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Ph.D. in Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning

The Ph.D. in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning is offered for students who want to pursue scholarly and research work beyond the master's level.

The Program

Emphasis in this program is placed on the development of theories and methods that underlie the field of landscape architecture and environmental planning, and the processes of planning and design as they relate to the solution of problems in the natural and urban environment. The Ph.D. degree is appropriate for students seeking careers in research and teaching in landscape architecture and environmental planning, or in specialized roles in government or professional consultation.

Degree Requirements

Students formulate coursework plans (to include the Ph.D. seminar) to develop an individual specialization within the field, which must be approved by the students' program advisers. Ph.D. requirements are as follows: 32 units of upper-division and graduate coursework, a two-year academic residency, reading knowledge of a departmentally approved foreign language, successful completion of a qualifying examination, and a dissertation.

Progress toward the degree is evaluated at least annually by the Ph.D. Committee. By no later than the end of the third semester, students will be evaluated as to their suitability for completing the Ph.D. degree. Any student who, in the opinion of the faculty, seems unlikely to be able to complete all degree requirements (including dissertation research) will be subject to dismissal.

Participation of faculty in research increases the base of knowledge and theory in support of teaching and the profession. Ph.D. students are often involved in these research topics as research assistants. Current topics include natural resource analysis, computerized inventories, environmental impact studies, methods of shoreline classification, principles of forest landscape design, urban livability studies, urban perception, case studies in urban design, morphological studies of the urban edge, environmental interpretation, behavior in parks and open spaces, community recreation projects, and environmental simulation.

Admissions Criteria

Admission to the Ph.D. program is granted to a small number of highly qualified individuals each year. Applicants should have completed a master's degree before entering. Students with only a bachelor's degree should apply to the M.L.A. program first, or otherwise complete an appropriate master's degree before applying.

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The Department of Landscape Architecture in the School of Architecture & Environment at the University of Oregon is a national leader in design education. The discipline of landscape architecture is growing from a mostly professional field to one that supports scholarship and research, thus changing its role and mission in the academic community and in society. As a result of this growth, a doctoral degree is rapidly becoming preferred for university faculty and professional positions in the field.

The doctoral program in Landscape Architecture offers opportunities for advanced study and scholarship across a range of spatial scales and cultural contexts. Students in the program pursue diverse topics related to their interests and to clusters of faculty expertise. Current clusters include:

• critical history, theory and practice
• ecology, infrastructure, and social justice 
• productive landscapes

The degree is intended primarily for students seeking careers in teaching, scholarship, and leadership in landscape design and planning in universities, practice, policy, and consultancy. Depending on their background and research goals, students can expect to complete the degree in four to six years, including required course work, qualifying exams, and their dissertation. Graduates of our doctoral program regularly find academic employment in institutions and organizations around the world.

For each incoming doctoral student, the department will provide a minimum of two academic years of graduate employment, which includes tuition and fee waivers, a stipend, and health insurance. Graduate employment typically includes instructional responsibilities for three quarters each academic year. This support typically continues through the fourth year, contingent upon satisfactory progress.

Prospective students must have either :

• a completed professional degree in landscape architecture or architecture (BLA, MLA, BArch, or MArch) or
• a master's degree in a related or relevant field (e.g., MA or MS) and show clear evidence of academic experience and goals suitably aligned with landscape architecture.

A record of demonstrated research as well as a clear capacity for and commitment to research are important admission criteria. 

For more details, read the PhD program handbook.

PhD Program Handbook

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Landscape architects address some of the most complex social, cultural and ecological issues our planet faces. These issues demand experts with specialization grounded in research, experts who can inform policies, train new generations of designers, and generate new knowledge.

If you want to deepen your knowledge of landscape history, theory, and/or practice and to contribute to the discipline of landscape architecture in meaningful ways, consider applying to the Ph.D. Program in Architecture and Landscape Architecture at the University of Illinois.

In this unique, jointly administered program, students focus on either architecture or landscape architecture, or they may work collaboratively in both areas. Regardless, they use rigorous theoretical frameworks and research methods to investigate social, cultural, historical, theoretical, technical, and/or environmental aspects of those fields.

The School of Architecture and the Department of Landscape Architecture are two of the oldest and most distinguished academic units of their kind in North America. They benefit from internationally renowned faculty and one of the largest academic libraries in the world, with more than 14 million volumes; 24 million other items and materials in all formats, languages, and subjects; and state-of-the-art electronic access to archival materials and research databases. In a congenial and interdisciplinary work environment, Ph.D. students and faculty work together to advance knowledge and extend the boundaries of their disciplines.

To learn more about areas of specialization, please visit the joint Ph.D. in Architecture and Landscape Architecture information page.

To learn more about areas of specialization, visit the joint ph.d. in architecture and landscape architecture information page ., ph.d. faculty currently accepting new advisees.

Brian Deal  

David L. Hays  

Kathryn E. Holliday  

Pollyanna Rhee  

William C. Sullivan  

International students: stem classification and opt employment.

Our Ph.D. degree is STEM-classified, so international students with an F-1 visa are eligible to remain in the US for CPT (Curricular Practical Training) and OPT (Optional Practical Training) employment for up to three years and two months after graduation, and those granted an H-1b visa can stay an additional six years (total of nine years).

Application deadline

The deadline for applications for matriculation in Fall 2024 is January 15, 2024 .

Ph.D. applicants wishing to be nominated for the Illinois Distinguished Fellowship , the Graduate College Fellowship for Underrepresented Students , the Distinguished Graduate Fellowship in the Humanities and Arts , the Aspire Fellowship for Underrepresented Students , and/or the Diffenbaugh Fellowship should complete submission of all application materials by December 15, 2023, and should contact the Ph.D. Program Chair, Prof. Tait Johnson, by email ( [email protected] ) to identify the fellowship(s) of interest.

Ph.D. in Landscape Architecture Graduates and Dissertation Titles: Complete List

Tait Johnson  

To learn more about admissions and to apply, please click the link below..

Course Catalog

Landscape architecture, phd.

for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Landscape Architecture

The Department of Landscape Architecture offers the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) degree, the Master of Sustainable Urban Design degree (MSUD), and the PhD degree. 

The programs enable students to gain fresh insights and to conduct new research pertaining to land and its use by people. The PhD program is jointly administered with the School of Architecture and emphasizes both interdisciplinary study and cross-disciplinary inquiry. Areas of concentration include history and theory; technology and environment; and behavioral and cultural factors in design. Before submitting an application, students should consult the department website for information regarding the specific areas of study and the time needed to complete the requirements.

Several faculty members in the department also participate in the doctoral program administered by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. See the program description under Regional Planning, PhD for more information.

Admission The Graduate College admission requirements apply. Students are admitted on an individual basis according to a review of their prior accomplishments with an emphasis on academic achievement. The doctoral program prefers candidates with master’s degrees: MLA, MArch, or related fields such as art history, ecology, geography, or planning. All graduate students must begin their studies in the fall semester.

Graduate Teaching Experience Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, experience in teaching is considered an important part of the graduate experience in the PhD program.

Financial Aid Students compete for fellowships, tuition and service fee waivers, and assistantships. Selection is based on the academic achievement and qualifications of the student.

For additional details and requirements refer to the department's PhD Handbook ,  Program Curriculum and the Graduate College Handbook . 

The requirements may vary slightly according to students' area of focus. Please consult the PhD Handbook for more explicit details.

Students are required to defend their dissertation, Policies on format of the doctoral examination can be found in the Graduate College Handbook .

96-hour program for students entering with a Baccalaureate Degree

64-hour program for students entering with an ms/ma,  80-96-hour program for students admitted with maximum 16 hours approved from a prior mla., other requirements.

PhD students in the Department of Landscape Architecture will:

• Research Skills . Develop and practice a variety of research skills. Students will design their research strategy; obtain and analyze evidence; develop evidence-based arguments; identify and evaluate the existing critical literature of the field; master languages in some cases, and in other cases master advanced computer programs.
• Communicate with Clarity.  Develop and demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and original ideas through clear writing supplemented by graphic representations and delivered as text (dissertation), speech (lecture presentations), and image (PowerPoint to accompany lectures). Doctoral students will gain an advanced level of written, visual, and technical literacy.
• Original Research.  Develop and carry out a major, original research investigation; develop it into an extended argument(the dissertation), the outcome of which might be a book, policy guidelines, a series of journal articles, or a patent.
• Design Research.  Use ideas and methods from design research to explore questions that advance knowledge that supports design.
• Pedagogy.  Demonstrate understanding of basic concepts about teaching and practice a range of instructional techniques in classrooms and studio contexts. 

Landscape Architecture Department Head: David L. Hays PhD Coordinator: Benjamin Bross Landscape Architecture Department website Landscape Architecture faculty 101 Temple Hoyne Buell Hall, 611 Lorado Taft Drive, Champaign, IL 61820 (217) 333-0176 Landscape Architecture email

College of Fine & Applied Arts Fine & Applied Arts

Admissions FAA PhD Admissions & Requirements Graduate College Admissions & Requirements

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Landscape Architecture PhD, MPhil

Awards: PhD, MPhil

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Landscape Architecture

PhD by Distance online session

Edinburgh College of Art are hosting a session on the PhD by Distance option on Wednesday 22 May during the Online Learning Open Days.

Register now

Introduction to Postgraduate Research

Join us online on 19 June to learn about applying for and studying a research degree at Edinburgh.

Find out more and register

Research profile

Our research profile includes the following areas which fall into two broad categories:

Inclusive access to outdoor environments led by the OPENspace research centre:

Exploration of how public open space, urban parks and squares, forests, green and blue spaces and rural areas can contribute to quality of life. Our work includes a focus on the benefits to be gained from getting outdoors and the barriers currently experienced by different users, particularly those from disadvantaged groups.

Landscape design and planning to support young children, teenagers, older people, and other age groups and sectors within the population.

Research on salutogenic environments (the health-enhancing qualities of engagement with certain types of landscape) and on discerning the mechanisms behind any links between wellbeing and the natural environment.

Environmental perception, including empirical research on the transactional nature of people’s engagement with place.

Landscape planning and design:

Landscape architecture as a force in urban planning including the application of landscape character assessment, the dynamics of peri-urban areas and future landscape scenarios.

Innovative, practice-led design research, especially involving collaborations with artists and designers from disciplines outside landscape architecture.

Cultural landscapes and the understanding the relationship of people through their lives to specific landscapes, including the role of memories and associations with contested landscapes.

The history and theory of landscape architecture, including development of the public role of the landscape architect in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Programme structure

The PhD programme comprises three years of full-time (six years part-time) research under the supervision of an expert in your chosen research topic within Landscape Architecture This period of research culminates in a supervised thesis of up to a maximum of 100,000 words.

The MPhil programme comprises two years of full-time (four years part-time) research under the supervision of an expert in your chosen research topic within Landscape Architecture. This period of research culminates in a supervised thesis of up to a maximum of 60,000 words.

Regular individual meetings with your supervisor provide guidance and focus for the course of research you are undertaking.

You will be encouraged to attend research methods courses at the beginning of your research studies.

And for every year you are enrolled on programme you will be required to complete an annual progression review.

Training and support

All of our research students benefit from Edinburgh College of Art's interdisciplinary approach, and you will be assigned at least two research supervisors.

Your first/lead supervisor would normally be based in the same subject area as your degree programme. Your second supervisor may be from another discipline within Edinburgh College of Art or elsewhere within the University of Edinburgh, according to the expertise required. On occasion more than two supervisors will be assigned, particularly where the degree brings together multiple disciplines.

Our research culture is supported by seminars and public lecture programmes and discussion groups.

Tutoring opportunities will be advertised to the postgraduate research community, which you can apply for should you wish to gain some teaching experience during your studies. But you are not normally advised to undertake tutoring work in the first year of your research studies, while your main focus should be on establishing the direction of your research.

You are encouraged to attend courses at the Institute for Academic Development ( IAD ), where all staff and students at the University of Edinburgh are supported through a range of training opportunities, including:

• short courses in compiling literature reviews
• writing in a second language
• preparing for your viva

The Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities ( SGSAH ) offers further opportunities for development. You will also be encouraged to refer to the Vitae research development framework as you grow into a professional researcher.

You will have access to study space (some of which are 24-hour access), studios and workshops at Edinburgh College of Art’s campus, as well as University wide resources. There are several bookable spaces for the development of exhibitions, workshops or seminars. And you will have access to well-equipped multimedia laboratories, photography and exhibition facilities, shared recording space, access to recording equipment available through Bookit, the equipment loan booking system.

You will have access to high quality library facilities. Within the University of Edinburgh, there are three libraries; the Main Library, the ECA library and the Art and Architecture Library. The Centre for Research Collections which holds the University of Edinburgh’s historic collections is also located in the Main Library.

The Talbot Rice Gallery is a public art gallery of the University of Edinburgh and part of Edinburgh College of Art, which is committed to exploring what the University of Edinburgh can contribute to contemporary art practice today and into the future. You will also have access to the extraordinary range and quality of exhibitions and events associated with a leading college of art situated within a world-class research-intensive University.

St Cecilia’s Hall which is Scotland’s oldest purpose-built concert hall also houses the Music Museum which holds one of the most important historic musical instrument collections anywhere in the world.

In addition to the University’s facilities you will also be able to access wider resources within the City of Edinburgh. Including but not limited to; National Library of Scotland, Scottish Studies Library and Digital Archives, City of Edinburgh Libraries, Historic Environment Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland.

You will also benefit from the University’s extensive range of student support facilities provided, including student societies, accommodation, wellbeing and support services.

PhD by Distance option

The PhD by Distance is available to suitably qualified applicants in all the same areas as our on-campus programmes.

The PhD by Distance allows students who do not wish to commit to basing themselves in Edinburgh to study for a PhD in an ECA subject area from their home country or city.

There is no expectation that students studying for an ECA PhD by Distance study mode should visit Edinburgh during their period of study. However, short term visits for particular activities could be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For further information on the PhD by Distance please see the ECA website:

• PhD by Distance at ECA

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

Normally a UK Masters degree or its international equivalent. If you do not meet the academic entry requirements, we may still consider your application on the basis of relevant professional experience.

You must also submit a research proposal; see How to Apply section for guidance.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Tuition fees, scholarships and funding, featured funding.

• Edinburgh College of Art scholarships

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK's governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Edinburgh College of Art Postgraduate Research Team
• Phone: +44 (0)131 651 5739
• Contact: [email protected]
• Postgraduate Research Director, Dr Simon Bell
• Contact: [email protected]
• Edinburgh College of Art Postgraduate Office Student and Academic Support Service
• The University of Edinburgh
• Evolution House, 78 West Port
• Central Campus
• Programme: Landscape Architecture
• School: Edinburgh College of Art
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

PhD Landscape Architecture - 3 Years (Full-time)

Phd landscape architecture - 6 years (part-time), phd landscape architecture by distance - 3 years (full-time), phd landscape architecture by distance - 6 years (part-time), mphil landscape architecture - 2 years (full-time), mphil landscape architecture - 4 years (part-time), application deadlines.

If you are applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible. All applications must be received by the deadlines listed above.

• How to apply

You must submit two references with your application.

One of your references must be an academic reference and preferably from your most recent studies.

You should submit a research proposal that outlines your project's aims, context, process and product/outcome. Read the application guidance before you apply:

• Preparing your application - postgraduate research degrees (PDF)

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning PhD

The Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning offers a professional graduate degree, the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning.

Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

The Master of Landscape Architecture degree is a professional degree accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board, part of the American Society of Landscape Architects and qualifies graduates for licensure in California and elsewhere. The MLA program is certified as a STEM discipline. The program offers advanced education in landscape architecture and environmental planning from the scale of the site to the region to the ecosystem. The MLA requires a set of core courses for all students emphasizing cross-scaler analysis, representation, design, and planning. This core pedagogy forms the foundation for extended coursework in specialized aspects of landscape design and environmental planning.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

The Doctor of Philosophy encompasses advanced research in the field of landscape architecture and environmental planning. It requires the development of original research that contributes to the theories, methods, and knowledge in the field. The program particularly emphasizes the development of research which applies social and ecological science methods to illuminate the complexities of decision-making regarding human alteration of the landscape and its outcomes for the local and global environment. The PhD degree in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning is appropriate for those seeking careers in academia, research institutions, and leadership roles in non-profits, government, and professional consultation.

Contact Info

[email protected]

202 Bauer Wurster Hall, Berkeley CA 94720 #2000

Berkeley, CA 94720

At a Glance

Department(s)

Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning

Admit Term(s)

Application Deadline

December 1, 2023

Degree Type(s)

Doctoral / PhD

Degree Awarded

GRE Requirements

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Berkeley Berkeley Academic Guide: Academic Guide 2023-24

Landscape architecture and environmental planning.

About the Program

The Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning offers a professional graduate degree, the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning.

Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

The Master of Landscape Architecture degree is a professional degree accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board, part of the American Society of Landscape Architects and qualifies graduates for licensure in California and elsewhere. The MLA program is certified as a STEM discipline. The program offers advanced education in landscape architecture and environmental planning from the scale of the site to the region to the ecosystem. The MLA requires a set of core courses for all students emphasizing cross-scaler analysis, representation, design, and planning. This core pedagogy forms the foundation for extended coursework in specialized aspects of landscape design and environmental planning.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

The Doctor of Philosophy encompasses advanced research in the field of landscape architecture and environmental planning. It requires the development of original research that contributes to the theories, methods, and knowledge in the field. The program particularly emphasizes the development of research which applies social and ecological science methods to illuminate the complexities of decision-making regarding human alteration of the landscape and its outcomes for the local and global environment. The PhD degree in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning is appropriate for those seeking careers in academia, research institutions, and leadership roles in non-profits, government, and professional consultation.

See Department Website

Admission to the University

Applying for graduate admission.

Thank you for considering UC Berkeley for graduate study! UC Berkeley offers more than 120 graduate programs representing the breadth and depth of interdisciplinary scholarship. A complete list of graduate academic departments, degrees offered, and application deadlines can be found on the Graduate Division website .

Prospective students must submit an online application to be considered for admission, in addition to any supplemental materials specific to the program for which they are applying. The online application can be found on the Graduate Division website .

Admission Requirements

The minimum graduate admission requirements are:

A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;

A satisfactory scholastic average, usually a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale; and

Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in your chosen field.

For a list of requirements to complete your graduate application, please see the Graduate Division’s Admissions Requirements page . It is also important to check with the program or department of interest, as they may have additional requirements specific to their program of study and degree. Department contact information can be found here .

Where to apply?

Visit the Berkeley Graduate Division application page .

Admission to the MLA Program

A bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement for admission to the graduate program. It is recommended that applicants have completed a minimum of one basic course each in the life, earth and social sciences. In addition, graphics and freehand drawing are strongly recommended for applicants with non-design backgrounds. The MLA 3D is accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board part of the American Society of Landscape Architects. The department also offers two specialized advanced standing options for the accredited degree based on previous degrees, the MLA 2D and the MLA EP.

MLA 3D: First Professional Degree

The  three-year MLA degree  is the accredited first professional degree. This degree is for students without backgrounds in design, planning, or environmental science who wish to emphasize landscape design.

MLA 2D: Advanced Standing Professional Degree

The  two-year MLA degree  is an advanced standing option for students with first degrees in landscape architecture, architecture, or environmental design who wish to pursue graduate degrees specializing landscape design.

MLA EP: Environmental Planning

The   two-year MLA in environmental planning  is an advanced standing option for students with first degrees in landscape architecture, architecture, the environmental sciences, city planning, or related degrees specializing in large-scale landscape planning and the application of geographic information science (GIS).

Admission to the PhD Program

Admission is granted to a small number of individuals each year. Most successful applicants have completed a Master degree before entering. Students with only a bachelor's degree should apply to the MLA program first or otherwise complete an appropriate Master degree before applying.

Doctoral Degree Requirements

The PhD in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning provides an opportunity to pursue cutting edge research addressing important issues in planning for sustainability under conditions of increasing urbanization and changing climate.  The program emphasizes development of theories and methods underlying the field, and the processes of planning and design as they relate to solution of problems in the natural and urban environment.  The PhD degree is appropriate for students seeking careers in research, teaching, or specialized roles in government or professional consultation.

Degree Requirements

Requirements for the PhD degree are 48 units of coursework selected to develop the student’s specialization within the field, a two-year academic residency, reading knowledge of a foreign language relevant to the student’s research, successful completion of a qualifying exam, and completion of a dissertation.  Progress toward the degree is evaluated by the PhD committee each semester until the student advances to candidacy (normally by the end of the fifth semester), and by the student’s dissertation committee thereafter. 

PhD students conduct research to advance the field of environmental planning and landscape architecture, increasing the base of knowledge and theory in support of scholarship and professional practice.  PhD students often take an interdisciplinary approach, drawing upon methods from diverse fields, to find proactive solutions to problems of sustainability in an increasing urban world subject to more extreme climate and rising sea levels, and addressing issues of equity and justice.  PhD students apply cutting-edge mapping and analytical methods, along with social science approaches, to develop insights and planning tools that can serve to protect at- risk populations, enhance environmental quality and restore ecosystems, and improve social equity.  

Admissions Criteria

Admission to the PhD program is granted to a small number of highly qualified students, usually with strong backgrounds in natural and social sciences relevant to their research interests, and who will have completed a masters degree prior to entering the PhD program. 

Master's Degree Requirements

The Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning offers three Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) degree options accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB) of American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) structured to provide advanced professional learning in landscape design and planning:

• The  three-year MLA degree  is the first professional degree for students with non-design backgrounds.
• The  two-year MLA degree  offers two advanced standing options for students with first degrees in landscape architecture, architecture, or environmental design.  There is a curriculum for students with an undergraduate degree in landscape architecture and a curriculum for students with an undergraduate degree in architecture or environmental design.
• The  two-year environmental planning  is an advanced standing option for students with first degrees in landscape architecture, architecture, the environmental sciences, city planning, or related degrees.

Students are required to select and complete one of two plans for the degree: Plan I—Thesis, or Plan II—Comprehensive Exam (professional project or designated studio.) The thesis is for students who wish to do original research on a problem in landscape architecture or environmental planning. The thesis committee is composed of two faculty members from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning and a third faculty member from another department at Berkeley. The comprehensive exam format can be either a professional project or a designated studio that demonstrates broad competence plus the concepts and skills necessary to the field of landscape architecture. The professional project comprises a real-world project. The professional project committee is comprised of two faculty members (the committee chair must be a faculty member from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning) and an optional third member from outside the University community affiliated with the project.

Students may elect to fulfill the final degree requirement through the successful completion of a comprehensive exam studio taken in their final semester. Students who are in the Environmental Planning track or in one of the concurrent degree programs are not eligible for the comprehensive exam studio option.  Students in the concurrent degree programs must see the Graduate Student Affairs Officer for details on degree completion procedures and requirements.

In addition, a summer internship (preferably taken the summer before the student's final year) is recommended. Previous professional experience may be substituted for this internship.

Normative time for the MLA degree is either two years (design background and environmental planning students) or three years (non-design background). A student's normative time is determined when the student enters the MLA program.

Public Information Policy

Public Information Policy Programs accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) are required to provide reliable information to the public. Programs must report on accreditation status and its performance. This information is to help potential students make informed application decisions. To review this information,  click here .

MLA 3D Option (Three Years): First Professional Degree (79 Units Required)

Mla 2d option (two years): advanced professional degree -- ld arch ug degree (48 units required), mla 2d option (two years): advanced professional degree -- arch ug degree (49 units required), mla ep option (two years):  environmental planning ( 49 units required), ld arch 200a fundamentals of landscape design 5 units.

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 This studio introduces students to the programmatic, artistic, and technical aspects of land form and topographic adjustments to accommodate human use. Topics include pedestrian and vehicular circulation, conservation and addition of plant materials, movement of water, recreation use, and creation of views. Sculptural land forms will be emphasized through the use of topographic plans, sections, and contour models. Fundamentals of Landscape Design: Read More [+]

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 6 hours of studio per week

Additional Format: Two hours of Lecture and Six hours of Studio per week for 15 weeks.

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Landscape Architecture/Graduate

Grading: Letter grade.

Instructor: Hill

Fundamentals of Landscape Design: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 200B Case Studies in Landscape Design 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 This studio stresses the shaping and coordination of ideas from initial concept to complete design product. A product(s) of intermediate scale and complexity (such as a garden, small park, plaza, or campus courtyard) will be developed in detail including the selection of planting, selection of construction materials, and topographic design. Lecture modules on selected professional topics are integrated into this course. Case Studies in Landscape Design: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Prerequisites: Landscape Architecture 200A

Instructor: Hood

Formerly known as: Landscape Architecture 102

Case Studies in Landscape Design: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 201 Ecological Factors in Urban Landscape Design 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Through lectures, studio problems, research projects, and discussion, this course will explore the challenge and potential incorporating ecological factors in urban contexts. The course focuses on the interaction of landscape science (hydrology, geology, etc.) with the necessities and mechanisms of the human environment (urban design, transportation, economics, etc.). Lectures and research projects will particularly emphasize innovative and forward thinking solutions to the ecological problems of the human environment. Throughout the semester, reading and discussion sessions will highlight the connections between the broader concerns of the global ecological crisis and landscape design and planning. Ecological Factors in Urban Landscape Design: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 110, 134A-134B, or consent of instructor

Ecological Factors in Urban Landscape Design: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 202 Design of Landscape Sites 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 A site design studio stressing the shaping and coordination of ideas from initial concept to complete design of open space in various contexts. Typical projects will be of an intermediate scale and might include a park, plaza, museum sculpture garden, playground, office park, or housing project. Modules on social factors and planting design are included. Design of Landscape Sites: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 201 or consent of instructor

Instructor: Jewell

Design of Landscape Sites: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 203 Landscape Project Design 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 A site design studio stressing the shaping and coordination of ideas from initial concept to the thoughtful execution of design ideas at the site scale. Typical projects will focus on the experiential rather than the pictorial. Projects might include a park, plaza, or rehabilitation of a brownfield site. Landscape Project Design: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 201, or consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 6 hours of studio per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and Six hours of Studio per week for 15 weeks.

Landscape Project Design: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH C203 Shaping the Public Realm 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 This interdisciplinary studio focuses on the public realm of cities and explores opportunities for creating more humane and delightful public places. Problems will be at multiple scales in both existing urban centers and in areas of new growth. Skills in analyzing, designing, and communicating urban design problems will be developed. Studio work will be supplemented with lectures, discussions, and field trips. Visiting professionals will present case studies and will serve on reviews. Shaping the Public Realm: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Previous design studio or consent of instrutor

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and six hours of studio per week.

Instructor: Brand

Formerly known as: 203

Also listed as: CY PLAN C243

Shaping the Public Realm: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 204 Advanced Project Design 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Special topics in the design and planning of the landscape. The focus of the studio varies from semester to semester. Possible topics include community design, educative environments, landscape as art, park design, or energy-conserving design. For current offerings, see department announcement. Advanced Project Design: Read More [+]

Instructor: Meyer

Advanced Project Design: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 205 Environmental Planning Studio 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Application of environmental planning principles to a complex problem involving a variety of environmental criteria and desired land uses in a complex institutional and political setting. Student teams will identify needed data, assess environmental developmental problems, weigh competing uses, and prepare an environmental management plan. Environmental Planning Studio: Read More [+]

Instructors: Radke, Kondolf

Environmental Planning Studio: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 206 Final Project Preparation Studio: Thesis and Reports 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 This is a spring studio for students to work on final projects (theses and professional reports). The studio, including lectures by the instructor, is meant to train and assist students in thesis or professional project research and help them in finalizing their thesis or professional report topic. The course includes weekly exercises ranging from writing articles documenting, illustrating, and critiquing landscapes to finally producing a thesis or professional report. Final Project Preparation Studio: Thesis and Reports: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 252 and graduate standing

Instructor: Mozingo

Final Project Preparation Studio: Thesis and Reports: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 221 Quantitative Methods in Environmental Planning 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Discussion and critique of the application of quantitative methods to environmental assessment, analysis, and evaluation in environmental planning. Topics to include geographical information systems and data bases, remote sensing, and multivariate analysis. This course emphasizes computer applications and data analysis. Quantitative Methods in Environmental Planning: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1.5 hours of lecture and 3 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: One and one-half hours of Lecture and Three hours of Laboratory per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Radke

Quantitative Methods in Environmental Planning: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 222 Hydrology for Planners 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2019, Spring 2018 This course presents an overview of relevant hydrologic, hydraulic, and geomorphic processes, to provide the planner and ecologist with insight sufficient to coordinate with technical specialists in the field of hydrology. In addition, relevant regulations and policies are reviewed. Hydrology for Planners: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week, plus three days of weekend field trips.

Instructor: Kondolf

Hydrology for Planners: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 226 Landscape Design Construction 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 The course investigates the process of developing schematic landscape design proposals into constructed landscapes. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the durability of materials and design details, the efficient use of materials, and the ability to evaluate how material selection and detailing can impact the environment. Field trips to construction sites, manufacturing facilities, and built landscapes will be included. Landscape Design Construction: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 121 (may be taken concurrently)

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

Landscape Design Construction: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 227 Restoration of Rivers and Streams 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 This course reviews the underlying goals and assumptions of river and stream restoration projects, reviews techniques employed in these efforts, and emphasizes strategies for evaluation of project success. The course focuses on geomorphic and hydrologic analyses relevant to restoration and enhancement of aquatic and riparian habitat in freshwater systems. Format: lectures by instructor, guest lectures, presentation of student independent projects , and field trips. Course requirement: independent term project involving original research. Restoration of Rivers and Streams: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Prior background in hydrology, geomorphology, ecology, restoration, or consent of instructor

Restoration of Rivers and Streams: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 229 Flood Risk Management 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023 This course explains fundamental concepts in flood risk management, summarizes the history of flood management in California, the US, and globally, and tracks the development of state- of-the art approaches to assessing flood risk, equity implications, and utilizing nature-based solutions to sustainably manage floods. The course is offered at both the upper-division undergraduate (LA119) and graduate (LA229) levels. Lectures are the same for both undergrad and grad courses, but there are separate discussion sections and requirements. Flood Risk Management: Read More [+]

Objectives & Outcomes

Course Objectives: The objective of the course is to provide students with an understanding of the physical processes giving rise to floods, and also the social and institutional response to flood risk.

Student Learning Outcomes: Students will learn the fundamental hydrologic processes behind flooding, the models commonly employed to assess the extent of flood hazard, the limitations of extrapolating short hydrologic records to estimate long-return period floods such as the 100-year flood, limitations of structural measures to control flood hazard, and increase in flood hazard arising from climate change.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.

Flood Risk Management: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH C231 Environmental Planning and Regulation 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Fall 2020, Fall 2019 This course will examine emerging trends in environmental planning and policy and the basic regulatory framework for environmental planning encountered in the U.S. We will also relate the institutional and policy framework of California and the United States to other nations and emerging international institutions. The emphasis of the course will be on regulating "residuals" as they affect three media: air, water, and land. Environmental Planning and Regulation: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week.

Instructor: Acey

Also listed as: CY PLAN C251

Environmental Planning and Regulation: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 232 The Landscape As a Sacred Place 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2010 Visual and cultural analysis of landscapes, inventory procedures for "place" values, and problems related to sustainable design development, with special emphasis on highly valued places. The Landscape As a Sacred Place: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week and two field trips (total of three days).

The Landscape As a Sacred Place: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 233 Drawn from the Field 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 This course will provide students an opportunity to analyze and interpret the iconic built landscapes of the Bay Area through direct observation and field sketching. The vision for the course is influenced by the global popularity of the Urban Sketchers movement, a phenomenon based on personal engagement with one’s environment. The annotated sketchbook will be used as the primary tool for investigation and documentation of core fundamental principles and elements of landscape and urban design. Lectures and hands-on demonstrations will give students the tools to respond to and construct meaning from their on-site observations. Drawn from the Field: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for LD ARCH 233 after completing LD ARCH 233 . A deficient grade in LD ARCH 233 may be removed by taking LD ARCH 233 .

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of lecture and 2 hours of fieldwork per week

Additional Format: One hour of lecture and two hours of fieldwork per week.

Drawn from the Field: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 234A Drawing the Landscape 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 This foundational course will be structured through weekly and bi-weekly exercises that are loosely linked with the core studio course, LA 200A. The exercises will explore landscape representation through a variety of drawing types and conventions, across geographic and temporal scales, and through a productive relationship between analog and digital techniques. Drawing the Landscape: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: LD ARCH 200A LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of studio per week

Additional Format: Two hours of lecture and two hours of studio per week.

Instructors: Hood, Cooper

Drawing the Landscape: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 234B Landscape Processes through Drawing and Modeling 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 This course will explore landscape representation through a variety of drawing types and conventions, across a range of scales, and through a deep engagement with digital media. This course builds on the foundational methods developed in LA 234A, incorporating new methods, tools, and techniques for digital visualization. The course is structured through lectures and discussions about the historical and theoretical relevance of the theme, as well as, lab sessions focused on demonstrating representational tools and techniques. Simultaneous to these units, continued development of analog sketching will be expected. Landscape Processes through Drawing and Modeling: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: LD ARCH 234A or equivalent

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Two hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week.

Landscape Processes through Drawing and Modeling: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 235 Design Thinking: Art, Nature, Consciousness 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2004 This course is a laboratory for design thinking, invention and visual perception. A designed landscape has the potential to induce a powerful emotional experience. The premise of this course is based on the idea that highly valued places are works of art, as well as places of enlightenment and transformation. This class will explore ideas of ‘sacredness’ in the landscape through a series of design explorations and a summation project. Our journey of discovery aspires to provide future landscape architects with a new and unique perspective to help them recognize and generate sacred landscapes. Design Thinking will outline a process for creative practice that builds upon historic approaches while imagining new possibilities. Design Thinking: Art, Nature, Consciousness: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: LD ARCH 134A

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 1 hour of studio per week

Additional Format: Two hours of lecture and one hour of studio per week. Four field trips are part of course requirement.

Instructor: Sullivan

Design Thinking: Art, Nature, Consciousness: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 237 The Process of Environmental Planning 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 A review of the techniques used in environmental planning, and evaluation of alternate means of implementation in varying environmental and political circumstances. The class will examine and critique a number of well-known environmental planning programs and plans. Lectures and discussion will address recurrent planning problems, such as the limitations of available data, legal and political constraints on plans, conflicts among special ists. The Process of Environmental Planning: Read More [+]

The Process of Environmental Planning: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH C241 Research Methods in Environmental Design 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 The components, structure, and meaning of the urban environment. Environmental problems, attitudes, and criteria. Environmental survey, analysis, and interview techniques. Methods of addressing environmental quality. Environmental simulation. Research Methods in Environmental Design: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week.

Instructor: Lamb

Formerly known as: Interdepartmental Studies 241

Also listed as: CY PLAN C241

Research Methods in Environmental Design: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH C242 Community Engagement and Public Participation in Planning Processes 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 This course examines the theories, practices, and ethics of undertaking community engagement and public participation relative to planning processes. Students will learn about traditional forms of engagement and participation, while also testing newer theories and practices in the field. Community Engagement and Public Participation in Planning Processes: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Interdepartmental Studies 223

Also listed as: CY PLAN C261

Community Engagement and Public Participation in Planning Processes: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH C250 Theories of Urban Form and Design 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Theories and patterns of urban form throughout history are studied with emphasis on the role of planning and design in shaping cities and the relationship between urban form and social, economic, and geographic factors. Using a case study approach, cities are evaluated in terms of various theories and performance dimensions. Theories of Urban Form and Design: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor

Also listed as: CY PLAN C240

Theories of Urban Form and Design: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 251 Theories of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2014 The focus will be on debate and discussion of central ideas in landscape architecture and environmental planning, drawing on primary literature over many decades of thought. This is not a history course, but it will include some literature that goes back to the early years of the field. This course covers the breadth of thinking in the field, including both environmental planning and landscape design as well as other sub disciplines. Each week students will lead a debate on a different theoretical issue. Theories of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Two hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

Theories of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 252B Thesis and Professional Project Proposal Seminar 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Students learn research methods including social factors, historical/archival, design exploration, master planning, theoretical, and scientific field work. Students develop a conceptual framework, survey instrument, literature review, and detailed work plan. A full committee and funding proposal due on the last day of class. Thesis and Professional Project Proposal Seminar: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 252A

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1.5 hours of seminar and 1.5 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: One and one-half hours of Seminar and One and one-half hours of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.

Thesis and Professional Project Proposal Seminar: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 253 Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Colloquium 1 Unit

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Invited lectures on current research, planning practice, and design projects. Out of approximately 14 presentations per term, typically two or three would be by department faculty, two or three by graduating students, the remainder by outside speakers. Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Colloquium: Read More [+]

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1.5 hours of colloquium per week

Additional Format: One and one-half hours of colloquium per week.

Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Colloquium: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 254 Topics in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning 1 - 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Designed to be a forum for presentation of student research, discussions with faculty researchers and practitioners, and examination of topical issues in landscape architecture and environmental planning. Topics will be announced at the beginning of each semester. Topics in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning: Read More [+]

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-5 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: One to Five hour of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

Topics in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 255 Doctoral Seminar in Environmental Planning 1 Unit

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Designed to be a forum for presentation of doctoral student research, discussions with faculty researchers and environmental planning practitioners, and examination of topical issues in environmental planning. Topics will be announced at the beginning of each semester. Doctoral Seminar in Environmental Planning: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Doctoral student or consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 8 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Seminar per week for 8 weeks.

Doctoral Seminar in Environmental Planning: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 257 Special Topics in Design 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2019, Spring 2018, Spring 2017 Research seminar on selected topics in landscape design. Seminars will focus on the theoretical foundations and practical applications of design and planning methods as well as emerging issues in the discipline. Seminars will include lectures by the faculty member offering the course, guest lecturers, student presentations, and discussions. Readings and requirements vary from year to year based on the topic and instructor. Special Topics in Design: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-3 hours of seminar per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 1-3 hours of seminar per week 8 weeks - 1-3 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: One to Three hour of Seminar per week for 15 weeks. One to Three hour of Seminar per week for 8 weeks. One to Three hour of Seminar per week for 6 weeks.

Grading: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered.

Special Topics in Design: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 259 Ground Up Journal 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022 Under the guidance of the instructor of record, each year a team of graduate students works together to choose a journal theme, apply for funding and awards, solicit and select submissions, edit and design articles, arrange a print run and/or online publication, and advertise and market the journal. Ground Up Journal: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate Standing or consent of instructor

Additional Format: One to three hours of seminar per week.

Ground Up Journal: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 260 Professional Practice Seminar 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 This course provides instruction and guidance in the professional practice aspect of landscape architecture in the United States. Covering the breadth of the profession, we will learn the professional duties of a landscape architect, and the process of completing a real-life landscape architectural project. The goal of this class will be to learn what it means to be a practicing, licensed landscape architect, with the understanding that this is ultimately a construction based, service-oriented industry. Professional Practice Seminar: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Two hours of seminar per week.

Professional Practice Seminar: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 277 Resilience and Urban Development 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2021, Spring 2020 Methods for increasing urban sustainability and resilience through decentralized infrastructure design and appropriate development site design, with a focus on flooding and fire as drivers of urban adaptation at the block and district scales. Comparative frameworks for urban infrastructure systems analysis and resilience. Basic quantitative skills for flooding-related block, street and district design. Lessons-learned from key international and regional design adaptations for fire, flooding and sea level rise. Resilience and Urban Development: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of seminar per week.

Resilience and Urban Development: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 287 Representation as Research: Contemporary Topics in Landscape Visualization 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020 Representations typically demonstrate two different forms of landscape analysis—empirical data and personal perception/aesthetics—but landscape provides opportunities for their overlaps in order to advance and synthesize robust research. Through lectures, technical tutorials, and reading discussions, this course will profile contemporary landscape research practices and representational techniques. We will use visualization to advance landscape research, theory, and site analysis, focusing specifically on methods that tackle issues of temporality and ephemerality. We will generate original media that communicates spatial, ecological, and cultural complexities. Representation as Research: Contemporary Topics in Landscape Visualization: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Working knowledge of Rhino, AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign)

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of laboratory and 1 hour of lecture per week

Additional Format: One hour of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week.

Instructor: Cooper

Representation as Research: Contemporary Topics in Landscape Visualization: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 289 Applied Remote Sensing 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020 This course consists of one lecture and one computer lab per week introducing fundamental principles and methods of environmental remote sensing and their practical applications. We will explore strategies for working with different types of remote sensing data and extracting image-based landscape information for various environmental research and planning objectives. This course focuses largely on local to regional scale applications of remote sensing in ecology, environmental planning and design, civil & environmental engineering and natural resource management. Applied Remote Sensing: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: Become familiar with different types of data and instruments in remote sensing and learn how to choose the optimal remote sensing data and procedure for various landscape and environmental analysis applications. Develop the capacity to work with the remote sensing literature and synthesize the relevant knowledge across different studies. Explore traditional and novel remote sensing techniques and their use in landscape planning, environmental studies and natural resource management. Learn practical skills and techniques to extracting landscape information from remote sensing data as image interpretation, classification, accuracy assessment, mapping and change analysis.

Prerequisites: An introductory GIS course such as LA C188/Geography C188, ESPM 233 or equivalent

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1.5 hours of lecture and 1.5 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: One and one-half hours of lecture and one and one-half hours of laboratory per week.

Instructor: Dronova

Applied Remote Sensing: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH C289 Applied Remote Sensing 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 This course consists of one lecture and one computer lab per week introducing fundamental principles and methods of environmental remote sensing and their practical applications. We will explore strategies for working with different types of remote sensing data and extracting image-based landscape information for various environmental research and planning objectives. This course focuses largely on local to regional scale applications of remote sensing in ecology, environmental planning and design, civil & environmental engineering and natural resource management. Applied Remote Sensing: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: Learn practical skills and techniques to extracting landscape information from remote sensing data as image interpretation, classification, accuracy assessment, mapping and change analysis. Become familiar with different types of data and instruments in remote sensing and learn how to choose the optimal remote sensing data and procedure for various landscape and environmental analysis applications. Explore traditional and novel remote sensing techniques and their use in landscape planning, environmental studies and natural resource management. Develop the capacity to work with the remote sensing literature and synthesize the relevant knowledge across different studies.

Prerequisites: An introductory GIS course such as LA C188/Geography C188 or equivalent

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for LD ARCH C289 after completing LD ARCH 289 . A deficient grade in LD ARCH C289 may be removed by taking LD ARCH 289 .

Also listed as: ESPM C289

LD ARCH 295 Supervised Research in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013 Supervised experience on a research project in landscape architecture and/or environmental planning. Regular meetings with faculty sponsor required. See departmental sheet for other limitations. Supervised Research in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing and appointment as a research assistant

Credit Restrictions: Any combination of 295 or 297 may be taken for a total of six units maximum toward the M.L.A degree.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Hours to be arranged.

Supervised Research in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 296 Directed Dissertation Research 1 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Spring 2014 Open to qualified students who have been advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree and are directly engaged upon the doctoral dissertation. Directed Dissertation Research: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Advancement to Ph.D. candidacy

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-12 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 8 weeks - 1.5-22.5 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Hours to be arranged. Three hours per unit.

Directed Dissertation Research: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 297 Supervised Field Study 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2018, Spring 2016 Supervised experience relative to specific aspects of practice in landscape architecture and/or environmental planning. Regular meetings with faculty and outside sponsor as well as final report required. See departmental information sheet for other limitations. Supervised Field Study: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor and sponsor

Credit Restrictions: Any combination of 295 or 297 may be taken for a total of six units maximum toward the M.L.A. degree.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-3 hours of fieldwork per week

Summer: 8 weeks - 2-6 hours of fieldwork per week

Additional Format: One to three hours of fieldwork per week. Two to six hours of fieldwork per week for 8 weeks.

Supervised Field Study: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 298 Group Study 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Spring 2021 Special group studies. Topics to be announced at the beginning of each semester. Group Study: Read More [+]

Group Study: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 299 Individual Research 1 - 6 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2016, Fall 2015 Research work conducted preparatory to completion of the thesis or professional project as well as other approved research. A maximum of six units will be counted toward the M.L.A degree. The six units allows for four units maximum for thesis or professional project research, and two units maximum for other approved research. See departmental information sheet for other limitations. Individual Research: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor

Summer: 6 weeks - 2.5-30 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 1.5-22.5 hours of independent study per week

Individual Research: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 300 Supervised Teaching in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning 2 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Fall 2016 Supervised teaching experience in undergraduate courses. Regular meetings with faculty sponsor. See departmental sheet for other limitations. Supervised Teaching in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing and appointment as a Teaching Assistant

Subject/Course Level: Landscape Architecture/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers

Supervised Teaching in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 301 Methods of Teaching in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2012, Fall 2010, Fall 2009 This course presents general pedagogical principles and methods adapted to teaching in the fields of landscape architecture, environmental planning, and environmental sciences. The format varies from week to week, but involves presentations by faculty and experienced graduate student instructors (GSIs), guided discussions, sharing of teaching experiences for current GSIs, discussion of readings on effective teaching, viewing of videos, and presentation by GSIs of sections for upcoming weeks. Required of all graduate students to be eligible for appointment as GSIs; may be taken concurrently with first GSI position for entering students. Topics include learning objectives, lesson plans, active learning, group learning, classroom diversity, assessing student learning, giving constructive feedback, teaching in the studio environment, engaging students through field exercises, grading, and composing effective tests. Methods of Teaching in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate student standing

Additional Format: Two hours of seminar/discussion per week.

Methods of Teaching in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 375 Methods of Teaching in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2022, Fall 2020 This course presents general pedagogical principles and methods adapted to teaching in the fields of landscape architecture, environmental planning, and environmental sciences. The content varies from week to week, but involves presentations by faculty and experienced graduate student instructors (GSIs), guided discussions, sharing of teaching experiences for current GSIs, discussion of readings on effective teaching, viewing of videos, and presentation by GSIs of sections for upcoming weeks. Required of all graduate students to be eligible for appointment as GSIs; may be taken concurrently with first GSI position for entering students. Methods of Teaching in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning: Read More [+]

Instructor: Larice

Formerly known as: Landscape Architecture 301

LD ARCH 399 Supervised Teaching 1 or 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023 Professional courses for prospective teachers. Supervised Teaching: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Appointment as graduate student instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-4 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Two to four hours of independent study per week.

Supervised Teaching: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 601 Individual Study for Master's Students 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013 Individual study for final degree requirements in consultation with adviser. Individual Study for Master's Students: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Last semester of residence in M.L.A. program

Credit Restrictions: Course does not satisfy unit or residence requirements for master's degree.

Subject/Course Level: Landscape Architecture/Graduate examination preparation

Individual Study for Master's Students: Read Less [-]

LD ARCH 602 Individual Study for Doctoral Students 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015 Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required of candidates for the Ph.D. Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: For candidates for doctor's degree

Credit Restrictions: Course does not satisfy unit or residence requirements for doctoral degree.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0-0 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 10 weeks - 0-0 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Zero hour of independent study per week. Zero hour of independent study per week for 10 weeks.

Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Read Less [-]

Contact Information

Department of landscape architecture and environmental planning.

202 Wurster Hall

Phone: 510-642-4022

Fax: 510-643-6166

Department Chair

Walter Hood

382C Wurster Hall

Phone: 510-642-7419

[email protected]

Head Graduate Advisor

Elizabeth Macdonald, PhD

Phone: 510-643-2965

[email protected]

Graduate Student Affairs Officer

Jessica Ambriz

206 Wurster Hall

Phone: 510-642-2965

[email protected]

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Students may study for a PhD degree in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning. An additional track in Architectural Technology is also available. This degree is administered jointly by the Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Therefore, students benefit from a dual affiliation with both schools.

The program is mainly geared towards individuals who wish to enter academic teaching and research careers. Students are afforded a high degree of flexibility in their studies, however areas of work are broadly organized into the following areas: the Theory and History of Architecture, Architectural Technology, the Theory and History of Landscape Architecture, and the Evolution of Cities and Regions. 

• Theory and History of Architecture:  

Students interested in this area typically study buildings, architectural texts, technologies, and their political, social, and cultural contexts through the early modern, modern, and contemporary eras. 

• Architectural Technology:  

Doctoral research in architectural technology at the GSD aims to advance current  knowledge in green building, for example, and will typically involve issues related to engineering, computation, and digital simulations. 

• Theory and History of Landscape Architecture : 

Students whose research focuses on the theory and history of landscape architecture typically investigate the  ways in which the  natural environment has been thought of, represented, and transformed, from the early modern to the contemporary period. 

• Evolution of Cities and Regions:

Students may be interested in the subject of cities  from a formal standpoint and/or develop an additional emphasis on various social, economic, technological, infrastructural, and ecological dimensions of urban life.

For biographies of current students and more information about their research interests, click here .

After graduation, PhD program alumni typically teach in design schools, or in history or history of art and architecture departments, landscape architecture and environmental studies departments, and urban studies and/or urban planning departments. Some alumni also work in the science, technology, and society domain on governmental and policy issues of particular relevance to their research.

Program Director and Administrator

Antoine Picon , G. Ware Travelstead Professor of the History of Architecture and Technology at the GSD is the current director of the program.

Margaret Moore de Chicojay is the PhD program administrator and key point of contact for incoming and current students. Contact: [email protected]

PhD in Architecture, Landscape, and Design

Description

The Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture, Landscape, and Design (ALD PhD) at the Daniels Faculty is a rigorous interdisciplinary program that trains students to pursue research of the highest academic standard across a spectrum of built environmental practices.  

Through our highly adaptable curriculum—one that is unlike other PhD programs in architecture—the program enables students to pursue study independently and to share their research with the Daniels community at every stage. ALD PhD students explore methodologies across our disciplines, ranging from theoretical to applied research in design, history theory, building science, and visual studies.

We help students work across disciplines, to familiarize themselves with broad knowledge areas that will equip them to address contemporary scholarly, political, economic, and policy problems. Students may elect to advance academic scholarship while also creating new models of research-based practice that can be implemented in real world settings. We encourage graduates to transcend current disciplinary boundaries and position them to engage and lead emerging discussions outside and between specific design disciplines.  

Whether focusing on the displacement of coastal dwellers because of project sea level rises, refugee crises produced by political unrest, or cities in need as water becomes an increasingly scarce resource, the engagements of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design students are increasingly complex and warrant creative design, critical thinking, and ethical action guided by innovative advanced research. The challenges facing constructed environments in the 21st century push us beyond existing disciplinary lines to seek synergies among our fields—building science and engineering, computation and fabrication, health and society, history and theory, technology and environment—and to develop these synergies in tandem with emergent fields like artificial intelligence, Black studies, climate justice, community-based knowledge practice, forensic architecture, gender studies, indigenous studies, sustainability, critical whiteness studies and many others.  

The Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture, Landscape, and Design goes beyond the traditional divide between applied and theoretical knowledge, bringing the two together to develop rigorous yet activist knowledge practices commensurate with present needs. The ALD PhD program is intended for students with aspirations to become active researchers and/or educators, work in government and industry, conduct research within design firms, or become community activists dedicated to meaningful social change through built environmental action. 

University of Toronto

In addition to our core PhD faculty, affiliated faculty with expertise in design problems from multiple disciplinary perspectives are directly involved in the life of the program. These faculty members are primarily housed in schools and departments across the University of Toronto, yet they also supervise ALD PhD students. 

Students in the PhD program have opportunities to work with a wide range of institutions within and beyond the University: the Jackman Humanities Institute, the Global Cities Institute, the Munk School of Global Affairs, the School of the Environment, the Department of Geography and Planning, the School of Engineering, the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, the Canadian Centre for Architecture, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the rich array of universities in and near Toronto. 

Requirements

Required coursework includes a colloquium and a methods course in the first year. The second year is primarily dedicated to a practicum and dissertation proposal preparation, which commences in the third year. Our funding package covers students for four years of full-time study and assists those who need additional years to find external grants to fund their program of study. 

The PhD in Architecture, Landscape & Design requirements include:

• Coursework (6.0 FCE, including 4.0 FCE in electives and four required PhD courses: ALD4030H: Doctoral Research Colloquium; ALD4040H: Theories and Methods; ALD4050H: Research Practicum; and ALD4060H: Preparation for Thesis)
• A two-part comprehensive exam testing breadth after 18 months and depth after 24 months
• Successful defense of a dissertation proposal
• Written dissertation
• Successful doctoral final oral examination

(Note: Additional courses or examination requirements may be necessary based upon faculty advisement.)

The program includes the following minimum required courses:

• (ALD 4030H 0.5 FCE) Doctoral Research Colloquium: Research in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism, and design takes many forms and produces distinct areas of inquiry. This course brings together PhD students and students from the post-professional programs to encourage an intradisciplinary discussion of their unique research methods, and to support cohort building and a strong sense of community amongst students. The course will be team taught by thesis supervisors in the proposed PhD program.
• (ALD 4040H 0.5 FCE) Theories and Methods: In this course, PhD students will explore theories and methods that have guided different disciplines in order to focus more narrowly on the unique approaches of their chosen field of study.

The program also requires participation in two doctoral research colloquia:

• (ALD 4050H) Research Practicum: The practicum generally results in a long research paper. This requirement enables students to conduct independent research on a limited scale at the level of quality expected for a dissertation, although the resulting paper is much shorter in length. The research should be comparable to that which results in a publishable article. Based on a consultation with their advisor, the practicum may take on one of several forms, including but not limited to:   i. A self-contained paper or empirical study of publishable quality that may or may not be a component of dissertation work.   ii. The development of a theoretical model upon which the dissertation is to be based.   iii. A proposal for pilot research in the student’s dissertation area that includes a focused literature review, research design, and protocol.  
• (ALD 4060H) Preparation for Thesis: Independent thesis research in preparation for the general exams or dissertation proposal.

Elective Requirements

The remaining required minimum 3.0 FCE (six half-credit courses) are electives to be selected from advanced (3XXX series) graduate level courses offered at the Daniels or advanced graduate courses in cognate disciplines across the University of Toronto pending the approval of the Faculty. The student’s program of study will be determined in consultation with his or her supervisory committee and approved by the committee.

The required courses listed above ground a student’s core experience in the doctoral program and provide the student cohort with a common learning experience. This pedagogical approach will expose students to methods of research and analysis that will provide intersections between the cultural-historical and the technical-professional knowledge that are not afforded in other academic disciplines with claims upon the built environment.

Electives—whether taken within the Daniels Faculty or in other University of Toronto programs—must be selected in consultation with each student’s assigned faculty advisor. Depending upon a student’s desired area of specialization, faculty advisors may require study in foreign languages, technical skills, historical periods, or research methods.

All graduate students at the University of Toronto must complete all of their course requirements at the graduate level.

ALD 4030H: Doctoral Research Colloquium Elective Elective

ALD 4040H: Theories and Methods Elective Elective

Comprehensive Examinations

ALD 4050H: Research Practicum Elective Elective

Comprehensive Examinations Elective Elective

ALD 4060H: Preparation for Thesis

Thesis Dissertation Proposal

Dissertation Proposal

Each student’s dissertation proposal should outline the main argument, rationale for supporting the prospective dissertation, a summary of existing research on the topic, a case for the originality of the research, and a schedule for research activities. The proposal will be circulated among the PhD supervisory committee for commentary and approval, and the student must present the proposal to the committee and potential additional faculty members for comment and advice. No later than the beginning of the third year of study, the student must submit to the director of the PhD program an approved proposal. An approved proposal signed by all members of the supervisory committee and the director must be submitted to the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies PhD office.

Achieving Candidacy

Doctoral candidacy is achieved when all requirements listed above for the PhD except for the dissertation are met.

Dissertation

The student and supervisor(s) should meet regularly and must meet at least once per year. By the end of the fourth year, the student should complete a dissertation based on original research that makes a significant contribution to the field. The supervisory committee must approve the completed dissertation before it is submitted to oral examination following School of Graduate Studies standards.

Core Faculty

Claire Zimmerman , Associate Professor, Daniels Faculty Director, PhD in Architecture, Landscape, and Design

Architectural History and Theory

Christy Anderson , Professor, Renaissance and Baroque Architecture History of Art, Graduate Department of Art and the Daniels Faculty

Aleksandr Bierig , Assistant Professor, Daniels Faculty

John Harwood , Associate Professor, Daniels Faculty

Mary Lou Lobsinger , Associate Professor, Daniels Faculty

Jason Nguyen , Assistant Professor, Daniels Faculty

John Robinson , Professor, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, School of the Environment, and the Daniels Faculty

Peter Sealy , Assistant Professor, Daniels Faculty

Landscape History and Theory

Georges Farhat , Associate Professor, Daniels Faculty

Mark Laird , Associate Professor, Daniels Faculty

Urbanism / Urban Design

Patricia L. McCarney , Associate Professor, Director, Global Cities Institute Department of Political Science, the Daniels Faculty, and the Global Cities Institute

Building Science/Computation

Alstan Jakubiec , Assistant Professor, Daniels Faculty

Ted Kesik , Professor of Building Science, Daniels Faculty

Bomani Khemet , Assistant Professor, Daniels Faculty

Brady Peters , Assistant Professor, Daniels Faculty

Maria Yablonina , Assistant Professor, Daniels Faculty

Architecture, Health and Society

Stephen Verderber , Professor, Daniels Faculty and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Visual Studies

Mitchell Akiyama , Assistant Professor, Daniels Faculty

Zach Blas , Assistant Professor, Daniels Faculty

Affiliated Faculty

Joseph Clarke , Assistant Professor, Modern Architecture History of Art, Graduate Department of Art

Jennifer Drake , Assistant Professor, Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering

Paul Hess , Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Planning

Heba Mostafa , Assistant Professor, Islamic Art and Architecture History of Art, Graduate Department of Art

Matti Siemiatycki , Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Planning

Simon Stern , Associate Professor & Co-Director, Centre for Innovation Law & Policy, Faculty of Law

Marianne Touchie , Assistant Professor, Departments of Civil & Mineral Engineering and Mechanical & Industrial Engineering

Chen-Pang Yeang , Associate Professor and Director, Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology

As a leading research institution, the University of Toronto depends largely on our success in recruiting outstanding graduate students and enabling them to realize their potential. This means providing financial resources so that students can focus on their studies and complete their degrees in a timely manner.

Towards this aim, the Daniels Faculty provides PhD students with a base funding commitment of $19,500 plus tuition and fees. This funding commitment is valid for a maximum of four years.

Students receive their funding commitment in annual funding packages. These packages may be composed of a variety of funding sources, including:

• The University of Toronto Fellowship (UTF)
• Research Stipends and Research Assistantships
• Teaching Assistantships, in accordance with CUPE Collective Agreement
• Internal Awards and Grants
• Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS-D - NSERC or SSHRC) - open to domestic students. Applicants wishing to enter the PhD program and who are registered (or on approved leave of absence) at the University of Toronto at any time between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 2020 must apply through the Daniels Faculty; contact [email protected] for application process and deadline. All other applicants , apply directly to either NSERC or SSHRC , depending on research subject.
• Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS)  - open to domestic and international students. Applicants wishing to enter the PhD program must apply through the Daniels Faculty.
• Vanier-Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier-CGS) - open to domestic and international students. Applicants wishing to enter the PhD program must apply through the Daniels Faculty; contact [email protected] for application process and deadline.

International students receive support at a higher level in recognition of the costs associated with the differential in fees (e.g., UHIP). On an annual basis, students will receive a funding letter outlining the composition, timing, and disbursement of their funding package.

Current Students

Kanwal Aftab Aftab’s research looks at the pedagogical influence of systems thinking and systems art on environmental design professions in the second half of the twentieth century.

James Bird Researching the Intersection of Dënesųłiné linguistics and shape forming : This research explores diverse built forms and strategies by examining the use of language as an entry point. Creating alternative viewpoints that assign agency to the metaphysical aspects that exist within Indigenous languages and culture is one of the key premises of this research. James proposes to explore this relationship between language and built form by using the ontological relationships that lie within language morphemes.

Yeo-Jin Katerina Bong Yeo-Jin Katerina Bong is a specialist in early modern Italian architecture (1450-1650) with the aim of writing an expanded history of Renaissance building engineering. Her dissertation looks at the role of ‘defects’ in the process of construction—from materials, foundations, to structure—as described in architectural treatises of this period. Her secondary research probes the cross-cultural relationship between European and Asian architectural drawing. She is currently the Diamonstein-Spielvogel fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Zheming (Taro) Cai Zheming (Taro) Cai’s research is centered on the production and dissemination of knowledge, cultural landscapes, landscape infrastructure, and critical heritage studies. His doctoral work delves into the transnational development of landscape architecture as a professional discipline in the People’s Republic of China. Cai serves as an executive editor and a co-host for a column at  Landscape Architecture Frontiers . Additionally, he is a Junior Fellow at the Massey College and a Junior Fellow affiliated with the Committee of Theories and Histories within the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture.

Josh Elliott Elliot’s current research concerns the processes by which notions of globalization, and globality more generally, found their way into architectural discourse during the "long 1990s" (1989-2003). Key subtopics include the role of Japan in shaping early discourses of globality in architecture, and the influence of globality discourses on design practice.

Katie Filek Filek’s research looks at the transnational circulation of architectural knowledge in the twentieth century. In particular, she is interested in transnationalism in Canadian architecture in the postwar period, and how foreign expertise was introduced, circulated, and translated through media and through local professional and material conditions. Postwar connections between Canada and Italy offer a key case study.

Nazanin GanjehZadeh  Nazanin is passionate about the relationship between architectural design and human wellbeing. Her research focuses on examining the impact of light on health, sleep patterns, and circadian rhythms. Utilizing sensor-based and simulation technology, her work aims to understand how daily light exposure affects mood, cognitive performance, and overall health. Her research evaluates existing lighting standards through the lens of daily life by understanding how real-world conditions interact with human well-being. 

Qingyun Lin Lin’s research interest lies broadly in the area of urban informality and community resilience with a focus on informal settlements located in southern China. She is interested in mechanisms of self-organized activities/illegal construction and their external interaction with formal urbanism. Lin also has a deep interest in community development and risk management for areas facing a triple dilemma of sudden disasters, extreme housing density, and poor infrastructure.

Ai Liu Ai Liu is interested in the topics of affordable housing, urban informality, and bottom-up community building, with a current focus on the subdivided units in Hong Kong. She hopes to combine interdisciplinary theories, experimental design practice as well as possible actions, to create a new way of dialogue.

John Nguyen Nguyen’s research interest resides at the intersection of architecture and performance-based design. His current projects investigate how computer simulations can elevate design processes rather than being a compromised coexistence of design and technology. Nguyen is currently exploring the topic of parametric acoustics in architecture with a focus on metamaterials and toolkit development. His previous research investigations were related to Computational Fluid Dynamics and Genetic Algorithms.

Fion Ouyang Grounded in architecture and building science, Fion is interested in the effects of building performance on human well-being. Specifically, she focuses on architectural design strategies with emphasis on human comfort and performance simulation. Through appropriate use of daylight, she aims to develop design strategies to optimize our indoor environments to enhance occupant health and quality of life. Fion is currently researching and evaluating the performance of daylight metrics.  

Anna Renken Renken’s research focuses on concepts of nature and approaches to the environment in architecture and design since the mid-twentieth century. She is particularly interested in how designers have collaborated with and learned from environmental scientists.

Brian Slocum Prior to beginning his doctoral studies, Brian was a practicing architect and Adjunct Professor at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. He served on the board of the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA) and co-chaired its 2018 and 2020 conferences. His research focuses on computational technologies in architecture—specifically robotics—examined through the lens of queer theory. Understanding queerness as another type of technology, Brian looks for ways it might complement more traditional architectural robotics building practices, toward the literal and rhetorical dismantling of normative structures.

Kachun Alex Wong Kachun Alex Wong has earned degrees from Columbia University and the University of Hong Kong (HKU). He was previously a research assistant at the Urban Ecologies Design Lab, HKU. His research lies in the intersection of architecture and law. His dissertation project investigates building code and informal settlements in the New Territories, Hong Kong, critical theories of liberalism and colonial customary law, and anti-sexist, -ableist, and -agist practices of care.

School of Graduate Studies

Architecture, landscape, and design, program overview.

This new four-year doctoral program, the PhD in Architecture, Landscape, and Design, will address a need for advanced specialized research within the design disciplines and produce students who will become traditional academics as well as consultants and leaders in diverse fields and sectors, such as museums and other cultural institutions, non-profit organizations, government, finance, and the consumer market.

This is a research-based PhD program with the aim of advancing scholarship and research beyond the boundaries of the individual design disciplines that are currently the focus of the Faculty’s accredited professional master’s programs. Graduates will be grounded in a research-informed practice that will transcend current disciplinary boundaries and will be positioned to lead the emerging, broader discussion, outside and between the specific design disciplines.

Quick Facts

Doctor of philosophy, program description.

The PhD program in Architecture, Landscape, and Design engages students in advanced research from an intra-disciplinary approach to architecture, landscape, and urban design. The program addresses cultural, social, environmental, historical, and technological questions of the art and design disciplines and the built environment. The program is intended for students entering careers that demand a syncretic approach to research in design and related disciplines.

This full-time program normally begins in September.

Minimum Admission Requirements

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design's additional admission requirements stated below.

An appropriate master's degree with an average grade of at least A–. A professional degree in a design discipline is highly desirable, but applicants with a master’s degree in a related discipline in the humanities and social sciences may be considered. An additional specialized program of study may be proposed for successful applicants without professional training.

A writing sample in the form of a substantial research paper or publication.

Recommendation from three referees.

A two-page proposal that indicates a topic of research within a design discipline, possible sub-field(s) (if desired), and potential supervisors. Although letters of commitment from faculty members are not required, the proposed topic must be congruent with the interests and expertise of at least one member of the PhD standing committee. The admissions committee will obtain commitment from the potential supervisor before admitting an applicant, and the applicant will be informed of this in the letter of offer.

A portfolio of creative work may also be requested where it is relevant to the applicant’s proposed area of research and the degree to which it may require technical skills typically gained in a professional degree program. For example, this could pertain to an applicant whose proposal includes producing renderings. Questions about whether to include a portfolio in an application should be directed to the Program Director or the applicant’s prospective supervisor prior to the application deadline.

Program Requirements

Coursework. Students must complete a total of 6.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) including:

ALD4030H Doctoral Research Colloquium (0.5 FCE).

ALD4040H Theories and Methods (0.5 FCE).

ALD4050H Research Practicum (0.5 FCE; Credit/No Credit).

ALD4060H Preparation for Thesis (0.5 FCE; Credit/No Credit).

4.0 elective FCEs chosen from advanced (3000 and 4000 series) graduate-level courses offered by the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. Depending on their field of study, students may also take advanced graduate courses in cognate disciplines across the University, pending the approval of the Faculty and in consultation with their supervisors.

To complete the chosen thesis topic, students may be required to take additional courses or acquire other skills. This will be determined by the supervisor and the Director of Graduate Studies and may include competence in another language.

Comprehensive examinations. All PhD students must complete a two-part comprehensive examination normally before their second Summer session. Successful completion of the examinations is required to achieve PhD candidacy. The exam's specific nature and scope are to be determined in consultation with the student's supervisor.

The first part, normally to be completed in the Summer session of Year 1, is to achieve breadth in the primary area of study so that the student can teach and conduct research within a larger chosen area within the design disciplines. This will usually involve preparing an annotated bibliography in consultation with the supervisor in the early Summer and writing the exam at the end of the Summer. The first part of the exam will consist of a written response to three questions.

The second part, normally to be completed during the second session of Year 2, is to achieve depth in a secondary area of study, within the Faculty or beyond, so that the student can master the context for the advanced research they plan to undertake for their thesis. For the secondary area of study, most students are expected to specialize in one area of study of the design disciplines (for example, architectural history). Alternatively, for this requirement students may focus on a secondary area of study. (For example, computational technologies.) This exam may be administered by a faculty member other than the supervisor, to be determined by the student in consultation with their supervisor. This second part can take one of two formats:

a second annotated bibliography to achieve depth in a sub-section of the primary area of study;

a course syllabus with readings and outlines of lectures, themes for tutorial discussions, as well as a minimum of three lectures drawn from across the syllabus.

Both parts of the examination are marked on a pass/fail basis. An oral examination will follow the completion of the second part of the exam. The oral examination will last no more than 90 minutes.

A second attempt of the comprehensive examinations will be allowed within six months, only on the recommendation of the student’s supervisor. If the student fails again, their registration will be terminated. The student must pass both parts of the comprehensive examinations before permission to submit a thesis proposal will be granted.

Thesis. Following completion of the comprehensive exam, the student’s supervisory committee will be formed. This will take place no later than the Summer of Year 2 to allow the committee to advise on the development of the student’s thesis proposal.

No later than the beginning of Year 3, the student must submit to the PhD program director a thesis proposal that has been approved by the student’s supervisory committee. Once the thesis proposal has been approved, the student will achieve candidacy.

The doctoral candidate will then proceed to researching and writing the thesis. The student must meet with their thesis supervisory committee within three months of submitting the thesis proposal; thereafter, the candidate is required to meet at least once a year with the supervisory committee.

By the end of Year 4, the candidate should complete a thesis based on original research and the thesis should make a significant contribution to the area of study. The supervisory committee must approve the completed thesis before it is submitted for examination.

The candidate will defend the thesis at the Doctoral Final Oral Examination .

Program Length

4 years full-time

6 years full-time

“It's okay sometimes to feel lost. This is part of research.”

University Library

Doctoral Theses in Landscape Architecture

A chronological checklist.

The following are doctoral theses completed by individual students in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Please see Find Dissertations for more details about locating doctoral theses in general.  Check the online catalog for doctoral theses not listed here.

Burrows, Steven. Indiana state parks and the Hoosier imagination, 1916-1933/ by Steven Burrows. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2017. Found in IDEALS

Li, Dongying. Access to nature and adolescents’ psychological well-being/ by Dongying. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2016. Found in IDEALS

Li, Zheng. Managing historic mountain landscapes near a modern city: the case of the Beijing Western Hills, 1912-2012/ by Zheng Li. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2015. Found in IDEALS

Modi, Sonal Mithal Sumeshkumar. Embodied knowledge of landscape: accomodating ongoing subjective experience in the presentation of heritage landscape/ by Sonal Mithal Sumeshkumar Modi. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2015. Found in IDEALS

Holland, Martin. “Empty chairs, broken lives”: The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum/ by Martin Holland. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2014. Found in IDEALS

Williams, Douglas. Fertile ground: Community gardens in a low-income inner-city Chicago neighborhood and the development of social capital among African Americans/ by Douglas Williams. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2014. Found in IDEALS

Zhou, Xiaolu. Investigating the association between the built environment and active travel of young adults using location based technology/ by Xiaolu Zhou. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2014. Found in IDEALS

Brown, Nicholas. Landscape, justice, and the politics of indigeneity: denaturalizing structures of settler colonialism in the Alberta/Montana borderlands/ by Nicholas Brown. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2013. Found in IDEALS

Jiang, Bin. Establishing dose-response curves for the impact of urban forests on recovery from acute stress and landscape preference/ by Bin Jiang. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2013. Found in IDEALS

Miller, Abbilyn. Determining critical factors in community-level planning of homeless service projects/ by Abbilyn Miller. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2012. Found in IDEALS

Li, Chuo. Chinatown and Urban Redevelopment: A Spatial Narrative of Race, Identity, and Urban Politics, 1950-2000/ by Chuo Li. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2011. Found in IDEALS

Lee, Sungkyung. Narrated Landscape as Counterweight to Perception of Placelessness in Contemporary Urban Landscape: Re-Visioning Place in Gwangbok -Dong and Nampo -Dong, Busan, South Korea/ by Sungkyung Lee. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2009. Found in IDEALS

Lamzah, Assia. The Impact of the French Protectorate on Cultural Heritage Management in Morocco: The Case of Marrakesh/ by Assia Lamzah. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2008. Found in IDEALS

Leibowitz, Rachel. Constructing the Navajo Capital: Landscape, Power, and Representation at Window Rock/ by Rachel Leibowtiz. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2008. Found in IDEALS

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Architecture, Planning and Landscape MPhil, PhD

We welcome MPhil and PhD proposals in any topic related to architecture, planning, or landscape.

You are currently viewing course information for entry year:

Start date(s):

• September 2024
• January 2025

We offer a flexible range of opportunities for postgraduate research.

We offer supervision for an MPhil or PhD in Architecture, Planning and Landscape in the following areas:

We conduct research into innovative teaching methods, the integration of theory and practice, and learn from related creative disciplines.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has funded research into effective skills transfer. This activity is strengthened through our involvement in the:

• European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE)
• Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP)
• European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools (ECLAS) including the Le NOTRE EU Network
• design-related aspects of construction and the use of buildings
• non-destructive testing
• measurement of energy
• environmental performance
• the changing relationship between utilities, the development, planning and management of contemporary cities
• culture and the built environment, including cultural change and transformation of the built environment
• architectural history
• architectural theory
• material culture

Environmental economics

• environmental economics
• benefit appraisal

Environmental management

Our research in this area covers environmental planning, management, impact assessment, sustainability, and Local Agenda 21 issues.

• social housing
• community development
• computer-based information search
• retrieval systems
• building product modelling with a philosophy of taking basic and applied research through to the end users
• landscape architecture theory, philosophy and environmental ethics
• sustainable landscape planning, design and management
• the history and development of the designed and cultural landscape

International urban development

• interpreting and managing change in diverse urban contexts
• improving the environment and quality of life in the cities of the developing world

Spatial analysis

• spatial change
• spatial statistics
• the use of GIS 

Planning processes and policy

• contemporary policy and practice issues in planning
• development and urban regeneration, in the context of theoretical developments and European experiences

Urban design

• city design and development
• design control
• urban public space
• public art in cities
• meaning in the built environment
• conservation
• urban regeneration
• urban design

More information about staff specialisms and the School's research can be found on the  School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape website.

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our  Academic experience page , which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2023-24.

See our  terms and conditions and student complaints information , which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

Related courses

Qualifications explained.

Find out about the different qualification options for this course.

An MPhil is available in all subject areas. You receive research training and undertake original research leading to the completion of a 40,000 - 50,000 word thesis.

Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications

A PhD is a doctorate or doctoral award. It involves original research that should make a significant contribution to the knowledge of a specific subject. To complete the PhD you will produce a substantial piece of work (80,000 – 100,000 words) in the form of a supervised thesis. A PhD usually takes three years full time.

How you'll learn

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

We offer a wide range of projects for the thesis. These will be provided by our academics. You can also propose your own topic.

Our mission is to help you:

• stay healthy, positive and feeling well
• overcome any challenges you may face during your degree – academic or personal
• get the most out of your postgraduate research experience
• carry out admin and activities essential to progressing through your degree
• understand postgraduate research processes, standards and rules

We can offer you tailored wellbeing support, courses and activities.

You can also access a broad range of workshops covering:

• research and professional skills
• careers support
• health and safety
• public engagement
• academic development

Find out more about our postgraduate research student support

Your development

Faculty of humanities and social sciences (hass) researcher development programme .

Each faculty offers a researcher development programme for its postgraduate research students. We have designed your programme to help you:

• perform better as a researcher
• boost your career prospects
• broaden your impact

Through workshops and activities, it will build your transferable skills and increase your confidence.

You’ll cover:

• techniques for effective research
• methods for better collaborative working
• essential professional standards and requirements

Your researcher development programme is flexible. You can adapt it to meet your changing needs as you progress through your doctorate.

Find out more about the Researcher Education and Development programme

Doctoral training and partnerships

There are opportunities to undertake your PhD at Newcastle within a:

• Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT)
• Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)

Being part of a CDT or DTP has many benefits:

• they combine research expertise and training of a number of leading universities, academic schools and academics.
• you’ll study alongside a cohort of other PhD students
• they’re often interdisciplinary
• your PhD may be funded

Find out more about doctoral training and partnerships

If there are currently opportunities available in your subject area you’ll find them when you search for funding in the fees and funding section on this course.

The following centres/partnerships below may have PhD opportunities available in your subject area in the future:

ESRC Northern Ireland/North East (NINE) Doctoral Training Partnership

Your future

Our careers service.

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information .

The School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape's facilities include:

• exhibition spaces
• seminar rooms

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2024 entry (per year), home fees for research degree students.

For 2024-25 entry, we will be aligning our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) . The standard fee will be confirmed in Spring 2024 by UKRI. The Home tuition fees for this course will be updated after this confirmation. 

If your studies last longer than one year, your tuition fee may increase in line with inflation.

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here .

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See  our   searchable postgraduate funding page  for more information.  

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section .

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Entry requirements

The entrance requirements below apply to 2024 entry.

Qualifications from outside the UK

English language requirements, admissions policy.

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.

Download our admissions policy (PDF: 201KB) Other policies related to admissions

Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course

• How to apply

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages .

Open days and events

You'll have a number of opportunities to meet us throughout the year including:

• campus tours
• on-campus open days
• virtual open days

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events

• Get in touch

Questions about this course?

If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:

Marian Kyte Postgraduate Research Secretary School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 6014 E-mail:  [email protected]

For more general enquiries you could also complete our online enquiry form.

Fill in our enquiry form

Our Ncl chatbot might be able to give you an answer straight away. If not, it’ll direct you to someone who can help.

You'll find our Ncl chatbot in the bottom right of this page.

Keep updated

We regularly send email updates and extra information about the University.

Receive regular updates by email

Chat to a student

Chat online with current students with our Unibuddy platform.

• How You'll Learn
• Your Development
• Your Future
• Quality and Ranking
• Fees and Funding
• Entry Requirements
• Open days & events

ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst

Home > SBS > LARP > LA_THESES

Landscape Architecture Masters Theses Collection

Theses from 2022 2022.

The Eudaimonic Tree Pilot: A Study of Public Engagement in Participatory Art at Three Sites , Olivia A. James, Landscape Architecture

Theses from 2021 2021

River Tapi Rejuvenation: Elevating the Ecological Corridor of Surat City , Kinjal Desai, Landscape Architecture

Theses from 2018 2018

Curating Place: Using Interpretive Design to Metabolize Change in the Rural, Post-Industrial Landscape of Woronoco Massachusetts , Clark G. Piers-Gamble, Landscape Architecture

Theses from 2017 2017

An Incremental Intervention in Jakarta: An Empowering Infrastructural Approach for Upgrading Informal Settelments , Christopher H. Counihan

The Use of Public Plazas in China and the United States: Measuring the Differences Using Direct Observation in Boston and Chongqing , Maozhu Mao, Landscape Architecture

Theses from 2016 2016

Restoration: Bridging the Gaps A Graphic Translation of Ecological Restoration , Alyssandra Black, Landscape Architecture

The Role of the Landscape in the Socialization of Cohousing Communities: A Study in Western Massachusetts , Emilie Marques Jordao, Landscape Architecture

Theses from 2013 2013

Forms, Transitions, and Design Approaches: Women as Creators of Built Landscapes , Tai-hsiang Cheng, Landscape Architecture

Reconnecting to Landscape: An Evaluation of the Post Hurricane Communities of Biloxi, Mississippi and Galveston, Texas , Elizabeth A. Englebretson, Landscape Architecture

Negotiating Postwar Landscape Architecture: The Practice of Sidney Nichols Shurcliff , Jeffrey Scott Fulford M.D., M.P.H., M.L.A., Landscape Architecture

The Lovely and the Wild: Considering Naumkeag , Carol Waag, Landscape Architecture

Theses from 2012 2012

Public Art - Purpose and Benefits: Exploring Strategy in the New England City of Pittsfield, Ma , Pamela Jo Landi, Landscape Architecture

Environmental Design Research and the Design of Urban Open Space: A Study of Current Practice in Landscape Architecture , Jennifer Masters, Landscape Architecture

Culture, Community Development, and Sustainability in a Post-Freeway City , Bryan Obara, Landscape Architecture

Elements of Sustainable Urbanism and Strategies for Landscape Development: Design of Green City , Jie Su, Landscape Architecture

Theses from 2011 2011

Bioretention: Evaluating their Effectiveness for Improving Water Quality in New England Urban Environments , Mary Dehais, Landscape Architecture

Landscapes of Compassion: A Guatemalan Experience , Travis W. Shultz, Landscape Architecture

Schoolyard Renovations in the Context of Urban Greening: Insight from the Boston Schoolyard Initiative, Boston, Massachusetts , Katherine A. Tooke, Landscape Architecture

Retrofitting Suburbs: Prioritizing Bmp Implementation to Reduce Phosphorus Runoff , Emily S. Wright, Landscape Architecture

Theses from 2010 2010

Strengthening Urban Green: Using Green Infrastructure for Biodiversity Improvement in Boston's Highly Fragmented Urban Environments , Christopher L. Mantle, Landscape Architecture

Communicating Landscape Design Intent to the Non-expert: Small Experiments Using Collage , Deborah Zervas, Landscape Architecture

Theses from 2009 2009

The Community Garden as a Tool for Community Empowerment: A Study of Community Gardens in Hampden County , Shanon C. Kearney, Landscape Architecture

Theses from 2008 2008

Alleys: Negotiating Identity in Traditional, Urban, And New Urban Communities , Sara A. Hage, Landscape Architecture

Rural Character in the Hilltowns: Understanding Attitudes About Planning in the Context of Attachment to Place , Anna J. Sadler, Landscape Architecture

Testing the New Suburbanism: Exploring Attitudes of Local Residents in Metropolitan Boston toward Residential Neighborhoods and Sustainable Development , Nicole A. West, Landscape Architecture

Theses from 1932 1932

Project for a state park system for Alabama , Sam Findley Brewster, Landscape Architecture

Theses from 1927 1927

The triangulation method of stadia transit topographic surveying adapted to landscape architecture , Kenneth Boyd Simmons, Landscape Architecture

Theses from 1917 1917

Principles of real estate subdivision with a practical problem , Irving C. Root, Landscape Architecture

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Palm Beach firms, residential designs win big at annual Mizner Awards ceremony

Firms and projects with Palm Beach connections won the majority of the architecture, landscape and design honors during this month’s 2023 Addison Mizner Awards dinner in the Coral Ballroom of The Colony Hotel. 

The 12th annual juried competition was sponsored by the Florida Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. 

Fairfax, Sammons & Partners and its affiliated office in New York City took three awards for projects designed by principal architect Richard Sammons, who is vice chairman of the Palm Beach Architectural Commission. Sammons runs his architectural firm with his wife, architect Anne Fairfax, a member of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

The firm earned two of its awards for the design of new homes. An “Anglo Caribbean”-style house on Clarke Avenue in Midtown Palm Beach was honored in the category for homes measuring between 5,000 and 10,000 square feet. And a house designed by Sammons on the east end of Southampton in New York was named the best new residential project under 5,000 square feet. 

Sammons’ firm also took the prize for best project in the renovations-and-additions category for a house on Onondaga Avenue on the North End of Palm Beach. That project added a second-floor addition and a fifth bedroom to a 1950s-era house while also overhauling its architectural style. 

Awards were presented by Mitchell Owens, editor of The World of Interiors. Owens served on the judges’ jury with Palm Beach resident and interior designer Victoria Hagan of Victoria Hagen Interiors; and New York City-based architect Mark Ferguson , principal of Ferguson Shamamian Architects. 

“We’re here to honor so many beautiful houses and interiors,” Owens said during his opening remarks at the April 20 ceremony, adding that the judges had reviewed “a formidable array of entries.” 

The goal, Owens added, was to honor projects that “exemplify the classical spirit in all its timelessness as well as its opportunities for experimentation and surprise.” 

Eligible projects had to have been built within the last 10 years. The competition is open to members of the Florida chapter, regardless of where the project is located. Other members can submit projects for consideration if they were built in Florida or the Caribbean.

The design of a new Mediterranean-style house on South Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach won architect Phillip James Dodd of Bespoke Residential Design LLC in Greenwich, Connecticut, the award for best new home over 10,000 square feet. In 2022, Dodd won the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach’s Schuler Award in recognition of same house, which has a stepped-back design for its long-but-narrow lot near former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club. 

FGS Design LLC of Palm Beach earned the award for excellence in historic preservation for its work on a project to restore Harbour Island Cottage, an 18th-century private residence reputed to be the oldest house on Harbour Island in the Bahamas. The firm also has offices in New York and Newport, Rhode Island. In accepting the award, FEG principal Francisco “Kiko” G. Sanchez recounted how the Bahamian cottage had collapsed during the construction work and had to be meticulously rebuilt. 

“The town was mad at us. It was a disaster,” Sanchez said, before adding that the owners have since forgiven him and his design team: “We still have a key, and the staff of FEG is allowed to stay there” on visits to the island.

FEG Design also won the award for best architectural “folly” for another project in the Bahamas — a small structure with a Moroccan-style arch by a swimming pool at an estate in New Providence. 

The garden surrounding FEG’s folly was designed by Fernando Wong Outdoor Living Design of Palm Beach and Miami. The latter firm was honored with a separate award for best landscape architecture at an estate known as “Shangri-La” in Coral Gables. Wong, who also has offices in New Orleans, the Hamptons and London, is an alternate member of the Palm Beach Landmarks Preservation Commission.

The craftsmanship award went to Remains Lighting Company of New York's Brooklyn borough, for its handcrafted reproduction of two meal lanterns, originally manufactured around 1929 for a Palm Beach project.

At the end of the ceremony, West Palm Beach architect Kristin Kellogg of Smith Kellogg Architecture was recognized for her two years of service as president of the Florida Chapter. 

Architect Chris Baker of Moor, Baker & Associates Architects in Vero Beach described Kellogg’s “efficient, clear and kind approach” to the job and her success in attracting new members through “meaningful education programming and social events.” 

Other award winners included Moor, Baker & Associates Architects for best cottage; interior designer Frank Ponterio of Naples and Chicago for excellence in residential interior design; and Daniel J. Kiser, a student at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture, honored as an “emerging classicist.”

The honorees also included Orlando’s planning division, which won the “patronage” award for commissioning, developing and maintaining the city’s Baldwin Park; Bruce Stephenson, a professor at Rollins College in Winter Park, honored for “pedagogy” in recognition of his dedication to teaching; and Steve Mouzon for exemplary architectural “research and documentation.” 

With 310 members, the state chapter is one of 16 affiliated with the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, which was co-founded in 1991 in New York City by Sammons, Fairfax, Richard Cameron and Donald Ratner. 

The Florida Chapter’s stated mission is to promote and advance “the classical tradition in contemporary architecture, planning and their allied arts and building crafts throughout the state.” Its members conduct business in Florida and the Caribbean.

More details about the awards and photos of the winning projects are available at FLClassicist.org/awards .

Click on the photo gallery at the top of this page to see more photos of Palm Beach projects and projects designed by Palm Beach firms that were honored in the 12th annual Addison Mizner Awards.

[email protected]

Darrell Hofheinz is a USA TODAY Network of Florida journalist who writes about Palm Beach real estate in his weekly “Beyond the Hedges” column. He welcomes tips about real estate news on the island. Email [email protected], call 561-820-3831 or tweet @PBDN_Hofheinz. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.