Architecture, Landscape & Visual Arts

Unit Outline

Landscape Architecture Studio - Groundings

LACH1000

SEM-2, 2015

Campus: Crawley

Unit Coordinator: Prof Tony Blackwell

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Unit detailsUnit title Landscape Architecture Studio - GroundingsUnit code LACH1000 Credit points 6Availability SEM-2, 2015 (27/07/2015 - 21/11/2015)Location Crawley Mode Face to face

Contact detailsFaculty Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual ArtsSchool Architecture, Landscape & Visual ArtsSchool website http://www.alva.uwa.edu.au/Unit coordinator Prof Tony BlackwellEmail tony.blackwell@uwa.edu.auTelephone 9383 0888Consultation hours As per Studio GuideLecturers Name Position Email Telephone Number

Professor Tony Blackwell Unit Coordinator tony.blackwell@uwa.edu.au 6488 1566Megan Salom Unit Coordinator megan.salom@uwa.edu.au

Unit contact hours This unit consists of 6 hours of studio contact each week for 12 weeks. We will meet on Mondays 10.00am-1.00pm and Thursdays 10.00am-1.00pm. Attendance at these studio times is essential in order to manageyour workload and progress efficiently through each project.

Online handbook http://units.handbooks.uwa.edu.au/units/LACH/LACH1000Unit website http://www.lms.uwa.edu.au/course/view.php?id=4703Other contact details Outside of studio Tony Blackwell can be contacted in Room 4.10: Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 1.30pm -

5.00pm.

Unit descriptionThis unit offers a substantial introductory course in landscape architectural design and investigates the landscapes cultural andecological systems as the context for site-specific designs and planning strategies.

UNIT DESCRIPTIONThis unit offers an introduction to landscape architectural design and investigates the landscapes cultural and ecological systems asthe context for site-specific designs and planning strategies.The studio environment provides a context for diverse concepts and experiments in the design of structures in relation to their physicaland social contexts, response to functional requirements, application of basic structural principles and to the effects of architecturalcomposition, lighting and material perception upon the occupants spatial and aesthetic perceptions. Project briefs are designed todevelop students' conceptual and compositional abilities and contextual understanding, imparting the necessary skills to communicatetheir ideas in a tangible form. Students will be introduced to landscape architectural case studies appropriate to their design problemsand will be encouraged to critically analyse them to derive applicable principles for their own design propositions. They will, furthermore,be introduced to landscape architectural terminology at an introductory level.

UNIT AIMS & OBJECTIVESThis unit will introduce graphical and modelling communication skills used by landscape architects and other design professionals.Students are introduced to the necessary equipment and material for the establishment of their own place of work, and are providedwith appropriate instruction for their proper use. The studio will develop techniques of representation, including modelling, freehand anddigital drawing and three- dimensional projections thus imparting the ability to think, design and draw in two and three dimensions. Inaddition, at least one of the projects is designed to give students direct experience of using materials which develop familiarity withworkshop practices. The design unit culminates at an end-of-semester exhibition in which the Facultys studio endeavours arecelebrated. The unit will impart an adequate basis for further development of landscape architectural design and communication skillsin the second year Landscape Architecture Studios - 'Considerations and Speculations'.

Learning outcomesStudents are able to (1) explore elementary design strategies, theories and methods; (2) explore to a preliminary level basic spatial andmaterial design concepts; (3) apply technical areas of study relevant to design; (4) demonstrate awareness of traditions of landscapearchitecture as mediums of cultural and material expression rather than methods of solving problems; and (5) explore mediums andskills of communication and acquire basic competence in their application.

Unit structureThis unit consists of 6 hours of studio contact each week for 12 weeks.

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Unit schedule

Week Date Lecture Topic Tutorial1 July 27 Studio Introduction

Introduce Project 1: Key Design Figures1 July 30 Research & Precedents2 August 3 Introduce Project 2: The (Propaganda) Poster2 August 6 Students to Present Key Design Figures3 August 10 Introduce Project 2: The (Propaganda) Poster3 August 13 August 13 Presentation Techniques Continued4 August 17 Drawing Methodologies & Techniques Tutorial4 August 20 Draft Drawings Due5 August 24 Refine Preferred Option5 August 27 Students to Present The Poster6 August 31 Introduce Project 3: The Design6 September 3 Site Visit7 September 7 Introduction to Basic Design Process7 September 10 Using Models to Help Visualise & Analyse (and thereby inform the

design).

8 September 14 Introduction to Basic Design Communication Tools8 September 17 Revisit "Style" in Context.9 September 21 Applied Style9 September 24 Guest Jury - Students to Present Draft DesignNon Teaching StudyBreak

28 September - 2October

10 October 5 Design Development10 October 8 Design Development11 October 12 Design Development11 October 15 Design Development12 October 19 Design Development12 October 22 Design Development N/A October 30 Folio Hand In Date

AssessmentAssessment overviewThis is by folio submission which may include a combination of interim and final submissions. Students must pass the final foliocomponent to pass the unit.Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria in Landscape Architectural Design

AREAS OFPERFORMANCE

LEVEL OUTCOME STATEMENTS ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

(aligned to outcomes)Key DesignFigures

1 Demonstrated application of technical areas ofstudy and research relevant to design togetherwith an awareness of traditions of landscapearchitecture as a medium of cultural and materialexpression rather than just methods of solvingproblems.

Research capability and understanding of culturaland historical context of design, together withbasic editing and compositional skills.

Poster

1 Demonstrated exploration of mediums and skillsof communication and acquired basiccompetence in their application.

More advanced compositional skills andunderstanding of cultural context of designthrough use of appropriate mediums andappreciation of impact of stylised communicationmethods.

LandscapeDesign

1 Demonstrated exploration of elementary designstrategies, theories and methods plus exploration,to a preliminary level, of basic spatial and materialdesign concepts.

Ability to comprehend the basic characteristicsthat define design style and their application in aphysical context. Technical aptitude in the use ofbasic design communication methods, ie plans,sections and elevations.

In addition to the above it is intended that students will come away from this unit with a basic lexicon of formative (occidental)designers, artists, architects and landscape architects who have helped shape the design language that permeates contemporarywestern culture.

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Assessment mechanism

# Component Weight Due Date1 Key Design Figures 10 6 August2 Poster 30 27 August3 Landscape Design 60 30 October

Assessment items

Item Title Description Submission Procedure forAssignments

Key DesignFigures

'Potted Illustrated Biographies' of key historic designers nine (9) designersper team of three, ie three (3) per student, all in A3 vertical format.

Electronic via LMS - maximumsize 8MB

Poster Scans of pencil sketches indicating process work - minimum of three (3) all inA3 vertical format. Plus one (1) final Poster artwork, medium to be your ownchoice, in A3 vertical format.

Electronic via LMS -maximumsize 8MB

LandscapeDesign

One (1) monochrome, cardboard site contour model (A3 size). Plus a set of design drawings consisting of one (1) of each of the following, allin A3 vertical format: concept plan at 1:250 scale, cross-section at 1:100 - 1:200 scale, detail plan at 1:20 scale detail cross-section at 1:20 scale NB the medium for all design drawings shall be consistent but it is to be ofyour own choice.

Electronic via LMS -maximumsize 8MB

Textbooks and resourcesRecommended textsThe following list of books represent seminal texts in landscape architecture that should be essential reading to any aspiring landscapearchitect.Alexander, Christopher, A Pattern Language, Oxford University Press, New York, 1977Berry, Thomas, The Dream of the Earth, Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, 1988Berry, Wendell, A Timbered Choir: the sabbath poems, 1979-1997, Counterpoint, Washington DC, 1998Ching, Francis, Architecture: Form, Space and Order, John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey, 1979Corner, James, Recovering Landscape: Essays in Contemporary Landscape Theory, Princeton Architectural Press, New York, 1999Diamond, Jared M 2005, Collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed. Viking, New York.Gompertz, Will, What Are You Looking At, Viking, New York, 2012Jacobs, Allan B, Great Streets, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass, 1993Jacobs, Jane, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, New York, Random House, 1993Jellicoe, Geoffrey & Susan, The Landscape of Man, The Viking Press, New York, 1975Krier, Leon, Architecture of Community, Island Press, Washington, 2009Nitschke, Gnter, From Shinto to Ando: studies in architectural anthropology in Japan, Academy Editions, London, 1993McHarg, Ian, Design with Nature, Doubleday Natural History Press, New York, 1971Moore C, Mitchell W & Turnbull W, The Poetics of Gardens, MIT Press, Massachusetts, 1988Seddon, George, Sense of Place, UWA Press, Perth WA, 1972Schenk, Leonhard, Designing Cities, Birkhaser Verlag, Basel, 2013Simonds, John Ormsbee, Landscape Architecture- An Ecological Approach to Environmental Planning, McGraw Hill, New York 1961

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Additional resources and readingMaterials and EquipmentThe Faculty provides students with access to workshop facilities and inexpensive printing. You will need some of the following itemsduring the course of the semester. Some of you will already be familiar with these things from your first design studio. Your studiocoordinator will inform you and advise you on what you will need. Some of the items can be bought progressively over time as neededbut you should endeavour to have at least a basic set of tools to use at the start of the semester. Discounts at supply outlets tend to bebetter at the start of semester. A base kit for controlled drawing would include a drawing board and T square, adjustable set square, scale rule, pencils, tracing paperand masking tape. A small sketchbook for ongoing recording of ideas and notes is useful and can become a key in the process workcomponent of your folio submission. We will discuss this in studio. EACH OF YOU NEEDs TO EXPERIMENT AND INVESTIGATEWHAT YOUR PREFERRED TOOLS AND METHODOLOGIES ARE. A beginning list design tools include: A lightweight toolbox (for storage of drawing and model-making equipment) A1 size portable drawing board Good quality parallel motion rule to attach to board (or T square) Adjustable set square Scale rule 1:5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 (combined) Tracing paper/butter paper Masking tape Sketchbook Desk light A2 cardboard folio (for process work) A1/A0 cardboard or black vinyl folio (for final folio submission) Pencil eraser Scalpel and blades Scissors Good quality pencils

Other important informationPRIZES FOR THIS UNITThe Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) - WA Chapter sponsor a $250 prize for the best student in this unit, to beawarded the following year at the annual ALVA Prize Giving ceremony (normally held in May).To be eligible for the prize, students must first be a member of AILA. Note: this membership is free!For more information on the prize, go to: http://spe.publishing.uwa.edu.au/latest/prizes/category/alva/f25605

Enrolled students can access unit material via the LMS in units that use LMSBuilding clean-up and folio collection (for units with folio submissions)Studios are expected to be left clean and tidy. Drawing boards are to be cleaned. Students must remove all personal propertyimmediately after the submission of their folio. If the content of a folio is used for exhibition then the student must write their name onthe back of the work so that when the exhibition is demounted collection is simplified. If staff or the Faculty wish to reserve work forreproduction and/or accreditation purposes then this should be negotiated with individual students.

AttendanceAttendance is required at all lectures, tutorials and workshops. These are the primary means of consultation with your Unit Coordinatorand Teaching Assistants. Do not expect questions relating to content missed through unjustified absence to be answered. Additionally,it will be assumed that students have read all relevant course materials.Authenticity of workFor Studio units, the Faculty may prevent your continuation in this unit if you fail to meet requirements for attendance atclasses to establish the authenticity and originality of your work. SubmissionsThe ALVA Submissions policy is available at:http://www.alva.uwa.edu.au/students/policies/Submission of Late Work

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All assessment tasks are due no later than 4pm on the date indicated in the unit's Assessment Mechanism Statement, with theexception of in-class assessment items such as tutorial presentations. Any assessment task which is submitted after the timeindicated in the assessment mechanism statement without a formal approved extension will be considered LATE and appropriatepenalities will be applied. Information on penalties can be obtained in the Faculty Policy on Submissionsat http://www.alva.uwa.edu.au/students/policies/.ExtensionsThe Faculty approves extensions only in exceptional circumstances in order to ensure that all students are treated fairly and thatsubmission date schedules, which are designed to produce ordered work patterns for students, are not disrupted. Extensions may beauthorised only by the allocated Faculty Course Advising Office or a delegated representative. In all cases, requests for extensionsrequire the submission of Special Consideration form no later than three University working days after the due date.Students are encouraged in the strongest possible terms to familiarise themselves with the Faculty Policy on Extensions availableat http://www.alva.uwa.edu.au/students/policies/.Return of Student WorkMarked assessments submitted on time will be made available for collection by students at least one week before the next assessmentin the unit is due (if it is related to the previous assessment), or no more than four weeks after submission, whichever is sooner.Special ConsiderationFor information regarding special consideration please go to:http://www.student.uwa.edu.au/course/exams/consideration

Faculty Safety Inductions

The ALVA Health and Safety Induction (Part A) must be completed online by all students enrolled in a unit taught by the Faculty. Thisonline module is available for self-enrol via LMS. Completion of the Part A induction will ensure after-hours access to the ALVA Building(including computer labs) is enabled.The ALVA Workshop Induction (Part B) runs in Week 1 of each semester, and must be completed if the unit involves use of theWorkshop. Your Workshop Induction lasts for five years, after which you will be required to attend a refresher. Please refer tohttp://www.alva.uwa.edu.au/students/facilities for more information on Inductions and Workshop close-down period.

Material and Equipment CostsCosts specific to individual units will be communicated to students in this unit outline or early in semester.All sites will require students to wear protective helmets; students needing to purchase a certified protective helmet may do so fromAlsafe Safety Industries Pty Ltd, 177 Bannister Rd Canningvale. Students must wear appropriate clothing when visiting building sites;open toed shoes and sand shoes will not be accepted and students will not gain entry to site with these shoes. The sites also requiresteel capped boots to be worn this is a condition of accessing these sites. These can be bought from Army Surplus stores orborrowed, they are a worthy investment as will be required on future building sites of your own.

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Unit detailsContact detailsUnit descriptionUNIT DESCRIPTIONUNIT AIMS & OBJECTIVESLearning outcomesUnit structureUnit schedule

AssessmentAssessment overviewAREAS OF PERFORMANCELEVELOUTCOME STATEMENTSASSESSMENT CRITERIA(aligned to outcomes)Assessment mechanismAssessment items

Textbooks and resourcesRecommended textsAdditional resources and reading

Other important information