Roberto Jaime Deseda (left), a student in the Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design, chats with Leslie J. Laskey, professor emeritus of architecture, while two students relax in the "Laskey Landscape," a large construction made of wood and metal located in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts' Jordan Charitable Foundation Central Plaza.

Combining modern joinery techniques with attention to human ergonomics, the piece was designed and built by Deseda and fellow graduate student Justin Beadle to promote interaction among Sam Fox School students.

Construction, which took place over the summer, was funded by the Laskey Award, an annual $5,000 grant presented by Studio L, an at-large group of Laskey's former students, friends, colleagues and patrons, in conjunction with the College of Architecture and Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design. The award was created in honor of Laskey and his singular approach to design education during his 35-year tenure at Washington University.

To learn more about Studio L, or to download an application for the 2010 Laskey Award, click here