Roxi Thoren joined the Stuckeman School’s Department of Landscape Architecture as professor and head of the department on July 1, 2021, after serving in the same roles at the University of Oregon. She is an award-winning educator and scholar whose leadership experience spans undergraduate and graduate studies, faculty affairs, recruitment, student services, and equity and inclusion.
Thoren is the founder of the Fuller Center for Productive Landscapes at the University of Oregon and served as the associate dean for academic affairs in the university’s College of Design from 2015 to 2018. Currently a Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) Senior Fellow for Innovation and Leadership, she also serves as the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) representative to the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board.
Thoren’s teaching and scholarship studies the integration of productivity in landscape architectural design, including a series of research and design projects around agriculture, forestry and power. She is the co-author of “Farmscape: The Design of Productive Landscapes (Routledge, 2020) and author of “Landscapes of Change: Innovative Designs Reinventing Sites (Timber Press, 2014), which the American Society of Landscape Architects named one of the Top 10 Landscape Architecture Books of 2014.
Her recent honors include co-recipient of the Lord and Schryver Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Oregon chapter, for significant contributions to the achievement of women in landscape architecture, and a CELA Excellence in Teaching Award, among others.
Prior to joining the University of Oregon faculty in 2004, Thoren worked for design firm Wallace Roberts & Todd LLC in Philadelphia and Bruce Wardell Architects in Charlottesville, Virginia. She holds a Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Architecture from the University of Virginia, and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Wellesley College.
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Education
- M.L.A., University of Virginia
- M.Arch., University of Virginia
- B.A. in Architecture, Wellesley College
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Honors + Awards
2021
- American Society of Landscape Architects, Texas chapter
Merit Award, Communication – “Farmscape: The Design of Productive Landscapes”
2020
- Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF), Senior Fellow for Innovation and Leadership
- University of Oregon Provost, Faculty Excellence Award
2016
- American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Oregon chapter, Lord and Schryver Award
2015
- Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, Excellence in Teaching Award – Senior Faculty
- American Society of Landscape Architects, Oregon chapter, Merit Award, Research and Communication – “Landscapes of Change”
2014
- American Society of Landscape Architects “The Dirt” blog, Top Ten Landscape Architecture Books of 2014 – “Landscapes of Change”
- American Society of Landscape Architects, Oregon chapter, Honor Award, Overlook Field School 2013 – “Out of the Woods”
2013
- Landscape Architecture Foundation, Research Fellow, Landscape Performance Series
- Graham Foundation, Shortlisted: “Second Nature: Forestry and Landscape Architecture” grant application
2009
- City of Eugene Green House Tour, Invited design, Hill House
2008
- Building Industry Association of Philadelphia, Judges Award, Best Architectural Design; William Penn Awards of Excellence. Waterfront Square, Phase 2
(Wallace Roberts and Todd, LLC Project)
2007
- United States Department of State, Fulbright Fellow, Reykjavik, Iceland
2006
- Building Industry Association of Philadelphia, Judges Award, Best Architectural Design; William Penn Awards of Excellence. Waterfront Square, Phase (Wallace Roberts and Todd, LLC Project)
2005
- Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, Best paper, annual conference: “Cultural Identity and Place: The Role of Landscape in Icelandic Architecture”
- Vision Akureyri International Urban Design Competition (Akureyri, Iceland), Short listed entry: “Mt. Sulur to Eyjafjordur: Landscape Infrastructure and Urban Design”
- Building Industry Association of Philadelphia, Merit Award, Best Architectural Design, unbuilt category; William Penn Awards of Excellence. Waterfront Square (Wallace Roberts and Todd, LLC Project)
2004
- Community Design Collaborative, Philadelphia, PA, Volunteer of the year
2002
- American Society of Landscape Architects, Student merit award, University of Virginia
- Council of Landscape Architecture Registration Boards, First place, national student design awards
2001
- Sasaki Fellowship for Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Virginia School of Architecture, Award of excellence for design
- American Society of Landscape Architects, Texas chapter
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Publications + Presentations
Books
- Thoren, Roxi and Phoebe Lickwar. Farmscape: The Design of Productive Landscapes. London: Routledge, 2020.
- Thoren, Roxi. Landscapes of Change: Innovative Designs Reinventing Sites. London, Portland: Timber Press, 2014.
Peer-reviewed Journal Articles
- Thoren, Roxi. “The Forest as a Materially Productive Landscape in the Work of Lawrence Halprin.” Architectural Theory Review (forthcoming, in revisions, special issue: Timber Constructed: Towards an Alternative Material History)
- Thoren, Roxi. “Agricultural Infrastructure and the Gardens of Middleton Place.” Studies in the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes, 40.2
(2020): 146-170. - Thoren, Roxi. “Co-creating with Animals: Crossing the ‘Narrow Abyss of Non-Comprehension’.” Landscape Review 18.1 (2018): 22-36.
- Thoren, Roxi. “The deep grain of the inquiry: Landscape and identity in contemporary Icelandic art.” Journal of Landscape Architecture, 4.1
(2010): 38-51.
Editor-reviewed Journal Articles
- Thoren, Roxi. “Dreaming True: Martha Brookes Hutcheson and Feminist Ecology.” Places (2018).
- Thoren, Roxi. “Deep Roots: Foundations of Forestry in American Landscape Architecture.” Scenario 4 (2014).
Peer-reviewed Chapters
- Thoren, Roxi. “Overlook: Art and materiality in the landscape architectural curriculum.” Teaching Landscape 2: The Studio Experience, Karsten Jørgensen, Nilgül Karadeniz, Elke Mertens, Richard Stiles, eds. London: Taylor and Francis, 2019.
Peer-reviewed Case Studies
- Thoren, Roxi. “Charlottesville Pedestrian Mall,” “Middleton Place,” “New Haven Green,” “Brookland Parkway.” In Archipedia database, Thaisa Way, ed. Society of Architectural Historians, 2018.
- Thoren, Roxi and Andrew Louw. “Randall Children’s Hospital,” in Landscape Performance Series. Washington, DC: Landscape Architecture Foundation, Oct. 2013.
- Thoren, Roxi and Andrew Louw. “Dutch Kills Green,” in Landscape Performance Series. Washington, DC: Landscape Architecture Foundation, Sept. 2013
- Thoren, Roxi and Andrew Louw. “Simon and Helen Director Park,” in Landscape Performance Series. Washington, DC: Landscape Architecture Foundation, Aug. 2013.
Conference Proceedings
- Thoren, Roxi and Erik Churchill. “Re-negotiating architects’ relevancy: A U.S. perspective on IPD and BIM.” In Changing Roles 09: New Roles, New Challenges. Delft: Delft University of Technology Press, 2009.
- Thoren, Roxi. “Cultural identity and place: The role of the landscape in Icelandic architecture.” In A Time for Place: CELA 2005. David Nichols, ed. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2005.
- Thoren, Roxi. “Review: The Landscape Urbanism Reader.” The Journal of Architectural Education 61:2 (2007): 70-71.
- Thoren, Roxi. “Review: Topographical Stories: Studies in Landscape and Architecture.” The Journal of Architectural Education 59:2 (2005): 66-67.
Professional Articles
- Thoren, Roxi and Phoebe Lickwar. “Grow Your Own.” Landscape Architecture Magazine. June 2020: 88-99. Thoren, Roxi. “An Inside Look at Living Roofs.” For Pros by Pros: Siding, Roofing and Trim. Newton, CT: Taunton Press, 2014. 152-157. (Reprint of “Living Roofs: Challenges and Opportunities”)
- Thoren, Roxi. “Living Roofs: Challenges and opportunities.” Fine Homebuilding. Spring / Summer 2011.
Press and Recognition
- Victoria Solan. “Living Lessons.” Landscape Architecture Magazine, March, 2017.
- Brian Juenemann. “A dazzling collection of landscapes.” The Register-Guard, Eugene, OR. 2/22/15.
- Jared Green. “Best Books of 2014.” American Society of Landscape Architects, The Dirt blog, Dec. 1, 2014.
- Land8Lounge. “Filmtastic Fridays – Observing Director Park: University of Oregon’s 2013 CSI Research.” Land8Lounge blog, Feb. 21, 2014.
- LAF. “CSI Research: Using Jan Gehl and the Toyota Prius to Assess Landscape Performance.” LAF News blog, Aug. 28, 2013.
- Andrew Louw. “Director Park: Observing Portland’s People Plaza.” LAF News blog, July 31, 2013.
- Christine Sherk. “Clear expression of form and function” The Register-Guard, Eugene, OR. 12/13/12
- Rob Yagid. “The Professor’s House” Fine Homebuilding SquareOne Home Design blog 3/28/12
- Ed. “Roxi Thoren: Architecture/ Landscape Architecture” Iceland Review, 45:1 (2007): 77.
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Service + Affiliations
- Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board, board member 2019-2022
- American Society of Landscape Architects, member
- Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, member
- National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, council record 99375
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Expertise
- Thoren’s teaching and scholarship studies the integration of productivity in landscape architectural design, including a series of research and design projects around agriculture, forestry and power.