This past spring, Associate Professor Simon Bussiere was named a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Utah State University (USU) through the esteemed Canyon House Residency program. The appointment brought Professor Bussiere to Logan, Utah, where he joined the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning (LAEP) during his sabbatical.

Renowned for its leadership in research, teaching, and technological innovation in the field, LAEP provided an ideal setting for Professor Bussiere to collaborate, teach, and continue his creative scholarship.

During his residency, Associate Professor Bussiere co-led a first-year undergraduate and graduate design workshop, Theory of Design, alongside Professor Caroline Lavoie. The course introduced students to foundational principles of landscape architecture and culminated in the development of a speculative park project on the USU campus, encouraging bold thinking and site-specific creativity.

In addition to teaching, Associate Professor Bussiere was featured as an invited speaker in the LAEP Public Speaker Series, where he shared insights from his professional work and ongoing research. His residency also included opportunities to engage with a broad cross-section of USU faculty and students, enriching the academic community through discussion, critique, and collaboration.

Crucially, the focused time and space of the Canyon House Residency also supported progress on Associate Professor Bussiere’s next book project, which investigates conceptual frameworks in landscape design and the process of design concept formation.

Reflecting on his experience, Associate Professor Bussiere described the opportunity as an honor, saying, “The chance to work closely with LAEP’s exceptional faculty and students was deeply rewarding. The residency not only allowed me to contribute to a vibrant academic environment but also provided clarity and inspiration for my next phase of research.”

The Canyon House Residency is part of USU’s broader commitment to advancing thought leadership in landscape architecture and environmental planning through visiting faculty appointments and public engagement.