ARCH 491 “Landscape Research I” course aims to develop a general appreciation and knowledge on landscape issues by introducing increasing interaction of landscape design with urbanism, architecture, and art.  The course intends to reveal landscape as a natural, cultural, and aesthetic phenomenon; not only as a technical issue.  By examining a range of precedent projects in different contexts and scales, the course will discuss the extended field of landscape architecture to inspire students from architecture, urban planning, and design disciplines who intend further specialization in the area of landscape architecture and design.

The course is composed of a series of lectures and a research period.  Lecture series are assembled under two headings: On “Landscape” and Expanded Field of “Landscape”.  On “Landscape”, the first module of the course elaborates the meaning, language, and milieu of the landscape on a conceptual basis. This part ends with students' presentation on a selected article from the assigned reading list on the landscape.  The second module, Expanded Field of “Landscape”, discusses the inspiring and generative interplay between landscape and art, architecture, urbanism. The knowledge gained from both modules will be reflected through a landscape excursion required to be documented through a critical narration.