Laura and Marty met in graduate school and immediately began collaborating on design studio assignments. Their interests aligned and so did their lives - marrying in 1986. They founded the firm as an evolution of their life long drive to create and be together.

The practice is focused on relationships with clients and communities who value creative thinking to solve the problems at hand in order to build places that enrich people’s lives and sustain our planet.

When he was making scale model landscapes at six years old and transplanting trees at eleven, Marty had no idea that the profession of landscape architecture existed. Stumbling upon the School of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture at Michigan State University, Marty could not believe he could get a degree in making landscapes.

For over 40 years, Marty has combined his insatiable curiosity with a love of community life to practice landscape architecture fused with urbanity, social purpose, and aesthetics.  He cares about beauty and believes that if it “looks good it is good”  – good for people and good for the planet.  After a childhood in the suburbs, he has always lived in the heart of cities – feeling fortunate to have lived and worked in the downtown centers of Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Cambridge, New York, San Diego, Berkeley, and Alexandria, Virginia.  Marty’s work is about making beautiful places for people - an exploration shared with his partner Laura as they moved around America and traveled the world. Poirier’s work has focused on places of dense human interaction – be it a park, college campus, or city center – where the rigorous analysis of the site and a disciplined program for space are masterfully transformed into memorable landscapes.

Professional Experience

attention2 landscape architects | Co-Founder and Senior Partner | 2019

PWP Landscape Architecture | Partner | 2016 - 2018

SPURLOCK POIRIER Landscape Architects | Co-Founder and Partner | 1990 - 2016

The Spurlock Office, San Diego | Senior Associate | 1988-90

The Office of Peter Walker Martha Schwartz Landscape Architects | San Francisco/New York | Associate | 1985-87

Kurt Meyer Partners, Architects, Los Angeles | Staff Site Planner | 1983-84

POD, Inc., Landscape Architects, Los Angeles and Santa Ana | Senior Staff | 1980-83

Johnson, Johnson and Roy, Landscape Architects | Ann Arbor | Staff | 1978-80

Smith, Hinchman and Grylls, Architects and Engineers | Detroit | Staff | 1977-78

Education

Harvard University, Graduate School of Design | Master of Landscape Architecture, 1986 | Awarded the Jacob Weidenman Traveling Fellowship Prize for Outstanding Design Ability

Michigan State University | Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, cum laude | 1976

Select Honors and Awards

Honor Award in General Design 2019 | Harvard University Faculty Advisor | “Engaging Hallowed Ground” Re-envisioning Arrival to Arlington National Cemetery | Student Award to Amanda Ton

Merit Award 2016 | North Embarcadero Esplanade Phase 1 | American Society of Landscape Architects San Diego

Urban Design Honor Award 2015 | North Embarcadero Esplanade Phase 1 | American Institute of Architects San Diego

Citation 2014 | James M. Carter & Judith N. Keep United States Federal Courthouse San Diego | U.S. General Services Administration/Public Buildings Services

President’s Award for Exceptional Design 2012 | Charles David Keeling Apartments | University of California San Diego | American Society of Landscape Architects San Diego               

Teaching and Lectures

Harvard University Graduate School of Design Lecturer and Studio Critic | 2021 “Landscapes of Remembrance”

Harvard University Graduate School of Design Visiting Option Studio Instructor | 2018 Arlington National Cemetery “Engaging Hallowed Ground”

Harvard University Graduate School of Design Lecture Series 2018 | “The Creativity Continuum”

University of California San Diego Urban Studies Department  |  Public Policy Program 2011-14 Lecturer | “Politics of Parks”

University of California San Diego School of Planning | 2007-2015 Lecturer | “Urban Living”

Illinois Institute of Technology | 2007, 2011 Studio Design Critic

Woodbury University, San Diego | 1999 Urban Design Studio Instructor

New School of Architecture, San Diego | Guest Lecturer and Studio Critic, 1989–2015

Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok Landscape Architecture Department | 1988 Guest Lecturer

Colorado State University | 1988  |  Guest Lecturer

Columbia University School of Architecture University of California Berkeley Michigan State University Visiting Design Studio Critic | 1987

Harvard University Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts Teaching Fellow | 1985

University of California, Los Angeles/Irvine, Landscape Architecture Extension Programs Design Studio Instructor | 1980-1984

Michigan State University School of Landscape Architecture | 1976 Assistant Instructor 

Organizations and Community Service

Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects

GSD|SD  San Diego Chapter of the Harvard GSD Alumni Council, Founder

Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, Alumni Council, Ambassador Committee Co-Chair | Sert Council | 2010-2018

Harvard DISrupt! Conference Series, Founder

City of San Diego, Community Forest Advisory Board, Founding Member

Centre City Advisory Committee, Downtown San Diego Planning Group, Elected Representative for Little Italy,

Urban Design Advisor to San Diego Mayor Susan Golding

Registration

Licensed Landscape Architect, CA 3186 – MI 840 – NV 648