A place is not just a place. It exists at a certain location for a reason; that is, it does not just show up for just any purpose. It is built and designed the way it is for a reason. Landscape architecture, it is not just about the building or architecture, it is about the place, the ecology, and about understanding it in a so much deeper level. According to Patricia Martin in Revisiting Downsview Park Toronto “Landscape architecture is also a conscious shaping of land to accommodate human use and activity.” The two places, Mrak Mall and Olson Bridge over Pathway, are the examples about understanding the place.
Mrak, a quire impressive and splendid place that is located besides the water, amazes me. Who could have ever thought that a university would have one of those buildings and surroundings designed like one of those five-star hotels in Las Vegas. The building blends in with the mall perfectly. The trees and grass, and the way they are divided into three sections is just a brilliant idea. The Mrak Mall is designed in a way that it is a nature versus pictorial, which in other words means a place for pleasant vistas; and nature versus therapy like the Central Park in New York City. Mrak Mall is an extremely pleasant place to be at. The trees and the grass, not to mention the white building that has this distinctive design than any other buildings on campus, which is castle-like, carries out the approach to nature. In addition, the scenario creates the sense of feeling that a beautiful “castle” is in a “forest”. That is how pictorial the nature is approached in this case.
If Mrak Mall is looked at a different perspective it can also be a place that can be described, or analyzed as nature versus therapy. As mentioned, the ...
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...motion, the Mrak Mall, and no does not, the Olson Hall Bridge over Pathway. In conclusion, both sites are successful in a way that they fit in most of the landscape architecture standards. Although it is said that there is not a right definition for architectures, there is a set of aspects to consider about. Both sites fit the “standards” with different reasons. Therefore, personally, they could be considered successful.
Works Cited
Lynch, Kevin, and Gary Hack. "SITE DESIGN." Theory in Landscape Architecture: a Reader. By Simon R. Swaffield. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 2002. 57+. Print.
Martin, Patricia. "Revisiting Downsview Park Toronto." Martin Del Guayo Architecture and Urbanism. 07 Sept. 2010. Web. 8 Nov. 2011.
Steinitz, Carl. "Journal of Landscape Architecture." Landscape Planning: A Brief History of Influential Ideas. 2008. 68+. Print.
James F. O'Gorman, Dennis E. McGrath. ABC of Architecture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998. Document. October 2013.
Beautiful scenery, delicious foods, and desirable accessories at your fingertips along with other enticements and wishes the mall offers as described by Carolyn Merchant as the modern Garden of Eden in her writing of “Eden Commodified.” Merchant is an award winning writer and professor at the University of California covering the subjects of environmental history and philosophy, making her an expert in the subject of human nature and our connection to the environment. She characterizes the combination of gardens, goods, and ornate architecture as heaven on earth a peaceful, clean, and orderly destination for rich and poor, old and young; however, is this really all she is saying?
Curl, J. S. (2006). A dictionary of architecture and landscape architecture. 2nd ed. Oxford [England]: Oxford University Press.
Olmsted opened the world’s first full-scale professional landscape design firm when he moved to suburban Boston in 1883. (“Designing an american la...
Since the Environmental Movement, traditional land art evolved, on one hand, to climate art, and on the other, influenced landform building. “The principles of landform building,” according to architect and theorist Stan Allen, “offer a new lens with which to reexamine phenomena as diverse as the megastructure of the 1960s, the current fascination with green building, artificial ski slopes, or the vast multi-use stadia being constructed today.” These principles include the inhabitation of the landscape, which much of contemporary architecture has incorporated into its design. However unlike land art’s wild terrains, such as the salt lake of Spiral Jetty or the vast desert of Double Negative, contemporary architecture has incorporated principles of land art into densely populated urban typology, of which the following two projects serve as significant examples.
Through exploring the geography of everyday life within Toronto, we are also able to explore the presence or absence of power. One of the ways in which we can view relations of power within a city is through the use of analyzing and exploring monuments. Within the GTA, there are numerous amounts of monuments present that commemorate or provide remembrance of the city, various individuals or a variety of different groups and communities. According to Donohoe (2002), we all encounter monuments however we may not necessarily notice them within our everyday lives. A Monument is a structure that calls for individuals to be reminded and mindful of important events or the lives of individuals (Donohoe, 2002). They provide the power of retelling history
There are seven different design principles, which Olmsted incorporated into his projects that start with the letter S: scenery, suitability, style, subordination, separation, sanitation, and service. The scenery aspect of design is about “the small spaces and areas [that are] intended for active use. [It is the] creation of designs that give an enhanced sense of space: indefinite boundaries [and the] constant opening up of new view.” Olmsted also wanted to avoid the “hard-edge [and] specimen planting” because these make the landscape seem less natural and more manmade. Suitability is the “creation of designs that are in keeping with the natural scenery and topography of the site: respect for, and full utilization of, the ‘genius of the place.’” Style has to do with “designing in specific styles, [because] each [various style will create] a particular effect” on the entire area. Depending on what is done, a calm place can be created that is full of richness or even a place that seems uneasy and full of mystery. Subordination is the overall design and the effect it is intended to achieve. Separation deals with “areas designed in different styles.” Each one needs to be set apart from one another “in order to insure safety of use and reduce distractions for those using the space; separation of conflicting or incompatible uses.” Sanitation is about creating a place that has “adequate drainage and other engineering considerations [that] promote both the physical and mental health of” people who occupy the space. In service, the designs should “service a
The design of Pulaski park forged an ‘open space’ in the the bustling metropolitan area that is downtown Northampton. The understated theme of the park’s landscape functions as a frame for the wide open skies of Western Massachusetts; the focus is emphasized on the clean ascetic of uninterrupted space. This interpretation is based off of the architect’s minimalist approach and neutral style that agilely promoted the understated beauty of a simple green space.
How to create an environment suitable for human living when resources are limited is a challenging problem for modern society. My strong interest in photography and art has compelled me to become especially observant toward the relationship between human beings and the environment. I have come to realize that the environment we live in has suffered much damage from pollution and lacks competent planning, making it difficult to find beautiful scenery to photograph or sketch. I began to think that I could make use of my artistic gift, concern about, and interest in the environment by entering the field of landscape design and putting my effort into beautifying our surroundings. Therefore, after graduating from high school, I entered the Department of Landscape Architecture at ABC University.
In the essay, “A Literature of Place” by Barry Lopez, he explores the topic of forming a bond with nature. He claims that the human imagination is shaped by the architecture it encounters at a young age. When Lopez was growing up in the California Valley, he claimed that his imagination was shaped by the beauty of the “exotic waters” to the “eucalyptus trees”. As Lopez wrote this essay, he described how nature gives humans lively stories which help keep each other's imagination alive, not only does Lopez believe nature is important to the imagination but also to the brain's intelligence and our health, which is why western people have become so anxious about the lands fate in hopes that it stays urban so that
What is placemaking? Why does it matter? What does the placemaking movement respond to (historical trends and current context)?
Walking along Marshall Street it is clear from observing both the physical design of the
Nature in architecture is critical. Laugier made this clear in the 1700s with his basic, but insightful, claims in “An Essay on Architecture.” Modern architects have taken his beliefs further than he probably ever imagined with technology and the cutting-edge idea of biomimicry. After studying natures’ artistic design, architectural stature, and overall success rate on this earth, I believe that the incorporation of nature is vital to architectural design.
These drawings show how exactly a space should look and conveys necessary information to the audience. This information usually only shows spatial information or functionality. There are several different phases in design and each phase has a specific set of drawings that communicate a project (Design Workshop 2016). The drawings that are created during each phase must be clear, understandable, and commutative (Ching, VI). Although all architectural drawings have the same objective they do however evolve over time (Cantrell and Michaels 2015). In the past, landscape architecture has undergone changes in representation and these changes will continue as the field of landscape architecture progresses (Amoroso 2012). The drawings produced today must be visually gripping as well as spatial and functionally informative (Amoroso 2015). As landscape architecture continues to change over time, landscape architects must find ways to visually captivate an audience to show the full depth of a project through visual communication. One way to connect architectural representation and people is through
When many people hear about the term “landscape”, they immediately think that it means “nature”. The natural landscape does play an important role in our society but what is more important is the landscape that we make and occupy. So, what exactly is “landscape”? The term can be illiterate in many ways but the definition given by the European Landscape Convention is perhaps the most useful and widely agreed one. It states that a landscape is ‘an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and human factors.’ This definition captures both the idea of landscape being physical like a tract of land, but also something that is mind and social shared, something that is perceived by the people. When it comes to Landscape Architecture, the International Federation of Landscape Architects says that ‘Landscape Architect conduct research and advise on planning, design, and stewardship of the outdoor environment and spaces, both within and beyond the built environment, and its