Colleen Mercer-Clarke
Lecturer 11
She has been announced as the recipient of the 2019 International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) President’s Award at the World Congress in Oslo, Norway. Colleen's work on planning and design for a changing world has a special focus on adaptive planning in coastal communities. Colleen has over 30 years’ experience in the private sector as a senior environmental manager working on a wide array of initiatives throughout Eastern and Atlantic Canada and internationally. Trained as both a marine ecologist (B.Sc, M.Sc., Memorial 1976) and landscape architect (M.L.A., Guelph 1987), her early work focused on environmental planning, assessment and management, including coastal, watershed and municipal planning, site design and conservation of special places. Colleen has contributed to regional national and international development of coastal policies, programs and institutions that advance the principles of precaution, stewardship and sustainability. She is an experienced team leader, skilled in the facilitation of complex meetings. Colleen left consulting in 2005, completing aDoctorate in interdisciplinary studies (Dalhousie 2010) as well as Post Doctoral studies (Memorial 2011) in coastal governance, coastal health and impending climate change. Since 2009, she has participated in research-community-government teams working across Canada and in the Caribbean on coastal preparedness for environmental changes associated with shifting climate and extreme weather events. Colleen leads the CSLA Task Force on Adaptation and Chairs the IFLA Working Group on Climate Change, continuing her commitment to the sustainability of nearshore environments and communities.
Martha Schwartz
Lecturer 11
Landscape architect and artist with a major interest in urban projects, creating public realm spaces that engage with people, and build community through intelligent, focused, yet unexpected ideas-based design. Her background is in both fine arts and landscape architecture and is a Professor In Practice at The Harvard Graduate School of Design where she has taught since 1992. Her mission is to explore the relationship between landscape, art and culture and challenge traditional concepts of landscape design; find opportunities where landscape design solutions can enhance the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of a place and raise them to a level of fine art; and make landscape design critical to the sustainability of our surroundings. Martha has over 29 years of experience as a landscape architect and artist collaborating with a variety of world-renowned architects on a diverse portfolio of projects. She holds a Doctor of Science (DSc) from the University of Ulster, and is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes including the Cooper- Hewitt Museum National Design Award for her body of work in Landscape Architecture, an honorary fellowship from the Royal Institute of British Architects, several design awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects, and visiting residencies at Radcliffe College and the American Academy in Rome of which she is a Fellow. She has lectured both nationally and internationally about the landscape with her work featuring widely in publications as well as gallery exhibitions.
Antoni Falcon
Lecturer 2
Master gardener and specialist technician for the School of Gardening and Landscape Nicolau M. Rubió i Tudurí, diploma at the École Technique Horticole d'Orleans, diploma at the École Nationale Supérieure du Paysage de Versailles, and a diploma in Edaphology and Phytogenetics from the University of Barcelona. Master in Management Function in Local Administrations and in Senior Management of Business by the Higher School of Business Administration and Management (ESADE).
Ramon Torra
Ponent 1
Born in Barcelona, 1955 ETSAB-trained architect. He is Director of Public Space Services of the Council of Barcelona Municipalities and a member of the Technical Team of the Barcelona Metropolitan Territorial Planning Commission. From 1982 to 1992 he was Director of the Territorial Area of Granollers Town Council. He drafted the General Plan of Granollers and various planning and project designs for public space.
Carme Ribas
Lecturer 1
She is an architect, graduated from the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB) in 1980. In 1985 she obtained a Diploma from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Landscape Architecture. She has been a professor of Architectural Projects Design at ETSAB since 1987. She has also taught in the Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture at the UPC. She began her carreer as an architect of the Barcelona City Council's Elements and Urban Projects Service, during the period 1981 to 1986, carrying out several projects in the public space. Since 1985 she has been sharing professional activity with Pere Joan Ravetllat Mira, with whom she has carried out several projects, both in the field of housing, as well as in the area of facilities or public space.
Lisa Diedrich
Lisa Diedrich studied architecture and urbanism in Paris, Marseille and Stuttgart, science journalism in Berlin, and landscape architecture at the University of Copenhagen, where she received her doctoral degree. She currently works as a professor of landscape architecture at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Alnarp/ Malmö and as editor-in-chief of the book series Landscape Architecture Europe (Fieldwork/ On Site/ In Touch/ On The Move) and as co-editor-in-chief, with Harry Harsema, of ’scape the international magazine for landscape architecture and urbanism.
Manuel Ruisánchez
Lecturer 1 and 2
Architect and landscape architect, member of the Departament d’Urbanisme i Ordenació del Territori de la UPC, professor of Landscape Architecture in ETSAV (1982-1992), Master of Landscape in UPC since 1991 and of urbanism (degree) in ETSAB since 1992. He has been a visiting professor at Washington University in St. Louis, GSD Harvard University and Facoltà di Architettura di Venezia, IUAV. He is currently Member of Culture of the Governing Board of the COAC, a member of LUB and AxA. He has been president of the international jury of the V Biennial of Landscape Barcelona and finalist in II and VI editions. Founding partner of Ruisánchez Arquitectes, working on Landscape Architecture, Urbanism and Architecture projects, he has been recognized with several awards including: Fad Architecture Prize in 1997, Catalonia Construction Award, 2005 Catalonia Social Housing Award 2007 Technal Architecture Prize in 2008, Barcelona City Award, Architecture and Urbanism 2012.
Meto J. Vroom
Lecturer 2
Born in 1929. He studied landscape architecture at the Wageningen Agricultural University and the University of Pennsylvania. After six years of experience as a landscape consultant of the State Forest Service, he was appointed Professor and Chairman of Landscape Architecture at the Wageningen Agricultural University, where he remained until his retirement in 1994. He has written numerous articles on landscape and urban planning as well as the book “Outdoor Space”.
Franco Zagari
Lecturer 1 and 2
Landscape architect. Professor of landscape architecture at the Università “Mediterranea” di Reggio Calabria, where he founded the Dipartimento Oasi, served as Director from 2002 to 2008, and currently coordinates the doctoral program entitled “Parks, Gardens, and Territorial Planning.” From 1996 to 2004, he served as president of the Rome and Lazio division of IN/Arch. The French Minister of Culture awarded him with the Chévalier des Arts et Lettres in 1998. Honored with the European Premio Gubbio for the squares of Saint-Denis. His projects include: Italian Garden, Osaka, 1990; Matteotti Square, Catanzaro, 1992; Prehistoric Cave Welcome Area, Niaux, 1994; Montecitorio Square, Rome, 1998; Central Squares, Cisterna di Latina, 1997-2005; Manzoni Square, Monte - grotto, 2002; Lungomare Faleria, Porto Sant’Elpidio, 2003; Floating Terrace in Eur Lake, Rome, 2005-2006; Central Squares, Saint-Denis, 2005-2007; Dome of the Presidency of the Republic of Georgia, 2007; Station’s Underground Walkway, Bergamo, 2008. His essays include: L’architettura del giardino contemporaneo, 1988; Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 1990; Giardino italiano a Osaka, 1990; Piazza Montecitorio, 1998; Questo è paesaggio. 48 definizioni, 2006. Giardini - Manuale di progettazione, 2009; Piazza Matteotti a Catanzaro. Il volto della città, 2009.
