawson is a founding partner of the historic firm Sasaki, Dawson and DeMay, Inc., and currently a principal at Sasaki Associates in Watertown, Massachusetts.  He graduated with a BFA from the University of Illinois in 1957 before going on to work for his mentor and former UIUC professor, Hideo Sasaki. Now semi-retired, Dawson divides his time between Sasaki Associates and working for local community groups such as the York (Maine) Land Trust. He also serves as a member of the Riley institute for Urban Design and is a founding member of the Boston Landmarks Commission. When he can find the time, he tells us, he likes to play golf!

When asked what he considers his most important work, Dawson recalls his work with Sasaki Associates on the UIUC campus. As many people know, in the late 1950s, over ten thousand elm trees had to be removed from the university campus because they had succumbed to Dutch Elm disease. Sasaki Associates was hired to do a master plan for the entire campus; rather than instituting another monoculture, the firm proposed a series of different single-species planting groups throughout the campus. With the open sky now revealed, designers could reshape the patterns of light and shadow occurring on the ground plane. Dawson remembers that early work fondly and is still proud of having worked in his “own backyard.”

Dawson’s lecture was inspired by his growing concern for post-WWII historic landscapes. In the past, many designers treated a site as a clean slate; some overlaid their own work upon projects executed by their predecessors. In showcasing some “classic” examples of work by Sasaki Associates, Dawson explained the process of site and contextual analysis that the firm tends to follow. Key exemplars included the John Deere Headquarters (Moline, Illinois); Christian Science Center (Boston, MA); Newburyport City Center (MA); and the Boston Waterfront Park and Long Wharf (Boston, MA).
 
Speaking of recent conditions, Dawson acknowledged that the financial recession has hit Sasaki Associates just as it has everyone else, and has forced the firm to adjust their work force. Nevertheless, Dawson still encourages students to apply to Sasaki's internship program. He stresses that Sasaki Associates provides a great learning experience for both students and the staff. And we all trust that the recession won’t last forever.