LARCH 60Cultural History of Designed Places

3 credits · Landscape Architecture · Penn State

LARCH 60 is an introduction to the development of designed outdoor places from the ancient past to present day. Designed landscapes and urban spaces are expressions of cultural values and environmental influences. Underlying all of the designs is the fundamental human connection to, and manipulation of nature as people create spaces that reflect political views, religion, are entertaining or provide personal inspiration and, most recently, show concerns for the health of the earth. While there is discussion of Middle East and East Asian landscapes, the course focuses upon Western civilizations with roughly the last third focusing on North American landscapes. The act of design and art often reveals a culture's beliefs, values, and aspirations. As well, the creation of outdoor places uniquely express a relationship between humans and nature. These designs and the many spaces they provide (e.g. plazas, campuses, gardens, cities, parks, memorials, urban systems, our own backyards, etc.) are aesthetic phenomenon that speak richly of cultural values. This is true throughout history as it is today. The stories these landscapes tell go hand-in-hand with cultural histories, but are not always closely examined. Designed landscapes enrich our daily lives enormously, but are not always observed, or understood as intentional acts of design--in fact they seem effortlessly placed before us. Successful landscape architecture accommodates human and natural functions (as does good building architecture), but the best speak to larger issues: to our minds and spirits. This course addresses the art of understanding the many layers of intent in designed landscapes from the past to present-including those that surround us as we walk through the built environment.