Undergraduates of 2017 attend the Summer Camp of Landscape Architecture in the US

Publate:2019-09-27

This summer (Aug.16 to 30), teacher Shen Chaodong, Zhou Hong and 22 landscape architecture students participated in the 15-day Summer Camp of Landscape Architecture in the US. We paid a visit to more than 30 classic cases of landscape architecture along the west coast and visited several excellent universities and a design firm.

Before setting off, we spent a week working in groups to search for information of these 30 cases. By having a thoro discussion of the schedule, we got well prepared for the trip.

During the trip, we had to get up early and walk all day long in the burning sun every day. Exhausted as the tightly daily schedule, each one of us was still in a high spirit. Coming to the US, we got acquainted with new design concepts and experienced diverse forms of design. Everyone was constantly absorbing knowledge like a sponge.” said Yang Mengxia, the squad leader.

Cultures, materials, landscape concepts and construction methods in the US are quite different from those in China. Walking on the gentle undulating lawn, sitting under the shadow of trees, feeling the breeze from the sea and observing the interaction between local people and the landscape elements, can trigger the heartfelt love for our major and a desire to bring a better landscape for people. And why those time-honored buildings and landscapes lasted for more than half a century infiltrated with the elegance of time are still glowing with of the infinite vitality of classic design set us into deep thinking.

At UC Berkeley, we enjoyed the campus landscape accompanied by teacher Tieu, and got fully acquainted with its specialty features and admission system. In University of Washington, we visited the studio of landscape architecture and listened to professor Winterbottom's detailed analysis on real cases and profound thinking about landscape. Moreover, we felt the working atmosphere of the world class team in SWA San Francisco office and learned how to innovate the expression form of landscape in actual project. We had deep communication with their landscape architects and benefited a lot.

This special training campmade everyone deeply perceive the change and trend of modern landscape design in the US, opened up everyone's field. By studying the design experience of various parks and open urban space, we were inspired of learning interest and social responsibility of a landscape architect in the future. Next month, we will summarize the experience of this trip and choose the angle we are interested in to write reports, and display in the college.