Landscape architecture brings together the design of outdoor spaces, plant ecology and site planning. It considers how urban and natural environments can be functional, attractive and responsive to environmental conditions.
Design, ecology and the site
The starting point is the relationship between a proposed outdoor space and its setting. Landscape design asks how people will use a place, while plant ecology and site planning draw attention to the living material and physical conditions involved. These subjects belong together: an attractive drawing alone does not explain how a proposal will work as a landscape. The Plant Biology guide offers related scientific context for examining plants, their functions and their relationships with environments.
Construction, urban design and plant materials
Landscape construction, urban design and plant materials connect different scales of a proposal. Construction concerns how it can be made; urban design places it within a wider built environment; plant materials draw attention to its living components. Considering these areas together helps explain how a design is intended to work. The Urban Planning guide provides related context for considering land use, communities and decisions about the built environment.
Studio work and practical learning
Studios, collaboration and community projects provide different contexts for developing a design. In a studio task, a proposal can be explained, discussed and revised. Working with others also requires a clear account of the design decisions, rather than relying only on a finished visual presentation.
Sustainability and research questions
Sustainable design, green infrastructure, environmental restoration and resilient urban planning are connected areas of inquiry. They can be used to frame a project question about an outdoor space, followed by an explanation of how the design responds to the chosen question. The Environmental Management guide adds a related perspective on environmental aims, evidence and the limits of proposed measures.
For example, a study proposal can distinguish the intended use of a space from its plant and construction choices, then explain how those choices support the sustainability aims of the brief. The question, method and proposed design should remain visible when the work is presented.
Professional interests and further study
Related professional interests include landscape architecture, urban planning, environmental consultancy and independent design work.
Planning further study
For a particular course, request the current curriculum, entry requirements, award details and assessment arrangements. Confirm practical supervision, facilities, placements and any professional recognition directly for the intended programme.
Questions about this subject
How do ecology and design connect?
Plant ecology and site planning connect the living and physical conditions of a place with its intended use. Design explains how plant, construction and spatial choices respond to those conditions.
Which questions help define a landscape-design brief?
Landscape design connects with the quality of outdoor environments and environmental stewardship. Those aims provide useful questions for a design brief: what should the space do, which site conditions matter, and how will the proposal address them?
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The ASLA overview of landscape architecture connects landscape architecture with designing, planning and managing outdoor spaces. It offers external disciplinary context alongside this guide’s consideration of ecology, place and design decisions.
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