Report on the current situation of European landscape architecture research (D5) published in OA

We’re happy to share that the report Report on the current situation of European landscape architecture research with respect to landscape architecture archives (Deliverable 5) based on our preliminary research carried out within COST Action CA23128 ConnectLAA, is now available in open access on Zenodo: https://zenodo.org/records/20089032

Staniewska, A., Mexi, A., Brinkhuijsen, M., van Hellemondt, I., Krippner, U., Fonseca, M. J., Jakobsson, A., & Gerra, M. (2026). Report on the current situation of European landscape architecture research with respect to landscape architecture archives (D5). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20089032

The report was developed in collaboration with members of Working Group 2 (WG2) of the COST Action CA23128, with the scientific support of Daniela Guju and Giovani Luca, ConnectLAA STSM grantees. The final version of the manuscript was prepared by: Alex Mexi, Anna Staniewska, Marlies Brinkhuijsen, Metin Gerra, Imke van Hellemondt, Anna Jakobsson, Maria João Fonseca and Ulrike Krippner, and technically edited by Mariana Veludo.

The WG Leaders would like to warmly thank everyone who contributed to this report, as well as those who offered valuable feedback and critical insights in the final stages of its preparation. Your support and engagement made this publication possible!

Prepared by Working Group 2, the report provides an overview of the current state of landscape architecture research in Europe with respect to archives. It highlights emerging topics, key challenges, and knowledge gaps and is intended as a starting point for further work and collaboration. This approach aligns with the broader goals of ConnectLAA, which seeks to build a sustainable European platform for sharing knowledge on landscape architecture archives, connect archival research with practice, enhance access (including digital access), and support education, heritage conservation, and public engagement.

The report also highlights uneven development of landscape architecture archives across Europe, particularly in Inclusiveness Target Countries, reflecting broader disparities in professional conditions. It confirms that many archival collections remain vulnerable due to fragmentation, deterioration, unclear ownership, lack of institutional responsibility, insufficient processing, and the particular risks associated with digital-born materials.

 

Designing With Archives Earns International Competition Prize

Students supervised by WG3 member Professor Gintaras Stauskis (Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universitetas, Lithuania) were awarded 2nd Prize in the LE:NOTRE Institute International Student Competition. 

In their winning project, “Reweaving the Costa Couros Corridor”, students Vaida Kulikauskaite, Augustinas Rudys, and Baltrus Vileikis intensively used archival materials to understand the context and draw inspiration for reconnecting the city of Guimarães with its river. Their success shows that designing with archives can be a rewarding approach! 

Vaida Kulikauskaite and Augustinas Rudys received their awards from Ellen Fetzer (Chair of the LE:NOTRE Institute) and Alberto Martins (Councillor for Sustainability, Municipality of Guimarães) at the Landscape Forum 2026. 

For further information about the LE:NOTRE Institute International Student Competition, read more here: https://forum.ln-institute.org/ 

 

2025 WG3 + NELA Workshop ECLAS Conference Nitra: Learning from the past for sustainable cultural landscapes: Using archives in landscape architecture education

Following up on yearly workshops by the Network of Landscape Architecture Archives (NELA) at conferences of the European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools (ECLAS), ConnectLAA and NELA joined forces for the ECLAS conference 2025 in Nitra, Slovakia.  

 

Designing sustainable cultural landscapes for the future requires an understanding of not only present challenges but also the historical evolution of these landscapes. To link their past, present, and future, it is crucial to study historical design approaches, planning decisions, and their underlying ideas. Archives provide valuable resources for understanding past landscape transformations, yet their potential in landscape architecture education remains underexplored.  

The workshop aimed to explore how archival material can inform sustainable landscape design. By collaboratively designing a teaching unit for a design studio that incorporates archival material, participants shared their teaching methods and experiences for integrating archival research into design and planning education.