Design with New Methodolog: The 'Memory' of Land, Land Art, Biomimicry.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a new concept of landscape design methodology using as a case study the design of a ‘symbiotic’ park in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture. This concept addresses the problem of deteriorated landscapes.Presently, one critical issue in Japan is the deterioration of the rural landscape which began one hundred and forty years ago. At the end of the Edo period, a visiting English diplomat appreciated the beauty of Japan's landscape so much that he called it‘the garden island’The word‘garden’suggests that the landscapes have well-tended rather than natural beauty. It is unfortunate that in the Meiji period the concurrent introduction of technology and modernism to Japan has led to the neglect of context in designing environments. Furthermore, the fundamental concept of creating space has been lost during the postwar period of hyper-expansionism. As a result, not only the rural landscape but also most of the city-scapes and town-scapes have lost their‘sense of place. ’These chaotic vistas should be reconstructed and refurbished during this millennium. Only a new design methodology can rectify this problem. The definition of landscape architecture by Michael Laurie is‘Landscape is a reflection of dynamic, natural, and social systems. Landscape architecture is concerned with the planning and design of land and water for use by society on the basis of an understanding of these systems. ’1) At this period of time when a paradigm shift is going on, a new concept for this field is demanded. In this study from the viewpoint of a landscape architect, among concepts derived from the site itself, three key concepts are chosen and discussed.The first key concept is‘Memory of Land’. As one of the assets of a site, the history of the land itself is such an important issue that the first concept should be derived from it. The second key concept is‘Land Art’which means to take the site as a canvas to manifest the will to the other world. The third key concept is‘Biomimicry’which is basically a methodology to cooperate with the nature, which is essential for recreating a site.These three key concepts of landscape architecture. ‘Memory of Land’, ‘land Art’, and‘Biomimicry’, which are needed for recreating rural landscapes, are examined through designing a‘symbiotic’park in Kashiwazaki. These are interwoven in the design of this park. In this report the process oriented design methodology is shown in several diagrams which actually made citizen participation easy in the workshops. Through studying these three concepts and design processes, a clue for the new methodology for the rural landscape is to be clarified.