Design Matters – In Celebration of MLA's 10th Anniversary

In Alberta and across western Canada, designers work in landscapes defined by interdependence. Mountain headwaters sustain prairie economies; agricultural lands underpin urban growth; ecological systems are reshaped by resource extraction and a changing climate. Design in Mountain Time unfolds within these overlapping relationships, where decisions made in one place reverberate through larger ecological and infrastructural networks. Practice here demands an awareness of context-specific landscape features and processes, of scale and consequence, and of how local actions register across broader systems. The result is a form of landscape architecture grounded in place, yet responsive to the wider forces that bind sites, cities, and regions together.

Mountain Time: Practicing Landscape Architecture Across Alberta and the North brings these dynamics into conversation. As the Master of Landscape Architecture program at the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL) marks its tenth anniversary, this public roundtable invites local professionals to reflect on the distinct conditions of practicing in Mountain Time and the responsibilities facing the next generation of landscape designers. Panelists include:

• Tiffany Adair, ground cubed
• Doriena Hassett, City of Calgary
• George Harris, George Harris Collaborative Inc.
• Douglas Olson, SAFE Design Operations
• Matt Williams, O2 Planning and Design

Moderated by Dr. Enrica Dall'Ara and Dr. Douglas Robb, together they will consider how landscape architecture practice can help shape the ecological and cultural futures of our region.

The event will be introduced by Alison Legault of EXP, AALA Director of Southern Alberta.

Event Background

Design Matters is SAPL’s signature guest lecture series, bringing together students, faculty, and the broader design community to explore bold ideas shaping the built environment.

Through engaging talks and meaningful dialogue with visionary leaders in design, this series empowers participants to rethink challenges, address pressing design issues, and inspire transformative solutions for our world.

Open to everyone eager to learn, question, and innovate, Design Matters fosters community engagement and sparks conversations that redefine the role of design in shaping our shared future.