LAWI301436 Landscape design project

Type
Project course
Semester hours
5
Lecturer (assistant)
Tusch, Roland , Fauster, Jennifer , Furlan, Cecilia
Organisation
Landscape Architecture
Offered in
Wintersemester 2026/27
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

Gruppe Tusch – Sofia/Bulgarien
Stochna Gara Transformation Landscape, Sofia, Bulgaria

International teaching cooperation with Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia.
The aim is to open up and activate the abandoned rail yard Stochna Gara site (80 ha) and to strengthen its role as a biodiverse and socially inclusive open space within the densely populated urban fabric.
To achieve this, students are asked to both outline a concept for the sustainable development of the site and to design and test specific interventions to kick-start a process of activation.
In Sofia, students work together in inter-university teams. Back in Vienna, the projects are developed individually and supervised at scheduled feedback sessions.

Travel to and from the venue must be organised and paid for individually. The cost of accommodation from 24 to 31 October in twin and triple rooms, including breakfast, is covered by ÖH funding.


Gruppe Fauster / Furlan - Styria / Austria

Repositioning Landscape - Water Territory Weiz


This is a time of radical transformations. We live in an era of global economic growth and rapid urbanisation. Our climate is breaking down. Our resources, fertile land, water, soil, and raw materials are being depleted. However, could we imagine alternative forms of development based on landscape and water as active value systems?

The design studio focuses on the agency of landscape and water as guiding elements for future urban and territorial transformation. Specifically, it examines Weiz, the Weizer Bergland, and the Weizer Valley in Styria.

Emphasising a holistic approach, the studio aims to address the ecological, climatic, economic, and social pressures specific to the region by thinking and acting through landscape and water. Moving from object to subject, water is no longer understood merely as a resource to be captured, piped, and discharged, but as a living force that shapes territories, settlements, and relationships. Our goal is to investigate how landscape and water can drive alternative designs for the territory’s socio-ecological transition, with a particular focus on water circularity, settlement development, land sealing, and the relationship between ground, vegetation, and varying degrees of wetness. Through fieldwork in Weiz, the Weizer Bergland, and the Weizer Valley, we will gain valuable insights from local communities, municipal representatives, and regional stakeholders. These insights will enrich our strategies and designs, which will be developed at different scales using maps, videos, and sections in a studio setting in Vienna.

The studio will have a strong and crucial focus on mapping and design.
Previous knowledge of GIS and design programs such as Adobe Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign), Affinity, Vectorworks, or AutoCAD, or a willingness to learn, is recommended.
Previous knowledge expected

Attending the following courses in parallel can generate important synergies and enables a modular approach based on the project: LAWI301435 Planting design, LAWI301431 CAD aoolied to landscape architecture project, LAWI301434 Modeling.

Basic knowledge of site surveys and analysis, design, drafting, landscaping/construction techniques, detailed technical planning and plant knowledge is expected.
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

The objective of the course “Landscape Design Project” is to deepen the knowledge of the landscape architectural design process. This includes the implementation of the landscape architectural design, which is carried out in an exemplary and project-related manner. The knowledge acquired includes the theoretical examination of landscape architectural issues and the design process based on this.
After completing the course, students will be able to understand and conceptualize the entire landscape architectural design process and carry it out independently. The competencies include the presentation of the problem, the qualitative merging of the current state and the target state, with the resulting written and planned implementation of the design proposals in the context of the respective location.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.