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Over the years, Maya Lin has been many things, including an architect, an artist, and a memorialist. Her first major work—and still her most famous—is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

But she's also worked on a number of famous buildings, including the Smith Library and the Museum for African Art in New York. And her art is huge, both in accolades and in scope. For example, her Confluence sites are built across 438 miles in two states.

The new book "Maya Lin: Topologies" is a retrospective of her work. It includes her original designs and photographs of the final products, alongside essays about each design. She joined us in studio to talk about what she's done, where she's at now, and what pieces she got the most joy out of making.

We'll have more on Maya Lin later in the month when we look at her environmental concerns, and the ways she feels art can change the state of the earth for the better.