Matt Shawaker
Lecturer
Contact Information:
Phone: (303) 825-2010
Department
Urban Design
Degrees Held
- Master of Housing and Urbanism, Architectural Association School of Architecture, London, England
- Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, University of Arizona
Research Interests_______________________________________________
Matt Shawaker is a landscape architect and urban designer with extensive expertise designing complex mixed-use districts. On behalf of private developers, public agencies and non-governmental organizations throughout the U.S., China and Middle East, Matt has led projects from master planning through detailed design of streetscapes and public spaces. Most recently, Matt led the planning and design for Horizon Uptown, a $1.5 billion sustainable mixed-use community consisting of 3,800 residential units and 5.2 million square feet of retail/commercial space, schools and community services facilities. His experience as a design consultant and developer gives Matt a unique understanding of the role of landscape architecture and urban design in the development of the city.
Matt is interested in the characteristics and content of the ‘master plan’ as an instrument to envision and control the development of an urban district. He disputes the effectiveness of the traditional master plan as a resolved vision, and often speaks about it as a spatial framework capable of nurturing multiple futures. His projects utilize public spaces as a strategic tool, and Matt has written about the unique ability of landscape to create a resilient public framework capable of accommodating the dynamism and evolution of the city, while simultaneously ensuring the creation of a vibrant, sustainable urban place.
Matt has been a guest lecturer and design critic at the University of Colorado at Denver, the University of Arizona and the University of Panama.