The landscape architecture
core course sequence includes a series of graphic communication,
design, and design implementation courses. Additional courses include
LArch 60 (a history course offered by the department and open to
all Penn State students), LArch 127 (a design ecology studio in
which students explore native ecosystems) and LArch 460W (a writing
intensive history-based course).
Graphic communications includes both freehand sketching, drafting,
and hand lettering. Courses also introduce the students to a vareity
of digital page layout and design packages including Adobe Photoshop,
Adobe InDesign, Auto•des•sys form•Z, VectorWorks,
and ArcView GIS. In elective courses offered by the department,
students also have the opportunity to explore other digital communication
venues including digital video and animation.
The studio-based design course sequence begins
in the second year when students are introduced to basic design
theory. Following studios explore garden and park design, site and
regional scale assessment, and planning and community design. The
sequence culminates with a fifth year capstone studio in which the
students take on an individualized design challenge.
The design implementation course sequence
introduces students to basic construction principles, including
grading, site layout, road alignment, and stormwater management.
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Second-year student Ginny Davidowsky overviews
a park project site located in Exton, Pa.,with professor Dan Jones
for LArch 327.
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