Derek Hoeferlin

Derek Hoeferlin is a Professor and Chair of Landscape Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. His work focuses on water-based design strategies across major river basins, including the Mississippi, Mekong, and Rhine. He leads the Way Beyond Bigness research initiative, emphasizing integrated watershed approaches to combat climate change. Hoeferlin holds degrees from Tulane and Yale Universities, and his practice, [dhd] design, combines award-winning architecture with urban and landscape design.

Research Interests:
- Water infrastructure and adaptive urbanism - Transnational river basin collaborations - Climate adaptation through design - Community-engaged environmental projects - Biodiversity conservation in paramo ecosystems

Grants & Awards:

• 2023-24: $20K Here & Next Tier 1 Spark Grant for Environmental Arts & Humanities
• 2022-23: Mellon Foundation-funded Divided Cities Initiative
• 2020-21: Landmark Columbus Foundation Fellowship

Key Projects:

• MISI-ZIIBI: Climate Adaptation Strategies (2013-2016)
• Bio-diversity Farms in Colombia’s Paramo de Sumapaz (2021-present)
• Divided Cities Initiative grants with Gavin Kroeber

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with Missouri Botanical Garden, Living Earth Collaborative, and WashU’s Divided Cities Initiative. Leads interdisciplinary teams in transnational water research.