Beyond Bold: Inspiration, Collaboration, Evolution follows the “Next Generation” of leadership at Oehme van Sweden, a landscape architecture firm that’s been creating extraordinary outdoor spaces for nearly 50 years. With 320 pages of vibrant photographs, detailed project plans, and first-hand commentary from principals Sheila Brady, Lisa Delplace, and Eric Groft, the book is a one-of-a-kind record of OvS’ history and evolution. Building upon OvS’ reputation for sustainable, client-tailored residential design, the current leaders have developed an ouvre that’s as legacy-driven as it is exploratory. From private gardens and pools to the expansive Tippet Rise Art Center in rural Montana to urban oases like the Chicago and New York Botanical Gardens, the projects featured in this book are masterpieces of both horticulture and hardscape.
Eric Groft is renowned for his diversity in residential, commercial, and institutional work. He prides himself in his sense of regionalism, attention to the vernacular, and work with cultural landscapes. Mr. Groft has a passion for horticulture and is dedicated to shepherding the evolution of OvS’ New American Garden Style. He is widely recognized as an industry leader in ecological sensitivity, environmental/wetland restoration, and shoreline stabilization/revetment. He frequently lectures on these topics and the work of OvS.
He is a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, a Co-Chair of the Board of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a member of the UVA School of Architecture Dean’s Advisory Board and a board member of the Hammond Harwood House in Annapolis, MD. Mr. Groft is a member of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art’s Bunny Mellon Laurel Society, the Royal Oak Foundation (an affiliate of the British National Trust), the UVA Dean’s Forum, and the Metro Hort Group in New York City. Mr. Groft holds a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in geography/ environmental science from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.
