Magic Sun (MLA ’23) Presented Research at 2026 Landscape Architecture Bash
On March 13, 2026, Magic Sun (MLA ’23) presented her research at the Landscape Architecture Bash in Columbus, Ohio. She was joined by four GSD alumni, Liuyun Wang (MLA ’23), Alison Maurer (MLA ’22), Juan Villalón Hernando (MAUD ’22, MLA ’24), and Kawthar Marafi (MLA ’23), on a panel titled “Unlearning Beyond Territory: Field Notes on Designing Across Cultures and Scales.”
The panel wove together diverse global stories—from the Global South to the Middle East, and from Indigenous knowledge in Lake Tenochtitlan to municipal partnerships—to examine how designers confront real-world constraints while advancing climate-responsive design.
Since graduation, Sun has focused on large-scale urban projects in Saudi Arabia. In a region defined by extreme heat and scarce water resources, landscape interventions have traditionally been limited to community centers or sacred spaces. However, rapid urban expansion now demands landscape solutions at a much larger scale to mitigate urban heat islands, control dust, and enhance climate resilience. Sun emphasizes the importance of learning from local knowledge, arguing that sustainability goals are only achievable when conflicting demands are strategically adapted to the local context. Her work focuses on the creation of thermally comfortable open spaces tailored to arid climates.
Follow Magic Sun on LinkedIn.
Photos courtesy of Magic Sun.
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