Practice‐Based Research Now: Purpose, Approach, and a Proposition

Megan Barnes is senior program manager for research programs at the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF). She manages LAF’s Case Study Investigation (CSI) program, the Deb Mitchell Research Grant, and Landscape Performance Series initiatives. Her primary focus is on landscape performance and connecting research and practice in landscape architecture.

Anya Domlesky is the director of research and an associate principal at SWA. She runs XL Lab, the firm’s innovation group, which undertakes practice‐based research. As a designer, Anya focuses on landscape‐driven urban design and environmental planning.

Allison Harvey is a principal in the Philadelphia office of OJB. She has over 15 years of professional experience combining practical research with emerging design practices. As a coleader of OJB* Lab, she is a passionate advocate for finding evidence‐based solutions to our complex and interrelated environmental challenges.

Lisa Hwang is a design data and metrics specialist at LandDesign, where she works to bridge her experience as a licensed landscape architect with firmwide support services teams to better track, measure, and communicate the impact and value of the firm’s expertise and projects.

Eric Kramer, FASLA, is a principal at Reed Hilderbrand. Through two decades working within consequential landscapes across the United States, he has guided the renewal and enrichment of numerous campuses, cultural institutions, and urban districts. His work engages basic research into both the cultural and technical aspects of the discipline.

Allyson Mendenhall, FASLA, is chief practice resources officer at Sasaki. A landscape architect with experience leading complex, multidisciplinary design projects, she leads internal operations teams to provide essential support for projects, staff, and firmwide initiatives. Allyson is recognized for bridging design practice and academia through research partnerships and publications.

Margaret Plumb is director of DW Legacy Design® at Design Workshop. She harnesses her love for collaboration and creative thinking to enrich the firm’s culture, ensure high quality work, and foster a participatory design practice across all seven of Design Workshop’s studios.

Rebecca Popowsky is a research associate at OLIN. She has contributed to a wide range of design, planning, and construction projects at OLIN and currently leads OLIN’s external research initiatives, including work with academic and scientific institutions and allied professionals. In addition to practicing, Rebecca teaches design studios and professional practice at the University of Pennsylvania and Swarthmore College.