Landscape Architecture in Spain

My global short program experience in Spain was truly something that I will never regret. The connections I made with people have extended beyond the tour and are rich in shared excitement for landscape. Going to Spain allowed me to learn about landscape projects that photos cannot capture, gaining professional inspiration that I could get nowhere else in the world.

This was particularly true of Estudi Marti Franchʼs Girona Shores Project. We were able to access places and the wisdom of people that I never would have been able to on my own. The organisation, knowledge and enthusiasm of the subject coordinators were greatly appreciated. There were places of such immense beauty that I couldn’t stop pinching myself about how truly special of an experience I was partaking in. The cultural immersion activities of sharing food and bike riding along the waterfront complemented the content of
landscape and architectural knowledge beautifully as I came to understand the city in its entirety better.

The city cross-section structure of the Barcelona tour allowed for insight into the city that went deeper than the typical tourist experience. Having the presence of local guides took me beyond where my own research would have allowed and gave a holistic presentation of both the surface level of the designs as well as the enrichment of its people and ecologies. Presenting the city through an interdisciplinary lens was particularly helpful in my professional development as I had little experience considering cities’ landscapes and architecture.

The projects we visited blurred the boundaries between professions and helped us to imagine new futures for each of our disciplines. Both the successes and failures of Barcelona and Girona are highly applicable to a Sydney context as we face many similar climate challenges and universal barriers. The innovation and constant push for change and fresh ideas inspired every one of us to feel that we had the position to change, with much of the innovation in Spain coming from recent graduates.

I would absolutely recommend the Global Short Program to everyone! The lessons I have learned and the memories I have made will be life-long. I have become a more confident, resilient, and independent person as a result of stepping out of my comfort zone and doing something I would never have
imagined myself doing before.

Emma Loch
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Honours)
DAB Global Studio (Spain) – Landscape Architecture Global Studio B
Global Short Programs Travel Scholarship

For more information about the UTS Global Short Program visit: www.uts.edu.au/thinkglobal