Martha Desbiens

Martha Desbiens, ASLA, is a landscape architect and educator with over 20 years of experience designing complex, multi-scalar projects across the public realm. She holds a Master’s in Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and brings a deep commitment to sustainability, equity, and design excellence to her work.

Martha is an Associate Principal at MNLA, where she leads a wide range of projects—from green roofs and public plazas to academic and medical campuses. Her work is rooted in fostering community engagement, environmental stewardship, and wellness through the landscape. She is particularly interested in the role of landscape architecture in shaping resilient, future-oriented institutional environments.

In addition to her professional practice, Martha teaches Professional Practice II in the graduate Landscape Architecture program at Pratt Institute. Her teaching focuses on preparing students for the realities of practice, where they examine the design process forensically—tracing how construction details, material choices, and constructability issues influence built outcomes and long-term maintenance.

Bachelor of Environmental Design, University of Minnesota;
Master of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania.