Studio Culture

The University of Oregon Landscape Architecture Department is more than just a department. We’re a collective: thriving and sharing with each other as we work to make our landscapes better places. This document defines our core values and guidelines as an academic community to foster an inclusive, creative, and collaborative environment for students, faculty, and staff.

– Learn more: https://archenvironment.uoregon.edu/landarch/about

The UOLA Studio Education

We focus on understanding landscapes across multiple scales and real-world projects that are carried through to completion. We emphasize thoughtful design and critical problem-solving. The strength of our educational experience is offering design studios and courses with depth and variety intended to train the next generation of landscape architects as sophisticated and effective agents of change.

– Learn more: https://archenvironment.uoregon.edu/landarch/about

Sensitivity to Context

Landscapes are complex and layered, and emphasis should be placed on learning how to respond to a site’s comprehensive history and context through design. Studio projects should have relevance to pertinent world events in and outside of the field of landscape architecture. Sustainable ecological design is a crucial part of the practice and designs should be integrated into ecological systems. Studio projects should also address or acknowledge social inequities, historic injustices, and be grounded in community or historical context.

Comprehensive Processes

Studio is meant to prepare students for the wide range of processes they may encounter as a landscape architect. Studios should be holistic, well-rounded design processes that incorporate analog (hand drawing, model making) and digital workflows. Understandings of design or construction development standards should be inherent to the work as appropriate to the level of each course.

Diverse Perspectives, Exploration, and Collaboration

Our department values diverse approaches, perspectives, and ideas. Exploring new and unfamiliar possibilities is crucial to learning, as is learning to collaborate within that process. Students are encouraged to share approaches and learn from each other. This spirit should be modeled by faculty and consistently pursued by students in all aspects of studio.

Grading

All studios within the College of Design are graded Pass/No Pass to encourage collaboration between peers. Grading standards should be consistent and made clear to students at the start of each studio, with weight given to process, design thinking, and graphic presentation. Students should receive personal feedback on their progress informally through desk crits and reviews and formally through exit interviews and evaluation forms at the conclusion of each term.

Critique

Professionalism is expected of faculty, students, and guest reviewers. Feedback should be constructive and responded to by students with respect. Students are expected to attend all scheduled design reviews.