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Master in Landscape architecture class of 2024
Program of study
Master in Landscape architecture class of 2024
Master i Landskapsarkitektur kull 2024
| Course | 2024 Autumn | 2025 Spring | 2025 Autumn | 2026 Spring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | ||||
| 6 | ||||
| 24 | ||||
Elective | 6 | |||
Studio course | 24 | |||
| 6 | ||||
| 30 | ||||
| Sum | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
The Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO)offers a two-year master's degree in landscape architecture: The International master’s in landscape architecture (IMLA).
The study program provides students with the knowledge and skills to become effective practitioners and researchers in landscape architecture.
The program aims are to train design-driven landscape architects who can operate globally, contributing to sustainable development across scales and geographies. Landscapes architects graduating from this program will contribute with new knowledge and methods for shaping the public realm, in accordance with high standards of international professional and academic practice.
Through a sequence of landscape projects developed under a studio model, culminating in an independent diploma project, the students acquire the necessary competences to practice as Landscape Architects. The curriculum provides expertise in design, in science, representation, history and theory. This knowledge is disseminated in an environment that promotes interdisciplinarity and cross-cultural exchange. The program also offers the possibility of exchange across a range of institutions in Europe.
At a time when the increased pressure of climate change and extended urbanization – exerted by global sustainability goals – expand the scope of the discipline, the development of landscape projects is complemented by AHO’s ongoing research on design methods, sustainable urban development, anticipatory practices and ecologically driven design.
The two-year program is structured around three core topics:
- Commons
- Systems
- Form
After completing the study program, the student has acquired the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge:
- The student has advanced knowledge on the design of open spaces and of landscape architecture as a practice and scientific discipline including:
- the physical and natural systems and processes and the complex range of social, economic, and cultural factors that interact together to shape the landscape.
- a diverse range of landscape architecture media, such as plants, soil and water, inert materials and techniques used in landscape architecture.
- the contemporary tools and methods employed in the design of public spaces and landscape architecture projects at different scales.
- the social, cultural, and environmental values and ethical issues relevant to the practice as a landscape architect, with particular emphasis on the role of sustainability.
- The student has thorough knowledge on the theories, histories and concepts underlying the practice of landscape architecture, including the interface between the different areas of the profession, and between landscape architecture and other professions.
- The student has knowledge on the expanded field of landscape architecture, including recent developments related to climate science, climate adaptation and risk mitigation, transformation, landscape heritage and urbanisation.
- The student has knowledge on contemporary techniques, and the role of computation in the development of the field.
- The student has knowledge on the different approaches to judge environmental quality and sustainability goals, particularly those in relationship to natural and technological systems.
Skills:
- The student can critically formulate problems, analyse, design, explain, communicate, and argue for landscape architectural methods of research and proposals in complex planning and design work including:
- interpreting a brief or develop one, addressing familiar and unfamiliar problems.
- locate, analyse, synthesise and apply appropriate data and information to support the development of design proposals.
- use an appropriate range of visual, verbal and written media, including digital and analog tools to develop and express landscape architectural ideas at different scales.
- generate, develop, and evaluate creative and innovative solutions and proposals using state of the art techniques.
- The student can use relevant methods for research and artistic development work in an independent manner
- The student can carry out an independent, limited research or development project under supervision and in accordance with applicable norms for research ethics by:
- applying relevant theories and methods and be open to interdisciplinary insight.
- demonstrating originality and creativity in the application of knowledge.
- producing artistic knowledge and innovation through the design process.
Competence:
- The student can manage interdisciplinary assignments and projects with professional and scholarly integrity and:
- use communication and information technology effectively and appropriately in research, data handling, development and presentation of work.
- address spatial problems in different scales and contexts.
- make informed judgements in situations in the absence of complete or consistent data/information.
- work effectively as an individual, using self-management, time and task management and personal reflection to reach consistent levels of achievement.
- practice in interdisciplinary as well as cross-cultural teams contributing to the achievement of common goals.
- The student can participate in debates of landscape architecture and communicate and convey landscape architectural questions, research, and projects to expert and non-expert audiences.
- The student can contribute to innovation and development of the landscape architecture discipline by critically reviewing, consolidating, and extending related knowledge and skills.
- The student can apply professional knowledge and skills from a landscape architectural position to wider questions of sustainable development.
Teaching formats are studios and electives. Teaching methods are group work, individual work, lectures, fieldwork/excursions/outdoor teaching, projects, seminars and workshops. Teaching and working methods are further described in each course description.
Project and studio work with direct teacher/student – student/student dialogue forms a significant part of the learning process. Presence, active participation in a cross-cultural environment, and the ability to collaborate and work independently are expected.
Examination regulations are described in the course descriptions. A usual form of examination is the evaluation of an appropriate range of visual, verbal and written media to communicate design work presented in open reviews and critiques.
The study program consists of 120 credits, including a master’s thesis (diploma) counting for 30 credits. The program consists of mandatory courses and elective courses.
The master’s thesis is an independent work on a self-selected task. Typically, the master thesis is an independently solved design project encompassing typical scales of intervention. A monograph or a theoretical project can be proposed if well-reasoned in the pre-diploma program.
Students should have an understanding of scale, a basic understanding of the design of public spaces, and an interest in combining artistic and scientific work. .
Students must have:
- The ability to use computer aided design tools (CAD) on an advanced level, and basic knowledge in GIS.
- The ability to work with physical models, both as a process method and for presentation purposes.
- The ability to use hand drawings, both conceptually and communicatively.
Students will get access to the necessary software.
Students can exchange in the 3rd semester. Arrangements will be made for exchange at approved partner institutions.
12 803 Diploma Landscape Architecture
Admission to AHO, and successful completion of 90 ECTS master level studies, including the course 60 701 Pre-diploma for urbanism and landscape architecture.
The diploma semester at AHO is an independent research and design task on a theme chosen by the student. In consultation with a supervisor, the student is to produce a complete work of exceptional quality contributing to the discipline’s discourse.
Knowledge
- Knowledge of the theoretical and policy-related elements with relevance to the field of research and practice within the discipline.
- Knowledge of methods, tools and media inherent to urban and landscape design.
- An awareness of landscape and urban design’s historical, societal and theoretical background and context.
Skills
- An ability to undertake an independent and responsible project development.
- Ability to conceive of, conceptualize and design a specific project related to a specific situation or problem.
- An ability to employ the range of knowledge within the discipline in the specific diploma research and design.
- An ability to communicate design ideas and results to professionals and laypersons.
General competence
- An understanding of the given natural, social, cultural and technological conditions that contribute to inform urban design and landscape architecture work.
- Ability to see the particular approaches and methods of the discipline in relation to society and contemporary landscape situations.
The diploma semester is an independent study whose methods and topics are to be outlined in an approved pre-diploma brief.
The diploma semester starts of with an information meeting where both administrative and academic staff is present. Main source of information and updates during the semester is Moodle, and as a diploma student you are obligated to familiarize yourself with the AHO's diploma regulations. The regulations outlines the framework of the diploma semester, and describes details concerning submission, reviews and assessment.
Students are recommended to participate on the two interim presentations.
A diploma project may be withdrawn from examination by December 1st (Fall semester) and May 1st (Spring semester).
| Form of assessment | Grouping | Grading scale | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project assignment | Individual | Pass / fail | Report and presentation of diploma project. The diploma project is assessed and evaluated by external censors. The diploma project should be evaluated on the terms, problematics and scope that the students themselves have defined in their project and in relation to the criteria given by the examiner´s guide to diploma evaluation and the required learning outcome. |
60 302 Themes and Concepts in Landscape Architecture
The course is mandatory for master students in Landscape Architecture, and open for students in Architecture.
The course will study a selection of landscape architecture projects from the late 19th century and onwards.
We will discuss the spatial qualities of these projects and the link between spatial qualities, and the intellectual context in which projects are developed. By redrawing, 3D-modelling, reading, and writing, we will investigate them in order to understand how they have been created through design choices and the evolution of design techniques. This explorative work will allow us to also determine how they relate to and learn from past work and contribute to renew traditions, as well as how projects in themselves are a form of knowledge and derive into principles.
The projects will be placed in a historical and theoretical context. We will also explore the role they play in the dynamic interplay between design and theoretical and historical interpretation, aiming to derive landscape design positions for the present.
Knowledge:
- Knowledge of the spatial qualities of a representative selection of landscape architecture projects designed since the late 19th century until today.
- Knowledge of the dominant design history and theory that influenced and frames the development of a selection of projects from the 19th century until today.
- Knowledge on the design principles and techniques that were employed at the time the selected study projects were designed and built.
- Knowledge about cases in which certain projects derive into principles and design theories.
Skills:
- Capacity to read and synthesize texts related to the landscape and architecture disciplines and use it as part of precedent study research.
- Capacity to reconstruct and model the main spatial qualities of a landscape architecture precedent.
- Capacity to express the spatial qualities of landscape architecture projects through conventional representaton methods.
- Capacity to conduct historical research through designer’s methods, such as drawing iteration and diagramming.
General competence:
The history of landscape architecture through the study of precedents.
The course will alternate between sessions where projects are discussed and sessions where projects are re-drawn and re-modelled. The discussions will be accompanied of lectures and reading workshops.
Re-drawing and re- modelling will be partially done during the elective time and independent work. The work includes visual representations and text.
Students are expected to be at class every Tuesday.
There might be some outdoor teaching activities, always within the vicinity of Oslo.
Course literature will be available in Leganto.
| Form of assessment | Grouping | Grading scale | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio assessment (Vurderingsmappe) | - | Pass / fail | Each student works with study precedents during the whole semester individually or in couples. The projects will be assigned at the start of the course. Assessment folder: The student will make an assessment folder for each project that will be delivered following several stages during the semester. The elements included in the folder will be stated at the start of the course. Presentation: Oral and/or visual presentation of the work carried out during the semester. |
60 526 Edge landscape: Roles of parks and park systems in the contemporary city
Admission to AHO and successful completion of three years bachelor level studies (180 ECTS).
The course is mandatory for master students in Landscape Architecture, and open for Architecture students.
The studio aims to explore how to design new landscape typologies at the EDGE of the city through a classic park structure process. The studio also aims to understand the contemporary role of parks in connection to their ground, the existing urban landscapes, and the actual social demands. The studio will explore policies, such as "Park systems", "Green infrastructure", and landscape notions such as: "Edge landscape", "Landscape as a prerequisite for the urban" and "Ecologic urbanism" concept. The studio calls for active and creative modes toward design research for urban landscapes through a landscape design process.
The site will be in Oslo's suburban area, combining a macro perspective and local area development. This Edge Park aims to provide a space for recreation, to be productive (food production for the community), and pedagogic for sharing activities with the local community, as well as an activator for more biodiversity in the suburban context.
Knowledges:
- On completion of this course, the student will be able to demonstrate an advanced level of design based on clear anlytical and conceptual thinking at different scales.
- The studio presents the students with a theoretical understanding and a framework for assessing the landscape issues in an urban and suburban context.
- Learnings of critical concepts for designing and evaluating interventions in public spaces and large-scale urban landscapes.
- Over the semester, we engage in theoretical discussion, focusing on applying different theoretical perspectives to specific cases.
- At a large scale, students will learn to: Understand landscape dynamics and methods to work at this scale. Learn to observe, investigate, and transcribe landscape data to mappings. Learn to use geologic and geographic maps and layers notions.
- On a small scale, the studio will support the students in developing their landscape architecture general competencies in understanding the ground and its soil fertility, providing the practical and theoretical tools to design and specify the plantation and the initial maintenance of public spaces.
Skills
- The coursework relies on essential tools, hand drawing and software within landscape design to represent spatial and material conditions. Examples are AutoCAD, Adobe package, 3D modelling programs (Rhino), and GIS.
- We will apply various tools for mapping, analysing, and assessing sites, and capture insights about needs, challenges, and opportunities for design. Models will be a tool to understand contourlines and topography in landscape projects as founder of a long term project. Through the creative group process of integrating insights from mapping into feasible designs, you learn fundamental principles and tools for designing and running creative processes, individually and in groups.
General competence
The course aims to develop the students’ ability to combine and integrate insight about the landscape in a creative process, leading to a specific design that can convincingly contribute to achieving particular development aims for an area. We strive to help the students find their vision and creative language for future landscapes.
When completing the course, students will have developed an awareness of how various aspects and factors affects a specific site, and will be able to describe these factors from a theoretically informed perspective. Using mapping, sections, and model tools, they can derive insights about the specificity of the site and review those insights from theoretical and scientific perspectives. Finally, using a conscious creative process, they can integrate theoretical and applied perspectives to devise designs that consider site-specific aspects and make meaningful interventions.
The studio is organised around three phases:
1 Group work: Large-scale analysis and diagnosis stage, mapping on landscape and urban dynamics. References and big-data research with support of methodologic lectures. Study trip: park, garden, and green infrastructure visits in town and suburban sites of Oslo. The lecture series on Mondays will be part of the theoretical support. Learnings of digital tools and large-scale mapping will be held during intensive weeks. Large-scale landscape structures and landscape surveys are part of this first stage of the studio. This stage ends with an Interim presentation.
2 Individual work: Selection of an area within the large-scale study area for scenario development. Elaborating a clear concept for a comprehensive design, operating at various scales. Design research and visualisation. Tools: Drawings, digital or hand drawing, conceptual models, ideas expressed in words. Theoretical discussions and debates on the role of parks today. This stage ends with an interim presentation with internal guests from AHO.
3 Individual work: Work through scales, the incidence of the landscape long-term project on the urban development, and proposal for future urban expansions. Small-scale design elaboration and details of planting construction. An intensive week with focus on plant use will be part of the 3rd part of the studio time. Final presentation of the results will be presented to experts from outside AHO.
Attendance
Attendance and work for all three work stages are expected. Work and discuss the ongoing work with the other students, thanks to attendance at the studio, is part of the studio learning.
Students are expected to join studio teaching days and outdoor teaching. Students are expected to be in class on Mondays and Thurdays throughout the semester.
Excursion
Excursions are outdoor teachings: there will be more of them around Oslo. One outdoor teaching will take place in Sweden. We will visit the Forest Laboratory of the University of SLU Alnarp in Bus – a two-day excursion in Malmö. The course pays for the Bus to Malmö; students must arrange and pay for the accommodation and way back to Norway. In case a student cannot take part due to, for instance, Visa problems, we will give research work on “creative urban forests” thanks to a literature list.
Click here for reading list in Leganto.
| Form of assessment | Grouping | Grading scale | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project assignment | Individual | Pass / fail | Project assignment: Each student works individually with a project in three phases during the whole semester. Deliveries from all three phases are required. |
60 619 Fresh to your door - water and more!
Bachelor in Architecture or Landscape Architecture, CAD 2D and 3D (Rhino), Adobe Suite, hand drawing, analogue model making experience and interest in urbanism and landscape “materials” such as landform, water, soil, plants
Open for:
Landscape architecture - mandatory for 2nd semester master
Architecture
Fresh to your door“ takes the infrastructural back-end of urbanism –the sourcing and distribution of goods and water– to the fore and actively explores its potential spatiality and sociality.
As part of „Oslo Hydropolis“ the studio explores landscape-based, watersensitive urbanism within the Oslo Metropolitan Region.
In face of climate change with its increasing risks of draught and flooding, and continuing urbanisation pressure, the studio proposes a complementary approach to the current paradigm of compact city development –with all its blinds spots such as the relocation of production and commerce into areas „out of sight“.
It engages the functional requirements of adaptation to changing environmental conditions as much as spatial aesthetics and possible everyday practices.
Concretely, the studio will develop a cross-scalar landscape framework as the basis for development. It will re-consider one of the „out of debate“ locations and propose a counter-proposal to the current expansion of a commercial area along the western axis of the Oslo region.
The studio accepts the need of large scale ware houses accelerated by online trade and will propose concepts of how to embed the programme into the wider landscape context, as well to spatially qualify the emerging structures for both non-human and human usage - if not pleasure.
The conviction of the studio is that here –in a context of space-consuming buildings where planning and architecture often fails to pronounce spatial and environmental values– the scope, the frame, the dimensions, the performance, the materials and atmospheres inherent to landscape architecture can provide a long term transformative perspective to urban development.
The methodology of the studio is based on merging planning and design, on oscillating between bird’s eye and eye-level view, as well as on digital and analogue tools.
Knowledge:
The studio will provide students with the conceptual categories to address adaptation to climate change in an urbanising regional context through a landscape architectural perspective. The studio will enter design through the scales of hydrology, and enforce the understanding of landscape as infrastructure as well as a mode of perception. Form will be discussed in relation to performance as well as to space and place.
• Acquaintance of notions of watershed and integrated water management Acquaintance of cultural landscape as a spatial product of geological and climatic forces as well as cultural, political and economical interests and practices layered in time
• Basic knowledge of landscape as a productive, performative layer in human systems: ecological infrastructure, ecosystem services, and regenerative agriculture
Advanced knowledge of form and urban form: application of landscape ecology’s structural concepts to shape spaces and places; landscape pattern
Skills:
Students develop skills to envision urban projects as embedded within cultural landscapes with the goal to ensure adaptability to climate change. Research-driven, multi-layered and multi-scalar in its scope, the studio builds the capacity to conduct a layered and visual analysis of the territorial/ regional context, the ability to reference precedents, to fuse technical and aesthetic aspects of form giving, and finally to frame and argue for a well-resolved design proposal anchored within the scale of the territory.
- Research: Capacity to select and sort, and evaluate data from greater information quantities; ability to conduct precedent analysis and transfer
- Analysis: ability to carry out landscape analysis based on map work (GIS and morphological analysis) and field work (photography)
- Strategy: capability to develop scenarios for a watershed, development of propositions related to water flows and cycles for concrete case areas
- Iterative design process: trial and error to find adequate solutions, successive and interrogative usage of drawings, plans, sections, physical and digital models, as well as texts variants, to test and develop proposals, in favour for “unsafe” experimental approaches
- Interrogative design: explicit discussion of a formal question, such as grids, patches, edges, corridors or figures organizing a spatial field
- Design resolution: ability to work out a territorial approach on a detailed level, including grading, planting, surface textures
- Representation: capability to illustrate design through compelling plans, sections, as well as digital and physical models and model photography
- Communication: problem definition, framing of a task within the given context of the studio; skill to verbally and visually argue for a project through telling of a compelling narrative
General competence:
The studio’s underlying thesis will encourage the rethinking of urban and environmental challenges as opportunities to develop place-specific and social spaces for the future. The studio’s main competence goal is to equip students with the ability to to frame their projects in a larger socially and environmentally relevant context, state ideas, translate these into form, and to apply theoretical and technical background in project work, as well as to use the project as an investigative vehicle to address professional and disciplinary questions. Both individual and group work will be trained.
Group work (2-3 students) and individual work is organised around 5 phases.
The phases will be supported by input lectures to facilitate familiarization with discourse and workshops to kick-off design.
1. SEARCH 1:1 / 1:50.000/ 1:7500 – Portrait of a Landscape. What is the character of the landscape? How has it evolved? What are its strengths? Where are its vulnerabilities?
• „Journalistic" Research
• Morphological Analysis GIS, CAD Plan 1:50.000 - 1:7500
• Documentary Site Photography
• Tracing of landform, water structure and landuse pattern, hand drawing
• Writing of a story
2. SCENARIO 1:7500 /1:1000 – Development of a Landscape Framework for a logistic park along different scenarios regarding the degree of transformation and political ambition.
• “Transplant” of large scale landscape architectures and agricultural principles of water storage onto the site, „scenario plan" drawing
• Laser-cut “Paper lace" of Landscape Framework
• Physical sketch model with topography, vegetation as mass and void
3. SCENE 1: Eye-level / 1: 100 – Development of the spatial and material qualities of the Landscape Framework through a „Scene“
• Scenographic model photography of a spatial scene with vegetation, ground and water at eye-level
• Detail plan and section of the Landscape Framework 4. SYNTHESIS 1:7500 / 1:2000, 1:1000/ 1:500, 1:100/1:50, 1:20 Elaboration of a detail area of landscape framework as a landscape and architectural proposal with a focus on the public space
• Iteration of „scenario plan"
• Digitally fabricated physical model
• Section, plan of selected space 5. SPREAD the message – Visualization and “telling” the proposals to communicate to a broader audience.
• Oral and visual presentation of project
• Curation and production of an exhibition (AHO works)
• Production of a studio booklet that can serve to advance the imaginary on the Oslo Region as a „Hydropolis“
Excursion: The studio will travel to Bordeaux, France and environments to study public space typologies in urban and rural contexts. Transport, accommodation, and food will be on the expense of students. Entrance fees will eventually be covered by the studio. Those who cannot/do not wish to join the trip will study the visited projects through drawing.
Link to course literature will be registered in Leganto
| Mandatory coursework | Courseworks required | Presence required | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presence required | Required | The building of a body of collective knowledge and the exchange of ideas are essential to the studio. Presence at the studio is required Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. All students will have a desk-crit (in studio or via zoom) of research or design-work at least once a week. New work to discuss is expected for each desk-crit. Presence and discussing work at a minimum of 80% of the desk-crits is mandatory to pass the course. |
| Form of assessment | Grouping | Grading scale | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio assessment (Vurderingsmappe) | Group | Pass / fail | The work will be evaluated through oral, model and graphic presentations as well as digital hand-ins at the end of each of the studio phases, and a final presentation with an external assessment committee. The final grade will be based on an assessment of all the hand-ins (Assessment folder), with a strong emphasis on design work (70%). Presence and presenting at 80% of the presentation dates (pin-ups and reviews) is mandatory to pass the course |
60 701 Pre-diploma for landscape architecture
Admission to AHO, and successful completion of 60 ECTS master level studies. The course is mandatory for students on the International master of Landscape Architecture in their third semester.
The pre-diploma at AHO is an independent research task on a theme chosen by the student. In consultation with the course teacher the student is to produce a written and illustrated report that details a topic to be studied, an approach or methodology, a spatial programme and a plan of work. This report is the foundation of the diploma work.
Knowledge:
- Understanding of the complexity of a chosen landscape or urban topic and site.
- Understanding of the ecological, social, cultural and technological conditions that govern urban or landscape design work.
- Awareness of the chosen topic’s historical, societal and theoretical issues and its methodological consequences.
- Understanding of one’s own individual position with the discipline.
- Awareness of relevant research methods and techniques.
Skills:
- An ability to frame artistic and scientific research.
- An ability to communicate ideas and plan work.
- Ability to undertake individual research and analysis connected to a chosen topic.
- Ability to formulate a research question.
- An ability to self-evaluate and discuss research outcomes.
General competence:
The ability to formulate an individual landscape architecture project description.
At the end of the course, the students will have acquired the necessary knowledge about a topic, related design questions, site, context and discourse to proceed with the independent diploma work in Landscape Architecture.
Learning activities include:
- Introductions
- Individual guidance
- Group discussions and peer reviews
- Interim presentations
- Final presentation
Working activities include:
- Guideline with literature review
- Precedents and reference projects review
- Typological and scale studies
- Analytical mapping
- Interview methods and research ethics
- Written topic description
- Report layout and design
Students are expected to be in class on Tuesdays.
| Mandatory coursework | Courseworks required | Presence required | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annet - spesifiser i kommentarfeltet | Not required | Submissions (Moodle) of mid-term deliverables. |
| Form of assessment | Grouping | Grading scale | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Individual | Pass / fail | The course is an individual research assignment with group discussions and interim presentations. It concludes with a pre-diploma report. |