In the teaching and research field of Landscape Architecture and Design (LAE), research is predominantly conducted in applied form. This means that overarching research questions are examined in real locations, e.g. in living laboratories, so that the complex and intricate research challenges of global urbanization and the climate crisis can be addressed. The resulting context-bound knowledge is then tested for its generalizability and adaptability. Since landscape is the result of multi-layered processes, our teaching and research area makes use of a broad toolbox of methods and always seeks inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration. Based on the principle of Research through Design, the discipline's own tools of landscape architectural design play an equal role in the generation of knowledge to those used in the natural sciences and humanities. Our research work investigates the discipline's own claim that landscapes and open spaces can make a decisive contribution to the "Grand Challenges".
A distinctive feature of our research practice is its international orientation, with a geographic focus on Latin America. We focus specifically on ameliorating landscapes which are dominated by unregulated urbanization, reconciliating inequities in open space, and mitigating the effects of the climate crisis on marginalized populations.
The following pages provide information on our research projects, publications, and current and completed dissertations.
