He has taught at the University of British Columbia, Cornell University and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Prior to that, he practiced in the San Francisco Bay Area for eight years as a landscape architect with Land Studio and MFLA, and as a planner with the City of Oakland and South of Market Foundation (not for profit).

His research explores the relationships between craft / materials / construction, the design process, and the value systems of best practices in the ‘sustainable era’. He is currently exploring strategies for enhancing the design of school grounds through innovative use and deployment of “cheap” and/or sustainable landscape construction materials using an interdisciplinary approach. His project, The Outdoor PLAYbook (http://outdoorplaybook.ca/). was developed by a team of design, health, and education researchers at UBC in close collaboration and consultation with parents, teachers, administrators, children, the Vancouver School Board and community partners.

RECENT PROJECTS

The Outdoor PLAYbook: re-thinking how we design school grounds in Canada. Website launched June 2016.

http://outdoorplaybook.ca/

Book chapter “The Means of Physical Transference” from Representing Landscapes: Hybrid (Routledge, 2016, edited by Nadia Amoroso) featuring student work from my Fall 2013 design studio entitled ::LAND<>ART:: The Sacred and the Profane. Work from the chapter is also featured in the lower right corner of book cover.

The Surrey PARKit Design Challenge – a Pop-Up Park at the Surrey City Centre

The 2016 Surrey PARKit Design Challenge competition (design / build) was closed to students in my Comprehensive Design Studio, co-taught with Vancouver landscape architect Alexandre Man-Bourdon. Alex and I supervised the winning design team with all aspects of technical drawings, materials selection and construction implementation with a local contractor hired by the city.

The winning entry, “Surrey Spot”, by Huan Pan and Tian Tian and the Honorable Mentions can be viewed here.

Local news media: http://www.metrovancouver.org/media-room/video-gallery/metro-vancouver-close-up/5022203944001