Abstract:

One of the major differences between architecture and landscape architecture is the dynamics of landscape form and design; the realm of design of objects vs. the design of environments, developments and processes.
Apart from the scale difference these aspects form the basis for different types of representation in the context of design.
In this paper we want to make clear that perspective in landscape architecture and urban design requires a different approach than in architecture and consequently also a different teaching approach.
The paper starts with an overview of a series of case-studies and examples that show how the dynamics and scale of landscape form are taken into account.
In the second part, the classical approach for teaching perspective, based on the cube, is related to some new approaches. These new approaches are partly based on research of Schuivens and Have and partly developed in the teaching of a course on visualisation in urban design and landscape architecture at the Faculty of Architecture in Delft. Core of the difference is the representation of change, of process and of the dynamics of landscape form. Video, sequence, the use of panorama's are part of that type of representation.
We have interesting results in the combination of the practice of teaching and research; all of us are engaged in research in different domains of visualisation.
The working on different scales, each with different design means requires also insight and skill in absrtraction. For that we make use of diagrams and rapid sketches. For the working on large scales, we use bird's eye views, axonometries and isometries of rural and urban landscapes.
In the conclusions we state that one of the major problems in teaching perspective is not so much the technique as such but the development of vision, learning to observe systematically and professionally. We also use hand drawing as a means of learning to observe professionally and thus coming to grips with the dynamics of landscape form and design. Secondly, we see great possibilities in the new technologies in video and digital photography as means to develop new techniques of representation at these scales.
Finally, our teaching is mainly based on learning by doing; Schön is still the basis.

Keywords:

landscape architecture, urban design, visualisation, design knowledge, diagrams, visual thinking.