We are a group of Architects, interested in Landscape and Urban Design, with innovative spirit and interest in research and practice. We have an international experience in research, teaching and design.
Our research interest throughout our careers has been in the field of urban and landscape studies with a strong commitment in adopting a multidisciplinary approach – architecture, landscape, urbanism, transport – and in pursuing pioneering research through design.
Design by Research | Research by Design
We strongly believe that professional practice and theoretical apparatus must be combined together in order to achieve a comprehensive and informed applied knowledge. Our research background plays a fundamental role for developing concrete and feasible design by research projects.
For a number of years we have worked on projects that required spatial and environmental planning and development, extensive on-site investigation, mapping and analysis, alternative scenarios development, planning methods and above all ‘research by design’/’design by research’ approaches.
We eager to investigate the continuity and complexity of the urban facts, both relying on fundamental historical-theoretical references and inspiring the advancement of inventive approaches.
Laura Cipriani, Founder
B.A. (hons.) | IUAV
M.Arch. (hons.) | IUAV
M.Des. (hons.) | Harvard GSD
Ph.D. in Urbanism | IUAV
Laura is currently the principal of Superlandscape, a landscape design and research office.
From 2020 to 2025, she was an Assistant Professor in Landscape Architecture at TU Delft, covering the roles of research coordinator of the doctoral program, coordinator of the International Office Committee, and member of the Faculty Studies Council.
Laura has extensive teaching experience at multiple universities, having instructed over 1,600 students. Over the last 20 years, she has taught at TU Delft (The Netherlands), Università IUAV di Venezia (Italy), Politecnico di Milano (Italy), National University of Singapore (Singapore), Venice International University (Italy), and University of Padova (Italy). Since 2014, she has held the title of Italian Associate Professor (ANVUR) and has been an EU Marie Curie researcher (at the assistant professor level) at the University of Trento.
After working as an architect in London, Milan, and Padova, Laura founded Superlandscape in 2008. Her works were showcased at the Venice Biennale in 2016 and, more recently, at the 2023 Landscape Architecture Triennale in the Netherlands and the 2025 Venice Biennale in the Italian Pavilion.
Laura received a Ph.D. in Urbanism (landscape urbanism) in 2008 from the Venice IUAV Ph.D. School, a Master’s degree (M.Des.) with distinction focused on landscape and urban studies from Harvard Design School in 2004 (attended with a grant), and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture with honors from Venice University IUAV in 2001.
Laura’s academic and professional pursuits focus on the interdisciplinary and inter-scale aspects of landscape discipline. She is dedicated to employing site-specific and transdisciplinary ‘research through design’ methods. Her current research tackles climate change, emphasizing the materiality of ‘soil’ and ‘water’ while utilizing (co)design approaches with living and non-living systems. Previously, her work mainly focused on airports and industrial landscapes in relation to climate change and ecological issues.
Winner of numerous research fellowships, Laura was recently awarded the prestigious Comenius grant in 2023, the most important award for pedagogical innovations in the Netherlands. In 2011, she received the Marie Curie Cofund Fellowship within the European Union, one of the most prestigious research grants at the EU level. In 2002, Laura was awarded the Foundation CARIVE fellowship, which allowed her to graduate with honors from Harvard Design School.
Laura is a member of the executive board of UNISCAPE.