On May 15, 2025, SASAKI introduced a new book, Hideo Sasaki: A Legacy of Collaborative Design” and SASAKI’s design philosophy, in particular with a focus on importance of collaboration and equity in design.
On Hideo Sasaki:
" Born in California to Japanese immigrants, Hideo grew up farming alongside his family. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, his family and community were forced into internment camps. Following WWII, Hideo faced serious racial discrimination in pursuit of his career. Despite enormous obstacles, he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in landscape architecture. In 1953, he founded the firm that would evolve into Sasaki and joined the faculty at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. By 1958, he was chair of Harvard’s Department of Landscape Architecture.
Through his teaching and practice, Hideo helped revolutionize the study of landscape architecture. He also pioneered the concept of collaborative design, insisting we should use the whole depth of human knowledge to solve problems. He tied landscape architecture to the larger issues of planning. He blurred the lines between Harvard’s departments. And he broke down the traditional barriers between practice and teaching. As a teacher, he invited busy practitioners in a variety of disciplines to guest teach, enriching the curriculum and connecting it to the real world. As a practitioner, he brought promising students into his firm. They put his practical, interdisciplinary, and collaborative approach into action.
After a long
and impressive career, Hideo passed away in 2000. To honor his memory, Sasaki
established the Hideo Sasaki Foundation, which included a bequest from Hideo’s
family. Ken Bassett, Elizabeth Meek, James A. Sukeforth, and Alan Ward were the
founding trustees.", https://www.sasakifoundation.org/about/,
last accessed on May 15, 2025.