Mr. Richard Strong obtained a BLA degree from the Ohio State University in 1957 and a MLA degree from Harvard University in 1959. He is licensed to practice landscape architecture in the states of Arizona, Montana and Ohio and is a member of CLARB. Dick was one of the founding members of OALA in 1969 and the association operated out of his offices during its early years. He served on the CSLA Board of Governors, as Chair of CSLA’s Education Committee and as member of ASLA’s Committee on Education.
The firm Richard Strong Associates Ltd. operated first in Toronto from 1961-78 with up to 35 staff members and in Calgary from 1978-83. In 1983 Dick became Director of Design and Development for the Expo ’86 Corporation in Vancouver and was responsible for the design and development of the 135 acre World Exposition site. From 1987-91 he worked in Sydney, Australia as Design Consultant for governments, corporations, engineers and architects. Returning to Canada, he operated a Design Consultant firm in Lethbridge, Alberta from 1991-97. Mr. Strong’s firm has been one of the most important practices in the country, with over 2000 projects to its credit. It has served as training ground for many, today important landscape architects.
Dick Strong was the first Chairman of the Landscape Architecture Department at the University of Toronto from 1967-77. He lead the Department through its formative years, emphasizing the widest breath of landscape architectural education. Instructors included aside from landscape architects: psychologists, artists, developers, urban foresters, marketing advisors and politicians. In the ensuing 35 years Dick has lectured and acted as visiting critic at numerous Canadian, American and Australian universities.