Hi all,
This my first time leading a colloquium, so while many of the concepts are the same, I am now leading some of the discussions actively. This week we divided into small design teams and discussed what type of project would be completed. For example, it a group wanted to do a strictly theoretical site, a realistic site, or a budget constrained site.
This heirarchy of different project times allows for variation within themes. At the end of the semester there will be the oppotunity for mulitiple designs to be presented, rather than one simple design. The hope is to provide a basis for which future colloquiums and begin, eliminating redundancy.
During the semester every student will lead a small discussion and promote a greater amount of learning. For example, here is some thought about gardens.
We all enjoy a beautiful gardens, small or large, and of almost any kind. Any place that is well laid out, carefully and tastefully organized, and developed into a unified environment, offering variety harmony and pleasurable experiences. Yet such places are not readily common in urban and suburban America. On even smaller properties they are even less present and the need greater.
Why are they rare? Most people do not realize to what extent landscape design is capable of transforming a small property, and if they do, many do not how to bring them about. The issue arises when gardener believes that their site is so limited, they can’t see the opportunities, determining such a dream unattainable.
A garden does not need to be grand, only thoughtful.
Possibly the most important quality to bring to a site and the design approach is respect. Sometimes it is respect for the nature of the place, or respect for its potential. Sometimes it is respect for your own desire as an owner of a garden, and sometimes it is respect for what already exists, no matter how small and insignificant or how imposing.
[HRCNBD]