Weathering, Maintenance, and Care in Public Landscapes

3 units

How does the design process account for the temporal nature of constructed landscapes? How should landscape architects practice with the future of their project sites and designs in mind? With the increasingly urgent need to create communal spaces that are both ecologically beneficial and socially just, landscape architects must reevaluate standard practice to consider how their designs are engaging with local environments and communities over time. In this elective course, students will look closely at the materials and details of local community spaces to understand how such spaces are weathering in St. Louis and then to imagine how they could be cared for in the future. Rather than the temporary, Instagram activations popular in the public realm, students will evaluate the longevity and permanence of a space and ask how this reflects the level of investment in our communities. Through site drawings, conversations, readings, and a final design project, students will connect intimately with their surroundings in St. Louis as well as with the effects of time on our public landscapes.