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 2024 Courses
LDAR 2251-01 - MATERIAL LOGIC: WOOD, METAL, STONE, CONCRETE, SOIL
LevelGraduate
UnitLandscape Architecture
Subject Landscape Architecture
Period Fall 2024
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 2024
Credits3
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2024-09-04 to 2024-12-11
Times: F | 9:00 AM - 12:00 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.
Major Requirement | MLA-I Landscape Architecture
Spring 2025 Courses
LDAR 2265-02 - REPRESENTATION II
LevelGraduate
UnitLandscape Architecture
Subject Landscape Architecture
Period Spring 2025
Credits 3
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
LDAR 2265-02
REPRESENTATION II
LevelGraduate
UnitLandscape Architecture
Subject Landscape Architecture
PeriodSpring 2025
Credits3
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2025-02-13 to 2025-05-23
Times: F | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PMInstructor(s): Gavin ZeitzLocation(s): Weybosset St Studios, Room 304Enrolled / Capacity: 14Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
The advanced course studies multimedia drawing It explores the possibilities with the material and content of two dimensional expression. The class encourages greater connections with the design studios by testing and reevaluating design work through the lens of phenomenology and seriality. Scale and composition are emphasized in the detailed and constructed drawings that are required in class. Individual investigations are developed throughout this advanced course to encourage a way of making marks that connect with the various modes of exploration in their studio work.
Estimated Cost of Materials: $225.00
Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. Enrollment is limited to Landscape Architecture Students.
