Gloria Lau

EDUCATION
Master of Landscape Architecture, University of Pennsylvania, 2010
Master of City Planning, University of Pennsylvania, 2010
Bachelor of Urban and Regional Studies, Cornell University, 2006

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
Licensed Landscape Architect (New York State)
Member, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)

Gloria Lau is an Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture in the Auburn University School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture. She focuses on place-based design and built environment storytelling as a landscape architect, urban planner and visual artist. Her research examines the confluence of identity, culture and spatial systems—specifically how sense of place impacts, frames and constructs experience in landscape. In conjunction, she explores design and technical processes that prioritize participatory methods and collective actions to foster stewardship and inclusiveness. At Auburn, Lau is most excited to work with students to develop rigorous designs and design processes that incorporate socio-economic context, lived experience and memories/narratives into public landscape.

Prior to Auburn, Lau was a lecturer at Cornell University, drawing on her 14 years of experience leading landscape and urban design projects with multi-disciplinary firms in New York and San Francisco. Her professional experience ranges from large-scale climate resilient infrastructure and waterfronts, public plazas and neighborhood parks, to green infrastructure and multi-modal streetscape improvements. Lau has also developed a decade of community design experience through steering and advising projects at Open Architecture Collaborative New York and New City Parks. As a public design advocate and artist, she is a Forefront Fellow at the Urban Design Forum, NEW INC member at the New Museum of Contemporary Art and a Bandung Resident with the Asian America Arts Alliance and The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts.

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Public and participatory design
Cultural landscape
Landscape narrative and storytelling
Urban and spatial systems
Social and climate resilience