Teaching Landscape: the HKU Model

Abstract

Traditionally the teaching of landscape architecture has addressed the ‘what?’ and ‘how?’ of the discipline, in which students learn the elements of the landscape and their different typological applications. But what if we start with different questions: ‘why?’ and ‘who?”. Why is the landscape the way it is? Why do we want to change it? Who decides, who makes the change, and who benefits or is impacted by the changes? In this presentation, Mathew Pryor looks at a new approach to teaching landscape architecture being developed at HKU that challenges students to first to understand the landscape and the people, and the systems and processes that have created them; then to define rational objectives for change (to mitigate, to enhance, to make equitable); and only then to explore the mechanisms through which sustainable changes can be achieved. Using examples from recent international design studios he will illustrate how this approach is helping students to develop both traditional landscape design skills and knowledge, and the critical perspective as to how these should be applied to address some of the severe environmental and community challenges that we face.