VIDA is a design studio specializing in nature-based masterplanning, hospitality, and regenerative land management. With studios in Costa Rica and Cape Town, VIDA's projects stretch across Costa Rica, Australia, Italy, Panama, Mexico, the Caribbean and the United States. Their approach focuses on integrating architecture and landscape by understanding natural systems, working with existing site conditions, and designing for long-term resilience.

In this session, Ana Maria Blanco will present VIDA's methodology, case studies, and key lessons from working in tropical and coastal environments. Yann Friederich and Cara Stubbs, from VIDA, and UCT graduates, will present their learnings and experiences about working in VIDA

This session is aimed at students and professionals interested in landscape-driven design. A look into the complexities of working in rural and ecologically sensitive sites and the evolving role of masterplanning.

Ana Maria Blanco completed a Licentiate in Architecture from the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and a Diploma in Landscape Design from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana of Bogotá, Colombia. She joined VIDA in 2021 as a landscape designer at the Costa Rica studio, before relocating to South Africa. She now leads the VIDA Cape Town studio since 2023.
Prior to joining VIDA, Ana Maria was involved in social architecture projects while at UCR, additionally she worked in several architecture and design firms in Costa Rica as an architect and landscape consultant. Her interests are mostly in the area of rural and cultural landscapes, tropical native species and their implementation. Outside of architecture Ana Maria runs a crafting studio since 2017 where she teaches botanical embroidery among other things.