1931-
Denise Scott Brown is an African-American urban planner, architect, and teacher. Married to the well-known architect Robert Venturi, she focused on urban design during the 1960's and 1970's.
She was born in Nkana, Zambia, and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. After studying at the Architectural Association in London, England and graduating in 1955, she began traveling and working in Europe. Soon, she went to the United States to receive a master of city planning degree in 1960 and a master of architecture degree in 1965 from the University of Pennsylvania. It was at the university where Brown met Venturi and married in 1967.
After her own education, Brown began teaching about urban planning in many universities. She worked with different architects and civil engineers.
During her teaching at Yale form 1967 to 1970, Brown devised courses of study that allowed architects to do their "social research." As a result of architects learning in depth about environmental problems, popular styles, etc., architecture was improved as far as the possibilities of maintaining form while enhancing function. This proved valuable in the modern world where the general standards of cities are important to its value. From this example, it is safe to conclude that Brown combined her knowledge of urban planning and common sense to improve modern cities.
A detailed example of social research is described in her book published in 1972 called Learning from Las Vegas. In the book she describes how studying from the designs and functions of parking lots and and isolated commercial centers is very effective in teaching design.
Also, in 1967, both Venturi and Brown merged and created the Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates architectural firm. In the 1970's, she began preserving important historic locations such as Galveston, Texas and Miami Beach, Florida. In the 1980's they worked on the planning of downtown Memphis, Tennessee.
Her most famous works emerge in the 1990's. With colleagues, she planned the Denver Civic Center Cultural Complex in Colorado. She also planned the campuses of Dartmouth College and the University of Pennsylvania. Finally she helped in the development of the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of the American Indian.
An Historic Look Back:
Can you think of any past civilization that began the use of urban planning similar to the profession of Denise Scott Brown? { Hint: Look in the Ancient World! }