B.Arch., Tufts University; M.L.Arch., Harvard University
Mia Lehrer is the founding principal of the Los Angeles firm, Mia Lehrer + Associates. Born in San Salvador, El Salvador, Ms. Lehrer received her Masters of Landscape Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. Following her education Ms. Lehrer gained valuable experience by working on large-scale public projects such as the World Bank Coastal Zone Project in El Salvador, as well as intimate gardens for residential clients. Today she is internationally recognized for her progressive landscape designs – unique amalgamations of graphic configurations, found objects, architectural planters, and rich textures – and her advocacy for sustainable and people-friendly public space.
Ms. Lehrer leads the ML+A office through the design and development of a diverse range of ambitious public and private projects that include urban revitalization developments such as Hollywood Park and San Pedro Waterfront, large urban parks such as Vista Hermosa Park in Los Angeles and Orange County Great Park at the El Toro Marine Base, and complex commercial projects like a Bio-tech Corporate Campus in Thousand Oaks. In recent years, several interesting historic renovation projects have been added to her repertoire; these include Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, the glamorous Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, and Santee Court, an urban housing development that pays tribute to its interesting context - L.A.’s fashion district. Currently the firm is a consultant for the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan currently leading efforts to identify and plan a comprehensive open space network that interfaces with channel restoration and urbanism.
Committed to her profession and education, Ms. Lehrer is actively involved in several organizations. She is on the Board of Directors at the Collage Dance Theater. She is a member of the International Federation of Landscape Architects, American Society of Landscape Architects, Hollywood Design Review Committee, and has served on the Harvard Graduate School of Design Alumni Council and board of directors of TreePeople.
In addition to being published in international journals, popular magazines, and newspapers, the work of Mia Lehrer + Associates has been included in several important museum and gallery exhibitions. Ms. Lehrer often lectures, traveling as far as Brazil and China to share her insights and philosophy on public landscape design.