Modular Urbanism: Combining modular and multi-scalar design strategies in creating sustainable landscape architecture design and construction processes
Date
2020-09-23
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Abstract
In the continued effort to fulfill its professional mandate to build sustainably, the discipline of landscape architecture has begun the transition from emphasizing site-specific design and construction (a “one-off” approach) towards more expansive methods that better address material efficiencies, life cycle performance, and end of life building practices through redevelopment, adaptive re-use and retrofitting. Within this context, this thesis asks how modular design thinking could offer an alternative approach, especially when combined with the multi-scalar techniques and principles of tactical urbanism and placemaking in the (re)design and construction of sustainable urban spaces. Often thought of as generic, repetitive, and monotonous, with regard to the built environment, this thesis will suggest that modular design thinking, at the site scale, has direct application to landscape architecture in not only (re)activating urban spaces, but in creating meaningful sense of place. Highlights will include three interdisciplinary design case studies, that engaged community, and municipal stakeholders. This thesis will touch on the importance of interdisciplinary practice in the development of novel, specific yet scalable, adaptable yet economical forms of urbanism, and in doing so, develop possible alternative design processes in generating normative practices in landscape architecture design and construction.
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Modular design, Sustainability, Landscape architecture, Multi-scalar design, Placemaking, Tactical urbanism.
Citation
Skilling, G. (2020). Modular Urbanism: Combining modular and multi-scalar design strategies in creating sustainable landscape architecture design and construction processes (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.