Place and Environment: This course provides a basic foundation of the principles and processes involved in landscape design with emphasis on analysis local ecosystems as way of building a sense of place and understanding the context of site design.The goals of this class are to develop:• an ability to read and share landscape patterns through drawing and writing both in the field and in the studio,• research skills for uncovering the stories associated with local places,• an initial familiarity with the language and literature of landscape analysis and design,• an ability to analyze, critique, and create existing landscape designs, and• an understanding of regional ecosystems as a background for design, human culture. Making Places: This studio will continue what was started in the first half of the term, building upon it to introduce participants to many of the skills, processes, and ideas that environmental designers utilize in their work, focusing primarily upon the generation and communication of ideas, and upon the creation of socially and ecologically ‘just’ places that are contextually based and aesthetically wonderful. In order to do this, we will undertake a series of small assignments leading up and relating to a more complex final project that will encourage participants to utilize a variety of media (digital, analog, model, and others?) to both develop and disseminate ideas, concepts and plans to a specific audience. Each project will build upon the previous one, preparing students to undertake the challenges inherent in the design of built form. The focus for the main project will be the creation of a well-designed project on the site of your work from the first half of the term. Studio Format  

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