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Specialisation Landscape Architecture Master Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning

Here you can browse the two specialisation courses and major thesis examples for Landscape Architecture. Landscape architecture is a design-based discipline that combines elements from the natural, technical and social sciences to shape landscapes in innovative and creative ways. The specialisation Landscape Architecture consists of two master studios, a design practice or research practice and a master’s thesis. The studios focus on how and where research methods and design methods meet: research on design, research for design and research through design. The courses trigger you to reflect on landscape architecture practices, to participate in academic debate across different disciplines, and to excel in your design skills. In the major thesis, you dive deep into a specific topic of your choice within this field.

Studio Park Design

In this design studio you design a park, an estate or a public space in a real urban context. You undertake a site survey and systematically analyse the site and context. You study similar design assignments to develop your knowledge about different design traditions. Each student develops a design concept and related design alternatives that show how they address the different issues in an attractive and comprehensive way. The designs are represented in drawings, diagrams, scale models, 3D artist impressions and/or other media. In a cyclic design study, the designs will be tested against various criteria. From this study you select and elaborate the most convincing design and its 'narrative' and present it to the group and the 'commissioners' or stakeholders.

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Images (2 each, first draft - second final product) from the portfolio's by Stijn Doelman, Karlijn Kersten, and Niek van Gelder
Images (2 each, first draft - second final product) from the portfolio's by Stijn Doelman, Karlijn Kersten, and Niek van Gelder

Studio Regional Landscape Architecture

In this design studio, you carry out an individual landscape design project. The subject of the studio is linked to on-going research and design activities in the Landscape Architecture chair group. The real-world assignment (provided by a commissioner) is complex and can be of a regional, metropolitan and/or infrastructural nature. Academic landscape design constitutes the heart of the studio. Systems thinking provides the scientific basis for the design exercise. After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to: - compare international systemic design methods; - conduct an analysis of a large-sized study area as a complex and dynamic socio-ecological system in accordance with international scientific knowledge; - develop alternative design models on several interrelated scales, and select one model with a solid argumentation that complies with the design brief; - elaborate the selected model into detailed designs across several interrelated spatial-temporal scales that address the landscape challenges and utilize the landscape potentials; - apply advanced visualisation techniques; - justify the design products in an individual presentation; - reflect on personal competences with respect to systemic design. Experienced designers and scientists from Wageningen University and beyond support the studio with lectures, an (international) excursion, and design tutoring.

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Images from portfolio's of Sophie Brouwer (top) and Tim den Duijf (bottom)
Images from portfolio's of Sophie Brouwer (top) and Tim den Duijf (bottom)

Thesis Landscape Architecture

The major thesis is an individual research project on a topic within the field of Landscape Architecture. You are supervised by one or more staff members, who guide you and give feedback, but you build and pursue the project independently. This includes developing a research plan, collecting and analysing data, formulating answers to your research questions, and reporting on the research both in writing and in oral presentation. The Landscape Architecture major thesis currently also includes at least one design. Below are some examples of recent Landscape Architecture theses. You can find the full theses by clicking on the library links.

Amarens Lock - Twin Villages

Abstract: Extensive suburbanisation is taking place around Cologne in the agricultural landscape of the Rhenish Mining Area. An area that, at the same time, deals with unsustainable agricultural practices and large-scale reclamation efforts after a period of open-pit lignite mining. The design research presents a design of agricultural urbanism, which enables alternative settlement development in the Rhenish Mining Area and that contributes to sustainable forms of agriculture and the development of the reclaimed landscape. Five settlement development strategies are evaluated and the advantages of the best models are merged into one final model: ‘Twin Villages’. With the concept of the Twin Villages, the reclaimed, post-mining landscape of the Rhenish Mining Area is enhanced and further developed. The model aims to keep the presence of the urban-rural dichotomy intact. It includes villages that are dispersed over the landscape, but all have a compact concentric form and contribute to a revival of the rural reclaimed landscape, as a rural answer to the exploding urban areas. The design implementation of Twin Village ‘Kantweiler’ shows that, when contributing to the landscape qualities, the threat of settlement development to the agricultural sector can be reversed into an opportunity. The design shows an alternative for the unlimited settlement development, which is threatening the agricultural landscape of the Rhenish Mining Area.

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Images from the report of Amarens Lock

Louise Capelle-Burny - Combining built and natural infrastructure to motivate flood resilient communities in Greater Montreal

Abstract: In 2017 and 2019, communities across southern Quebec and Ontario flooded to unprecedented levels. The spring floods were both 1-in-100-year floods, exacerbated by climate change and overly developed waterfronts. Montreal and Quebec’s hierarchy of governing bodies seek solutions to alleviate the affects of future floods on waterfront communities whom taxpayers are inevitably supporting. Holistic, landscape interventions could help to reduce the impact of future floods. This master thesis explores the socio-cultural obstacles that challenge the integration of international flood-adaptive strategies in the vernacular landscape of Greater Montreal. A feedback event revealed a lack of empathy towards the flooded communities. A literature review determined that ‘orderly frames’ were needed to incorporate unfamiliar landscapes into North American environments. The author proposes a typology of landscape elements, consisting of built and natural infrastructure, derived from Green Infrastructure approaches and the Room-for-the-River programme. A case study approach tests the typologies in the floodplain municipalities of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Pointe-Calumet and Saint-Joseph-du-Lac. The results indicate that resilient landscapes could be incorporated in the vernacular landscape, if local cultural values are adhered to.

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From the report of Louise Capelle-Burny
From the report of Louise Capelle-Burny

Siqi Li - A Healthy Campus

Abstract: It is acknowledged that natural space benefits people’s mental health. For students and researchers on campus who are quite stressful over the times, it is of vital importance to take care of their mental health. It is possible that the healing value of natural space could be applied to the campus landscape. The thesis explores the possible approach to designing a campus with a healthy landscape. Through a wide range of literature review and a case study at the Utrecht University, the principles are discussed. Based on theories and assumptions, the design attention points are given. Finally, the general approach for designing a healthy campus is proposed. From the evaluation on campus, it is believed that the design of the case is valid.

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Images from report by Siqi Li
Images from report by Siqi Li

Coos van Ginkel - The bright side of solar energy.

Abstract: towards a renewable energy based energy system. In the Netherlands a large part of this renewable energy needs to be produced within the landscape. In the coming years, the impact of renewable energy on the landscape worldwide will be enormous, in a dense country like the Netherlands this impact will be even larger than elsewhere. Landscape experts urge that the energy transition should not harm the existing landscape but rather be used to improve spatial quality by making it a part of integral regional design. Recently many solar parks have been built, however, knowledge about how to use them to improve spatial quality is still scares. This research contributes to closing this knowledge gap. In this thesis three existing solar energy parks are being analysed, as well as the Northwest Haarlemmermeer, which is the design location. The outcome of this is translated into the design of three models, which form the foundation for an integral design for a solar energy landscape. Six categories of functions for multifunctional solar energy landscapes are identified: biodiversity, water retention, airport, recreation, PV-energy and landscape infrastructure. They are translated into both general and site-specific design guidelines on three different scale levels. Based upon this three ways of organizing these functions are considered and analysed: parallel, stacked and mixed. Organising the functions next to each other (parallel) is considered to have the largest positive impact upon spatial quality on this scale. Together, the design guidelines, model study and integral design give a clear picture of how a multifunctional solar landscape can function as a tool to achieve other spatial goals and so improve spatial quality.

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Images from report by Coos van Ginkel
Images from report by Coos van Ginkel

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