ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY THESSALONIKI

250-word text explaining the selection criteria of 5 projects:

The selection varies from graduate landscape design studio work to postgraduate landscape design projects. These five projects offer distinct yet interconnected explorations of landscape, ecology, and urbanism, each proposing thoughtful and innovative interventions. 

Tracing Nature: Tree Diagrams + Urban Fabric delves into the dynamics between community, nature, and topography, reimagining the landscape as a democratic space responsive to diverse social and ecological needs. Its conceptual clarity is grounded in participatory design and sensitivity to the terrain.

Streamlines identifies Thessaloniki’s Ortansia Stream as both a natural boundary and a connective tissue between fragmented neighborhoods. By treating the stream as a transitional zone, the project merges ecological and urban narratives, offering a technically resolved and thematically relevant model for re-integrating nature into dense residential fabrics.

BringBackTheRiver addresses the buried Ilisos River in Athens, advancing a bold vision of environmental restoration and climate adaptation. Through a critical re-reading of lost urban ecologies, the project innovatively positions river daylighting as both a cultural and environmental act, revealing high conceptual depth and spatial imagination.

Ecofolia proposes a visionary, community-driven model for urban commons through rewilding and ecological pedagogy. Its emphasis on co-creation and experimental stewardship introduces a new language of urban ecology, articulated through specific architectural and landscape elements that enable long-term engagement.

Finally, Goumenissa adopts a strategic planning lens to weave together forest, urban, and agricultural landscapes. With a deep understanding of local heritage and natural assets, the project promotes sustainable regional futures through a multi-scalar and context-sensitive design approach.

Together, these projects reflect a rich synthesis of landscape intelligence and urban innovation in teaching Landscape Architecture at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.