Who am I as a Designer? - Attitudes Listing

As part of my Cultural Context module we were asked to fill in our attitudes to a list of elements / components that could contribute to a design approach. Completing the exercise has been hugely helpful in articulating and understanding my personal design approach, as I discovered that my attitude to most of the elements relates back to sustainability and the environment. I have learnt that my design approach is mostly ruled by improving the health of the environment through enhancing biodiversity and climate control. I also hope to nurture the relationships between people and their environment by fostering care and respect, in the hopes of encouraging more sustainable practices within our lives.

 

Biodiversity

In regard to the current biodiversity crisis, I feel it is imperative that biodiversity is at the forefront of any design approach. Increasing biodiversity within the local ecosystem should determine many choices within the design process, with the aim of increasing and enhancing habitats.

Culture

With so many varying cultures, much of which is often found in a single location e.g. cities, it is an element of life that should be incorporated and celebrated in landscape design, enhancing the enjoyment for all who visit a space.

Density

As city populations rise, the density of all landscape elements should be considered and reconsidered in regard to maximising spatial experience. As buildings continue to grow upwards it is vital to take the horizontal landscape and make it vertical, examples of this include green walls and rooftop gardens.

Development

The world is constantly changing and evolving, so development and progress are inevitable. Ensuring development occurs sustainably is more of a challenge, and something that should be considered during the design process. It important to consider how the design will look, not just when its finished, but also many years in the future, as well as how the space can be developed and enhanced to meet unforeseen future needs.

Ecology

Careful consideration of ecology is vital for biodiversity and sustainability - acknowledging the relationships between organisms and their environment and with each other is important to understand the impact a design could have on the wider landscape.

Education

Education within the environment has the potential to have a far-reaching, positive impact on people, whether this be through informative signs and guided tours, or simply making landscapes accessible and inclusive for all. During the climate emergency it is important, more now than ever, to educate people on their impact on the planet, with the potential to inspire respect and care for the landscapes around them.

Employment

‘Ecosystem services are the many and varied benefits to humans provided by the natural environment and from healthy ecosystems’. By creating and enhancing healthy environments, it is possible to increase employment opportunities through maintenance, recreation, tourism, education etc. This should be considered within the design approach to maximise the socio-economic benefits from a project.

Energy

During a design, the production and consumption of energy should be carefully considered in an attempt to create a climate-positive space. Clean energy features, such as biomass plantations or solar panels, are possible to do this, as well as inspire visitors to partake in more sustainable practices. It is also important to reduce energy consumption both throughout the construction stage, as well as during use of the project.

Environment

I have a less is more approach, I feel the environment should be protected and preserved as much as possible, because even the natural ‘flaws’ within the landscape have immense benefits. However, I also understand the important of enhancing and constructing environments for the purpose of biodiversity and climate control.

Food production

In regard to the climate emergency, food production should become more localised, and certainly more common within urban environments. This requires incorporating food within landscape design, whether this be implementing community gardens, working with food production in small spaces, or simply choosing edible plants within a scheme.

Habitat creation

Relating to biodiversity and ecology, the design approach should be one that puts habitat creation and enhancement at the forefront of any project for the benefit of both wildlife and people.

History and Heritage

It is important to research a site and its surrounding area before beginning a design. The history and heritage of a space can elicit creative reactions, forming interesting concepts, as well helping to integrate a new design into an existing landscape.

Housing

Where possible, it is important to prevent the high demand for housing from compromising sustainability and usability. Designing housing from an inclusive, accessible and ecological perspective is vital for creating sustainable development and progress within society.  

Interactivity

Interactive places encourage engagement and can help people form deep connections with their landscapes. This can be done through touch, sight, smell etc, to form positive relationships between people and the environment.

Interconnectivity

Places should be interconnected, in more ways than one. A site should be physically interconnected with others, not only to foster a sense of place, but also to foster walkability and active travel. More importantly though, a design should be interconnected with the genius loci, the elements that give a site its character - the landscape, the history and heritage, the local people, etc.

Land

Our environment is the thing that nurtures us, protects us, provides for us. I feel it should be treated in the same manner, something that should be considered at all stages in the design approach.

Lighting

Lighting can be used for safety and security, but also to highlight beautiful elements of the landscape, and can be designed in creative ways. However, light pollution must be considered carefully for the benefit of both wildlife and people.

Microclimate

When designing a space it is important to consider the microclimate in relation to the climate, as a site could be permanently shady, even if in a warm and sunny country. The microclimate will impact things like planting, wildlife, and human engagement and should be accounted for in the design process.

People

Whilst ecology and biodiversity are important elements to consider, design must also encompass the human elements of placemaking - this includes inclusivity, accessibility and usability to ensure a space is enjoyable for all.

Pollution

The impact on the wider environment must be considered at all stages of the design approach, including material choice, construction methods, waste management, maintenance etc. to minimise the pollution emitted during and after the completion of a project.

Public Access

Accessibility is a huge element in helping people connect with their environment, so every part of a design should be fully accessible for everyone.

Recreation and Leisure

I feel it is important to take opportunities to incorporate recreation and leisure into a design for the physical and mental benefits of visitors - encouraging active behaviour, socialising, connecting with the landscape etc.

SMART Technology

SMART technology can be utilised in many ways to manage and enhance a landscape. In an increasingly technological world, it is important to consider these elements for the benefit of both people and the landscape. However, I feel caution is necessary for SMART technology as, used incorrectly, it could remove the naturalistic experience of a landscape and could compromise peoples’ relationship with their environments.

Social Inclusion

Social inclusion is a huge part of accessibility, making sure everyone feels comfortable within a site by implementing a wide variety of features and spaces to ensure that all visitors can move through and engage with the site with ease.

Space and Place

To me, a space is an area with no defining character or deeper meaning, whilst a place is somewhere with identity, somewhere that has meaning. Any landscape project could produce a ‘space’, but I feel producing a ‘place’ should be the aim during the design approach, with the hopes of achieving a place that is interconnected with people, culture, ecology, heritage etc.

Sustainability

I feel the design process should aim for sustainability in all practices, meeting the needs of the present without compromising those in the future.

Transport

In order to be sustainable, transport to and through a landscape must be considered. Encouraging and facilitating active travel is the ideal, however, where this is not possible, enhanced public transport can also be a more sustainable option - both of these should be incorporated into a project.

Walkability

To make an area more friendly for walking, pedestrian priority needs to be at the forefront of a design. This includes reduced vehicular movement, increased lighting and rest points, as well as the implementation of features and sights that make a space more appealing by foot.

Waste Management

The aim throughout the design process should be to make the waste management cycle more sustainable, whether this be simply including more waste disposal points within a site, making waste management more localised, or being involved in the planning and development of huge waste management facilities – it is possible for a landscape architect to have great influence over the movement and disposal of waste.

Water

The water cycle plays a vital role in the health of our wildlife, climate and people, and should be celebrated more frequently within our landscapes. Water Sensitive Urban Design should be considered within every project, with the aim to implement it in some way at the greatest possible scale.

Well-being and Health

Landscapes have great potential to improve the health and well-being of the population, so accessibility and inclusivity is essential within every design approach to ensure everyone has access to natural landscapes. Within a project, ways in which health and well-being could be improved and enhanced should be considered and implemented.

24 Hour / 365 City

Utilised by a wide range of people at any time of the day, any day of the year, the flexibility and usability of a space at any given moment is hugely important to create an inclusive and appealing place for people to enjoy.