What is landscape architecture? Landscape architecture deals with the interface between humanity and nature, designing both urban and rural open spaces, and planning dynamic environments that foster the wellbeing of people, plants and animals. Landscape architecture strives to set a balance between developing the built environment and cultivating and conserving our natural and cultural habitats. Landscape architecture covers a range of disciplines, including neighborhood and town planning, urban renewal, the design of gardens, parks, squares and urban boulevards, boardwalks and campuses, and national and regional infrastructures (roads, railways), as well as nature reserves, forests, rivers, beaches and rejuvenating debilitated sites (quarries, garbage dumps, etc.).
Why study landscape architecture? If you are interested in playing a role in shaping Israel’s open and built spaces, landscape architecture is the profession for you. Landscape architects design sustainable realities and a better future. In recent years, as issues of environmental awareness, sustainability and social justice have come to the fore, landscape architecture has gained momentum around the world, and landscape architects today stand at the forefront of contemporary design discourse. Landscape architects are in high demand both in Israel and around the world, and the range of employment options is broad. Landscape architects might be employed by private design companies as well as by the public sector, local authorities, various organizations (such as the Nature and Parks Authority, the Israel Union for Environmental Defense) and government ministries. Graduates usually start working during their studies, and demand for skilled professionals is higher than supply.
The Landscape Architecture Program curriculum: The Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning at the Technion is the only institution in Israel that offers a professional bachelor’s degree (B.L.A.) in Landscape Architecture that is accredited by the Engineers and Architects Regulation Act, and qualifies graduates for registration and licensing. Students earn the B.L.A. degree after four years of academic study. The curriculum is based on a comprehensive approach towards designing physical space, with an emphasis on design, planning, ecologic, cultural and social aspects. Students will be immersed in varied fields of knowledge, including landscape design and planning, theory and history, engineering design, environmental resources management, landscape and vegetation, ecology and social sciences (e.g. psychology, sociology and economics). Students will also be exposed to courses in other Faculty Programs such as architecture, industrial design and urban and regional planning.
The Landscape Architecture Program offers the following degrees:
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (B.L.A.)
Master of Science in Landscape Architecture (M.Sc.)
Doctor of Philosophy in Landscape Architecture (Ph.D.)
(Image: Shahaf Zakay)