HONGFEI LI -TEACHING PORTFOLIO
Contents 1 WINTER SESSION COURSE SYLLABUS
2 COURSE DOCUMENTATION
3 REFLECTIVE WRITING
4 TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Hongfei Li LDAR-2014 A Garden as Meditation Xiao Chen |Hongfei Li
Previous syllabus
A Garden as Meditation - East Asian Aesthetics and Yin Yang Philosophy in Landscape Architecture
Rhode Island School of Design | Landscape Architecture | 2018 Winter Instructor: Xiao Chen xchen03@risd.edu | Hongfei LI hli02@risd.edu Credits: 3 | Level: Introductory level | Form: Lecture + Studio Open to non-majors. Undergraduate and Graduate Elective. No Pre-requisite. M/T: 1:10 PM-6:00PM 1/3/2018 - 2/6/2018 W 1:10 PM - 6:10PM 1/03/2018, 1/17/2018, 1/31/2018 Location: Main campus, BEB 2
nd
Floor
Approximate Material Fee: $100 | Field Trip Fee: $30
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NOTES Based on the teaching experience of this winter session, I refined my syllabus in following aspects. 1.Simplify content and clarify course structure: There are too many things going on for a short semester: Yinyang, meditation, Asian aesthetics(several small topics), Asian garden technique, traditional painting, landscape design, model making, landscape drawing and representation skill. I try to cancel the main focus on Yin Yang philosophy because it is too broad and introduce the overall concept of Yinyang as one small topic in Asian aesthetics. In refined syllabus, the main topics focus on meditation related design strategy. Through simplification and clarification, students can be more concentrated in studying topics in depth.
2. Develop cohesive meditation experience Students feel they don’t fully understand meditation through course. If we can have more meditation activities in class, they may know more about ‘what is a garden as meditation.’ Some students forgot this topic and designed the garden from their personal interest. Meditation practice in class is fragmental. I should develop a sequence of practices.
3. Teach one aspect of landscape architecture design instead of overall techniques. Understand how students from different majors learn landscape differently, especially those who from non-design majors. At beginning, introduce the working process of landscape designer and what are some of the biggest challenges we face in the field and what’s the most rewarding part. This can provide basic background for them to enter this discipline. As for the garden design, I try to choose a small site for student instead of students choosing their own site. It simplify the issue of scale, site problem, and design strategy. So they have more time to focus on design and representation.
4. Integrate more class activities with lectures in order to let students learning by doing and making. At the first session of course, there are lots of lectures. But students’ performance and feedback shows they prefer learning in various way rather than negatively receiving information.
5.Be more specific about assignment’s requirement and objective. Some students didn’t follow the steps on assignment because they didn’t understand why they need to do it. Clarify the objectives and progress will be helpful to arouse their motivations.
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Refined syllabus
A Garden as Meditation EAST ASIAN AESTHETICS AND ITS APPLICATION IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Meditation, a way for awaking both the sense and mind, is used to be a religious practice in Hinduism and Buddhism. Recently, It Has been mentioned a lot in landscape design because of our yearning for peaceful state of our life. Chinese and Japanese gardens, with original focuses on quiet private space, have been taken as an achievement of our poetic dwelling in nature. We will design a journey of meditation in the form of gardening by taking the philosophy Chinese culture and other related theory in East Asian aesthetics. With a series of projects (interpretative collage; sequential section; space study; ethereal garden design) the primary landscape design techniques will be introduced to students step by step. Students will develop their understandings through lectures, field trips, discussions, inclass activities, critiques, etc. At the end of the course, students will conceptualize a small garden in space that represent their own understanding of meditation.
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COURSE OBJECTIVES Learning Objectives: To form a perspective to define and appreciate landscape architecture. To appreciate the importance of meditation today and how the landscape aesthetics and philosophy from the Asian traditions are helpful in this respect. To outline the meditation related philosophy and concept from Chinese and Japanese landscape aesthetics, and to synthesize and apply them in future artistic exploration: a. To understand the connection of mind, body and space through topics of “synaesthesia“, “sequence“, “experience“. b. To understand the Implicit art of Asia, such as epitome, simulation and miniature. Study the metaphor and implications of common natural elements (mountains, stones, water etc.) in Chinese and Japanese Garden and how these techniques forms the atmosphere of contemplation. c. To understand “Volume and Space”, “ambiguity“ and their applications in spatial design. To acquire different skills of representing a landscape design, including but not limited to plans, sectional drawings, 3D models.
Learning Outcomes: Project 1 - A series of interpretation of chosen landscape projects. Project 2 - A conceptual and sectional model of proposed sequence of a garden as a journey of meditation. Project 3 - A final small garden design transform from concept model that represent students’ understandings of meditation.
Course Organization: Lectures Group discussion In-class Activities: Meditation in gardens/parks, Synaesthesia Experiment, Free Writing, Mapping Critique: Group Critique; Guest Critique; Desk Critique; Peer Critique Technique demonstrations Field trips Video Playing In-class Studio Workshop Homework assignments
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Course Requirement: Attendance in all group critiques, demonstrations, slide lectures, and studio sessions. Written midterm and final self-critique forms Timely completion of all homework assignments (see Assignments section)
Contact: Hongfei LI Landscape Architecture MLA II (LDAR) hli02@risd.edu Office Hours: Thursday Afternoon 6:00pm – 8:00pm (by Appointment) LDAR Department, 2nd Floor, BEB, 231 South Main St.
Studio Culture: Consideration, cooperation, and respect are our goals at all times so that we have a working environment that is supportive, welcoming and safe. Please do not borrow without asking, clean up after yourself and always go one step further to contribute to maintaining a good working environment for yourself and everyone. Please turn your cell phone ringers off during the class time.
Material: Drafting pencils, Charcoal, Architecture scale, Watercolor, Color pencils, Vellum, Trace paper, Cardboard, Chipboard, Basswood, Sketch book, etc. This is a general supply list. There may be more items you need as the class progresses. You do not need buy all of these things on the first day of class. See your instructor for details.
Structure: The course is divided into three sections. Section 1: Introduce the basic knowledge of meditation; introduce the related philosophy of Chinese and Japanese garden and how the traditional culture forms and influences the spatial design. Through lectures, case study and interpretive collage, students will start to understand how to appreciate meditation and Asian aesthetics. Section 2: Introduce the philosophy of implication, sequence and synaesthesia design, which developed from the concept that mind, body and space are interacted.. Through more lectures in depth and sectional model, students will be able to form their concept of meditation garden, and organize different moments by the application of gardening techniques. Section 3: Introduce the spatial techniques in Chinese and Japanese garden and how these been fostered by culture and how to apply them to in the design process of a meditation garden. Through studio workshop and critique, students will be able to conceptualize their design into a spatial meditation garden
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collage
concept model
sections
final model
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Class Schedule: Week 1: Class 1
The Overall Introduction of the Course Introduce the importance of meditation today, how landscape garden is a good vehicle to foster meditation, and how Chinese and Japanese landscape garden traditions are particularly helpful in this regard. Lecture 01: Understand the Dynamic and Static Meditation In-class activity 01: Outdoor Meditation Experience 01 Roger Williams National Memorial Park 02 Prospect Terrace (Sunset around 4:30pm) Lecture 02: Meditation garden case study In class discussion 01: Discuss the experience in meditation and meditation garden case study, discuss what makes a place good or bad for meditation.
Assignment 01: Reading: Keswick, Maggie, and Alison Hardie. “The Origins of Gardens” in The Chinese garden: History, art and architecture. Harvard University Press, 2003. 38-55. Forster, Leonard. “Meditation in a Garden.” German Life and Letters 31.1 (1977): 23-35. Project 1-1: Meditation Garden Case Study - Collage and Interpretation Collage and Interpretation: Choose the project that fascinates you and interpret its quality through collages. Be specific about why it is suitable for meditation.
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Week 2: Class 2
Group Critique 01: Meditation Garden Collage In class video 01: Dream Window: Reflections on the Japanese Garden In class discussion 02: Case Studies of typical projects Studio Workshop
Class 3
Lecture 04: Traditional Asian garden techniques and its application> Contrast of Yin Yang: feminine-masculine; movement/stillness, volume/ space, brightness/obscurity, exposure/hide, introversion/extroversion, mountain/water; dense/sparse; straight/curve; upward/downward; great/ small Assignment: Project 1-2: Meditation Garden Case Study - Analogy and Interpretation An Inventive Scroll: Garden, painting, and interpretive model. To understand what makes a good meditation garden. Learn how to represent the features of a garden with graphics conceptually. Reading: Little, Stephen, and Shawn Eichman. “The Sacred Landscape” in Taoism and the Arts of China. Univ. of California Press, 2000. 357-384 Reflection of these Asian spatial techniques in students’ own background. Prepare a brief presentation for classmates.
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Week 3: Class 4
Group critique: Project 1 Review + guest critique
Lecture 05: The art of implication - epitome, simulation and miniature in Chinese (The Images) and Japanese Garden (Dry Garden) Site visit: A small site at RISD campus. Assignment: Project 2-1 :SITE Based on your understanding of meditation and your visit of the site today, try to consider: What is the relationship between the site and your garden? Is it a site that provide the similar atmosphere in your garden? Or does it form completely different atmosphere in your garden? Does it reinforce your initial idea of a garden or challenge your concept? Try to visualize the image of site. Be aware of the elements in your site. Find some images that represent your site for reference. Write a paragraph to identify your site.
Class 5
Lecture 06: Synaesthesia design in Chinese and Japanese garden In-class activity 03: Experiment of Sensory design Students use materials intentionally to create different sensory experience. Experiment on how to represent different senses: Cold, Soft, hoarse, smooth … Example: Visual-Hear, Visual-Haptic, Hear-Haptic, and reverse In class discussion 04: How Synaesthesia and sensory design contribute to the atmosphere of meditation. Studio Workshop Assignment: Project 2-2: Scenarios and sequence Choose a pair of adjectives from spatial technique you like most as your concept. You don’t have to be limited in the five pairs we gave you. Design a series of scenarios for the journey of meditation that represent the idea of your pair.
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Week 4: Class 6
Small Group critique: Project 2-1 & 2-1 Review Lecture 07: Introduction of the philosophy of “Ambiguity” - compare to Japanese philosophy of “ma”, “Interpenetrate”, “Correspond” Students start to think about spatial strategy.
Class 7
Lecture 08: Understanding scale in spatial design In-class activity: Project 2-3: FROM SCENARIOS TO SECTIONS Translate your scenarios into sections in scale. (Confirm your scale with instructor). Draw the sections on hard material(stock paper, cardboard.....).
Week 5: Class 8
Peer Critique and Studio Workshop of project 2-3 In class studio and Assignment: Project 3-1: FROM SECTIONS TO SPATIAL MODEL Depend on your concept and sequence, try to arrange the sections in space to create spatial dynamics. The sectional model you create at project 2-3 is the structure of space. Based on this, create spatial model conceptually. Use different spatial elements(line, surface, mass) to interpret your sectional model. Please don’t use specific object, instead, use abstract spatial elements.
Class 9
Desk Critique: Focus on develop cohesive design for Project 3 Assignment: Prepare narratives and layout for final review.
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Week 6: Class11
Desk critique: Project 3: FROM SECTIONS TO SPATIAL MODEL & FINAL PRESENTATION For your final projects, you are designing a garden as meditation that conveys your own understanding of meditation. It is not simply a garden for meditation. Moreover, it is a garden that forms the experience of contemplation, reflection, or consciousness. The whole journey of the garden constructs a way of meditation. 1. Be specific about the meditative quality you want to achieve in your garden. 2. Be clear about the particular spatial techinique you are practicing in your garden design. 3. Be clear about your site context and how you are utilizing this site. 4. Communicate your design and why it helps you to build your argument.
Class 12
Final review. Course documentation.
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Project 1-1: Meditation Garden Case Study - Collage and Interpretation
Objectives:
Think about if there’s a connection between the
To understand what makes a good meditation
features you find. Are they parallel/contrast to
garden.
each other? Do they have inclusive relation? Can
Learn how to represent the features of a garden
they be shown together or in a sequence?
with graphics conceptually.
Step 5: Make
a
collage
to
demonstrate
your
three
Step 1:
arguments.
Choose a garden that fascinates you most from the
1. The collage doesn’t have to necessarily look like
list below. If you are going to select the garden
a garden, but it should be able to
beyond the list , please discuss with the instructor
convey your point of what a good meditation
before this weekend.
garden is.
Step 2:
2. The resource of your arguments should be based
Research the garden with pictures or readings.
on the garden you research. It could
Give yourself at least three arguments about why
be anything (your own photos, cropped pictures,
it is suitable for meditation.
drawings, etc.) but texts.
Step 3:
3. It could either be digital or physical. If you are
Think about how you could convey these arguments
doing it digital, print out your collages so
with specific pictures/photos/drawings. You could
we could look at it together.
start thinking from sketch. Step 4:
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Cuadra San Cristobal house, Luis Barragan student 1. Student 1. use different textures to interpret the character of Barragan’s space, which is constructed by walls painted in Mexican local material and color. The frontal view create a shallow space but indicate the depth of view through imagination. This approach carries the essence of Barragan’s design strategy.
Her color sense is unique and playful. This interpretation is elegant, and precise in an artistic way, like a dream space.
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Berlin Holocaust Memorial, Peter Eisenman student 2. Student 2 chooses Berlin Holocaust Memorial. His argument focus on the solitude atmosphere and a sense of sublime created by repetition and simplicity. He selectively chooses patterns and images to convey the idea, which is compelling and powerful. It shows that he look closely into the project and does some researches.
This interpretation will be more successful if he can edit some of the images for better integration as a whole. Expanded the pattern on the bottom will be helpful to establish the relation between figure and ground.
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RyĹ?an-ji student 3. Student 3 chooses Zen garden that features in rock and sand. He outlines several moments that form the atmosphere of meditation. For examples, the texture of stones, the shape and arrangement of rocks, the detail construction of water basin and some other concepts of space and time. It is rich but a little bit hard to follow. The images are aligned together without edition. So it looks crowed and fragmentary.
Garden, painting,
An Inventive Scroll:
and interpretive model
ANALYZE (VERB) 1. OF THING MATERIAL: TO DISSECT, DECOMPOSE. 2. TO EXAMINE THINGS MINUTELY SO AS TO DETERMINE THE ESSENTIAL CONSTITUTION, NATURE, OR FORM, APART FROM EXTRANEOUS AND ACCIDENTAL SURROUNDINGS. 3. TO EXAMINE CRITICALLY, SO AS TO BRING OUT THE ELEM E N T S O R G I V E T H E E S S E N C E O F . ——OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY
Based on previous assignment. Each group will have 2 or 3
words?
landscape gardens to begin with.
How can you express heavy/light, dense/sparse... through
Step 1:
materials?
(20 min) Create an exhaustive list of pairs.
How can you arrange the materials in a certain way to
Based on the gardens of your group members, choose 1-3
indicate the relationship between them?
paintings we discussed today that relates to the gardens.
What verbs you are going to use? Squeeze, smash, fold,
The group‘s topics we gave you are generic, please start
hydrate, materialize/dematerialize….
from this pair A/B, develop more pairs that is more specific and descriptive about the gardens and paintings. The words
Step 3:
could be anything but need to reflect the larger philosophy
An Inventive Scroll.
of contrast and harmony.
Based on the models, please organize/edit the images
For example:
from garden(can be section, plan, perspective, collage...),
For group1 movement/stillness, you may write:
the painting(can be a part of painting intentionally) in a
Flowing water/Standing mountain. Or stream in spring/
certain logic to create a scroll. The scroll and models should
freezing ice in winter
argue an cohesive concept for identifying all these things.
Leaves in the wind/tree trunk
It could be transitional/a big contrast/a particular logic
A room in daylight/ A room at darknight
based on your words. The logic should be developed from the pair of A/B.
Step 2: A series interpretive models.
Outcomes:
From the exhaustive list, generate a series of relationship
A series of concept models.(more than 3)
about the words A/B. How can A contrast to B? How can
An inventive scroll.
A transform to B? Choose less than 2 material, develop a series of conceptual models that can translate/interpret/
Group list:
represent the relationship between the A/B. One model
Group 1: movement/stillness
for each type of relationship. You may consider following
Group 2: volume,space/mass
questions:
Group 3: brightness/obscurity:
What’s the logic of making it?
Group 4: exposure/hide:
How does time affect the transition from A to B?
Group 5: straight/curve:
How can the model explain the essential rules behind the
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Group 4. exposure & hide student 1. The student chooses the topic of exposure and hide. He use mirror as base of the acrylic structure of path. Because of the reflection is changed according to how we view it, the path is unveiling as the sight moves. The is an exposed path structure and a hidden path existing in the reflection of mirror. It explains a changeable relationship between exposure and hide. The composition of model shows the dynamic spatial quality, which is valuable for student to carry on in next step of garden design. The model is conceptual in a tangible way, which excesses our expectations.
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Group 4. exposure & hide student 2. This student is the other group member in topic of exposure and hide. She create a maze withing the complex cubes. There are two opening for this structure which show exposure, from which we can look into the interior space. The outer form of model is explicated which the inside space is fascinating in mysterious puzzle. However, when you look into inner space, your view is always changing and there are dynamic spaces for you to discover. This model achieve the relation of exposure and hide conceptual but in different way from student 1. Their inventive scroll is made in Morbius form and constructed by several elements that indicate hide and exposure. The outcome of whole group is solid, compelling and inspiring .
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Group 2. volume,space &mass student 3. This student from group 2 study the relation between volume and mass. The scroll shows a clear argument on how they understand this concept. They carefully choose the image to build this argument. As for one of the models, this is crafted in a delicate way. It looks clean and fancy. The student want to convey that black is mass, white is volume and they can combine together to form a unity. The model is spatial in its thickness. It meets our expectation. If the student can use more structural difference in stead of color, the model will be more cohesive and conceptual.
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Group 5. straight & curve student 4. This group focus on the topic of straight and curve. The scroll is impressive. It is a very beautiful scroll in Chinese style with thoughtful organization. They select tradition paper with coarse texture and articulated moments from gardens and drawing. The layout is elegant with a sense of hand-making beauty. As for the model, some of them are too literal. One of the student argues that the wire is straight and his edition turns it into curve. It shows the results of his edition but explain nothing in terms of the spatial relationship. Clearly some students from this group don’t put enough effort to this project and the outcomes are rough. This group didn’t meet our requirement.
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A Garden as meditation: Landscape spatial design FINAL PROJECT For your final projects, you are designing a
Step 2: EXPERIENCE AND SEQUENCE
garden as meditation that conveys your own
1.Choose a pair of adjectives from Yin Yang
understanding of meditation. It is not simply a
philosophy you like most. You don’t have to be
garden for meditation. Moreover, it is a garden
limited in the five pairs we gave you.
that forms the experience of contemplation,
For example, You can choose: void/solid
reflection, or consciousness. The whole journey of
2.From this pair of adjectives, please come up
the garden constructs a way of meditation.
with: pairs of nouns(objects/scenes/elements in the garden). If you choose: void/solid(adj.), you
This final project is divided in 4 steps.
may write: n. filter/screen; air/water; water/
Step 1:SITE
mountain. Please write down as much as you can.
Based on your understanding of meditation, try to
3.Please
locate your garden in a space you like. Think
movements/behaviors in the garden). If you
about the context of your garden:
choose: void/solid(adj.), you may write: v.perceive/
Where is it? What is the relationship between
view...
write
down
pairs
of
verbs(actions/
the site and your garden? Is it a site that provide the similar atmosphere in your garden? Or does
There are more examples:
it form completely different atmosphere in your
If you choose adj. light/dark , you may write :
garden?
pass/block; n. Reflecting water/ shading under
Does it reinforce your initial idea of a garden or
trees
challenge your concept?
If you choose adj. dynamic/ static, you may write :
Is your garden on an island, in a desert, in a forest,
v. walk/sit ;n. path/seat
between skyscraper, or just the backyard of
If you choose adj.spacious/narrow, you may write
your house?
: v. amplify/shrink;n. lake/stream....
Is it flat, or has dramatic topography?
If you choose adj. sparse/dense, you may write : v. gather/distribute; n.lawn/forest....
Try to visualize the site. Be aware of the elements in your site.
Chose the favorite pair as your concept.
Find some images that represent your site for
Design a series of scenarios for the journey of
reference.
meditation that represent the idea of your pair.
Write a paragraph to identify your site.
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It is a garden that forms the experience of contemplation, reflection, or consciousness. The whole journey of the garden constructs a way of meditation.
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Step 3: FROM SCENARIOS TO SECTIONS
is okay to go back and forth between steps, because
Translate your scenarios into sections in scale.
design is not a linear process. The outcome is
(confirm
transformed from all the decisions you have made.
the
your
sections
scale on
with
hard
instructor).
material(stock
Draw paper,
cardboard.....).
Depend on your concept and sequence, try to arrange the sections in space to create spatial dynamics.
Step 4: FROM SECTIONS TO SPATIAL MODEL The sectional model you create at step 3 is the structure of space. Based on this, create spatial model conceptually. Use different spatial elements(line, surface, mass) to interpret your sectional model. Please don’t use specific object, instead, use abstract spatial elements. Consider following questions: Does each scenario require different space? What is the spatial quality of each of your scenario? How do you define each scenario? How would you manipulate the spatial element to achieve this scenario? Based on different spatial quality, what space is more enclosed, more explicated, more heavy as mass; what space is more open, more implicated, more light as volume? How does the organization influence dark and light? Where is flowing about movement, where is static as stillness? What is the relation between each scenario? Do they juxtapose, interpenetrate, overlap? Or are they separated? What is the element divide them? Do you need transitional space between them? According to spatial composition, you may go back to edit sequence model or even your scenarios. Through making, you may generate a more simple and powerful concept and refine the initial idea. It
EXAMPLES:
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Final Deliverables:
C-Sequence and scenario:
A-Concept:
1.A set of scenarios of critical moments in your
1.Concept narrative, diagram or model.(Design
garden.(develop from project 2-2)
parti)
2.A spatial composition model: a set of sectional
2.The specific aspect of meditative quality you
drawings in scale hanging or be structured in
want to achieve in your garden.
space.(project 2-3)
3.Your list of adjectives, verbs and nouns showing Yin Yang philosophy that is important to you in
Conceptual model:
your design. How this words help articulate your
A conceptual model of (point,line,surface) showing
concept.(from project 2-2,in class activity)
the Spatial Quality of your garden.
B-Site:
D-Complimentary
A collaborative collection of pictures, drawings
projects to projects, discuss with instructor):
or models that helps you communicate what your
It could be:
site is and why you are choosing this particular
A materialized model translated from spatial
site.(develop from project 2-1)
model.
representation(varies
from
A master plan represents threshold, path, nodes. A series of perspective shows specific moment. A collage represents experience in garden. An
axonometric
organization.
drawing
indicates
spatial
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Student 1: COASTAL GRAVE YARD VAST & CRUMPLE This student concept is strong and clear. His site is on an island of desert with ship racks. His spatial design conveys the idea of vast and crumple in an emotional sequence. It represent a sense of sublime within the timeless atmosphere he created. He
follows
every
step
along
the
assignment. At first his scenarios are interesting but complex, as well as his first sectional model. But he gradually simplify it into more cohesive formal language,
through
deconstruction
and re-composition of the scenarios, he finally generates a simple form to achieve his design. The final outcomes are rich and attain high-level spatial design techniques. The space and details works for the concept very well. This a project that exceed our expectations.
Sections Ground Level
B1
B2
Carnegiea gigantea
Fouquieria splendens
Opuntia microdasys
Entrance Path Sand (Desert)
Shipwreck
Concrete
Rusted Metal
Concrete
Rusted Metal
0 4
8
16
Ship Catacomb
Grand Chamber
Sorrow, Empty, Awe, Vast, Monumental
Hopeful, Structured, Pursuing Brightness
32
Materials Ground Level
B1
B2
Sand (Desert)
Light & Shaodws Ground Level
B1
B2
Emotions
Narrow, Overwhelming
Struggling, Intimidating, Confusing
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Student’s first sectional model
Student’s notes
Student’s final model
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Student 2: BACK YARD GARDEN DESIGN-LASTING & EPHEMERAL
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This student choose her own backyard in
her comfort zone and she gain a better result
Indonesia for design context. She has the
as reward. Her drawings are excellent. They
specific data of dimesion of the site so the
show a moment in details with activities. This
design is solid and realistic.
conveys a sense of family and intemacy.
She present us an intimate space for family,
If the design of uper part and lower part can be
which is always interacting with people. The
considered together, then the space will more
movable
cohesive.
furniture
and
curtains
represent
ephemral while the structure and wall represnet lasting. Because of the small scale, she seems to have her design figured out at the first. But the first version of space is simple and not dynamic. We try to push her to re-design the space through serveral experiments. She is brave to leave
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Student 3: GARDEN ON THE MOON-FORCE & SUBMISSION
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This student chooses the moon as her site and develop a series of intriguing design for this fantasy garden. But the design strategy failed in explaining the concept of force and submission. The site on moon has lots of feature as potential strength, but she didn’t utilize them well.
Her scenarios are more like diagram without spatial elements. I gave her feedback but she didn’t change it within two weeks. This student engaged in this class for the first part but seemed lost for the final two weeks.
The concept model is inspiring because it is unified and shows how different elements are organized together. When it comes to spatial model, it lose this quality. The spaces are attached to each other and seem flat.
She didn’t develop descriptive scenarios of each space in proposal and the final model looks rough and unthoughtful. So this project didn’t meet my requirement.
INITIAL CONCEPT
A conceptual exploration between yin and yang, submission and force, and untouched and manmade. Moon Dwellers move through different levels of the garden, each increasingly with more Earth influences, to eventually come to face Earth itself.
TEACHING REFELCTION
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Relationship with students: A survey at first class helped me understand their expectation for themselves and built the beginning of nice relationship. Be rigorous on time. Tell them to allow and have time for second try. allow you to fail, make mistake. do not just settle and finish. Try to personalize. Try to intrigue. Don’t assume students for knowing what I know. They are all new to this discipline. I made a lot assumptions on students work based on my personal interest. Next time, don’t add my thoughts on their project, but ask question to let the students figure out by themselves. Prepare for little conversation for midterm feedback, ask what they feel, what do they want to achieve particularly for the rest of semester,what’s our expectation for them, our thoughts about their participation & work. Understand students will have their own problems. Students have to take their own responsibilities.
Atmosphere of classroom: Identify especially the first class and last class: At first, try to set the tone of class, indicate the pace of winter session. At last, set a more cozy atmosphere for ending. Shows the willing for continuous relationship. Rearrange the chairs in classroom, to form a more cohesive atmosphere for conversation. Identify the purpose of discussion: to form a community of artists. Form a safe place for they to talk about any idea and concept. Create a critique form to highlight the criteria, guide students through questions. Ask questions, guide conversation, pointing some specific points or topics. Be clear about the question I ask. Don’t ask too many questions at one time. It is helpful to point out who will be the next critique because it add some responsibilities on each student. Sometimes, it will be helpful that I reorganize the works, add comparison between works, create natural family and composition between things. This makes the critique more effective and focused. My voice is too calm, and lecture is long. Be more energetic during lecture. Simplify lecture. I use too many sentences in same structure, try to learn grammar for dynamic structure. Students are more active for individual exploration. Leave more time for studio working. Leave time for them to think. I join students in class activity. I experience with them, so I can ask more related questions. Being part of them makes the conversation easier to happen. Students are sitting face each other which is better for sharing mind.
Hongfei Li
Contents: Starting meditation at beginning is a good way as transition. People that are late will be cautious about disturbing others. Some lectures are little bit off topics of Yinyang. We talk too much and left little time for them to experiment. The in-class reading part are long and boring. Students feel distracting to do research during class. We add too many things, students feel overwhelming. The overall speed is fast. Pause when the slides come to definitions and terms, give students time to take notes. Talk about the concept a lot. If can give more detailed example and describe how it is applied in cases, will be more comprehensive. (different ways of understanding)Free writing on concept-(ma….), encourage them to think. Ask them to explain the concept to others, articulate through their own words. The lecture at first part of semester is too many and long. Students prefer to learn through making and experiencing instead of passively accepting new knowledge. They seems more engaged if there are discussions and activities. While some really enjoy the lectures. So I should balance the lecture and activity & studio work.
Field trip is surprisingly successful, students feel excited and curious in the real garden. The field trip provide them opportunity to think about real scale, be immersed in atmosphere, experience it. At first I assume that they may not be interested in field trip because I have been there a lot and feel bore. While from their perspective, it is new and fascinating. I am glad that I didn’t cancel this field trip. We design activity for them to do in field, which pushed them to think and reflect, engaged them more on experience. Maybe more creative activity that allows collaboration. They seem to fall apart individually. Understand how different major learn landscape, especially non-design major. Students want to know more related literature, philosophy, new concept in landscape... more related reading after class. Introduce the working process of landscape designer. Supply more examples of what works and what physical features deliver concepts well. Real world experience in landscape architecture. what are some of the biggest challenges we face in the field and what’s the most rewarding part. Improve collobration. Students tend to work separate. Design more detailed activity or assignment to engage students more in cooperation. Maybe in class for quick assignments. Concept model is not the best way for cooperation. Activity: passing through students. Try to let them create something together in class. Sometimes I listen too much, and was leaded by student’s thought, I should be more aware of where the conversation is going. Try to pull it back when it goes off topic. When student disagree my critique: The first time, I was a little bit annoyed and kept arguing with student. Because I am thinking from my eyes, so I feel it is ridiculous to do something. While the student is from another discipline, he is thinking from his perspective. It is not necessary to argue or to prove I am right to student. I just
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need to leave the question for them for consideration. They will learn it through their own process. The teacher don’t make student agree. Leave the conversation neutral and open. Help them to develop a structure to convey their idea, through conversation, make notes for critical part, and leave the diagram to they. It will provide a guideline when they develop the design.
Criteria: Try to set up a excel to document their progress, including comment, evaluation, grade. This helps to track their progress. We design sectional sequence first and model later. Some students skip the section and scenarios, make model to figure out the space. Model is helpful, but limit them in a certain way. They are not focus on human experience. They kind of don’t understand why the process is designed like this till we explained. Maybe articulate our purpose at first so they understand and can follow. Show more physical examples of assignment, so that students get what is a good outcome what is not, how to go towards right direction. Clarify the criteria, so they know how many they need to produce and why this is important. Be clearer about goals for what students can get out of doing the assignments, like in a general/ broader sense even clarifying if parts of the assignments are for students own self discovery or self directed. Clarify objectives of assignment and project, what do I want they to learn and achieve, what’s the expectations? Clarify the criteria, it may has different level and hierarchy.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
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“Landscape is what people perceive and give value to their surroundings.” “A way of seeing, a way of thinking about the physical world.”
---- The Multicultural Landscape, Diedrich Bruns
Meanings
of
PERCEPTION To inspire students’ passion and cultivate their appreciation for nature through their own perceptive ways
I would like to start my teaching philosophy with Henry David Thoreau’s book, Walden. For me, my dedication to landscape design happened because of a kind invitation from Walden. Thoreau has presented a gorgeous world of nature to me through this book. He lived in a cabin by the lake and perceived every subtle detail of nature, such as the sun’s fading brightness, the changing colors of Walden’s seasons, and a lonely loon in the pond. Thoreau is my first instructor in landscape design. Perceiving nature with heart and soul is significant for a landscape architect. Clarity of moments occur when I am touched by nature, and I accumulate these and they gradually become the source of my inspiration. My attempt to convey the beauty I perceive from nature is the initial motivation for my design and is how I teach. A well-planned field trip is the best way to let the students become immersed in nature. Stepping one’s foot in mud and getting dirty, pacing in shallow sea and feeling its coolness and gentle lapping waves, lying on the grass and being caught by the fresh breeze; these establish a sensory memory in landscape study and help one gain a deeper insight into the beauty of nature. I cannot imagine that one can design an inspiring moment if he or she hasn’t experienced a meaningful relationship to nature. One will never have a similar opportunity to be moved by nature without perceiving. Refining perception through a variety of carefully selected field trips will build an intimate relationship between student and nature. Inspiring students’ passion and cultivating their appreciation for nature through their own perceptive ways are the beginning of their lifelong study in landscape architecture.
Hongfei Li
“Landscape is a part of political, economic, social, and cultural concepts” -------The Multicultural Meanings of Landscape, Diedrich Bruns
CONTEXT To develop student’s ability for researching and
“Landscapes are human interpretations of ourselves and the natural world” ----------The expanded field of landscape architecture, Fredrick R. Steiner
addressing design questions in context.
We change and utilize nature over time, beyond just appreciating it. Perceiving is not enough. Peirce Lewis points out that our human landscape is our unwitting autobiography, reflecting our tastes, or aspirations, and even our fears, in tangible, visible form. Landscape is a hybrid rather than a series of binary set such as human verse nature or landscape verse architecture. Fredrick R. Steiner expanded the field of landscape architecture and argues that we should develop shared language that reflects these hybrid relationships. It is significant to urge students to concern themselves about what stories have happened relating to the site. Research process can unveil something that already existed but remained obscure or hidden. The more profoundly you know a site, the more unique and irreplaceable your design will be. I will encourage students to research and question: what’s the contradiction in the site, how do people use the space, what kind of ideology forms the site? Analytical thinking advances conceptual thinking and has a practical value rather than subjective assumption. The issue in the site strengthens the concept and fulfills or transforms it into a place-making process. What’s more, faced with the fading local vernacular due to internationalization, we also need to gain more insight by appreciating indigenous culture and learning from it and eventually attaching the tradition with modernity. Students can integrate and be proud of their own culture and also be critical about it.
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“Landscape is being forever combined, as in a chemical reaction and complex process of transversality and transition rather than as a physical entity in itself. “
INTER-DISCIPLINARITY To broaden students’ scope into unlimitedness
--------Landscape 100 words to inhabit it, Bernard Lassus
with integrative thinking which bridges disciplines and leads to innovations and resolutions.
Landscape in an integrated discipline concerned and in relationship with architecture, geography, ecology, art, philosophy and so on. It starts from observation through design and moves into a construction process while carefully maintaining the living character of each sensitive and changeable state. For example, the vegetation itself, the light, the climate, the weather which is always changing with time, and the human activity which is both fragile component and forceful player. I will bring various relating elements into landscape conversation. An interdisciplinary approach enables students to redefine, reflect and recreate.
Questioning & Intentionality To sharpen student’s initial concept and build a consistent logic. Seeking more specific words can generate questions in the visual realm. The word or phrase one use determines the way one thinks. Let students specify the terms they choose during critique and the presentation will empower them to reflect why and how. Asking questions with every step will have its own reason rather than an accidental outcome. Students are sometimes not able to hold their precious concepts firmly through the design process. So it is important to ask them why, but don’t tell them what to do; encouraging questions furthers intentionality. Consequently, they will develop a consistent logic through the whole design process. Students will gain the ability to sharpen their ideas by constant exercise. My teaching philosophy requires students to perceive nature with the curiosity of a child, but to research and design as a professional landscaper with an insight into context combining with one’s own unique personality, and to build like a skillful craftsman and do a presentation like a businessman. My teaching embraces many levels at once, so all students become stronger and clearer in the field of landscape design.