705-420 Designing the Sustainable Landscape

A level-3 Landscape Design subject.

This subject integrates ecological and cultural studies through advanced studio-based application. The issues of sustainability as they relate to the planning and design professions are explored through the medium of a major site, with a program of guided exercises culminating in a major presentation. Students will be expected to demonstrate critical awareness of the issues and pursue with rigour a strategy of design from the conceptual to the resolved, addressing the process of balancing resource use and conservation through time. Students will present and defend their concepts to an external jury of professionals and interested parties, using appropriate selected media and techniques that demonstrate advanced command. The basis of the design (theoretical, conceptual and practical) will also be presented in report form.

On completion of the subject students should be able to:

• Critically explore the collisions of culture, ecology, and development.

• Assume that ecology is not an impediment to creativity and development.

• Be futuristic and optimistic for the future of open space at selected major sites, while being grounded on the realities of the site.

• Be committed to exploring contemporary expressions and new landscape forms.

On completion of the subject students should have developed the following skills and capabilities:

• Team work within groups as well as at the level of the entire studio.

• Development of site analysis skills, interpretation of base material and processing the on-site evidence/experience.

• Exploration of the ephemeral and poetic qualities of the ecologies of the selected major site.

• Acquisition of knowledge of techniques and technologies for applied ESD principles.

• Research and report writing skills.

• Development of a personal design ethos in relation to ESD.

• Representational skills and graphic techniques, both hand and digital as appropriate.

• Design skills working at a range of scales.

Progressive assessment of project and written work, and review of portfolio of all assignments set during semester, to the equivalent of not more than 10 000 words. Assessment comprises: Group work on Open Space Review and Strategy (15%); Sustainability Theory Review (10%); Research paper on ESD (Ecologically Sustainable Design) technologies / techniques (10%); Individual Major Design Project (55%); Portfolio of all assignments (10%).