Architecture Commons^™

Augmenting The Site Analysis Phase Of The Design Process Using Virtual Reality And Drones, Brandon Blauer

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Virtual reality (VR) is a tool that has been utilized by designers for decades now. In most cases, VR has been utilized in the latter part of the design process. More specifically, VR has been used most commonly towards the design review phase of the design process where people are often looking for a final design suggestion. With regards to the design review phase, there have been many reports discussing the effectiveness of VR. However, there has been little to no research regarding the use of VR in the site analysis phase of the design process.

This thesis develops a …

Bookscapes: A Study In The Interconnectivity Of Landscape And Narrative Visualization And Communication In Landscape Architecture, Tonya Randall

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The fields of landscape architecture and literacy have the potential to be linked through a simulated environment. Through this connection, opportunity for education arises. This thesis creates and describes a program called Bookscapes, which presents a narrative inside a simulated landscape for the purpose of communicating landscape architecture/urban planning principles.

Bookscapes is a stand-alone computer program designed using theories in education and guidelines for virtual and restorative environments (including Huang’s elements, Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory for restorative environments, constructivist theory of situational learning) and the revolving design process in landscape architecture’s communication to clients through 3D modeling.

This thesis first …

Assessing The Impacts Of Laep Extension At Usu: Development Of A Model Framework, Jason G. Parkinson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over several decades, USU’s Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning (LAEP) Department and Extension specialists have engaged Utah’s rural communities through several design-based outreach activities. These activities are intended to benefit both community partners interested in learning how design can positively impact the community in tangible ways, and students, who are given the opportunity to engage with real-world projects. This study documents, evaluates, and assesses outcomes of community engagement projects undertaken by LAEP Extension to better understand the program’s impact over time and come up with approaches that will enhance the impact of future community engagement projects.

This research develops a …

Landscape Architecture Education: A Study Of Patterns, Tanya Rice

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research is focused on analyzing landscape architecture education of accredited bachelor programs in the U.S. The primary intent was to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the current state of landscape architecture education and the direction in which it is heading. This was conducted through an evaluation of each landscape architecture program’s course offerings. The objectives were to explore the degree of coherence and dispersion of course requirements among programs, compare similarities and differences and identify current patterns, trends, strengths and emphases of the programs. Then design course descriptions were analyzed for identification of word families and cluster networks to …

Recreation Community Branding: A Comparative Analysis Within Utah’S Wasatch Front, Lynda D. D. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study demonstrates the role recreational amenities play in contributing to the brand identity and sense of place in Utah master planned communities (MPCs). These MPCs are designed to enable residents to live, work, and play within close proximity within a styled built environment. While the built environment is often branded with a particular identity, these identities resonates with other attributes of the community, including recreation amenities. The study focused on MPCs along the Wasatch Front in Utah, since Utah’s population, along the Wasatch Front, is expected to double by 2050 (Envision Utah, n.d.). Many of the developments being built …

An Evaluation Of Current Applications Of 3d Visualization Software In Landscape Architecture, Jie Yan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The design process is important to all landscape architects. It helps generate ideas to solve problems in an efficient amount of time and insure that all stages of a project are completed. Generally, a design process includes project acquisition, inventory and site analysis, conflicts identification, public involvement, draft products, and final presentation. Among these elements, public involvement has been recognized as one of the most important elements in the landscape design process. It not only helps professionals get projects done smoothly, but it also helps with long-term client retention. Traditional two-dimensional communication methods using renderings, design plans, and maps have …

The History Of The Department Of Landscape Architecture And Environmental Planning At Utah State University, Aaron Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study presents an examination of the history of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning. The study uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to produce a holistic view of the events that influenced change with the Department and it is presented through a social constructionist lens. The qualitative methods were primarily driven by oral history interviews with former faculty, as well as analysis by the author of historical documents. The quantitative analysis involved the use of an alumni survey to measure changes in demographics, values, predispositions, and perceptions regarding the LAEP Department amongst the student body, and how …

The History Of The Department Of Landscape Architecture And Environmental Planning 1939-2014, Utah State University, Laep Department

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning 75th Anniversary

As the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at Utah State University celebrates its first 75 years of existence, it is appropriate to reflect back on the individuals who have laid the foundation for what the department has become, and to trace its evolution from the first two graduates in 1940 to over 1,500 today. Given the amount of time covered, the plethora of actors involved, and the many stories to be told, it is inevitable that events have been missed. It is hoped, however, that enough is presented to provide a substantial overview of the program’s growth and …

Distributed Renewable Energy Generation And Landscape Architecture: A Critical Review, Osmer Devon Beck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Governments and utility organizations around the world have mandated and provided incentives for new distributed renewable energy generation (DREG) capacity, and market projections indicate strong growth in distributed renewable energy generation installations in the coming years. New distributed renewable energy generation utilities, by definition, will be primarily located in built environments near consumers; these utilities are often planned and designed by landscape architects, yet no evidence-based, distributed renewable energy generation research is explicitly done by landscape architects or recognizes the role landscape architects play in planning and designing these spaces. The research and analysis provided by this study indicates that …

Design Guidelines For The Historic Downtown Of The City Of St. George, Utah, Bronson Ron Tatton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This document proposes historic preservation guidelines for the downtown area of the City of St. George, Utah. It grew from a summer internship with the city where I took inventory of the streetscape in the Historic Downtown and prepared recommendations in the form of a PowerPoint Presentation that was given to the city council. This paper summarizes the summer internship and introduces a more appropriate approach based on reflection of the internship. The new approach involves a thorough inventory of the historic character, in-depth research of the historic elements that contribute to the historic character, development of design guidelines and …

Art Landforms A Study Of How Designers Are Using The Landscape, Rachelle Jones

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

By examining the past and present forms of landscape designs, this report will establish a basis to understand one of the core elements of the Landscape Architecture profession. Using the land as a medium for expressing ones art and passions has been used for centuries. Fletcher Steele, Robert Smithson, Alan Sonfist, and George Hargreaves are all designers which have used land as a vital part for the creation of their designs and/or environmental art pieces. They all, in their own way, have been instrumental in how contemporary designers use and understanding of the land has changed and evolved over time. …

The Legal Environment For Landscape Architecture In Utah, Jeffrey J. Scarborough

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper explores and delineates the legal environment for the practice of landscape architecture in Utah. The national, state, and local (city and county), codes that apply to landscape architecture and the related professions of architecture, engineering, and land surveying are documented, as is pertinent case law. Figures allow comparisons to be made between the various government levels to demonstrate contradictions and congruencies, as well as the clarity of the ordinances. Major findings include significant differences among the city and county regulations of landscape architecture and the related professions, and weaknesses in the state law for landscape architecture. Major recommendations …

Landscape Architecture History: A Critical Review Of Its Curriculum And Teaching Methodology, Robert L. Marshall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis is to develop criteria for establishing an effective course in teaching history of landscape architecture. Believing that professors, students and practicing landscape architects all have justifiable concerns and comments as to the way history of landscape architecture should be taught, questionnaires were sent to each of these groups across the country. Based on the responses to the questionnaires, coupled with information gleaned from a review of literature and the author's personal teaching experiences, the course criteria is established.

The research showed that it is important that the instructor be able to select historic periods and …