Environmentalism is quickly becoming a widespread mindset which is being implemented all around the world. Many modern societies are looking to incorporate a “green” aspect into current professions and industries; specifically urban space design is receiving significant attention. With this new found awareness, many of today’s more advanced societies are shifting towards applying a green aspect into space design. This new sector of industry is known as environmental design.
A recent study done by the Department of Architecture and Environmental Design at the Iran University of Science and Technology determined that by fusing certain aspects of landscape architecture and urban design there is potential in achieving an ideal environmental design industry. Urban design and landscape architecture are consider to be parallel professions, in fact a study conducted by Professor Mostafa Behzadfar and his research team showed that they have the exact same goals and responsibilities and very similar processes and finished products. The major difference between the two is with respect to how much emphasis is put on each individual goal within the profession.
A sample set of data was collected concerning the goals and responsibilities of both urban design and landscape architecture by conducting a questionnaire survey amongst seasoned professionals in each field. The first question determined what was thought to be the most important role of each profession. The data showed that design, planning, politics, management, leadership, balance, control, co-ordination, and conservation (in order of most popular answer to least) were the self-assigned roles of professionals in each field. This provided the basis to the theory that collaboration was possible amongst both fields.
The next question asked professionals which roles they felt they had in common with one another. The results showed that managing, planning, policy making, conducting, design and controlling were all areas professionals from either field felt like they overlapped each other. Behzadfar posed this question in order to reveal a more distinguished connection between landscape architecture and urban design. To simplify the study, researchers grouped the results into four categories: design, implementation, planning, and guidelines.
The final question included in the study searched to determine the amount of emphasis each profession placed on the four main categories. Urban designers placed more emphasis on the guidelines and planning aspects than they did on the design and implementation of the design. The reasoning for this is because urban designers feel that the guideline and planning aspects should determine the design and planning strategy. Landscape architects, on the other hand, placed more emphasis on the overall design and the implementation of the design. The reasoning behind this is because for their profession, guidelines and planning are made to comply with the model specifically as they differ depending on the project at hand.
Differences in priorities have caused urban design and landscape architecture to have difficulty working together in an organized and productive manner. With this lack of clarified communication within the urban space design industry, the creation of a functional environmental design in modern society has not occurred. However, by observing the similarities and difference between the parallel professions, Behzadhar and company were able to derive an optimum pattern of interaction and co-operation amongst urban design and landscape architecture. Instead of both professions having such segregated work habits and limited interaction, Behzadhar’s pattern suggests a highly integrated and communicative approach. The pattern of interaction would allow each profession to perform their obvious strengths and also provide input regarding the remaining responsibilities in the environmental design industry.
Landscape architects would be in charge of designing and planning of the infrastructure or area. Meanwhile, urban designers would have the majority of control over managing and policy making for the urban space. Finally, in order to properly fit both designing and planning with management and policy, both professions would provide equal input when faced with design codes and guidelines. Each professions input would be highly effective in creating an ideal environmental design because the overall design and management would be connected properly with suitable guidelines. From the collaboratively designed guidelines, efficient controls and co-ordination between each profession could be implemented.
By following the suggested pattern of interaction derived from the survey, landscape architecture and urban design could ultimately evolve into the single profession of environmental design. Societies would be able to begin a new “green” trend starting with the root infrastructure.
Reference:
Behzadfar, M., Faizi, M., Asl, S.R. and Beiklou, B.H. 2010. A New Collaborative Pattern between Landscape Architects and Urban Designers in Environmental Design. American Journal of Environmental Sciences, 6 (4): 344-349 http://www.scipub.org/fulltext/ajes/ajes64344-349.pdf
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