LUP-60309 Atelier Landscape Architecture and Planning

Course

Credits 9.00

Language of instruction:

Dutch and/or English

Mandatory knowledge:

Before starting an ACT the student must have successfully completed at least 12 but preferably 24 credits of MSc-level courses or a first MSc-thesis. Furthermore the student should master Information literacy, computer literacy and presentation skills on minimally the level of the MOS-modules; English verbal and writing skills should minimally be on a level which allows self-reflection and feedback and full independent functioning in a student team.)

Contents:

In the Atelier students from a range of disciplinary backgrounds will team up in small project groups to address real-world planning and design issues. The assignments will be given to them by clients from different backgrounds, such as local or regional governments, NGOs or citizen groups. The projects will take place in different parts of the Netherlands. Students will intensively become acquainted with their project in a field visit of one week.
The teams will be composed on the basis of the required disciplinary mix for the execution of the project and the interests students have expressed in an application letter to the course coordinator. The lecturer acts as a process coach and is required to find experts relevant to the project.
Founded on explorations of the relevant information and interactions with relevant stakeholders, the students will collaboratively transform their ideas into elaborated designs and strategies for the implementation of the ideas. Crucial is that teams reach an interdisciplinary synthesis of the compiled information and translate this into an advice (often a design) on future actions for their client. The landscape architecture and planning students act as the team members that synthesize and give form to the input from all the different disciplines, and all students together sharpen the project outcomes in a cyclic process.
In doing so, the students will engage in an organised process of critical self-reflections on their role in a team, their personal development objectives and challenges, and lessons learned. A conference in the presence of Commissioners and other stakeholders, in which the students will present their work, will conclude the series of projects.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- interpret and investigate the multiple aspect of a landscape challenge;
- develop a planning and design proposal in response to a landscape challenge which is supported by findings of research and which addresses the ethical issues involved;
- present the strategy or design in a form that is in agreement with the client and in a report, whilst offering transparency in terms of the research executed that has led to the result;
- reflect on his or her personal functioning in a multi-disciplinary team and the functioning of the team in relation to the client, both in an assessment interview and by writing an individual assessment paper;
- assess the contribution of other team-members and other stakeholders on team functioning and execution of project tasks and appropriately reflect on these and give feedback in writing and verbally.

Activities:

Interdisciplinary planning and design workshops, meetings with Commissioners, formulation of design and planning project plan and research proposal, field excursions, written and verbal presentations, interviews and writing a personal development plan and reflection paper, conference of findings .

Examination:

Of the final mark, the team project proposal and project plan will account for 20%; the team team oral/visual presentation in conference will account for 15%; contributions in group work will account for 15%; Personal development plan and personal reflection paper will account for 20%; and written report 30% (of which 50% commissioner).

Literature:

Case materials depending on the project at hand.