Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

To develop student's technical, design, creative, and social scientific skills through skill-building workshops and design exercises. To experiment and innovate.

Outline Of Syllabus

Students will be introduced to a range of design-related technical and graphic skills (through a range of software), creative skills, and social-scientific skills.


TECHNICAL AND GRAPHIC SKILLS WORKSHOPS

Topics covered typically include baseline analysis, sketch-up modelling, vision and concept, AutoCAD, photoshop and InDesign for masterplanning, and visualisation.

CREATIVE SKILLS-BUILDING WORKSHOPS: LIMBERING UP AND AESTHETIC

A series of short exercises intended to introduce students to creative aspects of landscape architecture. Workshops are intended to support students in learning the language of landscape both for deciphering existing landscapes, and for embedding narratives in designed landscapes:
1) students will examine the important role of photography for landscape architecture and be introduced to a variety of techniques including panorama and montage, and develop critical and reflexive skills on decisions taken, methods employed and how such practices could be improved.
2) through a series of activities students explore the practice of drawing as a fundamental and inseparable part of the landscape architecture discipline and to engender an experimental critical personal approach to drawing for beginners and experienced alike.


SOCIAL SCIENTIFIC SKILLS-BUILDING WORKSHOPS
A series of short lectures with workshops that introduce students to a range of social-science skills. Typically this includes archives and stakeholder participation. Students will also examine mounting interest across the social sciences/arts and humanities in the body and develop their embodied methodological toolkits (bodily, sensory, practiced) in relation to place (situated, spatial, localised). They will examine critically how movement in landscapes is orchestrated, organised, encountered, and challenged and begin to reflect on differentiated experiences of mobility in landscape.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

At the end of the module students should be able to demonstrate:

- A broad understanding of the social, theoretical and technical factors that inform landscape design
- An evolving personal ethical framework for decision-making
- An appropriate level of technical and creative understanding in order to conceptualise, develop and resolve design proposals
- An understanding of the roles which appropriate representation and a critical dialogue play in developing, and communicating landscape design ideas.

Intended Skill Outcomes

The ability to: research, analyse, interpret and assimilate a wide range of different types of information so as to achieve effective and appropriate landscape architectural solutions which integrate social, environmental, aesthetic and technical requirements; formulate and respond imaginatively and appropriately to programmes or briefs in varying contexts and circumstances; conceptualise, critically evaluate and develop landscape architectural design solutions to satisfy a range of criteria by selecting and using a range of appropriate skills and bodies of knowledge; to develop approaches that allow for the study of the social context of landscape and places, to collect social scientific date, and draw insightful conclusions; articulate the need for undertaking participatory stakeholder/community engagement and for incorporating values, concerns and aspirations into a decision-making process; communicate effectively in the inception, design and construction of spaces and places.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The design studio is the integrative environment where students can synthesise knowledge from other modules and develop their understanding and skills in the context of a design problem set by tutors. Students are supported in their learning through briefings, group tutorials, workshops and critical reviews. Design tutorials and reviews are also the principal means through which students receive feedback on their progress.

Work completed as part of the social scientific and aesthetic workshops is collected as a reflective log/portfolio assessed at the end of the module.

Work produced in the Design Workshops (limbering up - embodied narratives) is collected as a creative project portfolio to be submitted at the end of the module and assessed.

Synchronous in studio sessions allow for large group reviews and face to face peer contact. The design studio pedagogy, is centred on a dialogic and responsive approach to students’ own creative work and research. Landscape Architecture pedagogy is reliant on a high proportion of independent learning to support the design process. The MOF hours are consistent with this approach.

Teaching will be delivered in person, however we will be flexible with this approach if needed.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The creative project (group) and reflective log (individual) presented by the students on completion of the module capture and synthesize the knowledge and skills developed throughout the semester through briefings, small group tutorials, design surgeries, workshops and critical review.

Technical skills are assessed in other modules (including APL8005 and APL8006).

General Notes

N/A