Master of Landscape Architecture
University of Calgary
This compilation features works by students of the University of Calgary’s Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program, developed in intermediate- to senior-level landscape architecture studio courses. The Program, the youngest MLA in Canada, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Unhindered by institutional traditions, it encourages students to be inventive. The presented projects exemplify the diversity of design expression resulting from this educational approach, as well as a commitment to values-driven and place-based design. The Program is situated in a geographical and socio-cultural context at the forefront of globalized issues, including the climate crisis, energy and economy, and decolonization. The Alberta context enables the Program to address these issues through specific course content and a regional approach to landscape architecture. Multiple environments and scales are involved, ranging from addressing problems of urban sprawl and city livability to investigating topics encompassed by mountain, foothill, and prairie landscapes.
The featured projects demonstrate students' endeavours in exploring the complexity of local landscapes in various contexts, such as agricultural and resource-extraction areas, suburban communities, and regions impacted by extensive industrial and transportation infrastructure. Building resilient environments in response to climate change and taking holistic approaches, emphasizing the value of the human-environment relationship, are shared objectives.
Project selection criteria include showcasing craft and technical acumen, as the Program seeks to educate students in crafting novel designs that employ both traditional and emerging technologies, materials, and construction methods. Sound analysis, critical thinking, imagination, an artistic attitude, and a cross-scalar approach to the design process also emerge.