about

Anna is a landscape architect and educator currently practicing in georgous Ithaca, NY.

Anna’s work operates at the intersection of ecological systems, spatial design, and environmental research. Her practice and pedagogy are grounded in the belief that landscape architecture can serve as a critical interface between people and the natural world, fostering ecological literacy, community resilience, and spatial equity. Her design philosophy integrates ecological knowledge with creative inquiry to cultivate biodiverse landscapes that are both culturally and environmentally generative.

Anna’s research addresses large-scale environmental challenges through grounded speculative design. In particular, she focuses on the issue of groundwater over-extraction in the Southwest, approaching this and other ‘wicked problems’ with a methodology she describes as ‘serious fun’—a mode of inquiry that embraces complexity, imagination, and novel frameworks for environmentally adapted futures.

She holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis. Originally from Tucson, Arizona, she draws ongoing inspiration from the Sonoran Desert’s ecological richness and cultural diversity. Prior to joining Cornell, Anna taught design studios and technical seminars at the University of Pennsylvania and the Boston Architectural College.

work

ground/surface

speculative settlements for uncertain water futures

more work coming soon

more work coming soon

anna darling