Travelling for Landscape: Charles Lamb

Charles Lamb (University of Sheffield) won the 2016 LI Student Travel Award for his proposal, ‘Indigenous sculpting of the land: the use of terraces in sustainable water management systems in the Philippines’. He spent a month in Manila and the mountains around Batad and Banaue in Philippine Cordilleras, northern Luzon.

The amphitheatre of terraces at Batad, Philippines

© Charles Lamb

What was the idea behind your proposal?

I wanted to explore how a landscape could be viewed and managed as a whole to reduce the risks associated with heavy rainfall and the associated runoff, with a particular focus on an indigenous culture using a combination of trees and low-technology management and construction techniques.

Why did you choose the location you did?

I have long been drawn to simplicity of form of rice terraces in Asia. Research on how the rice terraces in the Philippines contribute to the management of the landscape remains underpublished, and the possibility of broadening this knowledge base was a great opportunity.

What did you learn from your trip?

The trip highlighted the need for a greater appreciation and implementation of more environmentally appropriate methods of landscape construction within a rapidly developing country. While the knowledge base exists in the Philippines for how to effectively manage periods of intense rainfall with more environmentally sustainable methods, there is little implementation of such mitigation methods in new developments.

How has your trip influenced you and your practice?

I have continued to research and be influenced by more sustainable approaches to the landscape, from multi-layered herbaceous planting with an eye to economical implementation and management, to agroforestry and the layering of the forest canopy for food production.

Did your trip reveal new opportunities for landscape practitioners?

My research highlighted that one should always look back. A push for modernity and sustainability should not come at the expense of accrued expertise, as the lessons from the past can provide a sustainable and economical approach to the future.