11196 Landscape History and Theory 3

Requisite elaboration/waiver:

11172 Landscape History and Theory 1 AND 11174 Landscape History and Theory 2

Description

This subject explores ways to be critical in landscape architecture. It does so on the understanding that criticality structures a landscape architect’s relationship to design and designing in a variety of complimentary ways. Furthermore, it assumes that the distinctiveness of landscape architecture necessitates the need for disciplinary specific ways of being critical. On this basis, the subject focuses on two related domains: design criticism and critical design.

Design criticism entails questioning an individual’s relationship to works of landscape architecture. Students will be introduced to a variety of different approaches for critiquing works of design that extend beyond conventions concern for identifying merits and faults. Attention will focus on a recent resurgence in landscape architectural criticism and the development of disciplinary specific approaches. Activity within the discipline is discussed relative to the changing status of the critic and the related impacts of new media for criticim's form, topicality and audience.

Critical design finds attention turning to the processes and priorities defining landscape architectural production. Criticality provides the lens for reflecting on a variety of different novel design practices addressing current and future imperatives. Connections will be established between landscape architecture and allied field. For example, Architecture and Industrial Design provide the context for discussion of disciplinary autonomy and the relationship of design to wealth and power.

In the interests of providing students with an expanded and integrated sense of landscape architecture, design criticism and critical design are discussed relative to the creation of contestation of design theory. The subject’s assessment tasks provide the context for examining the interplay between the discipline’s complementary faculties and reflection on landscape architecture’s intellectual standing.