Alec Spangler
PLA

Alec joined Living Habitats in 2023 and has been teaching intro landscape architecture studios at Penn State since 2018, following five years as a designer and senior associate at Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates in Brooklyn. At MVVA, he contributed to a wide range of projects, from urban-scale plans to the 8,000-square-foot Max Family Garden on the East River waterfront. Alec received his M.L.A. from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and an M.F.A. in drawing and painting from Purchase College. His undergraduate degree from Vassar College focused on art and philosophy. Alec is a licensed landscape architect in New York state.

Along with his teaching and university service, Alec has worked as an independent consultant in landscape design and writing. With the support of the Hamer Center for Community Design and the Penn State Sustainability Institute, he has partnered with community leaders in Williamsburg, PA to help communicate their vision for an enhanced riverfront and regional trail connection. Driven by a passion for long distance bike touring, Alec most enjoys the moments when the vastness of landscape meets the intimacy of personal engagement.