Teaching at European level. Zuzana Štemberová discusses the direction of the Department of Landscape Architecture

Could you describe the programme, direction and vision of the new head of the department?

Our vision is to teach landscape architecture on a European level, with the field accredited by IFLA (International Federation of Landscape Architects), with strengthening of professional, scientific activities. For the management of the department, we have chosen a less common model of teamwork, where together with Hana Špalková and Eva Jeníková - now deputies - we want to move the teaching towards a European concept of landscape architecture. The main goal is to shift the conception of landscape as an interconnected system, including both detailed and high quality design and broader contexts and links to conditions.

Among the specific goals is the priority of obtaining IFLA accreditation, which indicates the quality of teaching worldwide and is a guide for foreign students and teachers for study and cooperation. This is related to the ongoing process of evaluating the quality of the curriculum and the work of the Council (Council of Landscape Architecture Curricula), which is currently completing its analyses. We will build on these to complete the overall vision - and specific changes to the degree programme within the department.

We need to strengthen the scientific activities of the department - another interesting area that, in my opinion, overlaps with developments in the whole faculty. Work is being done to develop and improve doctoral studies, and there are opportunities for our department to be involved in various research grants and to produce publications.

Then it's the landscape architecture training circuit for architects. This is an age-old topic that is changing significantly and is certainly topical, but it requires collaboration across departments.

How do you intend to build on the approach of your predecessor? Could you give specific sources of inspiration?

The Department of Landscape Architecture has been part of the faculty for a relatively short time, the former head and its founder Vladimír Sitta is a world renowned landscape architect. Thanks to his work abroad, he has a number of contacts and an overview of what is happening in the world. I appreciate his broad outlook, honest approach and kindness - and his excellent storytelling skills. I cannot build on these, but the overall concept of an deparment based on good people-to-people relations as well as on actively seeking out experts can certainly be continued.

Is there an architectural theme that you would emphasize in your new role?

It's not a theme, but a shift in thought that many landscapers have already undergone from garden design to a broader approach, to conceiving of landscape as a process, in terms of time and multiple scales and ways of working. We need good collaboration across disciplines, to conceive of landscape architecture as a multidisciplinary field, and also to be able to respond to the changes that exist in the environment and consequently in the social sphere. Not to work with landscape as a backdrop, but as an evolving environment shared by people and nature.

What pedagogical methods would you prefer in your approach to students? What is your experience, or what beliefs or ideological source do you rely on?

I strongly prefer dialogue, it is enriching for students and teachers. Of course, with a sufficient professional basis and quality guidance, with a clear goal. I consider professional workshops and dialogues, searching for and connecting different opinions to be a great benefit - I see great results of multidisciplinary teaching at AVU, where we are part of the teaching of architects under the leadership of Prof. Miroslav Šik. I don't like frontal teaching very much, although in some cases it is justified. My five - now adult - children have trained me in constructive dialogue.

Which (thought) value do you consider a priority in our professional educational institution? Can we observe a shift or change in the more than quarter century since the regaining of academic freedoms?

I haven't been at the school for a quarter century, so I really can't see the whole shift. What I currently see now is a greater openness of the school, both in and out, and a clear willingness to change. That was part of the reason I wanted to get more involved.

With which school (here or abroad) would you like to establish closer cooperation? What are your reasons for doing so?

The department already cooperates with a number of foreign schools. The basis is always a personal and professional relationship, on which I hope to further develop closer pedagogical and scientific interaction. The German schools are the closest to us in terms of opinion, geography and legislation; for the closest cooperation I will name at least TUV Munich, but we would like to have an overlap even further afield. During this year, we will again be looking at universities that are close in terms of views and teaching; we are starting this now in September with colleagues at the ECLAS conference [The European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools - ed].

In the project market, we sometimes see problematic results. Which part of architectural consciousness is asleep?

This is a difficult question to answer within the Faculty of Architecture - I don't want to offend anyone too much, but it seems to me that architectural creation in our country, even in teaching, still does not see the possibilities of limited growth, it cannot cope well with the level of respect for the environment, the perception of its basic values. I rarely see - even in landscape architecture - a real combination of a sense of place, strong expression and quality design. But there are many other problems in Czech landscape architecture, in all areas of practice (not to mention theory), which in turn help to maintain the perception of our field as a " decorating association".

Even with all their knowledge, every teacher or designing architect may find themselves in a situation in which they have difficulty finding a way out. What book (or source) do you reach for?

I don't reach for books in search of difficult solutions, I use them as a source and inspiration all the time, my desk is absolutely overwhelmed with them. I don't like to put them in the library because it makes me feel like they've been put away. At the same time, I use citation editing systems and structured notes, otherwise it's impossible to navigate the mass of facts. But the essential publication for me is Architecture and Landscape by doc. Jana Tichá. It is a very high quality selection of texts showing different ways of thinking about landscape architecture, development in time and space, context in urbanism and architecture.

What is your favourite place?

For me, a very important place is the St. George's Bastion, the Písek Gate and the whole outskirts of Prague Castle towards Dejvice. But it is my personal, strong connection from my childhood, connected with many memories that I think are not transferable. In the end, I chose a completely reversed concept, connecting a number of places - the walking route around the River Thames in London, the Thames Path. It is an almost unbelievable project, fitting in with the revival of walking routes across London. The path itself is 128km long, running along both sides of the Thames in places, allowing you to walk through different worlds, in multiple layers, cultural and social. The views of the city, the ratio of tourists to locals, the sounds and moods change. The opening of the route is part of a major change that London has undergone in this respect - a city previously known for its poor quality public space is now conceptually addressing pedestrian movement and the livability of places, making the banks of the river more accessible, and with other routes, such as along the canals, linking it to local centres and parks. My sketches record one section of the route, running along the north bank of the Thames between the Tate Modern to the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, over 20km long. The pedestrian links along the Thames have filled me with hope that something similar will be possible here. It is a positive example of a change of approach to the urban landscape.

Interview led by Jiří Horský, published in Alfa 4/23 (in Czech).