Alejandro O’Neill, professor in the Landscape Design Technician at the Faculty of Architecture of Universidad ORT Uruguay, was interviewed by the magazine Paula (El País). A native of Rivera and resident of Laguna del Sauce, he runs a studio based in Uruguay and the south of France.
Background and Approach: Nature Takes Center Stage
“In everything I do, I seek to ensure that nature takes center stage and to highlight the importance of the local landscape’s character and ecology.” This philosophy guides residential projects—coastal gardens, ranches, and farms—as well as initiatives with a direct environmental impact: the creation of a reserve in the mountain forests and a coastal vegetation restoration project in José Ignacio. At the same time, he has launched artist residencies related to his work Campo Sucio.
His connection to the field began early,“by setting up a greenhouse on therooftop” while studying horticulture. He trained at the Montevideo BotanicalGarden and the Municipal School of Gardening, and earned a technical degree in landscape architecture. He lived and worked in Europe for a decade; he was part of teams such as Scape Design alongside James Basson and participated in events in Japan, Russia, Italy, England, and China, winning a gold medal (2024) at the Shenzhen International Landscape Festival.
At Universidad ORT Uruguay, O’Neill teaches through hands-on experience. At 39, he sums up his journey with the Japanese concept ikigai:
“I found the intersection between what I love, what I’m good at, what the world needs, and what I can get paid for.”
The journey wasn't straightforward: “I had to cross the desert at a time when people in Uruguay didn’t even know what landscape architecture was.” Today he upholds a simple yet powerful philosophy: “Paying homage to nature every day seems to me as dignified as it is essential.”