THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

University Homepage
DRPS Homepage
DRPS Search
DRPS Contact
DRPS : Course Catalogue : Edinburgh College of Art : Architecture and Landscape Architecture

Postgraduate Course: Landscape architecture design: Context and Grounding (ARCH11273)

Course Outline
SchoolEdinburgh College of Art CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course is a landscape architecture design studio providing fundamental instruction in landscape architectural practice. The design studio will take as a prompt a tightly curated brief working within a specific existing landscape context and an established landscape design typology such as an urban or country park, a public square, garden or woodland within a clearly defined territory. The course teaches design in a practically based studio context with a focus on the design process. Within this course you will establish and develop applied knowledge and understanding of landscape architectural practice, alongside the ability to evaluate and synthesise forefront issues in the discipline. The course aims to engage you in unique and individual design research through which you will develop informed, and creative landscape architecture design proposals. You will be encouraged to build your confidence in autonomous working and the design led decision-making that is essential in professional practice.
Course description This course will interrogate a distinct landscape context within either an urban, a rural, and/or an urban periphery. The studio will introduce you to core components of reading the landscape, fieldwork techniques, landscape interpretation, site analysis, and design invention. You will be encouraged to develop an approach to design that involves thinking through making and this will be supported by instruction in fundamental drawing, model making and digital skills and workshop tuition. Within the context of the studio you will be required to determine a specific site within a given study area local to the City of Edinburgh and Lothian region. The proximity of the study site will permit regular in the field explorations. The scale of the landscape of investigation will be limited to encourage depth of study over range of study. The course will be delivered through weekly lectures, a period of on site fieldwork, drawing, design workshops, and studio based tutorials.
The studio framework will lead in with a short individual intensive diagnostic design project allowing you to reveal your individual interests, concerns and skills before the studio units are composed in dialogue with the course organiser. On site investigations and landscape interpretation skills will be developed through small group exploration and independent enquiry. You will be asked to present exploratory studies as part of at least one studio exhibition. You will undertake individual project development set within the scope of the studio brief and develop a specific refined agenda of design enquiry. The early design work you generate on this course provides the basis for the semester one material elements and detail design techniques studio, and you will be asked to generate at least one basis for design proposal which will form the starting point for detail design development in that parallel course. Within this course you will be expected to develop further iterative design proposals leading to the development and resolution of a comprehensive design project that you will communicate through graphic, written and verbal means to a professional standard.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  92
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 8, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 6, Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 11, Fieldwork Hours 15, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 1, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 155 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Formative «br /»
There will be 4 formative review points in this course«br /»
The first relates to the short individual intensive diagnostic design project and will take place at the end of week one. Feedback/Feedforward appraisal will be verbal«br /»
The second relates to the site investigations and landscape analysis this component can be undertaken collectively and will culminate in at least one curated exhibition to take place in studio. Feedback/Feedforward appraisal will be verbal«br /»
The third is a midterm design review at which students must present individual design iteration they have developed through model making. Feedback/Feedforward appraisal will be verbal and written. Note: This output forms the basis of the core MLA techniques course also taken in semester 1 of year 1.«br /»
The fourth is a studio review to reflect upon advancement of the individual design process and design development. «br /»
Feedback/Feedforward appraisal will be verbal«br /»
«br /»
Summative Assessment«br /»
«br /»
There are two summative assignments for this course. All learning outcomes are to be addressed by both assignment outputs, each assignment is marked separately.«br /»
«br /»
1. One sketchbook archive/design report documenting all design research and development undertaken including but not limited to all formative assessment outputs (individual diagnostic workshop, collective studio exhibition, design iteration and model making, individual design development).«br /»
60% weighting«br /»
«br /»
2. Two A1 presentation panels communicating a synthesised design proposal including design outputs such as landscape analysis and basis for design proposals, plan, section, 3 dimensional representation.«br /»
40% weighting«br /»
Feedback There will be 4 formal verbal formative feedback/feedforward points as detailed above.
Written formative feedback will be provided following the third studio review based upon the presentation of iterative design development. All formative feedback will address learning outcome expectations.

Summative written feedback will be provided for both the sketchbook and the presentation panel assignments according to learning outcome expectations.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Analyse and interpret a landscape based on site specific investigations, critical awareness and independent research that demonstrates fundamental knowledge and understanding of a given landscape context.
  2. Document an individual design processes and demonstrate creative design development.
  3. Demonstrate an ability to communicate complex existing landscape conditions and spatial and programmatic design proposals to a professional standard.
Reading List
Introduction to landscape architecture design:
Oles, T., Timmermans, M., Abelman, J.; Go with me: 50 steps to landscape thinking,
(Amsterdam Academy of Architecture: Architectura & Natura Publishers, 2014)
Dee, C.; Form and Fabric in Landscape Architecture: A visual introduction (Spon
Press, 2001)
Dee, C.; To Design Landscape: Art, Nature and Utility, (Routledge, 2012)
Hans-Wolfgang, L., and Bernard, S.; Opening spaces: design as landscape
architecture, (Birkhäuser 2003)
Jormakka, K., and Kuhlmann, D.; Design methods, (Birkhäuser, 2014)
Lawson, B.; How designers think, (Architectural Press, 1980)
Lynch, K., and Hack, G.; Site Planning, (MIT Press, 1984)
Miyasaka, T.; Seeing and making in architecture: design exercises, (Routledge,
2014)
Pallasmaa, J.; The eyes of the skin : architecture and the senses, (Chichester :
Wiley-Academy, 2005 and 2012)

Introduction to site investigation:
Lanfranco, C., F; Site divine: an alternative method of site analysis, (Montag Press,
2008)
Kahn, A. and Burns, C.; Site matters : design concepts, histories, and strategies,
(Routledge, 2005)
Tuan, Yi-fu; Space and place : the perspective of experience, (Edward Arnold, 1977)
Lynch, K.; The image of the city, (Technology Press, 1960)

Introduction to model making, drawing and visualisation:
Dunn, N.; Architectural Model Making, (Laurence King Publishing, 2010, and 2014)
Karssen, A., Otte, B.; Model making: conceive, create and convince, (Frame
Publishers, 2014)
Gill, R. W.; Rendering with pen and ink (also The Thames and Hudson manual of
rendering with pen and ink, (Thames and Hudson, 1973, 1984, 2011)
Hutchison, E.; Drawing for Landscape Architecture Sketch to Screen to
Site, (Thames & Hudson, 2011)
Kovats, T.; Macfarlane, K., and Stout, K.; The drawing book : a survey
of drawing : the primary means of expression, (Black Dog, 2007)
Pallasmaa, J.; The Thinking Hand: Existential and Embodied Wisdom in
Architecture, (Wiley, 2009)
Pitz, H., C. (Henry Clarence); How to draw trees, (Watson-Guptill, 1980)
Steenbergen, C., M.; Composing landscapes: analysis, typology and experiments for
design, (Birkhäuser, 2008)
Maslen, M., Southern, J.; Drawing projects: an exploration of the language
of drawing, (Black Dog Publishing, 2011)
Klanten, R. et al.; Data flow: visualising information in graphic design, (Gestalten,
2008), also; Data Flow 2 same authors and publisher, 2010)
Klanten, R. et al.; Visual storytelling: inspiring a new visual language, (Gestalten,
2011)
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills (Characteristic 1) The course will help students to develop a foundational knowledge that integrates the main areas of the discipline including their features, boundaries, terminology and conventions. Students will engage with principal theories and concepts of the discipline of Landscape Architecture. The course will raise a critical awareness of current issues in a given landscape architecture practice context.
(Characteristic 2) The course will encourage students to develop and apply knowledge, skills and understanding in the principal professional skills, techniques, practices and materials associated with the discipline. The course encourages students to apply a range of standard and specialised fieldwork research and techniques of enquiry. Within the course students are expected to demonstrate originality and creativity in their design approach.
(Characteristic 3) Students will be expected to develop original and creative responses to problems and issues.
(Characteristic 4) The course will expect students to demonstrate they are familiar with a wide range of routine skills to present their work. The course will allow students to communicate their work with peers, more senior colleagues and specialists
KeywordsDesign,Studio,landscape architecture introduction,urban,rural
Contacts
Course organiserMr Kenneth Fraser
Tel: (0131 6)51 5799
Email: kenny.fraser@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Lizzie Dunn
Tel: (0131 6)51 5773
Email: edunn3@exseed.ed.ac.uk
Navigation
Help & Information
Home
Introduction
Glossary
Search DPTs and Courses
Regulations
Regulations
Degree Programmes
Introduction
Browse DPTs
Courses
Introduction
Humanities and Social Science
Science and Engineering
Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Other Information
Combined Course Timetable
Prospectuses
Important Information