Mission

The mission of the Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture program is to educate students from broadly diverse backgrounds in the fundamentals of landscape architecture – its history, theory and practice – and to build the capacity to work in a range of professional environments.

 

Program Highlights

 

Areas of Excellence

1. Community Engagement
2. Culture, Heritage and Society
3. Design Exploration
4. Regenerative Urbanism
5. Regional and Greenway Planning

 

Program Goals

• Professional Development
• Inquiry and Analysis
• Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving
• Teamwork
• Effective Oral, Visual and Written Communications
• Civic Engagement
• Sustainable Design – Environmental, Social, Economic

Our program has a strong design, practice, and research focus. In our studios, students learn to design sustainable landscapes that balance human needs and ecological concerns.

 

International Opportunities

• Rome, Italy
• Copenhagen, Denmark
• Dublin, Ireland
• Wellington, New Zealand

Our students have the opportunity to study abroad in a variety of countries through University exchange programs and student-initiated programs of study. Students can visit the International Programs Office to learn more.

Program faculty are engaged in a wide range of research, from the fundamentals of design to ecological resilience to environmental perception. Faculty integrate their research into their teaching in the classroom and the studio, introducing students in the program to cutting-edge research in landscape architecture and sustainable design.

 

Studio Projects with Real Clients

In many studios and classes, students have the opportunity to work on real-world design and planning projects, with real clients ranging from state agencies, local communities and non-profit organizations to communities on a national or international scale.

 

Program Overview

The Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at the University of Massachusetts Amherst was founded by Frank A. Waugh in 1903 as an undergraduate program in Landscape Gardening, the second such program in the United States. In the 100 plus years since then, the Department has grown substantially, changed its name, and developed a number of distinct instructional programs:

• Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture
• Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Community Development Master in Landscape Architecture
• Master in Regional Planning
• Dual Masters Degree Options
• PhD in Regional Planning

The total enrollment in the department averages over 250 students, while the average size of the undergraduate Landscape Architecture class is typically 90 students total with approximately 25 students per class level. Currently, the department comprises 18 full-time faculty and four support staff. Visiting and adjunct faculty augment the core faculty. As practicing landscape architects, designers, and planners, these faculty enrich the studios and courses they teach with their professional experience and knowledge.

The common goal of all programs in the department is to encourage the sustainable use of land and natural resources. We focus on anticipating and resolving conflicts between the physical, economic, and social needs of human beings and vital natural systems. As designers and as planners, we have a special concern for aesthetics and for the psychological dimensions of the designed environment.

Although the landscape architecture and regional planning programs have unique perspectives and draw on discipline- specific bodies of knowledge, approaches, and techniques, the line between the two disciplines is by no means sharply drawn in the department. Design, whether of land or buildings, is the conscious ordering of physical objects and events in three- dimensional space to further human purposes, to fulfill human needs, wants, and desires. Planning is the systematic analysis and resolution of the physical, economic, and social problems of towns, cities and regions. Planning often provides a framework for the design of the physical landscape.

As a practical matter, all designers must plan, and all planners must design. The programs and curricula of the department attempt to promote the fullest possible interchange between these closely related, but often distinct, points of view.

Affiliated Centers and Programs 

Students in the department benefit directly and indirectly from a number of affiliated centers and programs:

UMass Design Center in Springfield

supports a wide range of planning and urban design projects and research focused on addressing the challenges facing cities and towns in Massachusetts and beyond. Based in Springfield, the Design Center strives to achieve these important objectives: initiate projects that will support the revitalization of cities and towns in innovative ways, strengthen the connection between the university and Massachusetts cities and towns, and provide students with a range of learning opportunities including community outreach, urban design and city planning. The Design Center continues the University’s historical “land grant” mission to leverage academic teaching and research expertise in ways that benefit the Commonwealth’s communities.

Center for Economic Development

is a research and community-oriented technical assistance center that is partially funded by the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. As an EDA Center, faculty and students have worked on economic development issues in more than 200 cities and towns in the past ten years. Faculty specializations include industrial development, commercial development, tourism, marketing, employment training and quantitative data analysis. The Center provides technical assistance to communities and undertakes critical community-based studies, enhancing local and multi-community capacity for strategic planning and development.

Center for Resilient Metro-Regions (CRM)

was established at the University of Massachusetts in 1985 to address the threat of uncontrolled growth to natural and built rural environments. The Center practices a research and outreach mission focused on sustainable development. Measures proposed in Center publications have been studied and adopted not only in Massachusetts but also elsewhere in the United States and the world. Former associates of the Center, including faculty and students, now hold highly significant planning positions in urbanizing parts of America, and others are writing about ideas initiated at the Center.

Center for Heritage and Society (CHS)

provides local planning and zoning officials with the tools is a multidisciplinary initiative for the development of new theory and implementation for heritage conservation around the world. CHS works with scholars internationally to develop multi- and interdisciplinary research in heritage related fields such as archaeology, history, environmental science, landscape architecture, regional planning, architecture, European studies, Native American Indian Studies, Afro-American Studies, Classics, legal studies, and public policy among others.

Sustainable Adaptive Gradients in the Coastal Environment (SAGE)

creates a network of U.S., Caribbean and European engineers, geoscientists, ecologists, social scientists, planners and policymakers. Together we develop and promote a robust interdisciplinary analytic framework for the wide range of possible infrastructure responses to coastal hazards across a range, or gradient of urban to rural areas.

Fabos Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning

is held every three years to bring together experts who are influencing landscape planning, policy making and greenway planning from the local to international level. It is intended to highlight recent trends and expand the literature about landscape and greenway planning.

 

About the Department

Our students benefit tremendously from their affiliation with the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, which is the Commonwealth’s flagship public research university and has an enrollment of approximately 32,000 students. The University comprises ten Colleges and Schools. The Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning resides in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

UMass is part of the Five-College system of Smith College, Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, and Hampshire College. The Five-College system has coordinated library system and allows students to access lectures, events and course offerings across the five campuses.

The town of Amherst is located in the scenic Connecticut River Valley. The town has a non-student population of approximately 35,000. The University is located on the northwestern edge of town. A free bus system serves the campus as well as the adjacent towns and the four nearby colleges.

 

University and Town

Our BSLA program has an explicit focus on sustainability, with a strong emphasis on design, practice, and research. A unifying theme of the program is the importance of protecting and enhancing the environment and public health, safety and welfare while simultaneously engaging the aesthetic challenge of reconciling form, content, style, and function.

The BSLA program is foremost a professional degree program. The education you will receive will provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to work in private or public practice. The curriculum consists of a core of eleven studio courses complemented by lecture courses in subjects ranging from site engineering to the history of the built environment. A particular strength of the program is its dynamic, challenging and creatively stimulating studio courses which encourage the vigorous exchange of ideas between students and between instructor and students. Studio courses focus on the synthesis and integration of broad knowledge in the service of solving a specific design challenge. At the end of each studio you will have the opportunity to present your creative response to that design challenge to the faculty, outside reviewers and the student body at end-of-studio reviews.

The skills and knowledge you acquire in our studio and lecture courses will enable you to design beautiful and engaging landscapes that are environmentally sustainable. Specifically, the landscape architecture program will provide you with:

• An understanding of and appreciation for the design of sustainable landscapes, for pleasure and function, for people and the environment.
• A working knowledge of the theories, processes, and techniques applied to the analysis of design problems and the implementation of design solutions in the profession of landscape architecture.
• An understanding of ecology, natural resource use and conservation and land-use activities.
• An understanding of the cultural determinants of human behavior and the social, political, economic and legal institutions that influence design decision.
• The capacity to verbally and graphically communicate your ideas to clients, the public, government officials and specialists in allied fields including planners, architects, engineers, and social, natural and physical scientists.

 

The Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture Program

Students who enroll in the program as freshmen can earn a B.S. degree in Landscape Architecture in four years. The University’s General Education requirements and the landscape architecture core curriculum must be satisfied. The following are the UMass General Education requirements as of 2018:

 

Writing: 2 courses (6 credits total)

• College Writing (CW)
• Junior Year Writing (in the BSLA major)

Basic Math Skills: 1 course (R1) or Exemption by exam (0-3 total credits)

Analytic Reasoning: 1 course (R2) (3 credits total)

Biological and Physical World: 2 courses (8 credits total)

• Biological Science (BS)
• Physical Science (PS)

Social World: 4 courses (16 credits total)

• Literature (AT/AL)
• Historical Studies (HS)
• Social /Behavioral Science (SB)
• An additional course in any of the areas of the Social World or an Interdisciplinary course (AL, AT, SB, I, or SI)

Social & Cultural Diversity: 2 courses but may be the general education classes listed above

• Diversity in the United States (U, ALU, ATU, HSU, IU, or SBU)
• Global Diversity (G, ALG, ATG, HSG, IG, or SBG)

Integrative Experience: 1 course

• For BSLA students, this will be your Senior Capstone Studio, LA 494LI

For more information on General Education courses, visit Gen Ed @ UMass.

General Education Courses

*Note: C- minimum grade is required in all core courses.

Design Studio Sequence (11 courses)

In this sequence, the core of the landscape architecture program, students learn the principles, methods,
processes, and techniques of landscape architecture design. Each half-semester (seven-week) studio poses progressively more complex challenges. A different instructor teaches each studio, ensuring a diverse range of project types, scales, and points of view.

1. LandArch 201 Studio I: Fundamentals: Spaces & Landscape Media LandArch 202 Studio II: Spaces/Places in Context
2. LandArch 203 Studio III: Designing with Plants LandArch 204 Studio IV: Designing with Landform
3. LandArch 301 Studio VI: Recreation and Open Space Design
4. LandArch 302 Studio V: Residential Garden Design
5. LandArch 303 Studio VIII: Towards Sustainable Multi-Family Housing
6. LandArch 304 Studio VII: Sustainable Commercial/Institution Design
7. LandArch 401 Studio IX: Urban Design: Sustainable Urban Systems
8. LandArch 402 Studio X: Urban Design: Design Development LandArch 494LI Studio: Senior Capstone (14 weeks)

 

Professional Skills Sequence (9 courses)

In this sequence, students develop the skills and knowledge required to implement landscape architectural projects. Included are courses in graphic and written communication, landform manipulation, construction materials, site engineering, computer-aided design and professional practice.

1. LandArch 191A Landscape Graphics
2. SustComm 335 Plants in the Landscape LandArch 294A Construction Materials
3. LandArch 298C Site Grading Lab
4. LandArch 583 Digital Technology for Design Representation
5. LandArch 313 Site Engineering
6. LandArch 547 Landscape Patterns and Process LandArch 547L Landscape Patterns and Process Lab SustComm 314 Writing in Landscape Architecture SustComm 574 City Planning
7. LandArch 494A Professional Practice

 

History Sequence (2 courses)

Courses in this sequence provide students with knowledge of built works of the past and present and the social, economic, technological, and aesthetic forces that influenced their design and construction.

1. SustComm 543 History I Ancient to Medieval World
2. SustComm 544 History II Renaissance to the Present

 

 

Core Landscape Architecture Curriculum

This is the standard curriculum for students entering the program as freshmen. Courses identified as Elective (GE) should be taken to satisfy the University’s General Education Requirement or as a free Elective, once General Education Requirements have been satisfied.

Freshman Year

Fall Semester	Credits	Spring Semester	Credits
LandArch 191A Landscape Graphics	3	LandArch 150 Intro to Envir Design (recommended, not required)	3
First Year Seminar	1	Land Arch 160 Lecture Series (recommended, not required	2
Diversity Gen Ed	3-4	Gen Ed Classes	10
2 Gen Ed Classes	8
Total Credits	16	Total Credits	15

Sophomore Year

Fall Semester	Credits	Spring Semester	Credits
LandArch 201 Studio I	3	LandArch 203 Studio III	3
LandArch 202 Studio II	3	LandArch 204 Studio IV	3
SustComm 355 Plants in the Landscape	4	LandArch 294A Construction Materials	3
LandArch 547 Landscape Patterns &    Process	3	LandArch 298C Construction Materials Lab	1
LandArch 547L Landscape Patterns & Process Lab	1	LandArch 583 Digital Design Representation	3
LandArch 191A (if not taken previous year)	(3)	Gen Ed	3-4

Total Credits

14

Total Credits

16-17

Junior Year

Fall Semester	Credits	Spring Semester	Credits
LandArch 301 Studio V	3	LandArch 303 Studio VII	3
LandArch 302 Studio VI	3	LandArch 304 Studio VIII	3
LandArch 313 Site Engineering	3	SustComm 314 Writing in Comm Development & Landscape Arch (Junior Year Writing)	3
SustComm 543 History I	4	SustComm 544 History II	3
Gen Ed or Elective	3-4	Gen Ed or Elective	3-4
Total Credits	16-17	Total Credits	15-16

Senior Year

Fall Semester	Credits	Spring Semester	Credits
LandArch 401 Studio IX	3	LandArch 494LI Studio XI Senior Capstone	6
LandArch 402 Studio X	3	LandArch 494A Professional Practice	3
SustComm 574 City Planning	3	Electives	3-8
Electives	3-8
Total Credits	12-17	Total Credits	12-17

Landscape Architecture Curriculum

This is the standard curriculum for students transferring to the department from other UMass programs or other universities. Transfer students are strongly advised to have completed prerequisites of college-level math and at least one college-level art class.

Sophomore Year

Fall Semester	Credits	Spring Semester	Credits
LandArch 201 Studio I	3	LandArch 203 Studio III	3
LandArch 202 Studio II	3	LandArch 204 Studio IV	3
SustComm 355 Plants in the  Landscape	4	LandArch 294A Construction Materials	3
LandArch 547 Landscape Patterns  and Process	3	LandArch 298C Site Grading Lab	1
LandArch 547L Landscape Patterns and Process Lab	1	Elective (GE)	3-4
LandArch 191A Graphics	3
Total Credits	17	Total Credits	13-14

 

Junior Year

Fall Semester	Credits	Spring Semester	Credits
LandArch 301 Studio V	3	LandArch 303 Studio VII	3
LandArch 302 Studio VI	3	LandArch 304 Studio VIII	3
LandArch 313 Site Engineering	3	SustComm 314 Junior Year Writing  (GE)	3
SustComm 543 History I	4	SustComm 544 History II	3
Elective (GE)	3-4	LandArch 583 Digital Technology for  Design Representation	3
Total Credits	16-17	Total Credits	15

 

Senior Year

Fall Semester	Credits	Spring Semester	Credits
LandArch 401 Studio IX	3	LandArch 494LI Senior Capstone Studio	6
LandArch 402 Studio X	3	LandArch 494A Professional Practice	3
SustComm 574 City Planning	3	Elective (GE)	3-4
Elective (GE)	3-4	Elective (GE)	3-4
Elective (GE)	3-4
Total Credits	15-17	Total Credits	15-17

 

 

Curriculum for Transfer Students from Stockbridge

This is a typical curriculum for students with an Associate Degree from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. This assumes that the student has taken the equivalent of Land Form (LandCont 107), Soils (StockSch 105), and Plant Identification (SustComm 335). Stockbridge transfer students should check their General Education Requirements carefully. Depending upon the courses taken, additional General Education (GE) courses beyond what is shown as Elective (GE) may be necessary to meet the University’s General Education requirement.

Sophomore Year

Fall Semester	Credits	Spring Semester	Credits
LandArch 191A Graphics	3	LandArch 203 Studio III	3
LandArch 547 Landscape Patterns  and Process	3	LandArch 204 Studio IV	3
LandArch 547L Landscape Patterns and Process Lab	1	LandArch 583 Digital Technology for  Design Representation	3
Elective (GE)	3-4	Elective (GE)	3-4
Elective (GE)	3-4	Elective (GE)	3-4
Elective (GE)	3-4
Total Credits	16-18	Total Credits	15-17

 

Junior Year

Fall Semester	Credits	Spring Semester	Credits
LandArch 301 Studio V	3	LandArch 303 Studio VII	3
LandArch 302 Studio VI	3	LandArch 304 Studio VIII	3
LandArch 313 Site Engineering	3	SustComm 314 Junior Year Writing  (GE)	3
SustComm 543 History I	4	SustComm 544 History II	3
Elective (GE)	3-4	Elective (GE)	3-4
Total Credits	16-17	Total Credits	15

 

Senior Year

Fall Semester	Credits	Spring Semester	Credits
LandArch 401 Studio IX	3	LandArch 494LI Senior Capstone Studio	6
LandArch 402 Studio X	3	LandArch 494A Professional Practice	3
SustComm 574 City Planning	3	Elective (GE)	3-4
Elective (GE)	3-4	Elective (GE)	3-4
Elective (GE)	3-4
Total Credits	15-17	Total Credits	15-17

 

 

Curriculum for Transfer Students

Design Studio Sequence (11 courses)

In this sequence, the core of the landscape architecture program, students learn the principles, methods, processes, and techniques of landscape architecture design. Each half-semester (seven- week) studio poses progressively more complex challenges. A different instructor teaches each studio, ensuring a diverse range of project types, scales, and points of view.

LandArch 201 Studio I: Fundamentals: Spaces & Landscape Media

This foundational studio addresses an understanding of the landscape media--landform, water, plants, and structure--that define landscape space.

LandArch 202 Studio II: Spaces & Places in Context

This studio is a continued exploration of landscape design and media through the introduction of a real site, typically a local, small public park.

LandArch 203 Studio III: Designing with Plants

Working with a local site, this studio emphasizes the use of plants in creating landscape structure and aesthetics. Particular attention is paid to regional character and the use of native plants.

LandArch 204 Studio IV: Designing with Landform

This studio emphasizes the use of landform and grading as media for creating spaces. The site is larger than previous studios, requiring greater depth in site analysis, more complexity in program development and spatial organization, and supporting the ability to design at different scales.

LandArch 301 Studio V: Recreation and Open Space Design

Using a relatively large site and a complex program, this studio introduces the master planning of an open space or park system and the design of individual landscape spaces within the system network. Students consider concepts of public and private space and are expected to respond to the larger community and historical context.

LandArch 302 Studio VI: Residential Garden Design

Working at the intimate scale of the private garden, the studio explores the relationships among architecture, shelter, and outdoor space. This studio typically involves a real client, along with an existing site and structure to which students must respond.

LandArch 303 Studio VII: Toward Sustainable Multi-Family Housing & Significant Open Space

The studio explores multi-family row housing and open space with structured public space and private gardens for human activities. Exploring low, moderate and high-density row housing, the project broaches the three components of sustainability: sensitivity to environment, economy of means, and social justice.

LandArch 304 Studio VIII: Sustainable Commercial and Institutional Design

This studio uses commercial and industrial development as a vehicle for exploring sustainable site planning.

LandArch 401 Studio IX: Urban Design: Sustainable Urban Systems

Often working in low-income neighborhoods in nearby Springfield, this studio focuses on areas of public use that will foster the development of a sustainable local community and serve as amenities for the city at large. The studio works to support the ethnic diversity of neighborhoods and develops open spaces that address storm water management and brownfield mitigation in order to create a sustainable urban environment.

LandArch 402 Studio X: Urban Design: Design Development

In this studio, a continuation of the Sustainable Urban Systems studio, students develop their schematic urban designs at the detail level, taking into account the ecology, maintenance, and intensity of use of the site.

LandArch 494LI Studio XI: Senior Capstone Studio

This fourteen-week study begins with large scale open space planning in the form of a greenway for recreational, scenic, and economic opportunities. It moves on to the design of a specific public landscape within that corridor, with an emphasis on interpreting, recovering or conveying the social, historical or other significance of the place for surrounding communities.

 

Natural and Cultural Factors Sequence (3 courses)

This set of lecture classes acquaints students with the natural and cultural processes that shape the landscape. They cover the theories and knowledge that explain and inform how planning and design can better serve human and environmental goals in regards to ecological, economic and social concerns.​

SustComm 335 Plants in the Landscape

Familiarizes students with woody plants, their use in the creation of outdoor space, roles in ecological processes and horticultural practices related to their establishment and maintenance. In conjunction with LandArch 547 Landscape Pattern and Process, introduces reading the landscape in terms of plant community development and individual species within various communities of the New England landscape.

LandArch 547 & 547L Landscape Patterns and Process with Lab

Focuses on landscape ecology as applied to planning and design decision-making. Explores landscape structure, function and dynamic processes at multiple scales. Introduces theoretical and technical knowledge that supports sustainable landscape planning, design, and management. Lab includes a series of local field trips and introductory labs in GIS.

SustComm 574 City Planning

Familiarizes students with regulatory policy and planning as a context for design and environmental decision making. Influencing factors include physical systems (land, resources, infrastructure, housing, public space) as well as value systems (social, ecological, cultural). Acquaints students with planning history and tools and techniques, as well as contemporary deliberations on sustainable ecology, economy, and equity.

 

Professional Skills (9 courses)

In this sequence, students develop the skills and knowledge required to implement landscape architectural projects. Included are courses in graphic and written communication, landform manipulation, construction materials, site engineering, computer-aided design, and professional practice.

LandArch 191A Graphics

Develops drawing skills necessary to conceive, develop, and communicate design ideas. Introduces plan and section drafting, freehand drawing, orthographic projection, rendering techniques, and perspective. These basic skills are further developed throughout the studio sequence beginning in the sophomore year. Material costs: $300.

LandArch 294A/298C Construction Materials with Lab

Introduces students to materials and construction techniques used in landscape construction, in the regional framework of the New England landscape and climate. Design details and construction methods are discussed relative to aesthetic and functional concerns, emphasizing the critical relationship between landscape technique and design.

LandArch 313 Site Engineering

Introduces the fundamental components of site engineering, including: grading and landform manipulation, on-site drainage systems, construction calculations, road alignment, and site design criteria. Develops students’ drafting and AutoCAD skills, with emphasis on construction document preparation.

SustComm 314 Writing in Comm Development & Landscape Arch (Junior Year Writing)

Explores and develops writing skills in the context of the discipline of landscape architecture. Assignments are designed to help students evaluate their interests in the field. Covers a range of writing types including business, academic, and creative writing, with an emphasis on effective revisions. Satisfies the University’s junior year writing requirement. Only Sustainable Community Development and Landscape Architecture majors can take this course.

LandArch 494A Professional Practice

Prepares students for entry into professional practice by examining a range of approaches and methods for providing professional services. Encourages discussion of professional ethics and responsibilities. Topics include: different modes of practice, the evolution of one’s career, different models of office organization and procedures, tools and tips for effective marketing, the need for professional collaboration, project management, and professional ethics.

LandArch 583 Digital Design Representation

Introduces digital tools used for landscape architecture and design thinking, including AutoCAD, graphics and image editing, 3-D modeling and animation, data management and integration. These applications and digital tools are integrated into various studios, beginning in the sophomore year.

 

History Sequence (2 courses)

Designers continue to be informed by the works that preceded them. Courses in this sequence provide students with knowledge of built works of the past and present and the social, economic, technological, and aesthetic forces that influenced their design and construction.

SustComm 543 History I Ancient to Medieval World

Introduces students to the historic forces that have shaped the human-influenced environment from ancient civilizations to the Renaissance as manifested in particular environments.
Students are expected to understand historic and geographical contexts, and cultural forces that have contributed to changes in the built environment.

SustComm 544 History II Renaissance to the Present

Serves as a continuation of SustComm 543, from the Renaissance to the present. Emphasizes Europe and North America and landscape design traditions that have led to contemporary design movements. A ‘canon’ of specific works, individuals, and theories are studied in the context of their time and place. Students learn to see, analyze, and appreciate works of landscape design as the result of the artistic, cultural, and natural forces that have shaped them.

 

Course Descriptions

Library Resources

As a student in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning (LARP) you will have access to an exceptional university library system. Support for your studies and research is provided through collections and services at two libraries. The 27-story W.E.B. DuBois Library, mainly an arts and humanities collection, also houses Government Documents, the Law Collection, Maps, Microforms, Course Reserves, Media, and Special Collections and Archives. Physical and natural sciences materials are found in the Integrated Science and Engineering Library located in the low-rise section of the Lederle Graduate Research Center.

The holdings of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries include more than 5.9 million books, documents, and microfilms. In addition, the Libraries subscribe to approximately 14,500 serial titles. Nearly 300 electronic subscription databases, which locate millions of citations and full-text articles, may be accessed at the Libraries or from any remote location.

Your University photo I.D. serves as a library card and allows for borrowing throughout the Five College Library system which include: Amherst, Hampshire, Smith, and Mt. Holyoke Colleges. The Interlibrary Loan provides service for students to borrow materials not owned by the Five Colleges free of charge.

The Learning Commons is an interactive area on the ground floor of the DuBois Library. Services offered include research and writing support, library services, technology help, as well as campus services in an environment that fosters informal, collaborative and creative work, and social interaction. A café is located in the Library lobby. Group Study Rooms are available at the Learning Commons. More information regarding specific services available can be found at the website: https://www.library.umass.edu/

Madeleine Charney ([email protected]) is the Reference Librarian for the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning. She is available by appointment and during drop-in sessions to provide one-on-one research consultations and classes on library research methods. She is knowledgeable in the numerous database resources and library materials available related to topics in our field. Of particular interest and value to students in our Department is the LARP Subject Research Guide, an online resource which serves as a starting point for library research: https://guides.library.umass.edu/landscape

 

Computers

The Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning has two computer labs with networked computers and a full suite of software including; Microsoft Office, Adobe CC, ArcGIS, AutoCAD and other rendering programs. The computer labs are connected to a black and white printer, a color printer, scanner, and a high-speed plotter. The labs are open to all students in the department during the day with UMass ID card access available for evening and weekend use.
Wireless Internet is available throughout the campus.

There are eleven computers classrooms (both PC and Mac) throughout the University campus run by the Office of Information Technologies. Each classroom has either a black and white or color printer available for Pay-for-Prints. We also share a GIS Lab with Geosciences, Forestry and Wildlife Management. The University’s Information Technology office oversees 11 PC and Mac computer classrooms across campus. Each classroom has either a black and white or color printer available via the Pay-for-Prints program. The Department also shares a GIS Lab with Geosciences, Forestry and Wildlife Management.

 

Technology Expectations for Incoming Students

Incoming students in the Landscape Architecture Program are required to have a laptop computer. 

Students are expected to have access to their NetID & UMass computer account. This provides e-mail and Internet access from any computer with a direct (Ethernet) connection or a wireless connection to the University network. Information regarding UMass e-mail accounts can be found at http://www.umass.edu/it/.

 

Lecture Series

The Zube Lecture Series is an invaluable supplement to the Departmental curriculum. This weekly lecture series brings local, regional, and national experts to campus Thursday afternoons during the fall and spring semesters. Speakers present their professional creative work or research or discuss current trends in the professions of design and planning. The lecture series occasionally features the work of student groups, faculty, and guest faculty.

Other departments and programs on campus also sponsor lectures and workshops of potential interest to our students. The Department keeps students informed of these enrichment opportunities through email and postings throughout the building.

 

Resources

All Department faculty are engaged at some level in the Landscape Architecture program, and students in the program benefit enormously from exposure to the faculty’s diverse research interests and areas of specialization. In the close-knit community of the Department, students are encouraged to discuss their interests, studio projects, and other coursework with any member of the faculty.

 

Core BSLA Program Faculty

 

Aragón, Carolina: Associate Professor

B.Arch Savannah College of Art and Design, MLA Harvard Graduate School of Design. An artist and educator who uses public art to transform landscapes, engage communities, and teach students. Carolina’s professional practice in the field of landscape architecture focused on green infrastructure through the creative design of green roofs and sustainable stormwater projects.

Brabec, Elizabeth: Professor

BSc in Environmental Agriculture, and MLA University of Guelph, Canada; Juris Doctor, University of Maryland. Founded and managed the landscape planning firm, Land Ethics, Inc. in Washington, D.C. Teaches cultural landscape history, professional practice and leads international field studies programs. Research interests focused on land conservation and the design and planning of sustainable open space; culture and the historical basis of landscape form.

Carr, Ethan: Professor of Landscape Architecture

M.A. in Art History and Archaeology, Columbia University; M.L.A. Harvard Graduate School of Design; Ph.D. Edinburgh College of Art; Fellow, ASLA. Landscape historian and preservationist specializing in public landscapes. Has written two award-winning books, Wilderness by Design (1998) and Mission 66: Modernism and the National Park Dilemma (2007). Editor of Volume 8 of the Papers of Frederick Law Olmsted, 1882-1890. Worked previously for New York City Parks, National Park Service, and non-profit organizations and private design offices. Has taught previously at the Harvard GSD and the University of Virginia.

Clouse, Carey: Professor of Architecture and Landscape Architecture

B.Arch University of Oregon; SMArchS Architecture and Urbanism, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Teaches landscape urbanism, design|build, and community-engaged landscape architecture. Researches and has written about self-sufficiency, climate change adaptation and animal architecture; currently writing about the infrastructure of food security in post-Soviet Cuba.

Davidsohn, Michael: Senior Lecturer II of Landscape Architecture and Director of the Stockbridge Landscape Contracting Program.

A.S. in Landscape Operations, Stockbridge School of Agriculture; B.S. in Environmental Design, University of Massachusetts; M.S. in Landscape Architecture, University of Massachusetts. Teaches small-scale landscape design, surveying, construction materials, and small business management as it relates to landscape contractors. Owner of design/build firm specializing in private garden construction.

 

Eisenman, Theodore: Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture

B.S. in Journalism, University of Maryland; M.P.S. in Natural Resource Management, Cornell University;
M.L.A. Cornell University; Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania. Theodore’s principle scholarly interest concerns the historical, scientific, cultural, and design bases of urban greening, defined here as the introduction or conservation of outdoor vegetation in cities. Prior to starting at UMass, Eisenman was an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in the Humanities Institute at The New York Botanical Garden. His career spans research and practice with a range of federal, municipal, and nonprofit organizations including the Environmental Protection Agency, National Park Service, Scenic Hudson, Trust for Public Land, U.S. Forest Service, and Washington, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation.

 

McGirr, Patricia: Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, Director of the Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture Program, and Associate Department Chair

B.S. in Architecture, University of Michigan; M.L.A., University of Michigan. Teaches design studios, landscape history, and introduction to the visual environment. Professional experience in both architecture and landscape architecture. Research interests include social, historical, and cultural aspects of landscape, particularly as they relate to gender.

 

Ryan, Robert: Department Chair, Professor of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, and Director of the Dual Degree MLA/MRP Program

B.S.L.A., California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo; M.L.A. and M.U.P., University of Michigan; Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan. Teaches courses in open space planning and research methods. Research interests include environmental psychology and landscape planning.

 

Sleegers, Frank: Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Director of the Master of Landscape Architecture Program

M.L.A., University of Massachusetts; Dipl–Ing, Hannover, Germany. Teaches design studios in landscape architecture design and urban design. A practicing landscape architect with an office in Hamburg, Germany. He has won competitions in urban design, parks, and plazas, and a special point of interest and research is the building and organizing of site specific ephemeral art work in urban environments.

 

Solano, Samantha: Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture

B.L.A. University of Nevada, M.L.A. Harvard Graduate School of Design. Teaches design studios and advanced representation. She is the founding principal of JUXTOPOS, a co-founder of the Visualizing Equity in Landscape Architecture (VELA) project, and a co-collaborator of the International Landscape Collaborative (ILC). Samantha is a licensed Landscape Architect in the state of Utah.

 

Thurber, Jane: Lecturer of Landscape Architecture

B.A. in Studio Art and English, Hamilton College; Master of Landscape Architecture, Harvard University. Teaches landscape architecture studios and design drawing. Has practiced in Massachusetts, Florida, and New Mexico; and taught in Miami and Tampa. Professional work has focused on the design of public projects – plazas, parks, campuses, streetscapes, and playgrounds.

 

 

Additional Department Faculty

 

Barchers, Camille: Assistant Professor of Regional Planning

PhD, School of City & Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology; Masters in Regional Planning, Cornell University, Bachelors of Science in Natural Resources and International Agriculture & Rural Development, Cornell University. Camille Barchers, AICP, has practiced as a regional planner throughout Florida, the Southeast and mid-Atlantic. Prior to joining LARP, Camille taught in the Leadership Education and Development program at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Camille’s work examines how planners use technology and how it changes the way we engage with the public. Her research interests include community engagement via information & communication technology, big data applications for equitable long-range planning, and the interaction between land use & transportation planning.

 

Di Pasquale, Michael: Extension Assistant Professor

Master in Regional Planning UMass Amherst; Master in Architecture Washington University in St. Louis; BA Architecture University of Detroit. Michael Di Pasquale, AIA, is a registered architect and urban planner. He was part-owner of Davis Square Architects in Somerville, Massachusetts for over 12 years. While there his work emphasized urban design and mixed use developments, including housing for persons with special needs. His designs include one of the first housing developments in the nation for persons with AIDS. He is currently working on the design of a mixed-use development in Northampton, MA, in association with Davis Square Architects.

 

Dunn, Peter: Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Community Development Program Director and Lecturer

PhD University of Washington; MSc London School of Economics; BA University of Virginia. Professor Dunn’s intellectual focus is at the intersection of planning and digital technologies. Specifically, he asks how such technologies are not straightforward solutions to identified problems, but are messy sites where diverse actors work through conflicting visions of desirable public life. Work from his doctoral dissertation, which investigates the idealized promise and actual use of smartphone apps for urban mobility, has been published in Urban Planning and the Journal of Urban Technology. He also served as a researcher on an NSF-funded project investigating community resilience to natural hazards. Other interests include cartography, the politics of public space, and feminist political theory. Prior to entering academia, Professor Dunn worked for Boston’s Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the International City/County Management Association.

 

Feiden, Wayne, FAICP: Director of the Center for Resilient Metro-Regions (CRM)

BS Natural Resources, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Masters of City and Regional Planning, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In addition to teaching in LARP, Wayne is the principal of Plan Sustain, Inc. a mission-driven planning and sustainability consultancy. Previous to that he was Director of Planning and Sustainability for Northampton. He led that city to earn the nation’s first Five-STAR Communities rating for sustainability and the highest “Commonwealth Capital” score, the former Massachusetts scoring of municipal sustainability efforts. Wayne oversaw the city’s planning, conservation, sustainability, climate framework, and plan implementation efforts. His focus includes downtown revitalization, sustainable transportation, open space preservation and recreation, and streamlined regulatory efforts

 

Infield, Elisabeth M: Professor of Regional Planning and Director of the PhD in Regional Planning Program

B.A. in Business Administration, Cleveland State University; Masters of Management, Northwestern University; PhD in City and Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania. Teaches growth management, climate change planning, real estate planning and regional planning studio. Current research into the planning adaptation and mitigation of climate change impacts to local communities and sustainable community development.

 

Ramsey-Musolf, Darrel: Associate Professor of Regional Planning

PhD, Housing Policy and Analysis, UW-Madison; MURP, Cal Poly Pomona; MPA, Suffolk University; BA, Dance, UCLA. As an instructor, his courses (e.g., Planning Studio, Housing, Land-Use/Growth Management) reflect his research interests, including: Urban Morphology (i.e., cities, housing, infill, and redevelopment), Regionalism (i.e., inter- governmental relations, urban containment), Planning Praxis (i.e., private capital, public interest, and political will; balancing theory and practice).

 

Renski, Henry: Professor of Regional Planning, Director of the Master of Regional Planning Program, and Director of the Center for Economic Development

PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 2006. MRP, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1998. B.A., University of Southern Maine, 1995. Former Special Assistant to the Governor of the State of Maine in Economic Development. Teaches GIS and economic development. Research focuses on understanding the forces driving regional economic competitiveness and transformation and building upon this knowledge to improve the effectiveness of economic development policy.

 

 

Visiting and Adjunct Faculty, 2016-2024

 

Benjamin, Thomas: Adjunct Lecturer of Landscape Architecture

MLA/MCRP, University of California Berkely. Registered Landscape Architect in MA, CT, RI, and NY. Owner of Wellnesscapes Design.

Burgel, Joshua: Adjunct Lecturer of Landscape Architecture

BA in Studio Art and BS in Civil Engineering, Stanford University: MLA Harvard Graduate School of Design. Principal of Lemon Brooke.

DeWitt, Erika: Adjunct Lecturer of Landscape Architecture

BA in Geosciences, Williams College; MArch, University of Massachusetts.

Fairweather, Allyson: Adjunct Lecturer of Landscape Architecture

BS Interior Design, Endicott College; MLA, University of Massachusetts.

Gordon, Dan: Adjunct Lecturer of Landscape Architecture

BS Environmental Design, University of Massachusetts: MLA, Harvard Graduate School of Design. Registered Landscape Architect in MA, CT, RI, NH, ME, NY, MD, CA, and UT. Principal of award-winning design firm, Dan K. Gordon Associates.

Jennings, Lee: Adjunct Lecturer of Landscape Architecture

BA, English, Macalester College; MLA, University of Massachusetts. Registered Landscape Architect in MA, CT, and MD. Senior Associate of Dodson Flinker Landscape Architecture and Planning.

MacDonald, Dana: Adjunct Lecturer of Landscape Architecture

B.S. Biology, University of Michigan - Flint. Research Fellow, Geosciences, University of Massachusetts. Works on paleo-ecological (Pleistocene/Holocene) reconstructions of drought, fire, and hurricanes as well as use pollen analysis to reconstruct vegetation. Also conducts field work using sediment coring in coastal environments mostly from New England south to Central America.

Loeffler, Rachel: Adjunct Lecturer of Landscape Architecture

BA, Architecture, Washington University; MLA, University of Massachusetts. Registered Landscape Architect in MA, CT, RI, and NH. Principal of Berkshire Design Group.

Reid, Melinda: Adjunct Lecturer of Landscape Architecture

BS, Marketing, Oklahoma State University; MLA, University of Massachusetts.

Tang, Hongbing: Adjunct Lecturer of Landscape Architecture

BArch, Tsinghua University; Graduate Diploma in Housing, McGill University; MLA/MRP, University of Massachusetts. Registered Landscape Architect in MA. Co-founder and principal, LANDD International. Also teaches at Boston Architectural College.

Wright, Emily: Adjunct Lecturer of Landscape Architecture

BA, Landscape Architecture, University of Kentucky; MLA, University of Massachusetts. Registered Landscape Architect in KY, and MA. Co-founder and principal, WOLA.

 

Faculty