Ecologies, Techniques, Technologies IV

This lecture/workshop class addresses the relationships between landscape design conceptualization, material properties and technologies of making. The class introduces the practices of design development and construction documentation. These practices enable students to “work out” the materiality and making of their conceptual landscape speculations and document them for construction. 

Topics
1. Using the diagnostic section and isometric as instruments of analysis, and design development.
2. Learning from examples of the existing made landscape using reverse engineering. 
3. The nature of materials and means of construction.
4. Weathering and durability and the meaning of landscapes.
5. Construction documentation and specification.

Course Objectives and Outcomes
Each student will:
1. Understand practices of design development and detail design and how these practices shape the meaning of a landscape.
2. Be able to develop a schematic concept into a constructed material proposal in their studio work and later in professional practice. 
3. Understand and practice how a developed design proposal is documented for construction.

Method of Evaluation
1. Weekly class participation in discussion groups.
2. Successful completion of workshop assignments.
3. Successful completion of the final project assignment. 

Prerequisites
Required course for MLA 1 – 4 & MLA 1 – AP

Weekly Course Format
1.  One hour of asynchronous class time: pre-recorded lecture (20 min), case study or virtual field trip (20 min) and landscape detail primer topic (20min). These talks will be available on the course canvas site at the beginning of the semester. Prior to each weekly synchronous class students will review the appropriate talks in their own time. 
2.  One hour of synchronous class time: breakout room discussions of weekly lecture (20 min), case study or virtual field trip (20 min) and detail primer topic (20min).
3.  One hour of synchronous class time: detail design workshop practice in breakout rooms.

The asynchronous lectures address the core concepts of this course. Prior familiarity with this material via asynchronous study will prepare the participants for the synchronous discussion about the topic. The case studies describe the application of these core concepts to landscape making. The detail primer shows how students can apply this information to their own design practice. 

The workshop sessions are synchronous applications of the practice of detail design and documentation in collaboration with the instructor.