APL8010 : Landscape Architecture Studio 4: Design with Plants and Ecological Greenspace Management
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Ms Stef Leach
- Lecturer: Professor Maggie Roe
- Visiting Lecturer: Professor Catherine Dee
- Owning School: Architecture, Planning & Landscape
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
To introduce students to the range of scientific and horticultural knowledge applicable to landscape architecture. To introduce and develop skills in planting design and an understanding of the role of landscape management in the care of land to ensure that landscapes can fulfil needs and aspirations in an effective and sustainable manner for present and future communities of users.
Outline Of Syllabus
The module covers the following:
The principles of botany, ecology, horticulture, geology, soil science and climatology applicable to landscape architecture.
Introduction to plant materials for landscape design. Styles of planting (e.g. Gardenesque, Arts and Crafts, Modernist, Ecological etc.)
Selecting appropriate material for site and environmental conditions, including waterside planting.
Aesthetic considerations in planting design: scale, texture, colour, form etc. Functional aspects of planting: shade, shelter, structuring space, groundcover, screening etc.
Ecological principles in planting design: biodiversity and maintenance considerations.
Landscape architectural planting plan conventions. Plant schedules. Preparing a planting plan.
The role of planting in the climate and biodiversity emergency: carbon absorption of planting materials
Long term maintenance and management of greenspace.
Students will also go on short guided walks around the campus, looking at examples of planting. There will be a day visit to a nursery and/or a botanic garden.
Students will also complete a planting design exercise, accompanied by a short written statement on landscape management intent and a calculation of the carbon absorption of their proposals.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | Present in person. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 5 | 3:00 | 15:00 | PIP in studio design tutorials in group, including critical final review. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | PIPin studio design tutorials in small groups. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Fieldwork | 2 | 8:00 | 16:00 | Site Visit subject to prevailing Covid-19 guidance. |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 150:00 | 150:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Scheduled on-line contact time | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | Synchronous online. |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The module is structured around a lecture course which introduces students to sciences with a bearing upon landscape architecture practice. As the module progresses, the emphasis shifts towards the landscape architect’s role as a designer with plants. At the same time students are introduced to longer-term issues of maintenance and management. The module also utilises experiential learning, as the lectures are linked to a series of practical tasks. At the outset, these are quite delimited (e.g. identifying trees from their leaves or testing a soil sample) but they become more complex and more creative as the module progresses (e.g. creating a detailed planting plan).
Site visits (e.g. to plant nurseries, botanic gardens or planting operations) give students the opportunity to connect their theoretical knowledge to the professional activities of landscape architects.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design/Creative proj | 1 | M | 100 | Planting design exercise and carbon absorption calculation. |
Zero Weighted Pass/Fail Assessments
| Description | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Practical/lab report | M | Five short practical exercises throughout the semester. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The acquisition of knowledge and skills is assessed through a series of exercises undertaken over the course of the module. In the latter half of the module students are also required to produce a creative planting plan supported by a short written statement of landscape management intent. These are complex tasks which test the extent to which students are able to usefully synthesise knowledge gained over the course of the module.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- APL8010's Timetable