MLA 2025

Washington University in St. Louis’ Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) Program’s temporary exhibition, featuring student work spanning 2019–2025, was curated as part of the program’s reaccreditation by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board. The exhibition was designed and produced by Arbolope Studio and curated in collaboration with Derek Hoeferlin, Chair of Landscape Architecture at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Mallarie Zimmer, Holly Reising, Kaitlin Sampson, and Ellen Bailey.

Located in Weil Hall, the exhibition design includes pamphlets, event posters, project identification stickers, directional ground tape, project headers, and custom pedestals made entirely of compostable, recyclable, or reusable materials. The two custom pedestals, created from the same pavers used outside Weil Hall, showcase student models as a “sculpture garden.” Additionally, an icon system was developed to categorize projects, allowing visitors to quickly identify different types of work and their corresponding areas.

Arbolope’s design centers on a fresh red and pink visual theme incorporating abstracted halftone photography of the MLA program. Project category names, integrated into the patterns, run across the walls and create a sense of rhythm and movement as viewers approach different areas of the space. Directional tape guides visitors through the exhibition, drawing attention to the sculpture gardens and visually unifying the space.