Landscape Architect Wins Highest Honor

Donald Carl Brinkerhoff, the chief executive officer, director of design and founder of Lifescapes International, has received the highest honor of the landscape architecture industry-- the designation of Fellow by the American Society of Landscape Architects.

The award comes in recognition of Brinkerhoff’s extensive body of work, including serving as chief designer for Jurassic Park--the Ride, at Universal Studios in Hollywood.

Other notable projects include the Belcourt gated community in Newport Beach, the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, The Cascades Hotel/Casino in South Africa, and the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas.

“If someone would have told me, back when I graduated in the early ‘50s from Cal Poly Pomona, that I would be designing dinosaur rides, erupting volcanoes and artificial silk plant and concrete rock interior gardens, I would have thought they were nuts,” Brinkerhoff said. “But time teaches a person to take advantage of experience and never say never to exploring new design solutions.”

Brinkerhoff founded Lifescapes International, based in Newport Beach, in 1958. His latest projects include the Bellagio, a major Las Vegas resort opening in 1998.