Sustainable Land Development Today - April 2008 - (Page 17) EDSA T eaching Program Schedule Week 1: EDSA presentation to the students on “what is landscape architecture” and discussion Week 2: Review homework assignment – description of students’ favorite places Week 3: EDSA lecture on site analysis and inventory Week 4: Final presentation assignment given – “My Town Florida” Week 5: Students receive templates and design process begins guided by EDSA Week 6: Students final presentation of design solution mation. Over the course of the program, the students’ graphics and presentation skills improved. Working with them more than once a week proved to be quite beneficial. Their excitement grew as they started designing and they produced some great ideas and concepts. As the classes became more and more interactive, all of the students started catching on, verbalizing their understanding and displaying fortitude. The students analyzed an actual piece of property in St. Lucie County, Florida, and were tasked with producing a concept diagram for their own town, called “My Town course work that will introduce students to the fundamental aspects of landscape architecture, which will help them understand that sustainability is the basis of the profession, and the key to blending the natural and built environments. The curriculum emphasizes the importance of the quality of life concept and how the profession makes a contribution to society by providing an opportunity for people to enjoy and thrive in their surroundings. They see the extent of what the profession takes on in the industry, and gain insight into how the field interacts with other disciplines. In addition, the students are taken on an extensive tour of the EDSA office so they could experience a work environment first hand and better understand how a day in the life of a landscape architect is spent. Students see the many roles a landscape architect plays in site planning and creating spaces for people. They will begin to acknowledge the value of a site and its resources, opportunities, and constraints by examining its physical, cultural, and natural attributes. In an early assignment, students were asked to pick a place they’ve been and write a description which included reasons why they liked the location. They were tasked with doing the same for a place they would like to go. Making a detailed account of why particular areas were interesting to them helped the students understand intrinsic value, the importance of quality of life, and even placemaking. By using the school campus and the strategic location of various elements such as the lockers, cafeteria, and open space, the EDSA professionals helped the students see how people interact with space. To expose them to the relationship of land uses, students were asked to consider how space and different rooms are configured at home. Their comprehension of the relationship between the natural and built environment was broadened by detailing examples of local industrial, community, and urban areas. The firm was vigilant in preparing clear and detailed, project-based infor- YOUR NEW MASTERPIECE.> The Mesa® Ashford™ System – now with more design options than ever! The art of randomly patterned segmental retaining walls has reached new heights with the recently improved Mesa Ashford System. Using three distinctive units to create more natural, mosaic-like patterns, Ashford Wall designs are unlimited. Custom and variegated colors and antiqued finishes are locally available. Complete your picture with all of this and the structural integrity and reliability of traditional single-source Mesa Retaining Wall Systems. For Distributor Opportunities Call 866-504-7950 Build your masterpiece today! For more information on the Mesa Systems’ variety of styles, colors and textures, call 866-504-7950 or visit www.tensarcorp.com/m16 today. THE CONNECTION YOU CAN COUNT ON™ ©2008, Tensar International Corporation. 1/2PH-MesaAALDT4C08. Circle 149 • or www.SLDTonline.com/webcard www.SLDTonline.com 17 http://www.tensarcorp.com/m16 http://www.tensarcorp.com/m16 http://www.SLDTonline.com/webcard http://www.SLDTonline.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.