Postgraduate Course: Landscape architecture techniques: Material Knowledge and Detailed Design (ARCH11274)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
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 materials (hard and soft), techniques and skills (including working with topography and using acknowledged graphic conventions), as well as the ability to critically appraise the practical and environmental implications of technical and material choices in a climate and biodiversity crisis context. |
| Course description |
This course will introduce you to a range of hard and soft materials, techniques, acknowledged graphic conventions and terminology specific to the discipline of landscape architecture.
In this course, you will build skills in understanding and designing with topography and in research and critical appraisal relating to material choices and practices, while considering dimensions such as social inclusivity, accessibility, practicality, aesthetics, ecology, sustainable resource management, material whole life cycle and the environmental implications of material choices.
Running one day per week, this course will be divided in two phases:
Phase 1 - will support you in developing fundamental skills in understanding and designing with topography. During this phase, you will be introduced to 2D and 3D (analogue and digital) techniques and conventions to represent the existing topographical condition of a given site. You will also be asked to design proposed topographical manipulations for the same site. You will need to assess the impact of your proposed topographical proposals considering dimensions such as accessibility, ecology, sustainable practices, and cut/fill balance. This phase is structured through lectures, workshops, demonstrations, and exercises, culminating in the submission of a Topography Booklet articulating your explorations of existing and proposed topographies.
Phase 2 - will focus on the critical appraisal of the materiality of a built landscape architectural project. This phase will be supported by lectures (delivered by ESALA and Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh staff), workshops, site visits, and tutorials. During this phase, you will be expected to make records of lectures and site visits through notes and sketches, prepare drawings supporting the critical appraisal of your case study (using appropriate graphic and naming conventions), and engage in independent research to develop a critical awareness of the implications of material and technical choices. This phase will culminate in the submission of a Case Study Report.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | "This Course requires additional costs to be met by the Student.
Travel and Accommodation: There are required travel costs associated with field-trips.
Student will be expected to support the cost of local travel by public transport.
Equipment and software: Most equipment and software required will be provided by the School. However, you will probably find it useful to have your own laptop. There are also options to borrow a laptop from the University, and you will also have free access to all our computer labs.
Materials and printing: Material and printing needs will be unique to you and to the drawing/making techniques you will develop. Course Organisers will support you in meeting intended learning outcomes while keeping material costs to a minimum, but students will be expected to fund optional material costs as necessary for their own project work.
To fully participate in this course students are recommended to budget a minimum of £70
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 24,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 2,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 18,
Fieldwork Hours 32,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
116 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
This course has 2 assessment components.
Topography Booklet, A4 or A3 PDF (approx. 10 pages), 30%, Weeks 5-6, assessed against Learning Outcomes 2 and 3.
Case Study Report, A4 or A3 PDF (approx. 30 pages), 70%, December Exam Diet, assessed against Learning Outcomes 1 and 3.
Note: There will always be a minimum one-week interval between any formative review and submission dates.
Further information:
1) Topography Booklet: This will include topographical drawings (2D, digital and/or analogue) and photos/screenshots of topographical models (3D, digital and/or analogue). Proposed topographical manipulations should be justified with regard to impact on elements such as accessibility, ecology, sustainable practices, and cut/fill balance.
2) Case Study Report: This will contain your critical appraisal of your built project case study. Your appraisal should focus on materials (hard and soft) and detailed/technical considerations of the built project and should be situated within the wider social, cultural, typological, technical, and ecological context. Your report should contain both text and images and should prioritise detailed technical drawings using appropriate landscape architectural graphic and naming conventions, associated with other drawing types (such as plans and sections).
Resit Information
The resit arrangements for this course are as follows.
The resit task for assessment component 1 is Topography Booklet, A4 or A3 PDF (approx. 10 pages).
The resit task for assessment component 2 is Case Study Report, A4 or A3 PDF (approx. 30 pages).
Students will receive further resit information as per University regulations where necessary. |
| Feedback |
There will be two formative review presentations during the semester:
Prior to Review 1, you will be given weekly verbal feedback by tutors and peers on the preparation of your Topography Booklet during tutorials and group discussions.
During Review 1 (weeks 4-5), you will then be asked to present your Topography Booklet. You will receive verbal formative feedback from both your tutors and your peers, including a series of action points to help improve your Topography Booklet for submission. for subsequent course stages formulated by your course tutors.
Prior to Review 2, you will be given weekly verbal feedback by tutors and peers on the preparation of your Case Study Report during tutorials and group discussions.
During Review 2 (weeks 10-11), you then will be asked to present your Case Study Report. You will receive verbal feedback from both your tutors and your peers, including a series of action points to help improve your Case Study Report for submission. for subsequent course stages formulated by your course tutors.
Note: There will always be a minimum one-week interval between any formative review and the submission date.
Summative Feedback
Written feedback will be provided by your course tutors for both assessment components as per University regulations.
Summative feedback will be provided according to University regulations. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Independently research, explore and critically appraise a range of landscape materials and techniques to demonstrate an understanding of practical and environmental concerns.
- On completion of the course, the student will be able to understand and design with topography applying practical and environmental awareness
- Apply a range of appropriate graphic and written techniques recognising acknowledged codes of practice, graphic conventions, and terminology specific to the discipline of landscape architecture.
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Learning Resources
Buxton, Pamela. 7th Edition, Metric Handbook, Planning and Design Data (Routledge, 2021)
Hutton, Jane. Reciprocal Landscapes: Stories of Material Movements (Routledge, 2019)
McLeod, Virginia. Detail in Contemporary Landscape Architecture (Laurence King, 2008)
Rainer, Thomas, & West, Claudia. Planting in a Post-Wild World (Timber Press, 2015)
Zimmermann, Astrid. 3rd Edition, Constructing Landscape: Materials, Techniques, Structural Components (Springer, 2015)
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research and enquiry: Engage in independent research to build familiarity with landscape architectural material and technical knowledges fundamental to the discipline of Landscape Architecture.
Personal and intellectual autonomy: Develop critical appraisal skills to contextualise and evaluate the appropriateness of landscape architectural material and technical choices in our climate and biodiversity crisis.
Personal Effectiveness: Develop an informed and ethical perspective on the impact of material and technical choices on social inclusivity and accessibility.
Communication: Grow confidence in using appropriate graphic and naming conventions to competently communicate technical information specific to the field of Landscape Architecture.
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| Keywords | materials,design,planting,graphic conventions,Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Miguel Domingues
Tel: (0131 6)51 5800
Email: mdoming3@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Chloe Hancock
Tel: (0131 6)50 4124
Email: chancock@ed.ac.uk |
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