SEEING SYSTEMS AND EXPRESSING VALUES

Rationale

Seeing Systems and Expressing Values raises questions about systems and values related to landscape architecture. Design works should be considered not only for beauty, but also cultural, ecological, civic and learning systems and values. Through literature and precedents, we developed some thoughts and studies of how design works how systems and values are represented in landscape architecture.

Main Take Aways

The readings for this theme introduced concepts relating to features and qualities of systems as well as the dynamics of resilience in systems.

In Resilience Thinking, authors Walker and Salt express that resilience thinking provides a framework for viewing a social-ecological system across scales of time and space. Its focus is on how the system changes and copes with disturbance. Resilience enables and responds to change, and so is essential to sustainable systems.1

Capra presents different features of systems, including that they don’t operate in linear ways, but as networks.2

1. Walker B. and Salt D. 2006. “The System Rules: Creating a Mind Space for Resilience Thinking” in Resilience Thinking Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World.

2. Capra, F. 2005. “Speaking Nature’s Language: Principles for Sustainability” in Stone and Barlow, eds. Ecological Literacy: Educating Our Children for a Sustainable World. San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books.

“Systems vs. Objects”

“Systems: Nested networks as a patchwork quilt composed of interdependent fibers.”

“Objects: Singular entities acting in isolation without any relationship to its surroundings.”

Reflection

This reflection focused on identifying a local example of inspiring systems. Jiaxi identified Portage Bay Grange in Seattle, which stocks supplies for veggie gardens to local honey to livestock, including chickens, ducks and geese. Kirsten Scott-Vandenberge, who is one of the owners of Portage Bay Grange, notes that through “many layers... that combine to make a working urban farm, backyard agriculturists are designing practical, beautiful opportunities to engage people of all ages in the circle of life.”1 Jiaxi’s diagram shows this quoted “circle of life” as an interconnected system.

Relationship To Studio Site

Many good examples and methods could be applied to the Licton Springs – Haller Lake Neighborhood for developing and creating the neighborhood, but these progressive ideas should be changed and fitted to the existing site conditions. For instance, there are not enough play areas and facilities for children in the neighborhood, thus these spaces should be reconsidered and suggested near the residential areas and also protect children from dangerous conditions. Additionally, all systems of the design proposals should represent spatial functions and values including cultural, ecological, civic and learning.

“Once a year in summer, my neighborhood closes the street and holds a neighborhood party. Families in the neighborhood come out on that day. Kids play together, while their parents chat with each other, having some drinks and snacks.”