RHS/GCA Interchange Fellowship

Mid-Term Report

2017-18

Polly Stevens

The Fellowship 2About me 3

Reasons for studying Landscape Architecture as an Interchange Fellow 4

Arrival in the USA 5Classes commence 6A Trip to New York City 8Lectures 11Winter has come 15Conclusion 17Appendix 18

First Semester Classes 18Second Semester Classes 20

The FellowshipThe RHS/GCA Interchange Fellowship is a reciprocal exchange programme, sponsored jointly by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in the UK, and by The Garden Club of America (GCA) in the USA. Its aim is to foster British-American relations; promote horticultural studies; and the exchange of information in this field, and develop horticultural leaders of the future. (RHS, 2018)

Applicants either undertake a 12-month internship at Longwood Gardens or attend the first year of a post-graduate programme at a university in the USA. If a post-graduate programme is pursued, there is the option to choose from a wide range of fields related to horticulture, botany, landscape architecture and environmental studies.

About meMy background in Fine art has slowly evolved into a fusion of horticulture and design. After completing a degree in Interactive Art I became increasingly interested in plants and decided to pursue studies in horticulture. I helped establish a horticultural therapy group called Nurture Through Nature, this was followed by an internship at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and a year long Historic and Botanic Garden Traineeship with Audley End garden in Essex, UK.

Studying Garden Design increased my focus on the use of form, texture and colour within gardens, this interest led towards a two year diploma with the Royal Horticultural Society. After being awarded an RHS/GCA fellowship to study in North America, I moved to New York State where I’m currently working towards a Masters in Landscape Architecture at Cornell University.

Reasons for studying Landscape Architecture as an Interchange FellowLandscape Architecture is a diverse discipline, crucial for merging cities with nature, nature with people and people with each other, creating greener environments for human habitation. The Interchange Fellowship offers support in gaining the skills needed to succeed in this profession. Post-graduate programmes teach Computer Aided Design, construction processes, technical skills, and many other relevant topics. In addition to practical skills, I am learning how to communicate effectively with clients and communities. I believe studying in the United States will provide a fresh perspective on horticultural design, maintenance and Landscape management.

Landscape Architecture is a rapidly growing sector in America, facilitating many prominent post-graduate programmes across the States. I chose to study at Cornell because the course focuses on ecology and design technique, providing opportunities to collaborate on local design projects. The ethos for most classes is based around ecologically friendly innovation, there is an advocacy towards landscapes being inventive in their use of materials and style while maintaining sustainable principles.

The Interchange Fellowship has a great reputation for supporting the training of emerging horticulturalists to an extremely high level where they have gone on to be successful and respected in their chosen field. The Fellowship encourages an exchange of skills and knowledge between America and the UK, which is vital for the conservation of plants and can only benefit the environment as a whole. This exchange of ideas will lead to eminent developments within horticulture for future generations.

Arrival in the USAI arrived at Newark Liberty international Airport on 16th of August after a 7 hour flight. From there I caught a taxi to central Manhattan where the Cornell coach was waiting to take passengers from New York City to the town of Ithaca. I arrived in Ithaca late in the evening, heading straight to my hotel where I would be staying for the next four nights. Unfortunately there were no more rooms available in Cornell graduate housing meaning I had five days to find somewhere to live before classes began. Luckily there was an advert on Craigslist (a website for buying and selling items) offering a room to rent in an old carriage house nestled between Cornell University and the town centre. Fortunately this turned out to be a very nice property with plenty of space and one of my housemates was actually a second year Landscape Architecture student.

The first week in Ithaca was spent exploring the town and local natural areas. Ithaca is located on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake (part of a group of lakes called the Finger Lakes) in central New York. It is named after the Greek island of Ithaca and was occupied by indigenous people, specifically the Cayuga Indians, for thousands of years prior to the arrival of European settlers.

Ithaca Falls Cayuga Lake

Ithaca has a large number of street trees and sits in a valley, where it almost disappears into the surrounding countryside. The town contains many cafes, restaurants and shops as well as two cinemas and a theatre/concert hall for evening entertainment. An abundance of waterfalls and rivers flow through the city with trails for hiking and biking. In the winter cross-country ski trails open up, including a ski and snowboarding centre for people who prefer extreme sports.

Classes commenceThe Cornell campus is the size of a small town, perched above the city of Ithaca in New York State, it contains teaching facilities to accommodate over 20,000 students. There is a climbing wall, ice rink, cinema, theatre, botanic garden and many other delights to educate and entertain, including a clock tower with bells which can be heard playing anything from Beethoven to the Beach Boys.

Cornell Clock Tower

The American term is slightly different from the UK, it is split in half and each half is called a semester. The fall semester runs from late August to early December and the spring semester runs from late January to mid May. I am studying towards a Masters in Landscape Architecture, a subject which is not widely understood. Landscape Architecture is the design and management of

built and natural environments within cities, coastlines, wilderness and everything in-between. The classes are divided into specialisms of design, history, theory and horticulture. During the course we will learn to create designs using CAD (computer aided design), hand drafting and 3D model making. The classes are very interactive; students present their work on a weekly basis and provide helpful criticism of each-others work.

The focus of our first project is the Anthropocene. This is a term coined to summarise the era we are currently living in; the age of man’s dominance over nature and partial alteration of Earth’s natural cycles. In class we debate climate change, use of non renewable resources and the pollutants constantly allowed to stream out into our soil, water and air. The idea behind all this discussion is to provide some grounding on what we should be trying to prevent as Landscape Architects. Hopefully encouraging us to create landscapes that have a positive impact on the people that inhabit them as well as the wider environment.

Class project: photo montage depicting my experience of living in the Anthropocene

A Trip to New York CityWith New York City only four hours away a weekend visit provides a break from classes. However, the horticulture doesn’t stop, even in a large city like NY, plants are still sprouting from the pavement and greenery can be seen in all forms adorning the streets. I stopped by a community garden in East Village, Manhattan, where locals have transformed rubbish into colourful flowers. Further into town, trees can be spotted, wearing knitted cardigans. It’s nice to see neighbourhoods embracing plants as though they were family.

Community garden in Manhattan Tree wearing knitted ensemble

When in NYC it is essential to visit Central Park in Manhattan, a stunning 843 acres of landscaped park, designed in partnership by the American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and English architect Calvert Vaux in 1858. The park incorporates lawns, woodland, gardens and humongous rocks for people to climb, providing a refreshing break from the busy city streets. There’s also the opportunity to go boating on the lake, visit the fairground or take a horse and cart ride through the park, making it easy to spend and entire day amongst the plants.

Trees in Central Park, Manhattan View of skyline in Central Park, Manhattan

Riverside garden, Brooklyn, NY Canoeing down Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn, NY

The Landscape department also organised a class trip to New York City. During this visit we explored several landscaped sites along the waterfront in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The purpose of this trip was to understand how these sites have been designed to improve the environment for local communities and solve problems of pollution. Sites visited included Bush Terminal Park which was previously an industrial site and now has waterfront walkways. Artificial oyster habitats were built-in and oysters were placed in situ to filter the water and act as erosion barriers. The Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn is known as one of the most polluted bodies of water in America. Scape is a landscape architecture firm working to clean up the canal and make it accessible to the public as a pleasant place for recreation. As a class, we canoed down a strip of the canal to experience the site first-hand. This was followed by a visit to the Scape offices to see other projects they are working on and learn about how a landscape architecture firm functions.

Back at Cornell classes continue as the weather drops suddenly and snow covers the campus in a twinkling white blanket. Luckily just before this happens we fit in some final plant identification walks in the Botanical gardens and Arboretum. There are vast collections of Acers, Quercus, Fagus and Cornus, to name a few. The landscape architecture masters requires students to learn a wide range of trees and shrubs suited to the North American climate, for potential use in our landscape designs. As the semester progresses we have more presentations to give, during which, employees from landscape architecture firms may attend to view our work and give feedback. This can be daunting but is also very helpful for understanding how to develop our design ideas.

Plant identification walk Snow falls on campus

LecturesThe lecture series is an important part of the course at Cornell. Twice a month an individual is invited to give a lecture in the Landscape department. Several prominent speakers from within the field of Landscape Architecture have visited, one such speaker was Ken Smith, who's work I have recently come to admire. Ken Smith is a graduate of Iowa State University and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He has lectured at various universities and published books on landscape design. He runs an award winning design firm called the Ken Smith Workshop which focuses on urban public parks and green space. His design style is vibrant and imaginative; using fun, sculptural infrastructure to create spaces which are contemporary and engaging. 

During the lecture Smith talked about several of his projects, these included; the croton water filtration plant; PS 19 Queens; East River waterfront esplanade, Pier 15 & dog run and the Museum of modern art roof garden.

Croton water filtration plant

This is a sustainable green roof and golf course located over a subterranean 11-acre water filtration plant in the Bronx, NYC. The site also contains woodlands and wet meadows with stormwater runoff collected and treated by phyto-remediation, then reused for irrigation on the driving range. From above the areas that stand-out are kidney and oval shaped patches of turf, resembling a camouflage pattern, giving the appearance of something that is man-made but designed to be hidden.

PS 19 Queens

This is a renovated school yard situated in a built-up part of the city where colour and vegetation is sparse. Smith’s mission was to hide the schoolyard fence, liven-up the asphalt paving, provide more greenery and places for the children to work outside. They tried to use materials that were easily available and transform them into something eye-catching, for example, the image of clouds is printed onto fabric and displayed above the fence to hide the road above. They used special paint on the ground and sides of the buildings to create huge circles of colour. The circles brightened the area and can be used by the kids for playing games

East River waterfront esplanade, Pier 15 & dog run

This site reconstructs Piers 15 and 35 and is positioned below a highway in areas. The design has a public esplanade for bicycles and pedestrians, this improves connections between neighbourhoods. The design also features restaurant pavilions, a skating area and a dog run with exercise platforms. Social engineering has been put in place by use of seating with an unusual layout especially designed for social connection, with seats facing each other and lounging chairs. They have also incorporated high chairs, similar to bar stools, which face the water. Beside the water there are fishing balconies, tidal steps into the water, viewing spots and a mussel habitat, called Mussel Beach, this includes folded concrete with vertical and horizontal crevices.

East River waterfront esplanade

Roof Garden, Museum of modern art

This roof garden was created for the new Taniguchi-designed addition to the museum. The idea was to create a garden that would disguise any unattractive features of the roof whilst also making a feature of it. A camouflage pattern is used as a play on this desire to conceal but the style is purposefully striking, using contrasting shades of black, white and green. The materials are deliberately low maintenance and mostly man-made, using recycled rubber chips, crushed glass, crushed marble and plastic to build a landscape of rocks, pools and topiary.

Below are some other key points mentioned during the lecture:

• When working in a city, public and social issues are most important

• Vertical landscapes are not traditionally exploited in landscape architecture but they should be used in design more often

• It is possible use synthetic plants to fill a space before the real plants have grown

• Camouflage is an important element of landscape design in urban spaces

Winter has comeThe holiday break has been filled with adventures in the snow. Beginning with visits to local waterfalls which are lined with icicles and can completely freeze over in winter. The snow is several inches thick, making it hard to travel certain places on foot.

Ithaca falls in winter

New Jersey is just across from NYC and worth visiting for its quieter, residential areas and city parks. Montclair, NJ, contains the Eagle Rock Reservation; 408 acres of hills, streams, and valleys which gained its name from the bald eagles nesting in the cliff edge. The Reservation was designed in the late 1800's by the Olmsted Brothers firm, who also designed Central Park in Manhattan.

I continued travelling up to Toronto in Canada, passing Niagara Falls along the way. Niagara Falls is a stunning spectacle of three waterfalls that cross the border between Canada and the United States. The Falls drop to 57m in certain areas, this produces a significant amount of energy which is collected as hydroelectric power. At night the Falls are lit-up with continuously changing, coloured lights, creating a glowing mist for miles across.

My final destination, Toronto, is a lively city, bustling with people from all corners of the world. It has an eclectic mix of restaurants, shops and cultural sights. I visited the Natural History museum with

a current Viking exhibition and Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. The photography exhibition highlighted the problems caused by pollution, over-fishing and Palm oil deforestation, displaying some striking images taken from first-hand experiences. Another famous tourist spot is the CN Tower; a communications and observation tower which is the third tallest tower in the world. At night it is illuminated and contains a lift which carries tourists skywards to view the city and surrounding areas.

Niagara Falls at night CN Tower, Toronto

Seahorse in polluted waterway Palm oil deforestation Royal Ontario Museum, Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition photographs

ConclusionThe first semester at Cornell has been a highly educational and enjoyable experience. I have learnt a huge amount about the impact of human developments on the land, environmental remediation and design of the landscape. Many subjects I was previously unaware of have been brought to light, leading to further questions and new topics to be explored. The Fellowship has enabled me to enter a world of academic enquiry, deepening my understanding of the planet. I feel more confident in my abilities and excited about future possibilities within the field of landscape architecture.

Thank you

I would like to express my gratitude to the RHS and GCA for providing this chance to study in the USA and guiding me through the process of becoming an international student. I would also like to thank Cornell University for training and supporting me as a student of Landscape Architecture. I would like to give a special thanks to Rowena Wilson, Claudia Lane, Celine Lillie, Peter Trowbridge, Jamie Vanucchi and others who have offered advice throughout my journey so far.

Photos of Ken Smith Workshop projects taken from http://kensmithworkshop.com. Photos of Royal Ontario Museum Wildlife photographer of the Year image details can be found here: https://www.rom.on.ca/en/wpy

All other photos are taken by and copyright of Polly Stevens unless stated otherwise.

AppendixModules covered during first year of MLA at Cornell

First Semester Classes

Seminar in Landscape Studies

Topical lecture series and seminars with a different subject and method each time it is offered.

Examples of lectures to come:

Cristina Castel-BrancoLisbon University and ACB Paisagem

Susannah Drake DLANDstudio, NYC

Andrew Lavallee SiteWorks, NYC

Ellen NeisesPenn Praxis at University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia

Martin Rein-Cano TOPOTEK1Berlin

Dreck WilsonLandscape Consortium Ltd. Washington, DC

Creating the Urban Eden: Woody Plant Selection, Design, and Landscape Establishment

Focuses on the identification, uses, and establishment of woody plants in urban and garden settings. By understanding the environmental limitations to plant growth, students are able to critically assess potential planting sites; select appropriate trees, shrubs, vines, and ground covers for a given site; and learn about the principles and practices of site amelioration and plant establishment. Design followed by written specifications and graphic details are developed to implement these practices. No prior design experience necessary.

Outcomes:• Students will gain a first-hand understanding of the heterogeneity of urban and other growing

conditions and how these various conditions might influence plant selection, growth, development and survival.

• Students will develop observation techniques, practice nomenclature and recognise plant characteristics necessary for the identification of deciduous plants in leaf.

• Students will learn site assessment techniques and analytical skills necessary to diagnose various site conditions and determine how to use this information in planting design and associated detailing.

• Students will be able to select site-appropriate plant materials and demonstrate technically how to develop plans and construction documents for contractor bidding and installation.

• Students will learn new transplanting techniques and have an opportunity for hands-on practice.• Students will be able to integrate theory with practice by working on site-specific projects.

Composition and Theory I

Introduction to landscape architectural design through a series of course modules that engage students in discovering, knowing and engaging the full potential of the landscape medium. In this process-oriented studio students will develop design proposals for real and imagined sites drawing on knowledge and principles from art, aesthetics, science, nature and culture. Each module sequence will also be integrated with the companion LA 5050 course and emphasise the unfolding and emergent nature of design thinking, making and doing.

Outcomes:• Students will gain an introductory understanding of the meaning(s), language and vocabulary of

landscape through direct engagement and experience in observing, recording, assessing and designing landscape sites that are both real and imagined. In addition, students will be exposed to historical and contemporary design theories and practices through such things as lectures, readings, films, excursions and field trips.

• Through design exercises students will learn how to creatively work with the expressive medium of landscape by using aesthetics, time, space, form, composition, architecture, narrative, ecology, plants, landform, climate, hydrology, culture and phenomena, to name a few.

• Students will gain an introductory understanding of landscape architecture as an act of place-making – wherein the relationship between people and their environment is activated, integrated and enhanced.

• Students will learn and practice habits of collaboration, critical inquiry and reflection that are integral to the design process and to studio culture. Large and small group critiques, written and group reflection exercises, collective projects and activities, and studio discussions and dialogues will all be part of creating a supportive and interactive learning environment and studio culture.

• Students will learn and practice the landscape architectural design process as a set of integrated, enfolding and unfolding design acts involving site selecting; site investigating, assessing, evaluating, analyzing; site programming and planning; site structuring, ordering, functioning; site imagining and representing and; site constructing.

• While being exposed to specific design methods and strategies, students will be supported and encouraged to probe and discover their own creative voice and approach to landscape architectural design based on their individual interests, background, values and perspectives.

• Student will learn how to conceive and represent persuasive landscape architectural design proposals and solutions in the form of carefully crafted drawings and models and well considered written and verbal presentations.

• Through integrated design and representation exercises and projects, students will learn how the acts of landscape seeing, representation and making continually interrelate and inform one another.

Graphic Communication I

This course introduces students to landscape architectural representation and teaches conventions such as basic drafting and orthographic drawing (plan, section, axonometric) alongside freehand drawing, collage, modelling, photography and digital representation.  Assignments will be fully integrated with the projects being undertaken in the companion Studio Course LA 5010 emphasising the seamless interplay of landscape architectural design with the activities of drawing, making and representation through which it is conceived and visualised.

Outcomes:• Students will learn, practice and develop habits of drawing and representation that are integral to

their ongoing learning, growth and development as a designer. Generative and iterative drawing, orthographic drawing, drafting, modelling, mapping, diagramming, analysis and concept drawing, photography, collage, modelling and ideation drawing will be among the drawings types practiced.

• Students will learn how to conduct, record and translate field observations and measurements on landscape sites into site base-maps, plans and sections.

• Students will learn how to graphically compose, organise and present well-conceived visual design presentations that persuasively represent their designs in poster, portfolio and web-portfolio

formats. Their learning will include a basic introduction to Creative Suite programs including In-Design, Photoshop and illustrator.

• Students will learn how to digitally prepare, upload, size, store and secure their graphic work for presentation and portfolio purposes.

• Students will learn and practice critical evaluation of landscape representation process and products, their own and those of their peers, through group critiques, peer review and reflection/evaluation sessions.

• Students will gain a basic understanding of the historic and contemporary way that the theory and practice of landscape representation has reciprocally influenced the theory and practice of conceiving and creating constructed landscapes. This understanding will be achieved through readings, lectures and visits to Cornell archive and museums collections.

• Students will learn how to access and use an array of landscape representation resources including books, articles, mapping resources, digital collections, on-line graphic tools, etc.

Design of Landscapes

Introductory survey of the history and theory of planned human intervention in the material environment.  Critical themes, sites, and conditions across time, space, and scale, from the paradise garden to the contemporary megacity, are explored through weekly topical lectures, creative exercises, discussions, readings, and essays. Course culminates in an individual research project.

Outcomes:• Acquire knowledge of foundational approaches to the history and theory of formal and informal

landscapes.• Learn to interpret past and present landscapes as primary records of human values, practices, and

institutions.• Develop skills of theorisation and argumentation through written and visual assignments.• Explore how investigation of past design is part of the trajectory toward innovative future landscapes.

Second Semester ClassesComposition and Theory II

Studio course emphasising the design process and principles in-generating design ideas, concepts and plans.  The course focuses on the aesthetics and functionality of site-specific design.

Outcomes:• Students will become familiar with and gain confidence in the design process as a method for solving

site design problems.• Students will create conceptual designs through site inventory and analysis, site opportunities and

constraints, program generation and diagramming.• Students will be able to refine concepts to spatially-accurate, well-formed schematic designs.• Students will develop graphic skills through both hand-rendering and computer generated

techniques.

Creating the Urban Eden: Woody Plant Selection, Design, and Landscape Establishment

This is the second half of course focusing on the winter identification, uses, and establishment of woody plants in urban and garden settings. Issues of site assessment and soil remediation are emphasized in addition to soil volume calculations, drainage and surface detailing, and planting techniques. Students critically assess potential planting sites and select appropriate trees, shrubs, vines, and ground covers for a given site. Design for specific sites followed by written specifications and graphic details are produced to implement these proposals. Students implement, in a hands-on manner, site remediation and planting techniques they have learned by creating new landscapes that serve to integrate theory, principles, and practices. Together, PLHRT 4910 and HORT 4920 constitute an integrated course.

Outcomes:• Students will gain first-hand understanding of the heterogeneity of urban sites and other growing

conditions, and how these various conditions might influence plant selection growth, development and survival.

• Students will demonstrate the ability to imagine and create landscapes at small-to-medium scales.• Students will develop observation techniques, practice nomenclature and recognise plant

characteristics necessary for the identification of evergreen and deciduous plants in winter.• Students will be able to analyse various site conditions and determine how to use this information in

planting design and detailing.• Students will be able to select site-appropriate plant materials and demonstrate technically how to

develop construction documents for contractor bidding and installation, integrating writing, visual representation and design presentation skills.

• Students will develop a working knowledge of soil modification techniques and know when it is appropriate to use them.

• Students will learn new and innovative pruning, maintenance and transplanting techniques and have an opportunity for hands-on practice.

• Students will learn about turf establishment and management, emphasising sustainable management techniques.

• Students will learn how to develop a landscape management plan.

Theoretical Foundations

This seminar is intended to provide Landscape Architecture Students (as well as Architecture, Planning students) with knowledge of the most relevant histories, theories and critical discourses related to the field from the scope of Landscape Design.  We tend to think that theories provide the insight to embitter practice.  However, there has been practice that provoked and enhanced disciplinary debate and actually generated a "paradigm shift".  The course launches a research question: it is only through the examination of influential design works that we can build the multiple dialogues between theory and practice: explore how theory is embedded into disciplinary production and study how pioneer works create specific and innovative disciplinary literature.

Outcomes:• Students will become familiar with relevant histories and theories that preceded and influenced

excellence in Landscape Practice.• Students will have an in depth engagement with influential oeuvres of the Landscape Architecture

internationally.• Through readings, debates, paper writing, designed and performed interviews, visual exercises, and

field trips, students will be able to critically engage not only to the theories and practices themselves but also to reflect on their understanding of what constitutes the making of critical design theory.

• Students will gain experience building landscape theory through writing and critiquing the writing of their peers.

• Students will integrate writing, visual representation and oral presentation skills.

Seminar in Landscape Studies

Topical lecture series and seminars with a different subject and method each time it is offered. Students will become familiar with a variety of topics that span the full range of landscape architecture theory and practice today.

Personal electiveStudent can choose any class from the entire Cornell class roster