Language Requirement: None
Academic Standing by Program Start: Sophomore or above
Location: Asia, Singapore
GPA: 2.5

Program Overview

The Building Integrated Agriculture in Singapore program is a 4-week summer term program. The first three weeks will be spent abroad, primarily in Singapore, with a short stay in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, while the last week will be asynchronous online study. The ultimate goal is to provide students with collaborative, interdisciplinary opportunities to research and design ways of integrating architecture and agriculture in urban contexts. In doing so, they will address pressing issues of food security and equity, urban livability, human and environmental health, and climate change adaptation and mitigation. 

Substantial scholarships are available! Please review the application section for more information.

About Singapore

One of the densest cities in the world, Singapore has 8592 persons/km and is 100% urbanized. Singapore has about 720 km2, of which only 1% is set aside for food production, thus the region imports over 90% of its food. Nonetheless, Singapore’s government aims to produce 30% of its own food by 2030 (30 by 30 Program).

Temperature generally ranges from an average high of 85º–92ºF to an average low of 76º–81ºF in July and August. Humidity is high, which can temperatures feel even higher. Overcast conditions are likely. Some rainfall is likely, although it will not be monsoon season. Outdoor activities generally scheduled in the early morning or evening to avoid high temperatures.

Tours, day trips, and other potential destinations in Singapore will include visits to historically and architecturally significant sites, and building-integrated agriculture demonstrations, including:

Singapore

  • Arden Food Forst
  • Edible Gardens
  • Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
  • Macritchie Treetop Trail and Reservoir
  • PARKROYAL Hotel Pickering
  • Cloud Forest
  • Kampung Admiralty
  • Supertree Light Show

Kuala Lampur

  • Chin Swee Caves Temple
  • Awana Skyway
  • Batu Caves
  • Thean Hou Temple
  • Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Ancestral Hall
  • Perdana Gardens ASEAN Sculpture Gardens
  • National Mosque
  • Merdeka Square

Dates and Deadlines

 
TermYearDeadlineArrival DateDeparture Date
Summer20263/15/20268/16/20269/5/2026

All students can expect to receive between $500-5,000 based on financial need and academic merit. 

This program is partially supported by a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant, which includes scholarships for students participating on the program. Scholarships will be awarded based on academic merit, financial need, and the overall quality of their application essay. As a condition of the scholarship, all awardees will be required to submit a detailed case study of a building-integrated agriculture project visited during the field school. 

To be considered, the full application must be received by February 28, 2026. Please refer to the Scholarship Essay instructions in the program application or speak with your GEO advisor for more details.

Please note: Your short statement will be the primary basis for scholarship awards, in addition to your transcripts and financial need information. However, you may submit the "Optional Financial Need Statement" if you feel there are financial considerations that are not reflected in any of the required materials. This is not required if you do not wish to expand on your situation.

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Discount for Pell Recipients

To expand access to study abroad, GEO is offering a $500 discount for this program to UO students who currently have the Pell Grant as part of their federal financial aid (FAFSA).

Academic Details

Course offerings include:

  • Building-Integrated Growing of Agriculture (ARCH 488/588, M. Fretz)
  • Food & Architecture from Ancient to Modern Times (ARCH 407/507, M. Fretz and G. Mhuireach)

Course Equivalencies

UO students: please refer to the UO Course Equivalency Process and the UO Office of the Registrar Course Equivalency Database.

Non-UO students: Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.

Faculty and Staff

Assistant Professor Mark Fretz is Interim Co-Director, Institute for Health in the Built Environment and Assistant Professor of Architecture in the College of Design and director of the Institute’s industry research consortium, Build Health. Prior to studying and practicing architecture, Mark was a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and has transitioned from investigating oral microbiomestobuildingmicrobiomesandarchitecturaldesign, bringingthistransdisciplinary background into architectural design practice, teaching and research. As a designer, Mark has worked on projectsrangingfromproductdesigntohealthcare,housing,embassy,andcommercialbuildingtypologies to district scale master planning. As a researcher and formerclinician, he synthesizes this transdisciplinary background to facilitate knowledge exchange between the Institute’s Build Health industry research consortium, research labs, external collaborators and community. His research, teaching and creative practice focus on exploring the unseen experiential design elements in the built environment that affect human health across multiple scales ranging from microbes and molecules to energy and carbon. An important themeinthisexplorationincludesunderstandinghowhumanmigrationfromoutdoortoindoordwelling has affected evolutionary mechanisms connected with health and how architectural design can restore these relationships.

Research Assistant Professor Gwynne Mhuireach earned a MArch and PhD in Landscape Architecture from UO. She primarily studies microbial communities associated with plants, soil, and air in urban and peri-urban environments but also has larger research interests in understanding how productive landscapes, such as farms and gardens, can promote human well-being. In addition to her academic endeavors, Gwynne owns and operates a small diversified livestock farm and community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. A third-generation Oregon farmer, she is passionate about local, sustainable agriculture and rebuilding people’s intimate connections with the food they eat.

Housing Description

Students will stay in 2-4 star hotels in double, triple, or multiple occupancy rooms. All breakfasts will be covered by the program fee during the program, but students will be responsible for paying most lunches and dinners.