Studio - Water environments and landscape architecture
Entry Requirements
Course facts
- Course name
- Studio - Water environments and landscape architecture
- Swedish course name
- Studio - Vattenmiljöer och landskapsarkitektur
- Level
- Second cycle (A1N)
- Main field of study
- Landscape Architecture
- Credits
- 15.0 credits
- Rate of study
- 100 %
- Study location
- Uppsala
- Form of instruction
- Campus-based instruction
- Application code
- SLU-10144
- Course code
- LK0421
- Course language
- English
- Included in program
-
Landskapsarkitektprogrammet - UppsalaLandskapsarkitektprogrammet, UltunaLandscape Architecture for Sustainable Urbanisation - Master's Programme
- Offered as a freestanding course
- Ja
- Tuition fee
-
38060 SEK
Tuition fees only for non-EU/EEA/Switzerland citizens
LK0421, Studio - Water environments and landscape architecture, 15.0 Hp
Print syllabus
Syllabus
Level
Second cycle (A1N)
Main field of study
Landscape Architecture
Grading Scale
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.
Course language
English
Entry Requirements
Objectives
Purpose
The course aims to introduce theory, knowledge and skills about environmental climate-adapted overall water planning and landscape architecture, as well as to develop and deepen understanding, competence, and judgements in delimited landscape architecture group work projects in water planning and design that includes individual sub assignments.
The overall knowledge of the complex conditions of water environment planning is concretized by clarifying the role of landscape architecture as a coordinating function for other areas of expertise.
Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding After the course, the student shall:
- be able to account for relevant environmental goals, directives, legislation, and processes for water planning, both in general and specifically for the course’s design project;
- be able to discuss and give examples of water planning with varied problem backgrounds where different specialized requirements are coordinated in holistic design through applied landscape architecture.
Competence and skills After the course, the student shall:
- be able to communicate knowledge, observations, own investigations on water environments orally and with text and illustrations;
- be able to integrate systematic critical analysis in the project’s design and uses of the landscape’s water environments even with limited background information provided;
- demonstrate the ability to collaborate in project group work in landscape architecture.
Judgement and approach After the course, the student shall:
- demonstrate the ability to reflect and assess relevant scientific, social, aesthetic, environmental and ethical aspects, including the human relationship and use of water environments;
- demonstrate the ability to evaluate the project group work and identify the need for additional knowledge and competence for further development of the project proposal.
Content
The course includes a theoretical part and a part with project teaching. The course shall have a current connection to climate issues and global goals for water environment planning and its landscaped design.
The course contains an orienting theoretical knowledge background in water environment planning including three-dimensional design of topography and terrain as a background for project teaching. The theoretical knowledge deals with concepts and directives for water planning at international and national level as well as legislation and processes for decisions regarding the use and design of aquatic environments. General knowledge is provided in the course on aquatic environment conditions, water cycles, and water environments crucial role in the transition to a sustainable climate adapted society characterized by high biodiversity and inclusion of both economic and cultural historical values, and people’s demands for water where access and equal right to a multifunctional landscape are included.
The knowledge background also provides a specific basis for the project teaching, where study visits to good role models from different aspects of landscape architectural designs of aquatic environments are included with examples of coordinated solutions between different areas of expertise. The knowledge background is examined through an individual exam.
The course’s landscape architecture project is based on acquired theoretical knowledge as well as analyzes of own empirical investigations of the conditions of the delimited project site. Landscape architecture skills for communication through a combination of text, pictures, maps, drawings, and illustrations that show how the design of water environments meet the program criteria in the course project is a central part of the project teaching.
The landscape architecture project is based on the situation for a water area. The water area in the course shall have a relatively extensive geographical demarcation in the form of, for example, a lake, a coastal area, an archipelago environment, or a river.
However, the concrete design task is delimited to a manageable part of the whole suitable for the time frame for the course. The project will contain a complex problem picture including several aspects of water, for example water quality, plant- and animal life in and around water, bottom sediment, and the water cycle. The complexity shall also apply to people’s various demands on water use, such as drinking water, recreation and leisure purposes, energy production, industrial use, irrigation, transport, stormwater management and flooding problems.
The project work is supported by lectures, as well as compulsory study visits and exercises with supervision and reviews. The project work is carried out in groups where some of the project work’s exercises are submitted individually.
The course gives 15 credits of skill training.
Examination Formats and Requirements for Passing the Course
Approved project work in groups with certain individual exercise assignments within the project work and approved written individual examination as well as approved participation in compulsory study visits.
Responsible Department/Equivalent
Department of Urban and Rural Development
Supplementary information
Included in program
- Landskapsarkitektprogrammet - Uppsala
- Landskapsarkitektprogrammet, Ultuna
- Landscape Architecture for Sustainable Urbanisation - Master's Programme
Module set
| Title | Credits | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Written exam (individual work) | 6.0 | 0002 |
| Compulsory exercises | 3.0 | 0003 |
| Design proposal (individual work) | 6.0 | 0004 |
Other Information
The course gives 15 credits of skill training.
Travel costs to the site for project work and the field trip are financed by the student. Information about costs will be available at the course homepage 4 weeks before course start.
Recommended skills for the course are the ability to lead and be led in group work where understanding of complex problems is the background to creative processes and proposals in landscape architecture that are communicated orally and with text and illustrations.
MAIN LITERATURE
Most of the literature will be found at Canvas as .pdf-files. Plan your reading time parallel with the syllabus and important, together with your group members. If possible, discuss the text together before the seminars and try to sort out the importance in the texts. The written exam will be based on literature as well as knowledge presented in lectures. The list below is sorted in reading order and dates shows time for reading. You are free to switch time as you and your group wish.
Before seminar 1:
(pdf will be accessable on Canvas at course start)
-Swedish EPA Guidance storm water
-Structure plan for water Uppsala conurbation
5, 8/9:
-Water centric sustainable planning, retrofitting, and building the next urban environment. (pdf will be accessable on Canvas at course start)
Novotny, Vladimir, Ahern, John, Brown, Paul
Read pages: 1-37, 59-60, 87-90, (97-114), (158-170), 177-227, 427-478. (sides in parethensis read thoroughly)
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/slub-ebooks/reader.action?docID=589129&ppg=1
24-25/9:
-The Routledge handbook of urban ecology. (pdf will be accessable on Canvas at course start)
Douglas, Ian, 2021*.* Read: Chapters 13, 14, 15, 17, 27, 28
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/pdfviewer/
-Integrated Sustainable Urban Water, Energy, and Solids Management: Achieving Triple Net‐Zero Adverse Impact Goals and Resiliency of Future Communities
Vladimir Novotny, 2020, ISBN:9781119593652. Online ISBN:9781119593683
Read:
Preface: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/9781119593683.fmatter
Chapters 1: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/9781119593683.ch1
Chapters 2: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/9781119593683.ch2
Chapter 6: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/9781119593683.ch6
Before seminar 4:
-Projekteringsanvisningar för öppna dagvattendammar. Uppsala Vatten. https://www.uppsalavatten.se/download/18.1b71982c18529d736e71c68c/1675167368457/Bilaga%209_Projekteringsanvisningar%20dammar.pdf
-Messy ecosystems orderly frames
Joan Iverson-Nassauer. https://lj.uwpress.org/content/14/2/161
-Perceived sensory dimensions
Stoltz, Grahn. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866721000145
academic year 2025/2026
Studio - Water environments and landscape architecture (LK0421-10144)
2025-10-26 - 2025-11-16
academic year 2024/2025
Studio - Water environments and landscape architecture (LK0421-10154)
2024-10-24 - 2024-12-15
academic year 2023/2024
Studio - Water environments and landscape architecture (LK0421-10194)
2023-10-23 - 2023-11-13
academic year 2022/2023
Studio - Water environments and landscape architecture (LK0421-10040)
2022-10-24 - 2022-11-14
Contact
- Course coordinator
- Maria Wisselgren
- Examiner
- Tomas Eriksson