Clinical Professor Emerita Amy E. Gardner has been on the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation since 1989. She is a registered architect in the District of Columbia and the state of Maryland, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and a LEED Accredited Professional.
• CHANGING PRACTICE THROUGH TEACHING • At the heart of Gardner’s practice is how buildings are designed and built, particularly the collaborative processes and team structures necessary to tackle the pressing problems of today and tomorrow. Gardner’s premise, that universities can be sophisticated laboratories for innovation in sustainability, has been repeatedly demonstrated through her teaching and research, most notably in her work as the founding coordinator and driving force behind the courses Arch 600/611 Integrated Design Studio and Advanced Technology, and the University of Maryland’s entries in the US Department of Energy’s biennial Solar Decathlon. Leading teams over 200 strong, Gardner advanced a “practice of the future”, placing the university 1st among US entries in 2007 and 1st overall in 2011.
• CHANGING TEACHING THROUGH PRACTICE • Gardner’s approach to teaching through practice is the benchmark for integrated design studio curricula at university architecture programs across the country. Rooted in her Gabriel Prize studies and her broad experience in architectural practice, her original research into the historical and modern relationships between construction and architectural meaning introduced a new learning paradigm into the design studio. Promoting the exchange of ideas back and forth between tradespeople, students, practitioners, and faculty, Gardner’s Integrated Design curriculum and studio structure has been adopted by the National Architectural Accrediting Board as the model for an integrated design studio and technology experience in schools throughout the country.
• CREATING CHANGE IN COMMUNITIES • For their innovation and elegance, projects in her practice Gardner Architects LLC have been recognized locally, regionally, and nationally by the AIA and other professional and industry groups. Demonstrating to her clients how, through architecture and design, they can make sustainable choices in their everyday life, she translates ideals born in a research environment into real-world practice.
Her international efforts, such as her leadership roles in Eco-House Design Competition workshops and juries in the Sultanate of Oman, guide the adoption of sustainable practices and renewable energy strategies. The only female member of the competition’s international jury, she has made possible new roles for women in architecture in the Arab world, inspiring them to re-invent the relationship between energy and their own culture.
Amy Gardner’s unique insights on the bonds between architecture and the natural environment have seen wide diffusion in academic and professional publications and in presentations to government, industry, and the lay public. Whether speaking at the AIA National Convention, to the Secretary General of the Sultanate of Oman’s Research Council, the Governor of Maryland, or the American Solar Energy Society, Amy Gardner is a recognized voice for the power of collaboration to advance thinking in sustainable design, transform practice and create the next generation of design leaders.