Jennifer Birkeland
Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture

Jennifer Birkeland is a licensed landscape architect in the state of New York, a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome, and a LEED accredited professional. She is the co-founder of the design practice, op-AL, a multidisciplinary studio in Brooklyn, New York, and studies the relationships between optics, landscape and architecture in their work. The office approaches design problems by exploring the oppositions established by the vantage points of our two disciplines of focus, resulting in design solutions that strive to disintegrate the subject-object relationship conventionally established between Landscape + Building. Jennifer has worked with internationally renowned offices such as West 8, OLIN, and Ken Smith Workshop.
Selected Publications
- 2021 “Expanding the Virtual Classroom” with Dr. Steven Handel - Upcoming Landscape Research Record
- 2021 “New Agronon A Domestic Reverie on Food and High-Density City” -Upcoming Melbourne Design Week National Gallery of Victoria with Jonathan A Scelsa
- 2020 “The Next Urban H2Order / Fuel Cell Futurism” Blind Peer Review Selected Journal Article, with Jonathan A. Scelsa Journal of Architectural Education, 74:1
Awards & Honors
- 2021. CSI Research Fellow, Landscape Architecture Foundation. Study of the Cornell Tech Campus with James Corner Field Operations
- 2019. Office of the Vice-Provost for Academic Innovation, Cornell University. Center for Teaching Innovation Grant
- 2018. The American Academy in Rome Prize. Mark Hampton Award in Design with Jonathan A Scelsa.
Courses Taught
- LA 5020 Theory and Composition II Studio
- LA 5060 Graphic Communication II
- LA 6940 Landscape Elements
Contact Information
jb2597 [at] cornell.edu
Education:
Master of Landscape Architecture
Harvard University
Graduate School of Design
Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture
California Polytechnic State University, Pomona
College of Environmental Design
More Information:
Jennifer in the news

News
The Cornell Council for the Arts launches a celebration of its fifth Cornell Biennial – the largest and most international yet – with exhibition tours, performances and a full day of artist panels, Sept. 15-17.
- Landscape Architecture

News
Giving students the tools to respond positively to adversity is a critical part of preparing them for their future careers, and is one of the main missions of the Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI). Each year, CTI grants funding through the...
- Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Landscape Architecture