Principal Owner, Nelson Byrd Woltz, Charlottesville, VA
Lecture Title: A Critical Balance: Ecology, Culture, and Resilience in the Landscapes of NBW
February 6, 2020

Thomas Woltz is the owner of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. He was named Design Innovator of the Year by the Wall Street Journal in 2013 and one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company in 2017.

During the past 20 years of practice, Woltz has forged a body of work that integrates the beauty and function of built form and craftsmanship with an understanding of complex ecological systems and breadth of landscape material and media. Under his leadership, NBW has evolved from a firm of 5 people to 45, and has expanded its mission to tackle a diverse range of scales and contexts. His design work infuses places where people live, work, and play with narratives of the land that inspire stewardship.

Woltz was educated at the University of Virginia and holds master’s degrees in Landscape Architecture and Architecture. After working in Venice Italy and Paris France, he returned to the United States to launch his career in landscape architecture. Woltz serves on the Boards of Directors of TCLF (The Cultural Landscape Foundation), and the University of Virginia School of Architecture Foundation.

At present, Thomas is leading NBW in the design of major public parks across the United States, Canada, England, Australia, and New Zealand including the Public Square and Gardens at Hudson Yards (New York), Cornwall Park (New Zealand) Mt. Cuba Center (Delaware), Memorial Park (Houston), and Centennial Park (Nashville).