Landscape Processes Discussion Series: Nina Chase & Chris Merritt

Nina Chase and Chris Merritt, founding principles of Merritt Chase, will discuss their work as part of the Landscape Processes online discussion series.

Chase is a founding principal of Merritt Chase. As a registered landscape architect, she works to position public spaces as the foundational building blocks of communities. Born and raised in West Virginia, Chase is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design and West Virginia University. She formerly was an associate at Sasaki and the senior project manager at Riverlife. Chase’s work has received national recognition from the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Landscape Architecture Foundation, and the Architectural League of New York. Her professional experience is additionally informed by a commitment to the design community through teaching, writing, and volunteering. Chase frequently lectures and serves as a design critic nationally and internationally. She is a former adjunct faculty member at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Architecture and an emeritus board member of the Landscape Architecture Foundation. Currently, Chase is a member of the City of Pittsburgh’s Contextual Design Advisory Committee and the Vice President of the Lawrenceville Corporation’s Board of Directors.

Merritt is a landscape architect and founding principal of Merritt Chase. His work focuses on the design of culturally significant public spaces in complex social, ecological, and infrastructural contexts. His previous project experiences with Sasaki range from urban design master plans to detailed site designs. His clients include public agencies, communities, institutions, and private developers. Merritt’s work has been recognized with awards from the Urban Land Institute, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the American Institute of Architects, and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design and Purdue University, and currently serves on the Curatorial Advisory Committee for Exhibit Columbus.