Landscapes + History + Theory
Assistant Professor
Co-Director, Master of Science in Architecture
Center for Architecture, Science, and Ecology
Coordinator, Cities & Territories
School of Architecture
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Research Assistants
2025: Amy Lin, Christopher Elias, Dawson Chak
2024: Amy Lin, Christopher Elias, Dawson Chak, Garcelle Allen, Gina Bernotsky, Alan Rosas, Menna Abotaleb, Michelle Zhu
2023: Gina Bernotsky, Amy Lin, Christopher Elias, Menna Abotaleb, Kate Sikkema
2022: Alexa Drumm
2021: Caterina Guozden, Madeline MacDonald, Brianda Valerio, Betzy Pillco-Plaza, Nathanael Musera, Alexa Drumm
2020: Gina Bernotsky, Allen Bell, Nathanael Musera, Andrew Martin, Samantha Krumbhaar, Sara Cimino
2019, 2018: Madeline MacDonald, Gina Bernotsky, Allen Bell, Nathanael Musera, Rachael DiChristina, Allyson Tan, Tricia Huang, Jonah Fields
• • • Landscapes, History, Theory, Design, Research • • •
Christianna is an Albany-based landscape designer and educator who specializes in interdisciplinary practices and pedagogy that bridge the fields of Landscape and Architecture. After growing up in the Albany area, Christianna went on to study landscape architecture at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design and to practice in Los Angeles, Boston, the Adirondacks, and the Hudson Valley. Her pedagogical research draws inspiration from environmental ethics, psychology, and philosophy to explore architecture as a critical cultural and environmental practice.
Christianna's writing and teaching center environmental ethics, environmental psychology, philosophy, human geography, critical theory, and social justice, where she is interested in exploring the history and philosophies of science, technology, and design from an interdisciplinary and intersectional lens Her work examines how architecture plays a conscious role in cultural production and the creation of new practices for engaging with environments and landscapes. This research and its associated pedagogical models embrace speculative world-building projects that envision "landscape-machine" relationships, where landscapes generate architecture and architecture gives rise to new forms of landscape and environmental relationships.
Prof Bennett's work is invested in understanding the emotional impact that environmental imagery and representation have on our relationships to developing a deeper environmental literacy. She explores the power and potential of storytelling to unveil new perspectives on environmental ethics and aesthetics. This work aims to inspire hope and generate new imagination about the future of landscapes, ecologies to form uplifting, healing, and positive social-ecological relations.
Christianna's work is inspired and motivated by the work of a number of individuals, friends, and colleagues, including Evan Douglis, Rhett Russo, Mae-ling Lokko, Elaine Stokes, Andreea Vasile Hoxha, Rawan Al Saffar, Weaam Al Abdullah, Jeremy Kamal Hartley, Hannah Gaengler, Walaid Sehwail, Caleb White, Ryo Imaeda, William Virgil, Alberto deSalvatierra, Zannah Matson, Susan Herrington, Lorraine Daston, Octavia E. Butler, Ray Bradbury, Becky Chambers ...
Thank you.
. . .
Assistants
Adso, 4 years
since 2020
Pickles, 10 years
since 2014
Harvard Graduate School of Design
Master of Landscape Architecture, with honors and distinctions
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Bachelor of Architecture, cum laude, with honors
Continuing Education
Sci-Arc
Making & Meaning, with distinction
MIT
Ancient Future Technology, Former Publications Editor
Memberships & Affiliations
ACLU AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION
Los Angeles + New York Chapters
ACSA AMERICAN COLLEGIATE SCHOOLS OF ARCHITECTURE
AMERICAN LITTORAL SOCIETY
ASEH AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORIANS
DIGITALFUTURES
https://www.digitalfutures.world/
HRWA HUDSON RIVER WATERSHED ALLIANCE
Board Member 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
LRG LANDSCAPE RESEARCH GROUP
Member ID: 477
NAACP NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT
OF COLORED PEOPLE
National + Troy Chapters
National Membership ID: M-00071740
NOMA NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF MINORITY ARCHITECTS
Rpi NOMAS, NYCOBA NOMA
Allied Professional Member (Landscape)
ORCID OPEN RESEARCHER AND CONTRIBUTOR ID Network
Member ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8516-0035
RISSE REFUGEE & IMMIGRANT SUPPORT SERVICES OF EMMAUS
Albany, New York
SAH SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS
SURJ SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE
THE ARCHITECTURAL LEAGUE OF NEW YORK
VAI VAN ALLEN INSTITUTE
with 518 SNUG, Albany + Troy Lion's Club, Albany Victory Gardens,
Grateful Villages, and the West Hill Neighborhood
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