Landscapes in the Minds

Maulan, Suhardi (2009) Landscapes in the Minds. Sustainable Tropical Environmental Design Exhibition (STEDex’09), 1. pp. 100-101. ISSN 2180-0685

Abstract

One year has passed and the Department of Landscape Architecture continues to emphasize on student’s intellectual growth by through travel, observation and design exercises. In line with the landscape architects’ philosophy as “a steward of the land”, all the creative exercises assigned also stress the importance of sustainable development. However, sustainable development is a jargon bearing multiple meanings to different people. Therefore, we would like our students to bear ‘sustainablity’ in their minds when developing landscape whether it pertains natural environment, culture or behaviour. In teaching and learning for students in the first year, we understand that we are dealing with beginners who have yet to grasp the design language alas expressing the design itself. Therefore, the teaching objective is to introduce students to design principles and elements in what we termed “exploration of design principles”. Consequently, throughout the year, students have to produce simple drawings or sculptures to demonstrate their understanding about these design principles. For their final project, the first year students were asked to design a backdrop for an amphitheatre. Whilst the subject matter is an amphitheatre, the emphasis is actually on the design process. To develop students’ sensitivity towards the environment, they were asked to use or man-made recycled materials or to relate their concept with nature. For their second year, students conducted site planning of a particular campus. Prior the site planning, the students conducted a thorough site analysis by examining the use of existing spaces, slopes, topography and wildlife. Students explored various creative planning works and designed landscapes with sensitivity to the site. Their inspired concepts would lead them to design a sustainable campus. In the year 2009, the third year students had the opportunity to travel to the city of Jogjakarta and the Island of Bali in Indonesia. This type of class travel programme is imperative to students for at least once during their study period. The department believes that travelling allows, students to become better designers since they have experienced the place in-situ. Furthermore, when persons travel, they will become keen observers and sensitive to happenings around them. Thus, improving their awareness about culture, nature and any factors that can affect their life. One goal of the trip was seeing how culture has become interrelated with nature and no place is better than Jogjakarta and Bali. Students organised an exhibition about what they saw throughout their trip. It was exciting because students were free to express their feelings about both cities. Lastly, the fourth year or the final year students presented their professional ability in this field. Each fourth year student was asked to undertake an independent project in which they have to demonstrate their ability in landscape planning and landscape architectural design. For this year, students were divided into several work bases namely park and recreation, cultural landscape, ecological and environmental, urban design and institutional. Each group had three to four lecturers as advisors. The final year students also underwent a thorough assessment process involving critics by pofessional practitioners as part of their preparation to meet market demands. In conclusion, a majority of students have shown good undertsanding by competing tasks assigned to them. These works illustrate maturity and creativity in landscape design.

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