ECLAS Executive Committee

 

Name

Country

University

Ellen Fetzer
ECLAS  President

DE

Nürtingen-Geislingen University

 Ellen Fetzer holds a diploma and a doctoral degree in landscape planning from Kassel University, Germany. Since 2001 she has been working at the faculty for landscape architecture, environmental and urban planning in Nürtingen (Stuttgart area). She is primarily coordinating an international master degree in landscape architecture (IMLA). The second focus of her work is on computer-supported collaborative learning in the field of transnational education.

Thomas Oles
ECLAS Vice President

 SE

 Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

 

Thomas Oles was born and raised in Massachusetts, USA. He attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon and later the University of Washington, where he earned degrees in both comparative literature and landscape architecture. In 2001-2002 he studied landscape architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and the Royal Danish Agricultural and Veterinary University, now part of the University of Copenhagen. He worked as a landscape architect in New York and Boston before entering the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he received his doctorate in 2008.

Samaneh Sadat Nickayin Treasurer

NL

Wageningen University

 

Born in Tehran (1984), Samaneh is a lecturer at the Agricultural University of Iceland. She moved to Italy at a young age to hold her studies in Landscape Architecture, graduating with honours from “Sapienza- University of Rome”. She received her PhD in Landscape and Environment from “Sapienza” (March 2018), and her PhD thesis has been elected as the winner of ECLAS Annual Awards 2018 – Outstanding Student Award, third cycle.

 

Before she got into Landscape studies, she completed the Bachelor of Computer Hardware Engineering (Tehran, 2002-2006). Prior to attending the PhD program, she was engaged on issues ranging from Urban renewal to Green Infrastructure and Water System management. She has conducted field research at PennDesign- Pennsylvania University (2017) and Université de Liège (2012). Before moving to Iceland, she was the former teaching assistant of Prof. Franco Zagari and Prof. Fabio Di Carlo at Sapienza.

Samaneh’s research interests focus on solving Large-Scale Planning problems with particular attention to holistic approaches. She is the author of different scientific articles and books

Frederico Meireles General Secretary

PT

Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro

Frederico Meireles Rodrigues is a landscape architect and Doctor in Landscape Architecture. He is a Professor at UTAD (Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro) in Portugal, and Head of the Department of Forest Science and Landscape Architecture. He teaches at UTAD since 2001 in the fields of landscape design, open space evaluation and design critique. His research interests are in the field of urban green park, evaluation of the outdoors, the recreation planning, the sustainable environments and people’s health and wellbeing. He is a researcher at CITAB Research Centre. Has also been involved in professional practice, cooperating with private offices and as coordinator of LOCUS, the Laboratory of Green Space, Health and Inclusion of UTAD.

Alexandru Mexi

RO

University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Bucharest

Alexandru Mexi is a Romanian landscape architect with a doctoral degree from the University of Bucharest. He is studying the history of European and Romanian public parks and he is working in the field of garden heritage protection, restoration and conservation. In his home country he is coordinating a cultural project dedicated to green heritage (www.parcuri360.ro) and he is engaged in different cultural and educational programs.

Eszter Bakay

 HU

 Szent István University

Eszter Bakay is a practicing landscape architect (TECHNOCONSULT Ltd.) and associate professor at the Department of Garden and Open Space Design at the Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Szent István University in Hungary. She is the program manager of the english-taught Master of Arts in Landscape Architecture and Garden Design (MLA). Since January 2017 she is also Vice Dean of International Affairs. Her research field is late modern (post-war) landscape architecture in Central and Eastern Europe.

Didier Vancutsem

 BE

Faculty of Architecture La Cambre-Horta Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)

Didier Vancutsem holds bachelor and master’s degrees in landscape architecture, city and regional planning and regional management. He is Assoc. Prof. at the ULB Free University of Brussels – Faculty of Architecture La Cambre Horta since 2009, involved in Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning Master programs as well as research.

As director of the planning office “urban scape” Munich since 1992, Didier has gained professional experience worldwide in urban innovation, landscape management, elaboration of national and regional strategies for integrated urban development in Europe and Middle East, Africa, Russia, Asia. He is active as registered expert for the European Commission and URBACT, UN-Habitat and involved in European and international research projects. As Chairman of the Habitat Professionals Forum (UN-Habitat Nairobi), he contributed to the New Urban Agenda (Quito 2016) and the Sustainable Development Goals. Didier is author of several publications and articles, involved as Jury member in several competitions and member of different professional societies, honorary appointments in Europe and worldwide.

He was Secretary General (2013-2019) of ISOCARP – International Society of City and Regional Planners, he is currently Director of the ISOCARP Institute, its research branch. Since October 2021, he is Vice President for Professional Practice of the International Federation of Landscape Architects Europe.

Veli Ortacesme

TR

Akdeniz University

Veli Ortacesme is a landscape architect who obtained his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Cukurova University, Turkey. He earned another masters degree in the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza, Spain. His specialty and research interests include landscape planning, protected areas and urban green spaces. After having worked in private sector for two years, he moved to academia where he has been studying for more than 30 years. Currently, he has been teaching and conducting research at Akdeniz University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Landscape Architecture in Antalya. Veli has 35 years of experience in professional practice, education and research and published more than 200 articles, conference papers, research reports, book chapters and books. He is one of the co-founders and current president of the Turkish Association for Landscape Architecture Education and Science (PEMDER), which is the national accreditation agency for landscape architecture teaching programs in Turkey.

Nadja Penko Seidl

SI

University of Ljubljana

Nadja Penko Seidl graduated and received her PhD at the University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty. At the Department of Landscape Architecture, as well as some other faculties at the UL, she lectures and/or assists in teaching several courses in landscape evaluation, planning and management. Her research work focuses on several aspects of (cultural) landscape, its intangible characteristics, character, as well as the influence of policies on its development. Recently, her research work focuses also on strategic levels of green infrastructure planning and ecological connectivity.

Andrea Conti

SE

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU

Andrea Conti was born and raised in Italy. He studied Engineering of Building and Urban System at the University of Bologna. In 2013 he studied Landscape Architecture at the University of Oregon. Since 2014, he worked as an engineer in Rimini, collaborating with various design studios and municipalities with projects on mobility planning and design. In 2018, he started a doctoral program in Landscape Architecture at the department of Urban and Rural Development at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), where he is currently employed as a PhD candidate. His research interests draw from curiosity toward design and its processes, addressing education and design practices as a way to create knowledge. He also collaborates with a European project ERASMUS+ called LED2LEAP on landscape democracy and education for collaborative design.

Anders Larsson

SE

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU(Alnarp)

Anders Larsson (Dr) works as researcher and teacher at the Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, SLU Alnarp. His main field of interest is within comprehensive planning and planning processes, especially regarding the interconnectivity between rural and urban landscapes. At the moment, safekeeping of productive agricultural land and alternatives to urban sprawl is a central topic in his work. Anders is a member of various Swedish organizations, such as e.g. the Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry (KSLA), and has frequent tasks outside the university, e.g. collaborative projects with the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Anders has also worked with green structure and EIA-issues, both in research in practice, e.g. at the Swedish Road Administration Consultancy Agency (Vägverket Konsult). International cooperation is an obvious part of the work, such as being a member of the Executive Committee of ECLAS (European Council of Landscape Architect Schools).

Lei Gao NO

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)

Lei Gao is an associate professor of history of landscape architecture and garden art at Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). Lei received her PhD in Landscape Architecture from the University of Sheffield in 2010. Prior to that she studied architecture and landscape architecture in China. Lei has been working at NMBU since 2013. Her research interests include garden history and conservation, cultural, social and spiritual meanings of gardens and designed landscapes, and the management of historical landscapes. Lei was a member of the organising committee for the 2019 ECLAS conference.

 

Kamila Adamczy-Mucha

PO

University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Wrocław

Until September 2021, she was associated with the University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Wrocław. Her research area is related to universal design, the environment of health facilities and the inclusion of space in rehabilitation processes. Lecturer in the field of shaping the therapeutic environment, user design in public space, building materials in landscape architecture. She implemented Tutoring and Problem-Based Learning courses. She was involved in the organization of the “Doble Diploma” courses between Hunan Agricultural University in China and the University of Life Sciences in Wrocław. He is a tutor and organizer of international and interdisciplinary student workshops and summer schools. He is a member of the design teams as a landscape architect in the following projects: Designing the concept of historic buildings for the Lower Silesian Mental Health Center and the concept of developing the Black Water Valley in Wrocław. Member of the design team of the winning Concept of land development, Recreation Center “Wodnik” in Dąbki. From October 2021 associated with the Department of Landscape Architecture at University of Environmenal Sciences in Lublin.

       
Sandra Costa
UK  
 
 

Madgalena Blaszczyk

PO  
 
Juan José Galan Vivas ES Polytechnic University of Valencia
Juanjo Galan is an Associate Professor of the Urban Planning Department of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain). From 2015 to 2020, he served in a similar position at the Department of Architecture of Aalto University (Finland). His teaching and research focus on landscape planning, landscape design, sustainable development, regional and urban planning, and, on a more general level, on the intersections between social and ecological systems. He coordinated the Sierra Calderona Strategic Plan (2013-2014) and the AELCLIC project for the Adaptation of European Landscapes to Climate Change (CLIMATE-KIC 2018-2020). Between 2006 and 2010 Juanjo Galan was the president of the Spanish Association of Landscape Architects (AEP) and from 2017 till 2020 he was the promoter first and Chair of the Landscape Observatory of Finland.
Cristina Imbroglini IT La Sapienzia University of Rome

Cristina Imbroglini, Architect, Phd, Researcher at the Department of Architecture and Design, Sapienza, Rome. Lecturer in Landscape Design at  degree courses  Sapienza – University of Tuscia). Member of the Doctorate  in “Landscape and Environment”, Sapienza. Coordinator of the series of scientific publications of the Department of Architecture and Design of Sapienza DiAP PRINT: PROGETTI; THEORIES, Quodlibet, Macerata

Research activities and scientific production have as their focus the landscape project as a strategy for the ecological and social reactivation of the contemporary city

       
 
ECLAS Office      
 
  Arati Amitraj Uttur ECLAS PR & Social Media DE Nürtingen-Geislingen University
 
Barbara Birli      Eclas Office AT

Barbara Birli has a degree in Landscape Planning and Management and a doctorate in Regional Planning. Barbara gained experience and knowledge of soil and land management at national level, EU level and international level. As project leader she coordinates teams of researchers from different academic disciplines and institutions.

Through her current position as senior scientist at Environment Agency Austria, Barbara is involved in national and international projects concerned with soil awareness raising, soil threats and the development of educational material. In addition, she is leading, or contributing to projects that aim at citizen science and public participation.

Running the ECLAS Office evolved out of her past position as project manager of the LE:NOTRE project (since 2004) is a done usually at Friday afternoons/Saturday.

       
 
       
 
       
 
       
 
       
 
Regenerative Landscapes - Designing the Transition
ECLAS Conference 2024 - Call for Abstracts is open until January 31, 2024 Regenerative Landscapes - Designing the Transition Hosted at ULB in Brussels from September 7 - 10, 2024