Undergraduate Course: Design: Context and Grounding (ARCH08060)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | In this course you will develop a fundamental understanding of landscape architectural design practice through the development of informed and creative design proposals for a small-scale site within or close to the City of Edinburgh. This course will be taught in a practice-based studio context and will encourage you to build your understanding of the design process, and your confidence in design-led decision-making. |
| Course description |
Through this course you will learn how to ground your design thinking within a geographical context, as well as within the disciplinary context of Landscape Architecture, by exploring key themes, such as sites, scales, topography, social inclusivity, relational thinking, spatial experience and the environment. The proximity of the study site will permit regular site visits.
The course will introduce you to fieldwork techniques, site analysis and design invention through studio-based tutorials, site-based activities, workshops, lectures, seminar discussions and review presentations.
You will learn how to develop design analysis and design thinking at relevant scales of investigation through a creative, iterative, and informed approach that involves thinking through making. This will be supported by instruction in fundamental drawing and model making skills.
This course runs two days per week and will include both studio and site-based teaching. Short weekly or bi-weekly exploratory activities will build towards a sustained project. The course will include activities including: site visits during which you will be prompted to record information about your site through drawing; small group seminars during which you will discuss key readings to help inform your understanding of the design process; group workshops focusing on specific representational techniques; and 1-to-1 tutorials during which your tutors will give you verbal feedback to support your individual creative design process.
The course will be divided into three interlinked parts:
Part 1 will be dedicated to site analysis and will culminate in a formative verbal presentation during which you will present drawings supporting your interpretation of existing site conditions.
Part 2 will be dedicated to the development of initial design proposals and will culminate in a formative presentation of your design work.
Part 3 will be dedicated to the refinement of your design proposals, and will culminate in a summative review during which you will present 2 x A0 panels communicating your refined design proposals.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Only open to students studying on the MA (Hons) Landscape Architecture. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
| Course Start Date |
15/09/2025 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 30,
Fieldwork Hours 12,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
130 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
This course has 2 assessment components:
- Presentation (2 x A0 Panels/20mins) 20%, due in week 11
- Design Archive (approx. 30 pages) 80%, due in December exam diet
Presentation: You will be assessed via a 20 minute in-person presentation of two A0 Presentation Panels showing your design proposals, including diagrams, plans, sections and visualisations of your site and proposal. Models can be included to compliment presentation panels. The presentation panels will include summary material from your overall Design Archive.
Design Archive: should contain all your site analysis and design development work. This may include working drawings, models, photographs, pertinent journal pages and all design work produced towards the completion of the studio project submission, as well as your final presentation panels.
Both components are assessed against all learning outcomes. |
| Feedback |
Formative Feedback
There will be two formative review presentations during the semester:
- During review 1 (indicative date: week 4), you will be asked to present your initial site analysis.
- During review 2 (indicative date: week 7), you will be asked to present your initial design proposals.
You will receive verbal formative feedback at each review, including a series of action points for subsequent course stages. You will also receive written feedback after review 2. Reviews will be group based providing the opportunity for peer-based dialogue.
Summative Feedback
Verbal feedback will be provided at the in-person presentation. Written feedback and grades will be provided for both assessment components as per University regulations. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Apply understanding of analysis and design methods across fieldwork, site interpretation and design invention.
- Develop a creative and coherent design proposal evidencing principles fundamental to spatial design
- Synthesise and critically communicate design interpretation and proposals through graphic, physical, verbal, and written techniques.
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Reading List
Dee, Catherine. Form and Fabric in Landscape Architecture: A Visual Introduction (Spon Press, 2001)
Dee, Catherine. To Design Landscape: Art, Nature and Utility (Routledge, 2012)
Hutchison, Edward. Drawing for Landscape Architecture: Sketch to Screen to Site (Thames & Hudson, 2011)
Girot, Christophe. Four Trace Concepts in Landscape Architecture. In: Corner, James (ed) Recovering Landscape: Essays in Contemporary Landscape Theory (Princeton Architectural Press, 1999)
Hans-Wolfgang, Loidl, and Bernard, Stefan. Opening Spaces: Design as Landscape Architecture (Birkhauser, 2003)
Jormakka, Kari, and Kuhlmann, Dörte. Design Methods (Birkhauser, 2014)
Lawson, Bryan. How Designers Think (Architectural Press, 1980) |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research and enquiry: Students will learn to creatively solve problems by engaging in an informed, iterative, and investigative design process within the field of Landscape Architecture.
Personal and intellectual autonomy: Students will be encouraged to build their confidence in landscape architectural design-led decision-making through a series of methodological prompts formulated by their tutors. This course will be key in establishing solid methodological foundations which students will be able to continue developing during the rest of their studies.
Communication: The recurring studio presentations and the teaching of communication skills will enable students on this course to develop basic proficiency in verbal, written and visual communication. |
| Keywords | Landscape architecture,design methods,landscape representation |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Ms Milja Tuomivaara
Tel:
Email: mtuomiva@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Chloe Hancock
Tel: (0131 6)50 4124
Email: chancock@ed.ac.uk |
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