Landscape Institute
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Courses by Day
All Programs, Fall 2008
A Horticultural Introduction to Green Landscapes
Rogers, Paul
This module offers the student an opportunity to explore the role of the sustainability movement as it impacts horticultural design strategies. The implications of thinking “green” are many and varied and the use of sustainable practices offers opportunities for designers and horticulturalists to modify almost every aspect of the design, installation, and maintenance of a landscape. Students will explore the concept of sustainability; how to introduce the concept to clients; and examine how sustainable landscapes differ from or support native, natural, organic or xeroscape landscapes. In one form or another, sustainability is part of a new awakening of responsibility toward the environment and landscape practitioners will play a key role in its development and integration into common practice.
Withdrawal deadline: September 26.
627A Fall, Tue
September 9-October 21, 10:00am-12:00pm
2 Credits
Tuition: $495
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American Parks
Zaitzevsky, Cynthia
This course examines American parks of all types from the colonial period to the present. City squares, New England commons, and rural cemeteries are studied, along with parks, parkways, and playgrounds of the Olmsted era. Metropolitan and county park systems, state and national reservations, WPA projects, and contemporary public spaces are also studied. Climate, topography, and local conditions are considered, with examples drawn from Canada and the United States. A research paper is required.
221A Fall, Thu
September 11-December 11, 1:30pm-3:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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An Introduction to the Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library
staff, hortlibrary
The library staff strives to help students and researchers become increasingly independent users of information resources by providing instruction on library research methods that enable them to refine their inquiries, understand the range of tools available, and select the appropriate resources. Join the library staff for an information session describing the scope of the collection, including its visual resources and extensive archives. Special emphasis will be placed on reference tools such as electronic journals.
Note: These workshops will take place in the library at Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain.
816A Fall, Sat
September 20-September 20
Non-credit Course
An Introduction to the Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library
staff, hortlibrary
The library staff strives to help students and researchers become increasingly independent users of information resources by providing instruction on library research methods that enable them to refine their inquiries, understand the range of tools available, and select the appropriate resources. Join the library staff for an information session describing the scope of the collection, including its visual resources and extensive archives. Special emphasis will be placed on reference tools such as electronic journals.
Note: These workshops will take place in the library at Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain.
816B Fall, Sat
November 15-November 15
Non-credit Course
Arts and Crafts Gardens
Tankard, Judith
This module focuses on gardens designed at the turn of the twentieth century by British architects and garden designers. Emphasis is on the leaders of the Arts and Crafts Movement and their ideas about the integration of house and garden as well as on other characteristic trends in garden design at the time. The course examines the work of Gertrude Jekyll, Edwin Lutyens, Thomas Mawson, William Morris, and others, and explores their influence on American garden design. A research paper is required.
Withdrawal deadline: September 26.
253A Fall, Wed
September 10-October 15, 1:00pm-3:20pm
2 Credits
Tuition: $495
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Beginning AutoCAD for Landscape Designers
Williams, Benjamin
This course is for students interested in advancing their existing drafting skills through the use of computer-aided drafting (CAD), a design industry standard for producing construction documents. For those students who wish to work in a design firm, it is a must; for those who wish to open their own practices, it is a valuable tool that will shorten their production time. The course will focus on the fundamentals of CAD.
Prerequisites: Drafting; knowledge of computer operating systems (Mac or PC), word-processing software, and basic manual computing skills.. Withdrawal deadline: September 26. Note: This course has a maximum enrollment of ten students.
523A Fall, Wed
September 10-October 22, 6:00pm-9:00pm
2 Credits
Tuition: $675
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Children and Gardening
Punch, Walter
This module allows the student to look at the many ways children have been involved in gardening historically, culturally, and educationally. We will also investigate the venues where children have gardened, whether domestic, school, or institutional. The majority of the course, however, will be concerned with teaching children about gardens and gardening, the means by which children learn best, and the elements suitable for teaching gardening at their level: basic horticulture, elementary design principles, fun plants, magic gardens, and opportunities to think about and experience gardens and the act of gardening as both transformative and enriching.
Withdrawal deadline: September 26.
272A Fall, Wed
September 10-October 22, 5:30pm-7:30pm
2 Credits
Tuition: $495
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Contemporary Landscape: Water, Earth, Stone
Stella, Marie
This course explores the evolution of the modern landscape from the mid-twentieth century to the present. International in its scope, the course focuses on the work of seminal designers through the use of slide and video presentations that bring alive the vibrant concepts that impel their design. The work of Isamu Noguchi, James Rose, Dan Kiley, Luis Barragán, Andy Goldsworthy, Piet Oudolf, Martha Schwartz, and Ken Smith will be analyzed by students in reference to materials, function, and execution. A three-day field trip to New York will use the city as a landscape laboratory, allowing a firsthand view of major works of public space that both inform and communicate. Conservation of resources and attention to environmental issues of the sustainable landscape will be highlighted.
Note: The New York field trip is scheduled Oct 17–19. The cost of room, board, and transportation is not included in the tuition. The instructor will discuss options in class.
268A Fall, Mon
September 8-November 24, 1:30pm-3:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Creating and Launching Your Professional Website
Pankin, Jeff
This course will enable students to produce a professional or business website using simple computer software tools. After viewing and analyzing several sites and then focusing on landscape and garden websites, students will draft a design for their own site, learning to format and edit web pages and link pages together with a navigation system. Graphics and forms, hosting, and domain names will be covered, in addition to promoting a website. By the end of the course, each student will have a working website which reflects his or her design tastes and professional needs. Each class session will have a lecture and hands-on lab period.
Note: Comfort with basic computer use and word processing; experience using the Internet.
815A Fall, Tue
September 9-December 9, 5:30pm-8:00pm
Non-credit Course
Tuition: $600
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Design I: Basic Design
Bales Van Buskirk, Patricia
This studio explores the process of designing a landscape from the initial inspiration to the finished design. The class begins by abstracting design principles from art. Using landforms as the primary form and space generator, we will explore themes of movement, passage, repose, and threshold. Students are asked to reduce the forms of historical paintings to simple designs which are then "borrowed" to transform a local site. The poetics of painting will guide the design process from the layout of the garden to its details. Students learn to use sketching and model building not only as a tool for communication, but also to explore and further develop their designs. Weekly slide shows and group critiques form the structure of the class and provide inspiration for designs.
112A Fall, Tue
September 9-December 9, 1:00pm-4:00pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Design I: Introduction to Landscape Design
Eisener, Laura
This studio introduces students to the basic elements of landscape design, including spatial definition, proportion and scale, form, pattern, texture, tone, and color. Students will build their skills by completing a series of short abstract exercises such as model building and site designs, including at least one residential garden. Classes will include slide-illustrated lectures, discussions, and project critiques.
115A Fall, Tue
September 9-December 9, 5:30pm-8:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Design II: Modernism in Practice
Wasser, Michael
This studio is designed to immerse the student in the history, theory, and practical application of the Modern Movement as it pertains to landscape design. Students will come to understand the interplay of the modern house and garden, which will be used as a basis for a residential design problem using a site in suburban Boston. By studying the design process through site analysis and program development, students will create a conceptual design that applies Modern theories to spatial organization, order, and the application of building materials. A field trip to the Gropius House in Lincoln, MA will supplement readings and lectures on design theory and a design analysis of a classic modern landscape. Students will translate research and precedent studies into a specific site design. Design exploration will rely on model building, drawing, and design critiques.
Prerequisites: Design I and Drafting.
127A Fall, Thu
September 11-December 11, 6:00pm-9:00pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Design III: Applications
Cavanaugh, Jean
This studio applies landscape design theory and methods to the New England landscape. Projects have been selected to expose students to the diversity of landscape types and the unique design challenges they present. Each project involves many aspects of professional practice, including research, analysis, synthesis, program development, concept generation, legal and regulatory issues, design development, and cost estimating, as well as direct interaction with local officials. Oral, graphic, and written skills are emphasized. Site visits, lectures, slide presentations, and assigned readings supplement the studio.
Prerequisites: Design I and II.
130A Fall, Wed
September 10-December 10, 9:30am-12:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Design III: Applications
Giersbach, Lisa
This studio explores the social landscape and challenges students to think at different scales in the design of an urban park. The role of public parks throughout history and the idea of “play” will be investigated to foster design concepts. Through precedent studies and lectures and readings, students will investigate ideas related to the creation of landscapes for amusement and pleasure. We will explore how these spaces are given form and identity; their inherent needs as flexible spaces that accept the demands of a diverse user program; and the potential for integration of ecological systems within their design. Individual student projects will focus on a re-design of a local public park, with consideration and exploration of its place within a larger system. Students will have input from city officials to comment on development of programmatic goals and site analysis. The studio will emphasize design process and concept development, design development and detailing, and presentation graphics.
Prerequisites: Design I and II.
132A Fall, Thu
September 8-December 8, 6:00pm-9:00pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Design IV: Educational Landscapes-An Intellectual and Professional Practicum
Foglia, Gina
The difference between a good designer from a gifted designer is the ability to integrate information, resources, theory, and the site. Design IV topics will support this while developing a full scope of professional practice opportunities. Students will spend two semesters designing a campus master plan for the Montessori School of Duxbury, Massachusetts. Contract writing, client program development, site analysis, ecological design theory and practice, educational landscapes and learning opportunities, master plan development, and design concentration areas will be developed into abbreviated construction documents and specifications. In the open forum spirit, this studio will have presentations by guest specialists and by the design students to the school community at large. The yearlong program will involve 21 sessions, including field trips and class time, meeting every week in September and then approximately every other week for the rest of the year. By winter recess, a campus master plan will be synthesized using client input. Explorations into detailed individual study topics will be developed through detailed drawings, research and presentation material, culminating in final presentations to the client—teachers and students of the Montessori School—in April, and to the Landscape Institute community in May. (The project will be implemented by the client in 2009/10). Prerequisites: Design I, II, III, and Site Engineering. Note: This studio can be taken in place of completing an Independent Project Studio or as an elective course. History and Preservation candidates hoping to use this studio as an alternate for Independent Project Studio should contact the director prior to enrolling.
141A Fall, Wed
September 10-April 29, 6:00pm-9:00pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $1375
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Designing and Drafting with Google SketchUp
Landry, Nicholas
SketchUp is a computer-aided drafting software that expands a designer's toolbox for exploring and communicating ideas. Developed for the conceptual stages of design, SketchUp is an easy-to-learn and inexpensive 3D design software to assist in streamlining design workflow. This course will focus on the fundamentals of Google SketchUp. It is intended for students who have completed a basic drafting class and are interested in advancing their skills through the use of computer-aided drafting software. Prerequisites: Drafting; Knowledge of computer operating systems (Mac or PC), word-processing software, and basic manual computing skills. . Withdrawal deadline: September 26.
529A Fall, Thu
September 11-October 23, 6:00pm-9:00pm
2 Credits
Tuition: $675
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Digital Image Processing for Landscape Design with Adobe Photoshop
Madama, John
This course will focus on the capture, enhancement, and production of professional black-and-white and color photographs using computer software. All sessions are hands-on, using computer workstations, and are designed to meet the needs of Landscape Institute students. Participants will gain skills in color theory, scanning, grayscale/color editing, retouching, duotones, composite images, layers, textures, and special effects using filters. In addition, web effects such as rollovers, image maps, and simple animation will be presented. Students will be required to do weekly assignments to develop their computer and design skills and will complete four projects during the course: repairing a black-and-white photo, hand-painting a photo, making a composite photo image for a site plan, and designing a webpage. A midterm practicum will be administered to assess skill levels and to give each student feedback on areas that need improvement.
Prerequisites: Knowledge of computer operating systems (Mac or PC), word-processing software, and basic manual computing skills.. Note: Knowledge of computer operating systems (Mac or PC), word-processing software, and basic manual computing skills.
525A Fall, Mon
September 8-December 8, 5:30pm-8:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Documenting the Historic Landscape: The Botanic Garden in Cambridge, 1805-1939
Hammond, Charles
The Botanical Garden of Cambridge is an important episode in Harvard University’s commitment to creating and maintaining a comprehensive collection of plants. Established in cooperation with the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture (MSPA), the three-acre garden once occupied the corner of Garden and Linnean Streets. Early directors were pioneers in plant collection and taxonomy. Although superseded by the Arnold Arboretum and defunct for more then seven decades, the garden still figures in the collections of the Gray Herbarium and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. This class will focus on the Botanical Garden’s site, design, collections, and greenhouse, relating these concerns to other gardens of the period. Illustrated lectures, discussions, readings, and site visits will enhance each student’s research, culminating in a written paper or graphic report.
285A Fall, Tue
September 9-December 9, 5:30pm-7:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Drafting
Foster, Steven
This studio is designed to introduce the student to the basic drafting and graphic communication skills required for professional practice. The student will develop proficiency in basic architectural drafting systems and build confidence in creating scaled plans using industry-standard drawing equipment and media. Basic drafting skills, techniques, and processes are covered. Students will also develop drawing skills used by landscape architects and other designers to compose site plan and site section drawings in black and white as well as in rendered media. Simple landscape construction details using industry-standard formats and symbols are introduced.
511A Fall, Wed
September 10-December 10, 1:30pm-4:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Drafting
Bales Van Buskirk, Patricia
Designed for students with little or no experience in drafting, this studio focuses on the fundamentals of landscape design drawing necessary to communicate design ideas with confidence. Techniques to improve line quality, lettering, rendering, drawn annotations, and organization of information will be practiced. Students will build skills in both illustrative rendering and technical drawing for construction documentation. Single-view drawing, such as plans, sections, and elevations, and pictorial drawing, such as isometric and axonometric drawings, will be covered.
510A Fall, Tue
September 9-December 9, 9:30am-12:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
Drafting
Trimble, William
Designed for students with little or no experience in drafting, this studio focuses on the fundamentals of drawing necessary to confidently communicate landscape design ideas. Techniques to improve line quality, lettering, rendering, drawn annotations, and organization of information will be practiced. Students will build skill in both illustrative rendering and technical drawing for construction documentation. Single-view drawings, such as plan, section, and elevation, and pictorial drawing, such as isometric and axonometric drawings, will be covered.
512A Fall, Mon
September 8-December 8, 6:00pm-9:00pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Field Identification of Deciduous Trees & Shrubs
Cardamone, Catherine
Participants in this course study the distinctive characteristics of the trees and shrubs that are most commonly seen in New England, such as maples, members of the rose family (cherries, crabapples), magnolias, oaks, beeches, and hickories. Students examine bark, twigs, buds, flowers, fruit, leaves, outlines, and branching structures of mature specimens, with approximately 30 plants being covered during each class. A sketch or photographic journal and weekly quizzes are required.
Note: This course will be held at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain.
614A Fall, Tue
September 9-December 9, 9:30am-12:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Green Roofs and Rain Gardens
Kearsley, Ann
Green roofs and rain gardens are emerging as critical components in the worldwide effort to develop sustainable stormwater management and building practices. This survey course will consider green roofs and rain gardens from several perspectives including history, function, construction and aesthetics. The module will provide students with an overview of green roofs and rain gardens–a general understanding of their context, structure and function–and why they are increasingly important elements in the practice of landscape design. Field trips and guest lectures will supplement weekly lectures, discussion and in-class exercises. Withdrawal deadline: September 26.
819A Fall, Tue
September 9-October 21, 1:30pm-4:30pm
2 Credits
Tuition: $495
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Ground Rules: Soils and the Sustainable Environment
Sherzi, Jr., Chuck
This course will emphasize the importance of soil and of the ecological systems and cycles that are vital to the health of the planted landscape and the urban forest. Soil testing methods, analysis and interpretation of results, and corrective action strategies are thoroughly discussed. It is essential to understand the soil chemistry and the biological activity in the soil in order to develop a sustainable blueprint for any landscape. Students will learn about the composting process, including compost tea brewing and application. Insect and disease life cycles and monitoring techniques such as growing degree days and plant phenology will be studied in depth. There will be a hands-on review of the many cultural practices required in maintenance operations, including fertilization, pruning, mulching, watering, and sanitation; proper planting and transplanting methods will also be covered. Assigned readings, case studies, and site visits will supplement the lecture material. Weekly assignments and a final project are required.
624A Fall, Tue
September 9-December 9, 5:30pm-8:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Historic Landscape Preservation Theory
Andersen, Phyllis
This module tracks the development of landscape preservation from its roots in nineteenth-century theories of monument preservation to the most recent ideas about heritage and landscape. Topics include the restoration of Le Nôtre gardens by the Duchênes, the estate preservation work of the National Trust of Great Britain, the theoretical writings of J.B. Jackson and others on the value of vernacular landscape, and the creation and influence of Colonial Williamsburg and its many imitators. Through guided readings and class discussions, students develop an understanding of the history of the landscape preservation movement and its value in shaping responsible treatment today.
Withdrawal deadline: September 26.
320A Fall, Tue
September 9-October 21, 10:00am-12:00pm
2 Credits
Tuition: $495
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History of Landscape Design: Renaissance to 1990
McPeck, Eleanor
This course surveys the development of landscape architecture from the Renaissance to 1990. The principal theme is the integral relationship between architecture and landscape design. Students examine the work of major designers including André Le Nôtre, Capability Brown, Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., and Dan Kiley. Cultural and literary backgrounds are studied in relation to the general development of landscape design in Italy, France, England, and North America. Field trips supplement slide presentations and readings. A research paper is required.
212A Fall, Thu
September 11-December 11, 10:00am-12:00pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Identification and Uses of Evergreens
Cardamone, Catherine
Students in this course learn about the trees and shrubs that coat the winter landscape in green. Hollies, yews, rhododendrons, boxwood, and pines are but a few of the plants that lend stability and weight to created and natural environments. The conifers and broadleaf evergreens hardy in New England are presented by family. Form, leaf and bark texture, and other distinctive features are examined in slides, field trips, and cut specimens.
Note: This course will be held at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain.
610A Fall, Thu
September 11-December 11, 9:30am-12:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Identification and Uses of Shrubs and Vines
Eisener, Laura
This course serves as an introduction to the most commonly planted shrubs and vines in New England, focusing on their distinguishing characteristics and horticultural requirements, and providing suggestions for landscape applications. Species to be studied include old favorites and newly introduced varieties. Students learn to recognize established specimens and to select the most appropriate shrubs and vines for any landscape situation in New England. Height, form, twig and bud characteristics, leaf shape, color, and other significant features are discussed, as well as ways of using these plants in design. Twig samples, slide lectures, and field trips aid in learning to identify plants and provide examples of their use. Requirements include weekly quizzes, two exams, and one design project.
612A Fall, Wed
September 10-December 10, 9:30am-12:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Italian, French, and Germanic Landscape Design
Pressley, Marion
This course explores the gardens and parks of Italy, France, and the Germanic countries from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries. From Italy, we study the early gardens of Tuscany, the Renaissance and Baroque gardens, the great park villas of Rome, and designers such as Vignola, Ligorio, and Bramante. From France, the emphasis is on the early gardens of the Loire Valley and Paris and the grand style of André LeNôtre and his followers. We will examine Vaux-le-Vicomte, Versailles, Saint-Cloud, Chantilly, and Sceaux from the seventeenth century, and the picturesque gardens and parks of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Germanic peoples embraced the formal design styles of both Italy and France, as well as the picturesque designs of England and France. Gardens studied include Veitshöchheim, Nymphenburg, Wilhelmshöhe, Linderhof, Sans-Souci, Muskau, and Wörlitz. The final lecture explores the influences of Italian and French gardens in countries such as England, Spain, Denmark, Holland, and the United States. A research paper is required.
223A Fall, Wed
September 10-December 10, 5:30pm-7:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Landscape Aesthetics
Pashman, Susan
Approaching landscape design as a form of fine art, this course will explore what makes landscape as an art form distinct from painting, sculpture, cinema, dance, or music, what makes it a unique way of expressing human feelings. Looking at the psychology of human perception, students will discover that their experience of landscape is not entirely visual, but stirs emotional responses spurred on by other senses, such as touch, sound, and smell. Landscapes surround and immerse us as we travel through them. They spark an enormous range of feelings that are often ignored or little understood. Through weekly readings and discussions on contemporary landscape aesthetics and perceptual psychology, students will explore the way in which aesthetic theory can aid the practicing landscape designer.
710A FallSeptember 11-December 11, 1:30pm-3:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Landscape Construction
Weinmayr, V. Michael
This studio covers the methods and materials required to produce construction documents. Students will learn about using concrete, wood, steel, masonry, and plastic for the construction of paving, curbs, walls, steps, fencing, decks, and drainage. They will produce two sets of contract documents that include site preparation, layout and materials, grading, planting and detail plans, cost estimates, specifications, and bidding documents. The first set of documents will be very simple, intended as an example of the complete process; the second will be more complex. Assignments will include classroom exercises and homework tasks. A research paper is required.
Prerequisites: Computer skills, including word processing, constructing tables, and spreadsheets..
411A Fall, Tue
September 9-December 9, 9:30am-12:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Landscape Construction
Brock, Sandra
Design intention is expressed by the selection of materials, construction details, and the methods in which they are applied. This studio will survey a variety of construction materials, standard details, and design considerations for building on the land. The first half of the course will focus on engineering concerns and aspects of construction documentation, while the second half will apply construction principals to a variety of design elements, such as stonework, steps and ramps, fencing, proper plant details, outdoor lighting, and more. Students will have weekly assignments, readings and quizzes to supplement their learning.
Prerequisites: Drafting; Computer skills, including word processing, spreadsheets, and the ability to navigate the Internet..
413A Fall, Mon
September 8-December 8, 2:00pm-5:00pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Landscape Maintenance I
Rogers, Paul
This course stresses the maintenance considerations that should be integrated into the design process. Topics such as soil types, fertilizer formulations, lawns, winterizing, mulching, and plant pathology are studied. Students' horticultural knowledge is expanded so that their design judgments result in effective maintenance and reasonable cost. New products and procedures for maintenance processes such as transplanting, guying, and staking are also evaluated. Site visits and case studies are included.
625A Fall, Tue
September 9-December 9, 1:00pm-3:00pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Landscaping with Herbs
Hammond, Charles
Herbs enrich landscape designs with color, texture, form, and fragrance. They are easily adapted to containers and indoor landscapes and provide unique design solutions in gardens for the visually impaired. This course will explore design possibilities for herbs, as well as related features such as benches, pavilions, paving, fencing, water features, and glass houses. Lectures, readings, discussion, and site visits will provide students with a basis for creating a design project for a themed garden or a garden for the blind.
Prerequisites: Design I and Drafting.
117A Fall, Mon
September 8-December 8, 5:30pm-8:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Negotiation and Presentation in Professional Practice
Weeks, Holly
This course focuses on strategy, preparation, and performance in three main areas of professional communication: negotiation, writing, and oral presentation. It is a skill-building course of best practices. Students will negotiate, write, and present during or between classes, using situations relevant to professional practice. The emphasis in all three areas is on what works, what doesn't, and why. The negotiation section concentrates on developing a strategy for using principled negotiation to reach successful outcomes—solutions that will work and satisfy all parties. It also introduces techniques for handling on-the-spot discussion with counterparts. The writing section addresses efficiency, strategy, organization, tone, phrasing, and visual formatting for reader-oriented, content-driven, professional writing. The presentation section focuses on high-quality presentations from the listeners' point of view—well-organized presentations that are well delivered. Withdrawal deadline: September 26. Note: This course is supplementary to Landscape Design Professional Practice (700A).
703A Fall, Tue
September 9-October 21, 5:30pm-7:30pm
2 Credits
Tuition: $495
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New Japanese and French Gardens
Randall, Priscilla
New Japanese gardens continue the tradition of gardens as artworks, while new French gardens are centered around ecological systems. What these gardens have in common is sophistication and elegant simplicity. This module will review several new gardens and attempt to imagine these ideas on New England sites, encouraging expansive discussions and creativity. It considers whether and how ecology and “exterior” art can complement each other. History students will research philosophies behind these new gardens in order to understand our own New England philosophy of open space or research the complex maintenance decisions which must be made on sites designed to evolve ecologically. Design students will be asked to complete a schematic design based on an ecological system or a medium-scale garden as a final project. Prerequisites: Two history courses or four history modules and Design II are required.. Withdrawal deadline: September 26. Note: This course can be taken as either a history or design elective, depending upon the final project.
281A Fall, Wed
September 10-October 22, 1:30pm-4:00pm
2 Credits
Tuition: $495
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Planting Bed Composition
Koller, Gary
Learn how to select, find, group, and space plants as part of the garden design process. Students will look at creating structure in gardens by using woody plants, infilling with biannuals and perennials, and adding seasonal color with bulbs, annuals, and tender perennials. The main emphasis of this course will be on shaping lawn and woodland spaces, creating planting beds, and devising planting compositions that are spatially and visually attractive year-round.
Withdrawal deadline: October 2.
623A Fall, Thu
September 11-November 13, 5:30pm-8:00pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Research and Bibliography in Landscape Studies
Punch, Walter
This module introduces students to proper research methods and a wide range of information sources, both electronic and conventional. After discussion of various approaches to research, the bulk of the course will be devoted to several kinds of resources: reference works, databases, monographs, journals and periodicals, archives, photographs, oral histories, design materials, interviews, and learning tools. The student will become familiar with the organization of libraries of different types and develop skill in going beyond secondary sources in their search for information. The course is of particular use to those who have been out of college for a while and wish to do serious research in landscape historical and preservation studies. No special level of computer skills is assumed.
Withdrawal deadline: September 26.
252A Fall, Thu
September 11-October 23, 5:30pm-7:30pm
2 Credits
Tuition: $495
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Site Engineering I
Brock, Sandra
This studio explores aspects of site engineering employed in the development and implementation of landscape projects. Students will gain a basic understanding of site engineering by developing a set of site plans in weekly studios, and from assignments on grading and basic storm water management design. Weekly exercises will build on one another until a final construction plan is produced. The course will introduce students to the basic elements of site engineering and show how they all fit together.
Prerequisites: Drafting.
420A Fall, Mon
September 8-December 8, 6:00pm-9:00pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Site Inventory for Sustainable Landscaping
Michener, Marty
Plants are the essence of a landscape, constantly interacting with chemical and physical site parameters. Initial site conditions can be determined by a brief inventory of site layout, vegetation, hydrology, and soil. This course introduces students to skills needed to inventory existing landscapes, beginning with plant identification, native and cultivated. In addition to an examination of the abundance and growth of the plants, elements of hydrology, soils and surficial geology will be introduced. The course will also explore modern digital resources applicable to landscaping, plant identification, controlling weeds and invasive species.
654A Fall, Thu
September 11-December 11, 1:30pm-4:30pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Trees in the Landscape
Churchill, Richard
The proper use and care of woody plants in residential, commercial, and public landscapes requires knowledge of tree biology. This module relates the physiological and structural nature of a tree to its success in serving as the anchoring element in the landscape. Understanding the structure and biological systems of a tree are essential in making good decisions about its care. Students will develop an understanding of basic tree biology, tracing the development of a tree from seedling to maturity and relating it to the proper design decisions, planting methods, and short- and long-term maintenance requirements.
Withdrawal deadline: September 26.
648A Fall, Tue
September 9-October 21, 1:30pm-4:30pm
2 Credits
Tuition: $495
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Water and Landscape Design
Wolfe, Louise
In this course students will evaluate current ecological and aesthetic innovation in the use of water in design, using a broad range of projects to incorporate the element into their work as designers, historians, or community stewards. Weekly case studies, readiness and site visits will include discussion on visual perception and ecological principles of water in the landscape; student documentation and evaluation of the landscape at water’s edge; riparian greenways and linear edge parks; the relationship between urban waterways and their surrounding communities; restoration of rivers, wetlands and estuaries; children and water; rain gardens; water in streetscape design and in smaller scale garden designs.
Note: This course does not meet on Oct 1.
711A Fall, Wed
September 10-December 17, 10:00am-12:00pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
Watercolor Painting
Pettit-Barron, Beatrice
Watercolor painting is the perfect medium for field work. The materials needed are relatively inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to carry. Watercolor has the reputation of being a difficult medium, but once demystified it is actually easier than oils or acrylic. Demystifying watercolor is what we will do in this course by working on washes, painting wet-on-wet, glazing, reserving whites, and by learning how to mix color successfully. The course is open to students who are familiar with watercolor, as well as those who have never painted before. Watercolor is a medium you will use all your life—in your professional work, when traveling, and for your own personal pleasure.
531A Fall, Wed
September 10-December 10, 1:00pm-4:00pm
4 Credits
Tuition: $980
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Writing for Courses or Publication
Weeks, Holly
This workshop is designed for students who want to write high-quality papers for courses and for individuals who want to write papers for publication. Emphasis will be placed on good organization and phrasing from the reader’s point of view–how to shape your content, and write good sentences, paragraphs, and sections to convey it.
Withdrawal deadline: October 22. Note: This workshop runs one full-day session on Oct 22, with two one-on-one conferences (Nov 5, 19) between the instructor and each participant.
800A Fall, Wed
October 22-November 19, 9:30am-5:00pm
Non-credit Course
Tuition: $300
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