Leena Cho
Education
Harvard University, MLA with distinction
Wellesley College, BA
Biography
Leena Cho is an Associate Professor in Landscape Architecture, co-director of Arctic Design Group (ADG), and co-principal of design practices Kutonotuk and TempAgency.
Leena’s design research resides at the intersection between science and the humanities with a geographic focus in the Arctic—a vast, heterogeneous, and rapidly transforming region that is at the frontline of climate extremes and climate change. Her current work focuses on the three themes: 1) cold materialities, their significance and potentials as design mediums, 2) comparative investigations of urbanized arctic landscapes and cities, and 3) scientific practices in the Arctic that catalyze emerging forms of landscape and design approaches. Present in all three themes is an examination of climate change outcomes such as novel climate epistemologies, intensifying scientific landscapes, and new intellectual and methodological synergies in climate-driven interdisciplinary research that can expand the agencies of landscape practice. Leena was selected as Outstanding Researcher in 2023 by the UVA Office of the Vice President for Research, and the work of Arctic Design Group was chosen as one of one hundred “protagonists of the design world” in 2019 across ten creative fields worldwide by ICON Design based in Italy.
Her work has been funded by numerous federal and international agencies as well as cultural organizations including the US National Science Foundation, US Embassy in Iceland, World Bank, and the Anchorage Museum in addition to the grant awards received at UVA. Concurrently, her design work is published and exhibited in Europe, Asia and North America and has received high-level recognitions including via Europan, Jardins de Metis, MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program, Helsinki Guggenheim Museum and Central Library competitions.
In addition to her courses on landscape technology and extreme environments, Leena teaches both foundation and advanced research studios that foreground material and socioecological linkages, site observations and design experiments. Leena received her BA in Women's Studies from Wellesley College and MLA with distinction from Harvard University. Prior to joining UVA, she practiced in Cambridge, MA and Rotterdam, Netherlands on wide-ranging landscape architectural and urban design projects. Leena served as a Graduate Program Director in the Department of Landscape Architecture in 2021~2024. Most recently, she has been appointed by the ACSA President-Elect to serve on the national-level Research and Scholarship Committee.
Cho, L, 2024. "Planetary Plots," In "The Sixth Sphere," eds. B. Utting and A. Pope, special issue, Log 60.
Cho, L, & M. Jull (eds.), 2023. Design and the Built Environment of the Arctic, Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429279874
Cho, L, & M. Jull, 2023. "Grounding Design in the Arctic," In L. Cho and M. Jull (eds.), Design and the Built Environment of the Arctic, Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429279874-1
Cho, L, 2022. “Climate Inquires from Arctic Fieldwork,” In R. Monacella and B. Keane (eds.), Designing Landscape Architectural Education: Studio Pedagogies for Unpredictable Futures, Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003145905-19
Orttung, R., O. Anisimov, S. Badina, C. Burns, L. Cho, B. DiNapoli, M. Jull, M. Shaiman, K. Shapovalova, L. Silinsky, E. Zhang, and Y. Zhiltcova, 2021. “Measuring the Sustainability of Russia’s Arctic Cities,” Ambio, 50:11, Special Issue: Siberian environmental change. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-020-01395-9
Cho, L, 2020. “Permafrost Politics: Toward a Relational Materiality and Design of Arctic Ground,” Landscape Research, 46:1. https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2020.1831461
Cho, L, 2020. “The Perennial Solidity of Water,” Journal of Architectural Education, 74:1. https://doi.org/10.1080/10464883.2020.1693836
Cho, L., M. Burtner, H. Epstein, C. Griffin, and M. Jull, 2020. “Bridging Science, Art, and Community in the New Arctic,” The Polar Journal, 10:1. https://doi.org/10.1080/2154896X.2020.1776472
Cho, L. & M. Jull, 2019. Mediating Environments, AR+D. ISBN: 978-1-940743-61-5.
"Understanding and Managing Impacts of Snow and Water on Permafrost in Arctic Communities." 2025-28. Co-PI. UVA Environmental Institute ($1.5M).
“NNA Track 1: Understanding the Changing Natural-Built Landscapes in an Arctic Community: An Integrated Sensor Network in Utqiagvik, Alaska.” 2020-25. Co-PI. National Science Foundation ($3M).
“Arctic Design Group | Venice Architecture Biennale 2020.” 2020-21. PI. The Jefferson Trust ($10K).
“Arctic Design Group | Venice Architecture Biennale 2020.” 2020-21. Co-PI. Anchorage Museum ($10K).
“CoPE RCN: Arctic Migration in Harmony: An Interdisciplinary Network on Littoral Species, Settlements, and Cultures on the Move (MiH-RCN).” 2020-23. Collaborator. National Science Foundation ($499,999).
“Arctic Environmental Data Narratives (AEDN.” 2020-22. PI. UVA Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation ($107,199).
“Anatomies of Ecological Experiments: Pleistocene Park, Climate Change and Re-making of the Wild.” 2019-20. PI. UVA Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation ($2,500).
“Bridging Science, Art, and Community in the New Arctic” 2018-19. Co-PI. National Science Foundation ($100K).
“Promoting Urban Sustainability in the Arctic.” 2016-22. Sub-awardee. National Science Foundation ($3.1M / $255K to ADG).
Arctic Design Group, 2024. Faculty Design Award, "Contested Circumpolar: Domestic Territories" (in collaboration with Lateral Office), Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA).
L. Cho, 2024. Excellence in Design Studio Teaching Award (senior level), Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA).
H. Epstein, L. Cho, M. Jull & C. Wylie, 2024. Research Achievement Award, UVA Office of the Vice President for Research.
L. Cho, 2023. Outstanding Researcher, UVA Office of the Vice President for Research.
Kutonotuk, 2022. First Place, Atlantic Beach Boardwalk International Design Competition, Atlantic Beach, NC, USA.
Arctic Design Group, 2019. ICON 100, Icon Design, Italy.
Kutonotuk, 2016. Nomination--“Stage at Maritsa”--for European Prize for Urban Public Space, CCCB, Spain.
Kutonotuk, 2015. Honorable Mention, “Helsinki Circuit,” Guggenheim Museum Helsinki International Competition, Finland.
Kutonotuk, 2013. Honorable Mention, “Helsinki Link,” Helsinki Central Library International Competition, Finland.
TempAgency, 2013. Finalist, “My Hair is at MoMA PS1,” MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program, NY.
Kutonotuk, 2013. Top Three, “ParkPark,” Lausanne Jardins International Competition, Switzerland.
Borejszo, A., L. Cho, J. Hilgefort & A. Karavanas, 2012. First Prize, “Dreiecksplatz,” Europan 11 Vienna, Austria.
Kutonotuk, 2011. Second Prize, “Lightcore,” Central Glass Architectural Design International Competition, Japan.
Kutonotuk, 2010. Honorable Mention, “What the hell is that?” SHIFTBoston International Design Competition, USA.
Kutonotuk, 2009. Special Mention, “Dirt Roll,” Jardins de Metis International Competition, Canada.
Arctic Design Group & Lateral Office, 2021. “Contested Circumpolar: Domestic Territories,” Giardini Central Pavilion, The 17th Venice Architecture Biennale, Venice, Italy.
Arctic Design Group, 2019. “White Out – Arctic Portal,” ACCelerate Creativity and Innovation Festival group exhibition, Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Washington DC, USA.
Arctic Design Group, 2019. “Arctic Portals,” solo exhibition, Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK, USA.
Arctic Design Group, 2017. “ADG/Shishmaref,” group exhibition, Teriberka Arctic Festival, Teriberka, Russia.
Arctic Design Group, 2015. “Stage at Maritsa,” One Architecture Week, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Kutonotuk, 2015. “All you need to know,” MEASURE, group exhibition, Storefront for Art and Architecture, NYC, USA
Kutonotuk, 2015. “Guggenheim Now!” Guggenheim Helsinki Museum Awarded Entries group exhibition, Kunsthalle Helsinki, Finland
TempAgency, 2013. “My Hair is at MoMA PS1,” Museum of Modern Art, NYC, USA.
City College of New York, University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Oslo School of Architecture, Harvard University, Texas Tech University, University of Hong Kong, National University of Singapore, Ohio State University, University of Northern Iowa, Technical University of Denmark, Iceland Academy of the Arts and Architecture, University of Iceland, Virginia Tech, University of Colorado Denver, NE Federal University, Seoul National University, UVA Environmental Institute, Auburn University, ASLA Regional Climate Action Panel, AIA Alaska, Arctic Research Consortium of the United States, Anchorage Museum, US Embassy in Reykjavik, DesignMarch, The Icelandic Center for Research (RANNIS), US National Science Foundation
