CV

Peter Latz is an example of the few people working in his profession who understood how to react to the increasingly complex challenges in landscape architecture and urban planning in the last few decades, and how to develop new forms of expression in the environmental design of their time. In teaching, he supported the idea of project-based studies from the beginning – a learning technique that is able to react to contemporary challenges quickly and confidently. From the beginning, he dedicated his particular interest in planning, teaching and research to an idea of ecological urban renewal that was theoretically and academically grounded, and by extension to issues concerning alternative environmental technologies: climate manipulation by passive solar energy, creating green roofs and façades, rainwater management and recycling. Since the beginning of the 1980s, Peter Latz’s work has focused on the reuse of redundant industrial areas, their rehabilitation and cultural use and reintegration. These were distilled into teaching, research and practical planning for a theory on the transformation of the post-industrial landscape. Peter Latz received international recognition for his theses on the planning process, the strategies for meeting contemporary socio-ecological demands in an aesthetically timeless style, as well as for his finished projects. 

 

Short biography

1959 – 1964	Studies in landscape architecture, TUM-Weihenstephan
1965 – 1968	Continuing studies in urban development, RWTH Aachen
1965 – 1970	Freelance work at the planning practice Prof Kühn-Meurer, Aachen
since 1968	Practice of landscape architecture and planning, together with partners
1968 – 1973	Lecturer at the Limburgse Academie voor Bouwkunst, Maastricht, Netherlands
1970 – 1976	Practice of urban, landscape and systems planning in Aachen, together with partners
1973 – 1983	Professor of landscape architecture, Gesamthochschule/Universität Kassel
1976 – 1983	Research group of alternative technologies at the Gesamthochschule/Universität Kassel (AFA)
1983 – 2009	Chair of landscape architecture and planning, TUM

 

Memberships and honors

Member of the Bavarian Chamber of Architects

Member of the Ordre des Architectes et des Ingénieurs-Conseils du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg

Member of the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers

Honorary Member des Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), (2016)

Honorary Member oft the German "Bund Deutscher Landschaftsarchitekten bdla" (2020)

 

Visiting professorships

Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australien (2000)

Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, USA (2001)

Chung Yuan Christian University, Taiwan (2008)

University of Pennsylvania, School of Design, USA (2001-2009)

 

Awards

• Prize from the Federation of German Landscape Architects (BDLA) (1989)
• First Rosa Barba European Landscape Prize, Barcelona (2000)
• Grande Médaille d’Urbanisme from the Académie d’Architecture, Paris (2001)
• Place Planning Award from the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA), Edmond, Oklahoma, USA
• Green Good Design Award for “people” (2010)
• Green Good Design Award for “urban planning/landscape architecture” (2009, 2010)
• Architekturpreis Dachau and Dachauer Gestaltungspreis, together with Florian Nagler Architekten (2011)
• International Architecture Award for his project “parco dora”, Turin. Project team included Latz + Partner, STS Bologna (2012)
• Premio Architetture Rivelate for “parco dora” project, Turin. Project team included Latz + Partner, STS Bologna (2012)
• Topos Landscape Award (2013)
• Friedrich-Ludwig-von Sckell-Ring of Honor of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts (2014)
• Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award (2016)
• PREMIO CAGLIARIPAESAGGIO for his life's work (2017)

You can download "Explanations of honors and awards" here [PDF 215 KB]