BASED IN JERSEY
INSPIRED BY JERSEY
Land of the Living is the landscape design practice of Larissa Belcic.
SERVICES
Our services include landscape design and construction administration . We focus on private homes, community spaces, and hospitality projects.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Land of the Living has its foundation in grassroots making, and we bring that spirit to our work. We can work alongside you to build and grow your landscape, and enjoy flexible approaches to space-making as much as formal routes.
HANDS-ON SUPPORT
Landscape is not just a matter of space, but what happens within it. We work with arts, culture, and activism to bring vitality to spaces in magical, abundant, and life-affirming ways.
SOCIAL PRACTICE
PRINCIPLES
1. GARDENS ARE HOMES FOR OUR SOULS
2. LANDSCAPES SHOULD BE LIFE-AFFIRMING
3. GOOD DESIGN FEELS GOOD
4. LANDSCAPES ARE SPACES OF NEVER-ENDING RELATIONSHIP
5. CELEBRATE THE LOCAL (ECOLOGY, MATERIALS, COMMUNITY)
6. PEOPLE ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS DESIGN
ABOUT LARISSA
Jersey born-and-raised, I have a deep love for the strange and wild landscapes of North Jersey. I grew up at the edge of the Meadowlands, and learned early on to appreciate the area’s unique urban-industrial-wilderness cocktail.
I have a decade of experience in landscape architecture, starting with earning my Masters in Landscape Architecture from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. After years studying, travelling, and working elsewhere, I returned to New Jersey ready to marry my work as a landscape practitioner with my home.
In my career, I have worked with firms such as OFICINAA, Melillo Bauer & Carman, TerreformONE, and Ryan Associates. I’m also firmly engaged with moving the field of landscape architecture forward through my work in academia, having taught advanced design studios at Columbia University, Rhode Island School of Design, and University of Pennsylvania.
Together with Michelle Shofet, I am the Co-Founder of Nocturnal Medicine, a non-profit studio devoted to bringing healing to the most difficult cultural-environmental challenges of our time. Our work is boundary-pushing and defies disciplinary constraints, with its roots in landscape architecture. Our work has been celebrated in publications such as the New York Times and Canada’s Global News.
Since relocating to Jersey City in 2019, I have been devoted to grassroots social practice that weaves connection between people and nature through the arts and design. I regularly collaborate with local artists, activists, and organizations to produce experiential art and cultural events.
All images on this page credit to: Jahmar Chance