LAR-35806 Design Studio 4: Regional Design

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

Dutch

Assumed knowledge on:

LAR-12803 Design Studio 1: Fundamentals, LAR-25806 Design Studio 2: Site Design; LAR-26309 Design Studio 3: Urban Design

Continuation courses:

LAR-81812 Bsc Thesis Landscape Architecture

Contents:

Note: COURSE STARTS IN 2011/2012 (academic year)
New societal trends - such as urbanization and needs for ecological infrastructure - and the expected climatic change places a large variety of demands on the rural areas. Rural 'green' open space is in transition towards multifunctional production and social and ecological services. Landscape architecture has a role to play in searching for new balances between water management, agricultural production, climate mitigation and adaptation, recreational use, energy, and ecology.
The design assignment in this design studio focuses on the regional scale level - typically including various landscape types. The central level of scale will on 1:25,000. Supportive levels of scale will vary from 1:50,000 up to 1: 100,000 (analyses and conceptual design). However, the followed design process also demands work on levels of scale 1:500, 1:2000, and 1:10,000. The design studio - being the last of the cycle of the Bsc Landscape Architecture studios integrates the knowledge and skills gained in the previous Design Studios 1 up to 3.
Objective of the landscape-design assignment is the development of a (re)new(ed) landscape that is functional, sustainable, smart, and beautiful. Current driving forces in the landscape should be recognized and understood. They will form the basis for the transformation towards the proposed landscape development concepts. Designs on more detailed levels of scale play a two-fold role in the design process - firstly they will act as a research-tool testing the proposed design concept and secondly they act as means of illustration.
Problem statements develop in the course of the studio - ultimately each individual student will work out a problem statement and related design assignments. The issues identified evolve around climate adaptation, recreation, agricultural development, and energy. The student concurrently structures his/her related landscape analyses. Innovative problem solving in a well-designed way is core to the studio. Tools and means are landscape-based such as tree-planting, water-management, and nature development as well as spatial organization of the physical environment. The analysis of relevant problem-solving interventions underlies the design principles used in the various plans. In order to be able to make well-founded design decisions - an initial landscape theoretical vision will have to be developed.
Although there are moments of group work, each student will develop its own landscape plan - the design studio as a whole however demonstrates many different potentials and constraints of the regional design.

Learning outcomes:

After this course, students are expected to have developed skills in:
- recognizing landscape patterns (historical, ecological, hydrological, etc.) in relation to the real physical world;
- identifying landscape issues in the contemporary landscape;
- identifying driving forces behind landscape-forming processes;
- exploring problem-solving landscape interventions;
- applying the interventions in an integrative manner;
- giving architectural form to interventions, conceptual thoughts, and detailed designs;
- using landscape-architectural methods and principles;
- coherently correlating problems, interventions, and concepts;
- delivering convincing verbal and graphical presentations;
- designing landscapes on a regional level of scale;
- using appropriately (scientific) data, and intuitive and cognitive knowledge;
The student will have developed a first insight in his own position as a landscape architect.

Activities:

The Design Studio follows the format of a design laboratory, in which the student practices with: - carrying out landscape analysis and perception studies design exercises that work towards conceptual - strategic designs;
- carrying out literature studies on landscape interventions as well as on landscape theory;
- undertaking detailed design exercises to solve conflicting land-use demands;
- designing and giving form to landscape concepts, landscape plans, and illustrative details;
- preparing a final posters;
- explanatory lectures;
- one two-day fieldtrip and two one-day or several half-day excursions.
The activities are mostly individually.

Examination:

The final (verbal and graphical) poster presentation forms a dominant part in the examination. One A4 methodological reflection and an A3 booklet presenting a landscape analysis too form examination products. Throughout the design studio, there are several presentation moments. The result of which will be included in the final assessment.

Literature:

Rik de Visser. 1997. Het landschap van de landinrichting, een halve eeuw landschapsbouw.
Marc Antrop. 2007. Perspectieven op het landschap, Achtergronden om landschappen te lezen en te begrijpen.