Tiago Torres-Campos is a Portuguese landscape architect whose work explores multidisciplinary approaches to contemporary landscapes and complex territories. His interests focus on intersections between landscape practice and the Anthropocene as well as issues of landscape representation. He co-edited Postcards from the Anthropocene (2022), which explores some of these topics.
Torres-Campos’ experimental work ranges from modeling and digital fabrication to video production and speculative writing. Through his PhD in Architecture by Design (2022), he investigates ways of thinking geologically about Manhattan.
Torres-Campos has experience in landscape architectural design, regional and master planning in both urban and rural environments. He was responsible for delivering award-winning proposals in international competitions and for managing the research and international communication teams. He has published internationally and is the founder of CNTXT Studio, a research-by-design platform focusing on the trans-disciplinary study of landscape.
Before joining RISD, Torres-Campos taught at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and the University of Lisbon, Portugal.
Rivers are layered landscapes that reflect how different societies have related to the land, natural resources and to one another. Shifting values about stewardship, control, extraction, and restoration have become physically manifested in the landscape through the intentional and unintentional shaping of the river landscapes. In this interdisciplinary studio, students will be asked to consider the relationship between textiles and landscape architecture practices to address, reconcile and interpret the complex ecological and cultural histories of rivers. Weaving and other structural textile techniques will be explored as both a metaphor and a physical strategy to weave together the multiple cultural narratives of a river as well as consider how to support the diverse river ecologies and the unique experiential qualities of being at the water's edge. The Blackstone River will provide the geographical, cultural and ecological lens for the studio. Some of the overarching material, formal and performative questions we may ask in the studio are: How can fibers be used to stabilize the water's edge, direct flows and provide habitat for riparian plant and animal species? Can the woven materials become unglued from the ground plane to shape the human aesthetic experience of the water's edge? Can textiles be used to interpret or reveal the multiple stories, histories and layers of the landscape? How can basket weaving traditions inform the way we manage the landscape? How can woven materials be integrated with living plant material, mycelium, and soil? How can the density of a textile aggregate and disperse to respond to different site conditions or to shape the pattern of plant growth? How long should the materials persist? Could they be designed to degrade overtime? What is the relationship between traditional craft practices and digital fabrication or scripting? Can community groups be involved in the construction and installation of the textiles as a way of rebuilding a connection between people and place?
Estimated Cost of Materials: $200.00
Students are pre-registered for this course by the department; registration is not available in Workday.
Major Requirement | MLA-I, MLA-II Landscape Architecture
