The following is provided by guest blogger, Aaron Roy Coffeen, a soon-to-be graduate from the University of New Mexico:
I recently passed my LEED Green Associates exam. My motivation for this was largely due to a Sustainable Architecture class at the University of New Mexico where I am in my final semester of the MLA program. After two years immersed in Landscape Architecture curriculum this class was a refreshing and eye opening experience. It was an Architecture class that dealt mostly with structures and buildings but it also covered the whole gamut of issues associated with architecture including many site and landscape concepts.
I always knew that architecture and landscape architecture were (or at least should be) partners in design, but I never realized how much overlap there was and how much we can learn from each other. I also realized that there is tremendous potential out there for our landscape architecture services that we either aren’t aware of or that is not pursued. There is no denying that green building practices are here to stay and that they have actually been around longer than our conventional building practices. So why aren’t we reaching across borders more to tap into this market, especially in these hard economic times?
These images are some extreme examples of architectural ideas that could be classified as landscape architecture, or at least make the line between the two very blurry. From these images I wonder how much cross collaboration was used in these ideas? I am sure there was some, but I also see tremendous potential for more. Our skill sets are different in many ways but they also offer the opportunity to strengthen and complement each other. As sustainable building methods are popularized, egos, selfishness, and competition must be put aside in order for us to work together… because ultimately, “sustainability” is about the greater whole …and how can we espouse what we do not practice ourselves?
I agree. We need to be careful not to confine our thinking out our trained profession. A lot of the most creative solutions come from unexpected places.
I took a class in Graduate school called LANDARCH which explored the blurry line between the two professions. While many of your examples physically look like landscapes we also discussed the potential for buildings to function more like landscapes (for example the ability to work as a part of a larger system and have the ability to adapt and change over time). I agree that we have lots to learn from each other.