About the Course

Chile is continually on the search for its cultural identity through the work of artists, architects, landscape architects, and other designers. This program will take you inside the studios of people who recognize the diverse cultural terrain of Chile and are making a distinctive social and environmental impact throughout the country.

As you travel throughout Chile, you will look closely at the work of Teresa Moller (landscape architect), Alejandro Aravena (architect), and other artists and designers who have revolutionized approaches to social housing, business development, and design. Their work seeks to draw on the beauty of the natural habitat in both public and private space and transform people's lives through their connection to nature.

In addition to visiting significant historic and contemporary sites, you will engage in conversations with leaders in the public and private sectors who have a strong influence on social change and environmental sustainability in Chile. These leaders will include elected and appointed government officials, entrepreneurs (Jose Manuel, CEO Algramo, and Miguel Purcell, owner of Hotel del Tierra del Atacama), designers (Alejandro Aravena, Teresa Moller and Matias Klotz), academic scholars (Consuelo Bravo, Pontificia Universidad de Catolica) and conservationists (Catherine Kenrick, Parque Andino Juncal).

to officially sign up and for more information:   Visit the University of Maryland Course Website

Who will be Teaching

Jack Sullivan  Associate Professor

Jack Sullivan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture with over 20 years of teaching experience in planning, site design, landscape and garden history, graphic representation, and construction technology. He has led fact-finding and experiential learning field trips throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, Boston, and New York City, and conducted service-learning courses and volunteer design-and-construction projects in the District of Columbia. He has directed successful Education Abroad courses in Scotland and England (Kiplin Hall, North Yorkshire, 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004) and, more recently, a three-week summer course that took students to the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany (2013). He has also participated in Dennis Nola’s Education Abroad course in Italy (2006 and 2010) and the Costa Rica Sustainable Futures course (2007).

 

Jordan Loch Crabtree  Adjunct Professor

Jordan Loch Crabtree is a designer who melds his passion of ecology, landscape, and development in the field of landscape architecture. He is currently an Associate at Campion Hruby Landscape Architects, where he has received numerous awards for his projects relating to ecological, conservation and garden design. As an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland, he will be leading a group of students throughout Chile to observe design in relation to climate and culture. He has designed landscapes in diverse ecosystems ranging from New York City with SCAPE / Landscape Architecture, Chile with Estudio de Teresa Moller, the Bolivian Andes, and back to the Chesapeake Bay where he was born. Jordan combines his effective design approach and depth of knowledge as the basis for creating solutions for problems relating to water, development, and culture. 

teresamoller

Teresa Moller   Landscape Architect

Teresa Moller has been working in the field of Landscape Architecture for the past 30 years.  She strongly believes in the power of simplicity.  For her, a careful observation and awareness of the landscape is the key for developing social-culture projects and bringing nature accessible to people.  The most important aspect of her work is to find what is on site and what is needed to bring people to experience nature.  Teresa has always marveled at the luck she has being able to work in the wide range of landscapes that exist in Chile.  In her words the variable landscapes in Chile have taught her everything from working in the desert of Northern Chile to the rain forests in Southern Chile.  Teresa brings out the best from each site: what is often considered neglected or without much landscape value is for her the core of the project.

Paloma Stott    Landscape Architect

Paloma Stott graduated with a Masters in Landscape Architecture with distinction at Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland in 2014 and went on to win the Landscape Institute Award for Best Student Portfolio.  Since, she has been part of Teresa Moller team and is in charge of all international projects in the studio. She shares Teresa’s way of thinking and working. Her degree helped her develop her skills, not only as a landscape architect but also as an artist. She most of all enjoys exploring new ways of illustrating ideas, combining watercolours and hand-drawing skills with computer techniques. She is above all fascinated by a landscape’s ability to change through time and how people and ecosystems respond and adapt to these changes. She believes that careful observation of the existing landscape is crucial if one is to understand the subject and develop culturally sensitive projects.

 

What you will Learn

This 3-week Education Abroad course will introduce students to the wonders of Chile, a country that spans five biomes, along a narrow line north-south axis between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The course will define the relationships between nature and culture through environmental design that seeks to bridge the gap between human need and environmental appreciation and protection. Students will learn to understand and appreciate significant landscapes and the cultural distinctions of Chile through its historical background and within the contemporary local, regional and global context. Faculty and professional advisors will enhance students’ analytical skills and the ability to synthesize the diverse conditions and ideas that span the length of Chile. Complex, multi-layered conditions of each geographic area will be introduced in a variety of ways, including graphic presentations, videos, conversations with prominent Chileans, visits to professional design and community leaders. These will be reinforced with site visits, walking tours, hiking expeditions, and bicycling ventures. Short- term projects will be designed to engage the student in an appreciation for the creative and critical thinking that must occur in order to responsibly intervene in the natural environment. Students will learn to recognize and appreciate topographic and architectural patterns, transportation functions, city life, country customs, and the recognition of a sense of place. The idea of designing for the future in light of present physical, political, social and economic conditions is another pedagogical goal we will explore. 

Students successfully completing this class will have the ability to

  1. Undertake basic on- and off-site research of the Chilean landscape; 

  2. Analyze and present their findings graphically, verbally, and in written form; 

  3. Translate their research and experiences into creative ideas about sustainable development; and

  4. Present their knowledge and understanding using various forms of artful, articulate, and distinctive visual

    representations. 

The studies in this course aim to give students a comprehensive understanding of the natural landscapes, the built environment, the cultural influences, and the political circumstances that give form to modern Chile. Reading and interpreting the existing situations through the eyes of Chilean designers, planners, conservationists, social scientists, and political leaders will emphasis the progressive nature of how Chileans are transforming the landscape.