Anna Maria Drexel

Anna Maria Drexel serves as an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Soil Bioengineering and Landscape Construction within the Department of Landscape, Water and Infrastructure at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU). With her Dipl.-Ing.Dr.nat.techn. academic credentials, she has established herself as a leading researcher in landscape construction, historical building research, and monument preservation within cultural landscapes. Her academic journey began with a Diplom in Landscape Ecology and Design in 1988, followed by professional practice in landscape architecture from 1988-1993, a doctoral degree in 1998, and appointment as associate professor in 2000.

Professor Drexel's research focuses on landscape construction techniques, historical building research, and monument preservation in gardens and cultural landscapes. Her work specifically addresses landscape construction tradition and history of craft, open-space planning and garden design, historical gardens, construction technique and craft, cultural landscapes and constructions, and the history of garden technics. She has received the BOKU Teaching Award in 2016 for her innovative Paving Design Award project. Her publications demonstrate a consistent focus on sustainable technologies, structural engineering, building cultural heritage, and historical landscape architecture, with particular emphasis on stone wall construction and historical transport routes in Vorarlberg region.

Her extensive publication record reveals significant contributions to cultural heritage documentation, particularly in the areas of historical stone walls, avalanche protection barriers, and transport routes. The research shows a clear pattern of methodological development in cultural landscape inventory systems, with increasing sophistication in documentation techniques and preservation strategies. Her work bridges historical research with contemporary landscape architecture practice, demonstrating how traditional construction techniques can inform sustainable modern practices.

Among her notable achievements is the BOKU Teaching Award 2016, which she received as part of a team for the innovative Paving Design Award educational project. This recognition highlights her commitment to engaging teaching methods that connect students with practical landscape architecture challenges.

Professor Drexel has supervised over 20 Master's theses on diverse topics including sustainable landscape construction techniques, historical stone wall documentation, cultural landscape preservation, and innovative approaches to landscape architecture. Her research projects, numbering over 20, have been primarily funded by Austrian Federal States (excluding Vienna), with significant contributions from the Anniversary Fund of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank. Current projects include the Historical Roads Austria - Montafon Region: Via Valtellina study (2023-2025) and the Wall Inventory Bizau 2021 (2021-2023), demonstrating her ongoing commitment to documenting and preserving Austria's cultural landscape heritage.