LAND2152

Assessment 3:  Planting Design

Issued:      Week 5, 11th October 2024

Due:          Week 10 14th November 2024 to moodle with a presentation in class on 15th November at midday.

Value: 45%

Revision: A

Introduction

You will develop a detailed planting plan for a space on the UNSW Kensington campus.  The development of the detailed planting scheme will give you the opportunity to build on the skills you developed in Assessment 2. The final design will need to include at least 20 plant species and a range of plant forms.  Time will be allocated during tutorials for the development of this plan.

Note: All plants in the space need to be replaced.  You can use the existing garden bed layout, but assume that there are no plants in the space.

Aim:  To develop knowledge, ability and skills related to the preparation of planting design.

Learning Outcomes:

In this assessment task you will develop the ability to:

Demonstrate working knowledge of plant species in relation to how they are used to structure planting designs.

Prepare a conceptual planting plan for a small site addressing spatial, visual, temporal and sensory attributes and using informative and evocative diagrams and drawings.

Procedure:

You will visit the space in the Week 5 tutorial to discuss the space, the opportunities and the problems in the space;

You will utilize the knowledge gained in Assessments 1 and 2 to develop a planting plan to transform. the planting for the subject area.

Scope of Work:

The planting design will consist of 6-8 x A3 sheets. Drawings can be prepared as hand drawings or autocad drawings and rendered in colour (by hand, photoshop or other software). Please note that your final submission will be presented in class in Week 10.

You will begin by conducting an analysis of the space. This year we will be designing a planting scheme for the lawn area between Alumni Lawn, the White House and the Colombo Building. You will prepare a preliminary concept for the new area:

You will prepare an analysis diagram of the space (this should be a simple diagram that identifies the problems and opportunities that you want to address);

You will prepare a preliminary concept for the landscape that describes the functions that the planting design will address and the character that you want to achieve.  This will be annotated to describe the design intent and the spatial qualities.

You will then prepare a detailed planting design for the lawn.  This will consist of:

Illustrative planting plan at 1:500 annotated to show the trees actual species;

Illustrative planting plan at 1:200 of a chosen study area of the lawn annotated to show the understorey species – note this should be at the scale to fill at least half of an A3 page ;

Plant form. diagram showing the location and forms of the plants including trees, shrubs and groundcovers for your study area (at 1:200) (refer to Sim – see reference #6 below);

Plant schedule with a minimum of 20 plants including trees, shrubs and groundcovers. Plant schedule to include the botanical and common names of the plant, the plant family, the spacing that you would plant them, mature height, mature spread;

2x sections through the lawn illustrating the mature planting design (one section through each axis). Refer to the Notes section below for additional guidance.

Assessment Criteria General criteria

□ Convincingly and productively engaged in process;

□ Working with appropriate Planting Design vocabulary and concepts;

□ Evidence of development of design ideas;

□   Comprehension and ability to work effectively with plants as elements of design grasp of visual, spatial, functional, ecological attributes of plants;

□ Demonstrated knowledge of appropriate plant palette;

□   Demonstration of scholarship: reflective approach to learning; engagement with the site and available resources;

□ Communication of ideas: use of graphics and text; organization of ideas;

□ Working with appropriate Planting Design vocabulary and concepts;

□ Carefully drawn ideas and thoughtfully laid out on the panel.

Specific Criteria

□ 1:500/ 1: 1000 analysis of the space;

□ 1:1000 preliminary sketch concept;

□ 1:200 Diagram showing plant forms;

□ 1:200 illustrative planting plan;

□   2x sections;

□ Plant schedule;

□   Presentation.

Notes

The big idea -    What is this space about?

Consider it in the context of other UNSW spaces.

What is your big idea for this space?

Prepare a sketch option that relates to your big idea;

Test it to determine whether the spatial qualities, functions, microclimate and shade work in terms of the big idea;

Refine and develop the design - make sure you are clear about what your design should achieve (refer back to the ‘big idea’);

Draw sketches of the planting to show what you would like it to look like.  Does it perform. a spatial

function?  Do you want to create a microclimate? Should you be able to see through it/ under it/ over it?

Consider the form. of the plants, the size and texture of the foliage, whether or not you want to have lots of colour.  Remember that the planting should reinforce your idea for the space;

All plants in the space must be replaced—consider it a clean slate. Selection of new plants must be informed, inspired and thoughtfully chosen, sourced from local nurseries. This means nurseries in the Sydney metropolitan area: see the list of websites below.  You might also look in local retail nurseries (such as Flower Power or Bunnings) and local parks such as the Royal Botanic Gardens or Centennial Park.

KNOW your plants and make conscious decisions about why and how you are selecting them for your design. You may use natives and/or exotic species—your choice. But you must know WHY you are choosing the plants, and what their requirements are for thriving in the situation where you will place them.

You are required to submit your work on Moodle on Thursday night at 8pm and then present it at the   timetabled class on Friday in Week 10.  There will also be two questions (one from your tutor and one from another student) for you to answer.

Plant Schedule Format – excel version provided on Moodle

Resources and Supplies

In the field, you may find it helpful to have:

A small notebook to record information in the field

Your field guide

A hand lens is helpful for close examination and accurate identification

A camera is helpful

Pens/pencils, a ruler

5-10m measuring tape

Recommended Texts

1)   Dee, C. 2001, Form. and Fabric in Landscape Architecture, Spon Press, London.

2)   Reid, G. 1987, Landscape Graphics, Wiley, New York.

3)   Thompson Paul. 2012, Australian planting design, Lothian Press, Melbourne.

4)   Robinson, L.  2003, Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney, 3rd  ed. Kangaroo Press, Sydney.

5)   Robinson, N. 2003, The Planting Design Handbook, Ashgate Press, Burlington Vermont.

6)   Sim, J. 2017, Plants: More than trees, shrubs and groundcovers, Landscape Australia, Issue 154.