Alfred Caldwell

Alfred Caldwell (1903–1998) was an American architect best known for his landscape architecture in and around Chicago, Illinois. Succeeded in his IIT teaching role by former student Paul Thomas. Caldwell, like his mentor Jens Jensen, promoted a natural style of landscape design. The intent was to manufacture a native landscape that copied natural ecosystems. A complete natural ecosystem requires little maintenance other than removal of non-native invasive species. Due to the subtleness of his planting designs and the live nature of landscape materials, many of Caldwell’s projects have fallen into disrepair as the result of improper maintenance and modifications; the Lily Pool, however, is regularly maintained by the Lincoln Park...