What is Landscape Architecture?

For a profession/practice that has been in existence for over 300 years by its current formal name, there still lies much to uncover and understand about Landscape Architecture. It is quite easy to reduce it to simply, as google would put it, “the art and practice of designing the outdoor environment, especially
designing parks and gardens to harmonize with buildings and roads.” However, this definition is too simplistic and does not comprehensively capture the ideal and practical nature of the practice/profession. Defining Landscape Architecture in isolation is a feat yet to be accomplished (Gozvada, 2002) , since it is an agglomeration of various fields put together and practiced in harmony (Milburn, Brown, Mulley, & Hilts, 2003) .

Landscape Architecture, in as much as it is an art, it is a science. Its practice encapsulates earth sciences in its application of, I. Land Planning in dealing with spatial organization of services and facilities in space and time. II. Geology in understanding the nature of solid earth components and applying them to best serve human needs while retaining the integrity of the substance/components, & III. Environmental Science by primarily seeking to protect the health of the earth and the health of man. (Indeed Editorial Team, 2021).

Therein also lies application of both Social Science and Life Science. Yes, these are two very different subjects. Life science deals with the study of living things, organic in nature. Plants being a critical element of landscape architecture and design, an understanding of their nature, behavior, and environmental tolerances (Indeed Editorial Team, 2021) , are key pieces of knowledge that are applied in the profession in order to achieve a successful landscape design that will withstand the test of time. A design that will be an embodiment of a proper symbiotic environmental existence and interaction between the living elements of the designed space and the users of the space.

Social Sciences, on the other hand, have everything to do with understanding human society. From interactions between humans and other humans, to interactions of humans with various elements in space and time. For instance, the way a street is used at 8am on a Monday morning may not necessarily
be the same way the same street is used at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon. Parking lots morph into skate parks and gathering spaces for political rallies, may be used as theme parks or amusement parks. In the same way, how two strangers interact seated facing each other, may not necessarily be the same way
they would interact seated back-to-back with a water feature, or hedge, between them. Perhaps you have been to spaces that are designed to encourage interactions and conversations, or designed to completely discourage the same, or maybe to a place that is very noisy on one end, yet at the same time, serene on the other.

We could dive into the arithmetic that lies in the practice of Landscape Architecture. As most people would claim, there is no line of work that is independent of math. This, unfortunately for them that have a particular dislike of math, is also the case in Landscape Architecture. Quantifications, both concrete and abstract, are ever present in the field of Landscape Architecture. On the one hand, basic concrete quantities are needed in terms of areas, volumes, lengths et cetera. Abstract quantities are required as well. For example, quantification of a space’s impact on society, a space’s implication on the moods of the users and perhaps a space’s usability over time.

We could dive into the arithmetic that lies in the practice of Landscape Architecture. As most people would claim, there is no line of work that is independent of math. This, unfortunately for them that have a particular dislike of math, is also the case in Landscape Architecture. Quantifications, both concrete and abstract, are ever present in the field of Landscape Architecture. On the one hand, basic concrete quantities are needed in terms of areas, volumes, lengths et cetera. Abstract quantities are required as well. For example, quantification of a space’s impact on society, a space’s implication on the moods of the users and perhaps a space’s usability over time. To bring all these together, is the artistic nature of the profession. Landscape Architecture is an Art as well. An exploration of the creatives’ minds for solutions to problems in society either before they arise, or after the problem/need has made itself evident. It is an application of creativity in design by exploring the possibilities within the open space, the potential that can be realized out of either simple organization, “Less is more”, or, as it is sometimes said, “There is no simple solution to a complex problem.” It involves pushing limits in terms of creative problem solving, all the while working within the limits provided by the environment to be careful not to have a space bite off more than it can chew.

So, all these put together, help give a better, albeit inconclusive, but more comprehensive definition of what Landscape Architecture really is. Inconclusive because as time goes by, and developments are made, progress is inevitable, and along with it comes change (Gozvada, 2002) . Landscape Architecture
can be defined as a science and a humanity, embodied in artistic spatial organization both in indoor open spaces (Atria, courtyards etc.), and in Outdoor spaces such as parks, streets, gardens and even regions and forest.