Opening Spaces Design as Landscape Architecture

Abstract

In academic settings, landscape architecture is typically found within schools of architecture and taught using established conventions derived from the Bauhaus and Ecole des Beaux Arts. Students are trained to approach landscape design from an architectural perspective, fitting it into predefined structures outlined by Vitruvius and Alberti, and utilizing materials like chipboard and surface-modelling software such as Rhinoceros 3D. However, once they enter the professional field, they often encounter a practice where architecture takes precedence over landscape architecture. Despite occasional exceptions, landscape architects are often seen as subservient collaborators working for architects and their clients, including developers, speculators, and boosters (Oles and Davis 2014). Hans Loidl, a German landscape architect and university lecturer, who passed away in 2015, played a significant role in the field of landscape architecture. In the early 1980s, shortly after his appointment as Professor of Landscape Architecture at the TU Berlin, Loidl initiated a lecture series called ‘Materials for a Morphology of Open Space Design’. These initial sketches laid the foundation for his book titled ‘Open(ing) Spaces Design as Landscape Architecture’. Loidl’s approach centred around equipping students with practical tools and potential strategies to create well-designed open spaces of high quality. Open(ing) Spaces was conceived as a handbook that outlines fundamental principles in the field of landscape architecture. Its purpose is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the necessary knowledge and approaches required in landscape design. By doing so, the book aims to minimize common design errors by equipping readers with the essential insights and guidance they need