Bas Smets is a renowned landscape architect whose work bridges engineering, architecture, and landscape design. After earning degrees in Architecture and Civil Engineering from the University of Leuven and a master's in Landscape Architecture from the University of Geneva, he founded his Brussels-based firm in 2007. Today, his team of 30 works on projects worldwide. Smets has realised over 50 international projects, ranging from territorial masterplans to private gardens. Notable works include the LUMA Parc des Ateliers in Arles, Thurn & Taxis Park in Brussels, public space around the Trinity Tower in Paris, the Sunken Garden at the Mandrake Hotel in London, and the Himara Waterfront in Albania. In 2022, he won the international competition to redesign the public spaces around Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The project, set for completion between 2025 and 2030, proposes a climate-responsive transformation of the site. At the core of Smets’ practice is his concept of Augmented Landscapes, which leverages natural processes to shape microclimates and ecological atmospheres. His work often involves collaboration with artists and scientists. Smets has received numerous awards, including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and the French Royal Academy’s Award for Urbanism. He has taught at institutions across Europe and, since 2023, serves as Professor in Practice at Harvard GSD, where he explores landscape architecture as a tool for climate adaptation.
