The Conway School of Landscape Design

Teaching and practicing ecologically and socially sustainable design of the land.

Building resilience in the face of uncertain futures.

We are privileged to experience a radical education in designing a future for all communities, natural and human; one which defines itself by learning to listen, respect, and respond to the needs of both people and nature.

Dr. Claudia J. Ford, interdisciplinary scholar

Our Curriculum Student Projects Alum Stories Plan a Visit

Student Projects

More Projects

Transit for Trails: Mapping Equitable Access to Outdoor Spaces in Berkshire County, Massachusetts

Berkshire County, MA

At Home in Deerfield: A Zoning & Housing Analysis

Deerfield, MA

Greenfield’s Bicycle Network: A Path to Safer Connectivity

Greenfield, MA

The Conway Difference

Regenerative whole-systems lens

The Conway program teaches students an ethical, iterative, and ecologically-informed design process, while also exposing students to a wide range of topics related to sustainability.

Download “We Choose to Act Now: Conway’s Climate Commitment”

Experiential learning

Each student’s time at Conway is structured around the production of three near-professional-level projects for residential clients, municipal agencies, and non-profit organizations. Conway also enables them to gain experience working with diverse and underserved communities.

Learn more about student projects

Collaborative – not competitive

Conway students work individually and in teams in a traditional studio environment with shared working spaces. After the faculty go home, students continue to learn from each other, gaining exposure to other student projects—30 to 35 different projects at three distinct scales.

Learn more about Student Life

Intensive mentorship

The school’s small size and combination of full time and part-time faculty working in the field mean each student receives an extraordinary amount of individual and team consultation. In addition, outside experts visit and lecture frequently, spending time in the studio to talk with students about their projects.

Meet Conway’s Faculty

A Toolbox – not vocational training

A Conway education can be applied to many career paths. Unlike more specialized programs, Conway gives graduates more agency to determine their professional direction, be it design, planning, landscape architecture, or beyond.

Download our Diversity of Professional Paths document

Exposure to potential employers

Students are also exposed through their work to potential employers in land trusts, town and regional planning departments, community organizations, and non-profit agencies.

See what Conway alums are doing now

Learn more about our Academics

Two people with surveying equipment and a barn in the background

Real Projects for Real Clients: The Conway Curriculum

On the path to earning an accredited Master of Science in Ecological Design, Conway students complete a mix of projects, class time, and field work.

Learn more about our Curriculum

A group posing for a photo outside of a restaurant at night in the winter

Life as a Conway student studying in Northampton

Explore our campus and the vibrant surrounding community, where students are often steps away from many social, cultural, and ecological resources.

Learn more about Student Life

A group of graduates posed outside under a large tree

What do graduates do after Conway?

What sets our alums apart from others in their fields is a profound appreciation for sustainability and an ability to see and design parts within a larger landscape context.

Learn more about Life After Conway