Deeply
Founding
Founded in the early months of 2020, iO Studio was born into a period of turmoil and unrest in the US and around the world. The challenges - an ever warming climate, rising seas, and the rising tension of civil unrest have challenged our profession and this studio to reflect on what it truly means to practice landscape architecture.
It is in this period of self-reflection that iO Studio steadies itself, dedicated to passionately seeking ways in which we might leverage our talent, knowledge and experience in the struggle to leave this world a little better than we found it.
Philosophy
iO Studio’s philosophy centers on the core pursuit of design - to construct meaning and strengthen the connection between people and place. We seek to realize this connection in every project as we articulate ideas in matter through design. This act is born and reborn at every site, with every client and every collaborator. Research, dialogue, and discovery enable the real to be shaped by imagination - giving form to the invisible and substance to the intangible.
Simply
We don’t like to play in jargon and catch phrases. You wont hear us casually spinning narratives around ‘sustainability’, ‘resiliency’... ‘equity’. Rather, In all that we do - in what we hold as our grounding principles, in our philosophy, and the places we create, is the underlying belief that what we are practicing is not just landscape architecture, in its infinite scale and complexity, but indeed, the architecture of life itself. The places that bare us sustenance, the places we call home; where we live work and play. We are creating the background upon which people write their life story; a fabric made to inspire, strengthen and endure. A tapestry created for everyone.
Background
Studio Founder Richard Jones is a licensed landscape architect with more than 20 years of experience in the profession. His approach to design is born from what he sees as that most critical of connections: between people and each other, and people and the environment. Beyond creating awarding winning, nationally recognized projects, Richard has spent considerable energy over the years cultivating an understanding of community process and the importance of intentional and results driven engagement in the context of design delivery. This adherence to a set of values that prioritize a deep understanding of culture and people before design has resulted in several projects that have had a profound impact on the communities they serve. Richard’s diverse set of skills span several areas of practice, from the design of parks and plaza’s, to projects in the academic and healthcare sectors, retail, mixed-use, and hospitality. Prior to founding iO Studio, Richard served as president and director of design for Mahan Rykiel Associates in Baltimore, MD.
Richard spent his childhood living between Europe and the US. The son of a Black American father and German mother, he embraced the beauty and complexity of his cultural roots, finding connection and inspiration in the contrasts that existed within and around him and steeping an interest in design, culture, and history. The fluidity he developed in living between these very different realities shaped his approach to design and desire to create places which reflect the diversity of the communities within which they are set.
Culture
The people behind the projects at iO are a collection of talented professionals and collaborators sharing in the commitment to the philosophy which grounds the studio - each lending their own expertise and passion to bring about places that inspire, strengthen and endure. We believe in a democratic design process, where no voice is too new. No idea, too far-fetched. Always learning.
Always growing. Always finding opportunities to lead and to inspire.
To enquire about joining our team, contact us at info@iostudio-la.com »
Where we live, work, and play.
Through our stations in Baltimore, Orlando and Nuremberg, we spend each day living and working in places and communities that stoke our commitment to deliver positive impact and feed our appetite for knowledge.