BACKGROUND
After spending 23 years with Boston-area architectural firms, Nelson Hammer established Hammer Design in 1992 to provide support to architects for the site planning of their building projects. While focusing on this landscape architectural subset, Nelson developed specializations in several areas such as multi-family housing, interior landscape design, medical and educational facilities that often present idiosyncrasies unique to their particular project type. With multiple project experience in each of these areas, Nelson is able to address intricate or complex site issues and deal with them efficiently and cost-effectively.
One of these specialties- interior landscape design- is a field in which Nelson has become a nationally recognized authority as a designer, teacher, lecturer, author of two books and more than 50 articles, and contributing editor to many standard reference books that address this subject.
EDUCATION:
The Pennsylvania State University, BSLA 1969
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
1992 to date:
Hammer Design, Boston, MA
Founding Principal
1985 to 1992:
Earl R. Flansburgh + Associates, Inc., Boston, MA
Senior Associate, Director of Landscape Architecture
1969-1985:
The Architects Collaborative, Inc., Cambridge, MA
Senior Associate
1975-1977:
Bough Haus, Medway, MA
Founding Partner
1969:
Office of Dan Kiley, Charlotte, VT
Staff Landscape Designer
REGISTRATION:
#550 Massachusetts (Landscape Architecture), 1975
AWARDS:
Florida Nurserymen and Growers Association: State Award of Excellence for the Copley Place Interior Landscape
American Association of Nurserymen: National Landscape Award for the Copley Place Interior Landscape
Boston Society of Landscape Architects: Award of Excellence for the Copley Place Interior Landscape
Professional Interior Plantscape Association: Highest Honor Award for the Guest Quarters Suite Hotel Interior Landscape
Associated Landscape Contractors of America: Merit Award for the Landmark Condominiums Interior Landscape
Boston Society of Landscape Architects: Merit Award, Communications, for
Interior Landscape Design.
Boston Society of Landscape Architects: Honor Award, Communications, for
Interior Landscapes: An American Design Portfolio of Green Environments
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
1993: New England School of Art & Design, Boston, MA: Interior Landscape Design
1980 to 1989: Harvard Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, Continuing Education Curriculum: "Interior Plantscape: Design, Installation, and Maintenance" (co-taught with Roger Cheever)
1973: Boston Architectural Center, Boston, MA
Site Engineering
PUBLISHED WORKS:
Books
Interior Graphics Standards, John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY, 2003,
Author of chapter on Interior Landscaping
Interior Landscapes: An American Design Portfolio of Green Environments, published by Rockport Publishers, Gloucester, Massachusetts, 1999: Author
Interior Landscape Design, published by McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, 1992: Author
Time Saver Standards for Landscape Architecture, published by McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, 2nd. Ed., 1998: Contributing Reviewer for Contract Documents; Co-author for Interior Landscapes
Guide to Interior Landscape Specifications, published by the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, Herndon, VA, Fifth Edition, 2003: Contributing Editor; Author of Appendix on Lighting
Guide to Interior Landscape Specifications, published by the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, Herndon, VA, Fourth Edition, 1988: Contributing Editor; Author of Appendix on Lighting
Magazine Articles
Interiorscape Magazine, published by Brantwood Publications, Tampa, FL:
𠇌ollaboration in the Interiorscape”, March/April 1998
“Plant Growth Lighting: An Update”, September/.October 1997
“Ring Around the Ficus”, January/February, 1997
"IAQ Awareness", November/December 1995
"Senior Housing: A Growing Market", September/October, 1995
"How to Photograph Your Work's Best Side", July/August, 1995
"The Long-Term Dangers of Playing it Safe", May/June, 1995
“Here's Looking at You...", March/April, 1995
"The Southwest in New England", November/December, 1994
"Preparing an Effective Presentation", September/October, 1994
"Joining Forces...", July/August, 1994
"Instead of Greenery, Huh?", May/June, 1994
"Bidding? Take the High Road. Please." March/April, 1994
"Maintaining the Integrity of a Design, January/February, 1994
"Are We Prepared to Enter the 21st Century?", November/December, 1993
"The Irristat", September/October, 1993
"The Roots of Interiorscaping", July/August, 1993
"Selecting the Right Container", May/June, 1993
"Regional Design Influences", March/April, 1993
"Using Preserved Palms", January/February, 1993
"Andrew's Legacy: Some Long Term Implications", November/December, 1992
"Standardizing Plant Sizes", September/October, 1992
"Getting the Message Out", July/August, 1992
"Making An Impression In The World Of Design", May/June, 1992
"Reaching Overseas", July/August, 1983 (co-authored with Peter Cummin)
Interior Landscape Industry Magazine, published by American Nurseryman Publishing Co., Chicago, IL
"The Designing Mind", a continuing series on interior landscape design:
"Watering by design, part two," March, 1992
"Watering by design, part one," February, 1992
"Planting section profiles, part two," December, 1991
"Planting section profiles, part one," October, 1991
"Creating contract documents, June, 1991
"Conceptual cost estimation", April, 1991
"Planting a playground", February, 1991
"The real plant question", August, 1990
"Accessibility", June, 1990
"Low maintenance design revisited", April, 1990
"Planting the office landscape", February, 1990
"Design considerations for the planted atrium", November, 1989
"Design theory, part five: Palms", September, 1989
"The trends of tomorrow", June, 1989
"Design theory, part four: Color plants", May, 1989
"The design process on paper", March, 1989
"Bidding genius", January, 1989
"The design process- The right way", November, 1988
"Design theory, part three: Large-scale plants", September, 1988
"Working with specifications", June, 1988
"Design theory, part two: Ground covers as a design tool", May, 1988
"Design theory, part one", March, 1988
"What it takes to make a winner", January, 1988
"The pride of professionalism", November, 1987
"Designing plantings with maintenance in mind", September, 1987
"Tailor-made plantings", July, 1987
"Interior landscaping by design", June, 1987
American School & University Magazine, published by North American Publishing Co., Philadelphia, PA:
"How to Select a Playground Surface", March 1988
"Toward a Safe, Lasting Landscape", July 1988
Progressive Architecture, "Green Stuff", May 1981 issue
(Technical Consultant)
Interior Plantscape Association Manual of Practice,
"Contract Documents: Their Purpose, Content, and Interpretation", copyright 1980
JURIES
Judge, Associated Landscape Contractors of America
National Environmental Improvement Awards Program
2003, 1988, 1987, 1984, 1983
Judge, Massachusetts Horticultural Society Spring Flower Show, 1986
LECTURES
2003: Tropical Plant Industry Exposition, Fort Lauderdale, FL
1999: Rentokil National Sales Meeting, Lisle, IL
1995: Foliage Design Systems Annual Meeting, Hilton Head Island, SC
Pro-Green Expo, Denver, CO
1994: New England Greenhouse Conference, Sturbridge, MA
Mid-Atlantic Interior Landscape Conference, Longwood Gardens, PA
Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition, Fort Lauderdale, FL
1993: Canadian Interior Landscape Conference, Royal Botanical Gardens, Burlington, Ontario
Calscape Expo '93, Irvine, CA
1992: "Light for Life" Symposium, Sydney, Australia (Keynote Speaker)
Bentley College, Guest Lecturer, Waltham, MA
New England Interior Landscape Association Seminar Panelist, Cambridge, MA
1990: Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA), Interior Plantscape Division Annual Conference, Denver, CO:
Moderator of Panel Discussion- "Design Opportunities of the 1990's”
1986: Annual Ohio Florist Short Course, Columbus OH
1985: ALCA Interior Landscape Division, Annual Meeting, Boston, MA
1983: First National Interior Landscape Exposition, Anaheim, CA
"Building the Well-Tempered Atrium", Panel Member, Boston Architectural Center, Boston, MA
Harvard Graduate School of Design, Visiting Lecturer and Critic, Cambridge, MA
Associated Landscape Contractors of Massachusetts, Sturbridge, MA
1982: Radcliffe Institute, Visiting Lecturer and Critic, Cambridge, MA
Featured Speaker, Interior Landscape Symposium, Winnipeg, Canada
Interior Plantscape Association (IPA) Annual Meeting, Portland, OR
Construction Specifications Institute, Boston Chapter, Newton, MA
1981: IPA Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX
1980: IPA Annual Meeting, St. Paul, MN
Annual Ohio Florist Short Course, Columbus, OH
1979: IPA Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA
AFFILIATIONS
Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA), Affiliate
Boston Society of Architects (BSA) - Affiliate
