Gavin Zeitz is a landscape architect, design researcher and practitioner with a background in cultural geography and ecological planning. He holds a BS in environmental studies and community development and applied economics from the University of Vermont and a MArch from RISD, where he was awarded the Thesis Prize, a Maharam Fellowship and a Lowthorpe Travel Scholarship for his research project The Arctic Commons. Zeitz has researched the cultural landscapes of climate change throughout the global North, including Alaska, Greenland and Iceland. Recently he has been collaborating with geologists, geographers and ecologists to speculate on the extraction of sediment from glacial melt as a material resource for the nation of Greenland. At RISD he has been involved with the interdisciplinary research project The Future of Dams, a regional partnership focused on re-envisioning the community decision-making process to address dammed landscapes throughout New England.
When not teaching, Zeitz works at LANDING Studio, a design, planning and research firm in Somerville, MA with a focus on integrating industry and infrastructure with environmental performance and community-driven design. He has worked on exhibitions for The Architecture League, Seoul Biennial and many community improvement projects with industrial clients.
Courses
Fall 2023 Courses
LDAR 2251-01 - MATERIAL LOGIC: WOOD, METAL, STONE, CONCRETE, SOIL
LevelGraduate
UnitLandscape Architecture
Subject Landscape Architecture
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
LDAR 2251-01
MATERIAL LOGIC: WOOD, METAL, STONE, CONCRETE, SOIL
LevelGraduate
UnitLandscape Architecture
Subject Landscape Architecture
PeriodFall 2023
Credits3
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2023-09-06 to 2023-12-13
Times: F | 1:10 PM - 4:10 PMInstructor(s): Gavin ZeitzLocation(s): Weybosset St Studios, Room 304Enrolled / Capacity: 14Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to the material properties of wood, metal, stone, concrete and soil. Through material experiments, hand drafted material details, 1:1 construction and material case studies, students will gain experience working with the materials to understand the inherent constraints and opportunities of each material. In addition, a series of field trips will help students understand the geographies of material extraction and the processes of assembly and installation.
Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. Enrollment is limited to Landscape Architecture Students.
Major Requirement | MLA-I Landscape Architecture
Summer 2024 Courses
LDAR 2256-01 - DESIGN FOUNDATIONS/FIELD ECOLOGY
LevelGraduate
UnitLandscape Architecture
Subject Landscape Architecture
Period Summer 2024
Credits 6
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
LDAR 2256-01
DESIGN FOUNDATIONS/FIELD ECOLOGY
LevelGraduate
UnitLandscape Architecture
Subject Landscape Architecture
PeriodSummer 2024
Credits6
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2024-07-08 to 2024-08-02
Instructor(s): Gavin ZeitzEnrolled / Capacity: 15Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
All entering Landscape Architecture students are required to participate in the department's four-week preparatory summer program in design fundamentals and field ecology. This course parallels similar ones being held for new students in other departments within the Architecture and Design Division. The design fundamentals component of the program is intended to provide the methodological and theoretical framework for RISD's Landscape programs and initiates discussion of design making and critique necessary for the more specialized studio work that follows. The summer course, in preparation for this, builds a basic design language, familiarity with tools and materials, and 2 and 3-dimensional skills that will be needed immediately upon entering the studio sequence. The field ecology component of the summer program places basic design discussions within the context of landscape-based practice. It is intended to build awareness of ecological issues (using southern New England as a case study), facilitate the ability to interpret the landscape and the nonhuman and cultural forces which have shaped it over time, and foster an environmental ethic. This segment of the program is critical for building a knowledge base and a philosophical framework within which future design efforts may be evaluated. The summer program offers a unique opportunity to engage classmates and faculty in a focused discussion of design-related issues which can be sustained over the course of one's studies. The course meets five days a week (including some weekends).
Students are pre-registered for this course by the department; registration is not available in Workday. Enrollment is limited to Landscape Architecture Students.
