Dr. Takako Tajima

Biography

Takako Tajima is an architect and landscape architect based in Southern California. With a comprehensive educational background, she investigates design across various scales. At USC, she leads graduate-level design studios, teaches undergraduate courses in the GeoDesign program, and co-coordinated the Asian Architecture Landscape Urbanism study abroad program. Takako has received notable recognition, including the Architecture League Prize from the Architecture League of New York and the Global Gold Prize from the LaFargeHolcim Foundation. Her work has been acknowledged by prestigious organizations such as the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Environmental Design Research Association. Currently, her teaching focuses on Landscape Architecture Design, emphasizing the density of modern cities and the integration of public open spaces for the well-being of populations. Her teaching materials incorporate the importance of historical context in contemporary design, advocating for the role of designers in bridging the past with the rapidly changing urban landscape. Her field studies engage students in a thorough exploration of complex relationships between design, context, and cultural narratives within the built environment.

Research Interests