Course Description
Current and historic works and individuals in the fields of landscape architecture, architecture, historic preservation, and urban design in the United States. The class will visit significant projects, offices, national parks, and landmarks during a ten to fourteen-day trip to another region of the country.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Research paper on a selected topic and presentation to class.
Athena Title
Field Study in Contemporary LA
Non-Traditional Format
Field study.
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This field study class is intended to provide students with the opportunity to visit significant professional projects and nationally-recognized design offices in the fields of landscape architecture, urban design and planning, historic preservation, and architecture. The class focuses in alternate years on projects and offices in the northeastern U.S. or the Pacific northwest. The east coast version of the trip may include Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. The west coast trip may include San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C. During the course, the class will visit projects that have received national awards for design and planning excellence, provide the opportunity to meet with personnel in those offices who were responsible for these projects, comprehend the day-to- day function of the various offices, and understand the level of professional achievement expected of employees in these office environments. Students are also required to prepare and submit a research paper on one of the sites or offices that will be visited on the trip, provide a presentation to the class on their research project, engage in thoughtful conversation in each office, and prepare and present a poster of the entire trip following their return to Athens. Grades for the course are based upon the successful completion of the research paper, presentation, poster, and participation in all class activities.
Topical Outline
Being a field study course, students should be prepared for field conditions consisting of heat, cold, rain, insects, extensive foot travel, and solar exposure. Itinerary for the West Coast Trip: Day 1 Fly to Seattle. Tour of the University of Washington campus, the University’s Urban Horticulture Center, Gasworks Park, and Woodland Park Zoo. Day 2 Seattle professional offices, including: Jones and Jones, AECOM, Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, and Portico Group. Tour of Pikes Place Market, Occidental Park, Westlake Plaza, and Freeway Park. Day 3 Driving Tour of Northern Cascades Mountain, Rockport State Park, Diablo Lake, Downtown Vancouver, vanDusen Gardens, Queen Elizabeth Park, Stanley Park. Day 4 Vancouver offices including: Space to Place, PWL, Faareveg Smallenburg Assoc.; and tour Vancouver Convention Center and Harbour Green Park. Day 5 Tour of False Creek, Granville Island, 2010 Olympic Village, and Lynn Canyon Gorge. Day 6 Travel to the Oregon Coast. Visit Astoria, Fort Clatsop, Ecola State Park. Day 7 Arch Cape, Three Capes Loop, Cape Kiranda. Downtown Portland walking tour of Park Blocks, Portland State Univ., Lovejoy Fountain, Ira Keller Fountain, Tom McCall Riverfront Park, and Japanese American Historical Plaza. Day 8 Portland offices, including Carole Mayer Reed, Walker Macy Assoc., and David Evans Assoc.; and tour Lan Su Chinese Garden, south Park Blocks, Jemison Park, and Tanner Park. Day 9 Lewis and Clark College, Nike Corporate Headquarters, Washington Park, Rose Garden, Oregon Vietnam Memorial, Japanese Garden. Drive to Mt. Hood. Day 10 Timberline Lodge, Columbia River Gorge, Rowena Viewpoint, Angel Falls, Latourell Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Multnomah Falls, Oneonta Gorge, Cascade Lock. Day 11 Ape Cave, Mt. St. Helens National Monument, Windy Ridge Viewpoint, Weyerhauser Corporate Headquarters. Day 12 Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, Winslow, late night flight to Atlanta.
Syllabus