News

“How do perceptions of public space and land impact the disciplines of landscape architecture and environmental planning?” That is the central issue of Public Land, Public Space, Public Discourse, a semester-long lecture series presented by UC Berkeley’s Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning that aims to spark critical thinking about public realms. The series is anchored by two keynote events: a conversation between renowned landscape designers Walter Hood and Laurie Olin, paired with a screening of a new film portrait of Olin, and a lecture by acclaimed writer Rebecca Solnit.

The Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning has appointed Anya Domlesky to serve as Lifchez Visiting Professor of Practice in Social Justice in spring 2026. Domlesky will teach a graduate-level studio that engages with social and environmental justice across landscape scales and systems via an exploration of  infrastructure, public space, and public realms of the East Bay.

The Department of Architecture is excited to welcome Li Hu, Hon. FAIA, and Huang Wenjing, AIA, as Friedman Visiting Professors for spring 2026. They are co-founders of the award-winning practice OPEN Architecture, known for inventive, sculptural buildings that emphasize a connection with the natural world. At UC Berkeley this spring, they will teach a graduate-level studio and present a lecture about their work as part of the Department of Architecture lecture series.

The Department of Architecture is thrilled to welcome alum Thomas Robinson, FAIA, back to UC Berkeley as a spring 2026 Friedman Visiting Professor of Practice. Robinson is founder of LEVER Architecture, a research-based design practice in Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles that is a recognized leader in material innovation and mass timber design. Robinson will teach a graduate-level studio focusing on a mass timber project for a site in Portland, Oregon.

Lawrence Scarpa, FAIA, is joining us as the second JW&VL Visiting Professor of Practice in housing and urban design. Scarpa is principal of the award-winning firm Brooks + Scarpa and co-founder of housing nonprofit Livable Places, Inc. and the Affordable Housing Design Leadership Institute.