SEAS 2019 Ecological Design Week Recap
Ecological design invents new future landscapes by making evidence drawn from natural, social, and design sciences integral to a creative design process. It drives innovation by paying attention to the way landscapes function for human communities and for other organisms in urban, suburban, rural and wild landscape contexts. Incorporating planning, design, and management considerations across the life cycle of landscape change, ecological design anticipates how landscapes will function for future generations in the context of global and technological change. It is the foundation of the Landscape Architecture program at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability.
SEAS 2019 Ecological Design Week explored landscapes from rural Switzerland to ultra-developed Singapore through a series of special events aimed to inspire anyone who wishes to help create a more sustainable, just, beautiful world.
2019 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
January 10 | 5:00 p.m. | 1040 Dana
Linking and Rethinking: Science + Design
Dr. Adrienne Grêt-Regamey—Zürich, Switzerland
“Enabling Transformation by Linking Land System Science and Landscape Design”
Dr. Grêt-Regamey discussed how technologies could promote novel ways of deliberative decision-making to transform landscapes and ultimately become language to link land system science and landscape design.
Whittemore Lecture Series
January 14 | 12:00 p.m. | Dana Ford Commons
Ecodesign Exhibition Grand Opening
Showcased highlights from recently completed student works.
January 14 | 12:30 p.m. | Dana Ford Commons
EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge—U-M Team Presentation
Presentation on the U-M team's submission to the EPA's RainWorks Challenge, which combines smart city technology with autonomous vehicles with restoration of native habitats and contributes to improving the water quality of the Huron River. The team included collaborators from SEAS, TCAUP, and Environmental Engineering.
January 15 | 12:00 p.m. | 2024 Dana
Lightning Talks
The Lightning Talks showcased several highly respected practitioners who employ ecological design techniques. Each spoke for 10 minutes , using their own projects to discuss their ecological design approach/philosophy and highlight how science, technology, and art contribute to they way they address design and planning projects. Following the presentations, there was discussion and Q&A with the audience. Speakers: Stephanie Austin, Landscape Designer, Quinn Evans Architects; Patrick J. Judd, PLA, ASLA, Director, Landscape Architecture & Green Infrastructure Studio, Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc.; Neal Billetdeaux, ASLA, LEED, SITES AP, Senior Landscape Architect and Principal, SmithGroup.
January 16 | 11:00 a.m. | Dana Floor 3
Open Studio
Participants learned how landscape architects create real world impact through designs that address myriad environmental, economic, and social issues and engaged with landscape architecture students who are preparing to bring ecological restoration projects to life.
January 17 | 5:00 p.m. | 1040 Dana
Designing for High Density Environments
Dr. Tan Puay Yok—Singapore
"Development of Neighborhood Landscapes with Urban Ecosystem Services"
Neighborhood landscapes are the quintessential forms of landscapes in most cities, but because of their small sizes, they seldom gain the attention of designers. Dr. Puay Yok shared the development of guidelines for the design of neighborhood landscapes, based on the concept of urban ecosystems services in the high-density, high-rise environment in Singapore.
SmithGroup JJR Lecture Series
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