Anette Freytag

Anette Freytag is Associate Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, where she has been a full-time faculty member since Fall 2016. Her research bridges 19th- and 20th-century landscape history with contemporary design practice, aiming to revitalize the profession through theoretical innovation. She previously taught at leading European institutions including ETH Zurich, University of Basel, Innsbruck, Rapperswil, and KU Leuven.

Her research centers on landscape theory, particularly the development of topological thinking—a framework integrating ecological, historical, spatial, and aesthetic dimensions of landscape design. She emphasizes terrain analysis, site history, soil conditions, plant use, and user experience. Her work promotes landscape architecture as an integrative discipline rooted in nature preservation and design excellence.

Anette has received significant recognition for her scholarship, including multiple awards for her 2016 book on Dieter Kienast. Her publications appear in leading journals such as Topos, Studies in the History of Gardens and Landscape Design, and Gartenkunst. She has contributed to award-winning volumes and co-edited key theoretical texts on topology in landscape architecture.

Her scientific awards include:

• DAM – Deutsches Architekturmuseum Architectural Book Award 2016
• German Garden Book Award 2016 / Best Book in Garden History
• Special Prize STIHL for exceptional performance
• Most Beautiful Swiss Book (Federal Office for Culture of the Swiss Confederation)

Anette's research has been supported by prestigious institutions such as the Volkswagen Foundation, the Lucius and Annemarie Burckhardt Foundation, ETH Department of Architecture, the Federation of Swiss Landscape Architects (BSLA-FSAP), the Christoph Merian Foundation, and ProHelvetia. She founded the research bureau ville.jardin.paysage in 2001, which played a pivotal role in securing UNESCO World Heritage status for the Stoclet House garden in 2009. She continues to teach and disseminate the principles of Topology across disciplines, including to ecologists, engineers, and art historians.

Anette Freytag is actively engaged in advancing landscape theory and education, with a strong commitment to linking historical insight with contemporary design challenges.