LdArc 297D LANDSCAPE LINKS

Spring 2002

Professors: Annaliese Bischoff, Patricia McGirr

TAs: Sara Hage, Mary Scipioni

A Landscape for Learning, The Frank A Waugh Arboretum

Introduction.

In the 2003-04 academic year, the landscape architecture program at UMass (formerly Massachusetts State Agricultural College) will celebrate its 100^th anniversary. Frank A. Waugh (1869-1943), an educator, writer and practitioner, founded this program. He first founded as the "Department of Landscape Gardening" at a time when landscape architecture was changing from the 19^th century gardening tradition to the profession of the 20^th century. Later the Department evolved into one of "Landscape Architecture, " en route to becoming the current Department of Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning. Waugh is noted most as a writer and an educator; many of his students went on to teaching in the new landscape architecture programs developing around the country. Although trained as a horticulturist and botanist, Frank Waugh also studied landscape design and etching and had a life-long commitment to the arts, especially photography and music. Frank Waugh had many professional ideals, but one included protecting the native landscape and understanding the ecology of a site Ð an idea that was just emerging in the early 1900s.

The University of Massachusetts campus has served as an arboretum since the end of the 19^th century when the university president, William S. Clark, brought plants from Japan. While Frank Waugh was head of the Landscape Architecture Department, he also directed the arboretum, which flourished at that time. Shortly after Waugh's death, the arboretum was named in memory of Frank Waugh. The campus has changed in the past 100 years, but Waugh's legacy remains as "A Landscape for Learning."

In this studio we will build on Frank Waugh's legacy, both as an educator and as a designer of the university's campus and arboretum.

Educational Objectives

1. To solidify the design process by visualizing you design thinking through diagrams and sketches.

2. To understand the complex requirements of passive recreation and environmental education, while maintaining a sensitivity to the human and natural environment.

3. To learn to approach any design with an overall concept or "motive".

4. To learn to respond to the site, its constraints and its opportunities, as a source of design.

5. To read natural and cultural history of the landscape, to understand the ecology of a site and its plant communities.

6. To understand the work of Frank Waugh, his contribution to the department and to the field, and to understand the landscape as directed by the spirit of Frank Waugh.

Development Scenario.

The university has not only overcome its budget crisis, but has received a large endowment from an alumnus of the landscape architecture program to expand the Waugh Arboretum. The university is dedicating the Orchard Hill area of campus for development of the arboretum and the vision of Frank Waugh as educator of the environment. In your design you will be asked to display plants (both natives an exotics), to consider and reveal the natural and cultural history of the site, and to bring people through the site in a way the takes advantage of natural features and proposed display and educational areas.

The site is approximately 35 acres and will include the following program elements:

a pavilion (1500 sq. ft.)

parking for 20 cars.

access from either E. Pleasant St. or Eastman Lane to the building and parking

trail system that takes advantage of existing and proposed plant communities.

at least part of trail system of meet ADA requirements.

connection to one of the campus-wide walking tours.

outdoor classrooms that allow access to and observation of particular site features or ecosystems (3-5).

display of plants, both natives of western Massachusetts, as well as exotic horticultural species.

Studio Strategy.

This studio will build on Frank Waugh's pedagogy, particularly as presented in his books The Landscape Beautiful (1910) and Textbook of Landscape Gardening (1922). These will involve exercises for observing the landscape, both in and outside of class time.

In order to work during class time, you should always bring to class a roll of trace (18" or 24"), blank sheets of 8-1/2 x 11 paper, and drawing equipment. Students are expected to be in studio at 1:30 SHARP on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, and to stay in studio until 4:30. You have the designated class time to work on your design projects. Studio time will be spent on discussions, lectures, pin-ups, field trips, drawing exercises, and desk crits. Readings and references will be available to support the studio content.

Phase One: Waugh's Landscape Links Exercise (sketches, site assessment)

In The Landscape Beautiful Waugh suggests that "the educative value of such an exercise depends largely on the critical analysis and appreciation of each picture and of the whole series." So the links matter as much as the individual views. Each view should be "attractive" or instructional, and they should be arranged to provide some "development, sequence and climax in the series", such as moving from closed areas to areas with extensive middle grounds, then finally to a distant overlook, or, as another example from very domesticated views to more wild areas.

Each student must sketch each of the views associated with the 10 station points marked on the site plan (see handout) and then answer the following questions:

PARTICULAR VIEWS

1. Sketch each view.
2. Sketch a ground plan of each view. Characterize each view and classify the series. Describe and characterize each view briefly and accurately
3. Criticize each view and classify the series.
4. Each point of view might have been better chosen; criticize.
5. Which is the most pleasing view? Why?
6. Is the value of any view influenced by extraneous associations?

THE WHOLE COLLECTION

1. Is there any order, sequence, climax or other relation in the series?
2. Might any rearrangement, addition or omission improve the series?
3. On what principle should this series of views be organized?

GENERAL QUESTIONS

1. Which views are best, -- foreground, middle ground or distance?
2. At what distance do trees give the best effects? Running water? Still water? Lawn? Meadow?
3. Would different atmospheric or weather conditions make different answers necessary to any questions on this sheet? For instance?

Phase Two: Schematic Master Plan

(See separate handout)

Phase Three: Design Details

Pin Up

There will be a pin-up with guest critics of both the schematic master plan and design details. Following the pin-ups, design teams will be expected to re-work their proposals in response to these critiques. Everyone is expected to be in class during the pin-up presentations. Obviously, comments from critics will benefit all designers, whether it is your project that is being discussed, or another groups.

Phase Four: Finalize Master Plan and Details

Incorporating the feed back from the pin-up, you will finalize your master plan and design details.

Phase Five: Final Product

The last week of class will be dedicated to developing drawings/models for presentations.

Coursework Requirements

Students are expected to be in studio and to use studio time to work on design. Two unexcused absences will result in lowering of your studio grade.

Landscape Links: Sketches of Site

Site Analysis (slope, vegetation, views)

Design Diagrams (conceptual, functional, "motive")

Master plan

Detailed Design of key spaces (display areas, outdoor classrooms, paths)

Final work will be collected on MONDAY, MAY 6th. Work not completed at that time will NOT BE PRESENTED at the Departmental presentations. Everyone must be present at the final studio presentation, which may be on the afternoon of May 8th.

Studio Work Evaluation Criteria

Attendance is mandatory. Excused absences (illness, death in family) MUST be documented. Two unexcused absences are permitted. Three unexcused absences will result in a half-grade reduction of your final grade for the semester. Each additional unexcused absence will result in an additional half-grade reduction of your final semester grade.

Your final grade for the studio will be based on:

Landscape Links                     10%

Site Analysis                            10%

Design Development             25%

Master Plan                              25%

Design details                          10%

Process, progress                    20%