This year, MLA 1 students delved into various learning environments to thoroughly explore the field of landscape architecture. Through hands-on experiences at real sites across Greater Manchester in the design atelier and technology studios, students gained insights into the complexities of landscape systems, tackling social, environmental, ecological, technical, and theoretical aspects.

The ‘MLA Studio+’ unit designed to support the landscape design studios allowed students to explore digital and analogue skills to underpin their studio work. Exciting developments in our technology and planting design studios, provide the opportunity for students to engage directly with the construction of All Saints Park on our MMU campus. Visits to plant nurseries and exploration of innovative landscapes such as Mayfield Park and RHS Bridgewater further enriched their educational journey.

Exposure to alternative perspectives on landscape architecture history and questions on sustainable urban futures underpinned a theoretical discourse to support critical engagement with landscape. Students concluded the year with an MSA Live project of their choice, empowering them to collaborate with real communities and effect tangible change. Other highlights of the year included a guided tour of Birkenhead Park led by Marie Le Devehat, the World Project Heritage Officer, a visit to Anthony Gormley’s Another Place project at Crosby beach and a collaborative studio review with the University of Salford, under the guidance of Professor Jala Makhzoumi.

Studio

Landscape Atelier 1a

Landscape Atelier 1a

The first-year cohort of this year's MLA program brought a wealth of global perspectives, professional expertise, and diverse landscape cultures, enriching our collaboration in the semester 1 design studio.

The studio encompassed two distinct projects, each presenting contrasting sites and objectives. In project 1, students collaborated to conceive opportunities for human-nature interaction. Delving into the subjective experience of place, students creatively documented their ideas and conducted site surveys, exploring themes such as natural processes, topography, materials, boundaries, patterns of movement and activities. Working in groups, they crafted ephemeral installations before transitioning to individual designs, fostering social engagement with nature.

Project 2 expanded upon insights gained from project 1, aiming to design a park that enhances collective landscape experiences. Through thorough research, students identified and centred their design around a local community group, tailoring project aims and objectives accordingly.

Throughout both projects, the MLA Studio+, led by Sandeep Menon provided invaluable support in developing innovative communication methods for conveying research, design evolution, and final outputs. Leveraging a variety of techniques and approaches, students showcased their creativity and ingenuity, as exemplified in the accompanying student work.

Landscape Atelier 1b

Landscape Atelier 1b

The second semester design studio of MLA1 was centred on a site on the periphery of both Stockport's green belt and town centre and presented students with the challenge to design across scales from 1:10,000 to 1:50. Entitled "Sustainable Stockport," the brief tasked students with creating a multi-dimensional landscape fostering sustainable lifestyles and integrating mixed-use spaces for Stockport's existing and emerging intentional communities. Students addressed global issues including climate change, biodiversity loss, and housing shortages. During the initial site analysis phase, students collaborated in groups, focusing on themes such as biodiversity net gain, positive carbon landscapes, and community resilience to compile a rich repository of information, which in turn served as a resource for crafting multi-layered, intricate strategic proposals characterized by both design rigor and informed justification.

Considering local context and global imperatives, students refined complex proposals. Designing key areas within the master strategy showcased technical prowess and vision for an integrated landscape system supporting a cohesive and sustainable community. The resulting projects championed each student's agenda and were grounded in reconciling social and ecological needs.

To complete the unit MLA students worked collaboratively with Master of Architecture year 1 and MA Architecture and Adaptive Reuse with BA (Hons) Architecture Foundation, year 1 and 2, to undertake a variety of MSA LIVE projects engaging with external partners to create social impact benefitting communities across greater Manchester.

Humanities

Landscape Studies 1a

Landscape Studies 1a

LS1A introduced alternative perspectives on the history of landscape architecture. The traditional canon of landscape architecture focuses on stylistic developments overlooking the social, political, and cultural factors that underlie landscape creation. In this unit, we explored the structures of power that underpin landscape architecture through six key themes of NATURE, GENDER, RACE, CLASS, POLITICS, TERRITORY. Through these thematic discussions we questioned the traditional canon set forward in Jellicoe’s ‘The Landscape of Man’ to question the ‘imagined line of progress’ (Raxworthy 2018) and instead explore some of the ‘many different versions of history’ (John Dixon Hunt).

The unit adopted ‘epistemic disobedience’ (Raxworthy 2018) to reorient the pedagogic approach towards landscape history, encompassing other knowledges and practices by decentring the European-, male-, white-, cis-, middle class-, dominated histories of our conventional subject textbooks. The students researched on a diverse set of global case studies exploring intersectional aspects of a range of historic landscapes from across the world and studied them through multiple lenses.

Landscape Studies 1b

Landscape Studies 1b

Sustainable Urban Futures is one of the central aspects of our holistic and pluralistic approach to teaching on the climate and biodiversity emergency. Taught to both BA2 and MLA1, students learned about climate justice, climate change adaptation, and the difficulties in defining ‘net zero’. We welcomed guest lectures from Dr. Barnabas Calder (University of Liverpool) which drew on his award-winning book ‘Architecture: From Pre-history to Climate Emergency’, Professor Luca Csepely-Knorr who discussed ‘Context, precedent, antithesis: the role of nature in architecture’, and Becky Sobell on ‘Is nature a human construct?’. The course draws on literature from a variety of disciplines to help students understand the importance of developing a theoretically informed position when addressing the climate emergency. Central to the course is an appreciation of the complex social, environmental, and economic contexts within which the built environment disciplines operate, and how this translates into an ethical and moral responsibility towards engaging with the climate emergency.

Technology

Landscape Studies 2a

Landscape Studies 2a (Technology)

Landscape Studies 2a Unit is designed to introduce the MLA 1 students to the basic characteristics/ applications of a range of materials (both inert and living) and processes of relevance to the discipline of landscape architecture. Through a series of structured explorations, the students developed an awareness of the technological aspects of landscape architecture including characteristics of site conditions, landscape grading, detailing of hardscapes and comprehensive planting knowledge, life-cycle analysis of materials and the application of this knowledge in the design process.

The unit also included projects that introduced the students to a range of technical skills critical to the implementation of landscape proposals such as technical drawing using appropriate drawing software, levels surveys, and surveying techniques. The tutors and the guest speakers provided contextual knowledge scaffolded with a series of live case studies, landscape construction site visits including a planting nursery visit and hands-on topographic surveying experience thus giving further insights into the design decisions and material choices, and the wide range of considerations which are imperative for a comprehensive understanding of landscape technologies.

Landscape Studies 2b

Landscape Studies 2b (Technology)

In Landscape Studies 2b, students delved deeper into the urban ecological issues and their correlation with landscape architecture, building upon the foundational knowledge acquired in the preceding semester. This unit encompassed a comprehensive exploration of emerging policies, initiatives, and strategies pertinent to the field. Students are equipped with the expertise to develop technical construction documents, conduct thorough reviews for code compliance, and draft construction specifications for various construction details. By gaining insight into the multifaceted technical aspects inherent in a complex-built landscape, students are primed to apply this knowledge effectively. Through a series of meticulous material studies, they further refine their understanding and are empowered to generate alternative design drawings for designated areas within their own design projects from their Landscape Atelier 1A. The curriculum emphasizes the importance of understanding the ecology, conservation, and management requirements of diverse plant species, alongside their contextual utilization. The unit included a study visit to the RHS Bridgewater Gardens. The holistic approach was designed to equip the students with the necessary skills to navigate the intricate interplay between ecological considerations and landscape architecture, fostering a comprehensive understanding of sustainable design practices.