2026 UVA Environmental Institute Practitioner Fellow Lecture

Tuesday, January 13, 5:00PM
Campbell Hall, Room 158

LND LAB: Case Studies in the Establishment of an Experimental Landscape with Michael Geffel, 2026 Practitioner Fellow, UVA Environmental Institute

Join UVA Environmental Institute Practitioner Fellow Michael Geffel for this conversation around experimental landscape.

How can landscape architects respond to novelty in their designed landscapes so that maintenance becomes an extension of design? This question requires an experimental landscape since the subject of research is fundamentally concerned with the gap between intention and materiality. Michael's presentation describes the theory, inspiration, and pragmatism that led to the founding of LND LAB, a design consultancy that (re)directs maintenance & operations to socially activate and ecologically regenerate fallow landscapes over time. Case studies from the Morven Sustainability Lab and the Fuller Initiative Land Lab demonstrate how the approach translates practical concerns into novel designs by integrating monitoring infrastructure and creative practices that enable direct engagement with landscape change. Join us on Tuesday, January 13 to learn more!

Michael Geffel, PLA, is Principal of LND LAB, Research Director at Portland Botanical Gardens, and a 2026 UVA Environmental Institute Sustainability and Resilience Practitioner Fellow. Prior to this, Michael was Professor of Practice at the UO College of Design where he founded the Fuller Initiative Land Lab: an award-winning and internationally recognized model of design research, education, and service.