Landscape Architecture (LARC)
LARC 150 Landscape, Culture and the Environment (3 credits)
General Education: Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing, International
An interdisciplinary look at how societies have shaped their environments and how the landscape shapes them. The course introduces the profession of landscape architecture with culturally relevant projects exhibiting the importance of utilizing land through attractive and efficient design. Class discussions will cover contemporary issues such as urban resilience in a time of climate transformations, as well as reflection on historical landscape and landscape design’s impacts on global cultures. Typically Offered: Spring.
LARC 151 Introduction to the Built Environment (3 credits)
General Education: Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing
Cross-listed with ARCH 151
Introduction to the complexities and wonders of the built environment, and the role of the humanities in successful designs. From the regional landscapes to urban design and architecture, to the intimacy of interiors and dwellings, to place making and space making, student perspectives are broadened on how the built environment is shaped by and contributes to an evolving human story. The built environment is also examined as a product of a multitude of forces that include: place, climate, conservation, culture, economics, beliefs, and aspirations for well-being. Typically Offered: Fall.
LARC 154 Landscape Architecture Representation and Media 1 (3 credits)
Drawing and graphic techniques traditional to the practice of landscape architecture and design thinking; emphasis on conceptual and analytical graphics, plan section/elevation, perspective illustration and color rendering; introduction to digital technology presentation tools. (Spring only)
LARC 200 (s) Seminar (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 203 (s) Workshop (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 204 (s) Special Topics (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 210 Landscape Architecture Representation and Media 2 (3 credits)
Exploration of the digital technology tools used by design professionals throughout the design process; emphasis on digital tools that assist with the conceptualization and implementation of site design with an introduction to related landscape architecture specific tools. Typically Offered: Fall.
LARC 251 Introduction to Principles of Site Design (3 credits)
An overview of site analysis, design, and planning principles addressing the theoretical foundations, emerging cultural practices as well as the technical and functional standards for sustainable landscape architectural site design. Includes a lab section for discussion, critique and presentation of additional technical issues and site-related design projects; field trips and special sessions may be required. (Fall only)
LARC 252 Landscape Architecture Design Foundations Studio (6 credits)
Introduction to principles of landscape architectural design. Emphasizes the relationships between elements of functional, aesthetic, environmental, and socio-cultural systems, developing a foundational understanding of principles of organization, structure, and functional relationships of those systems. Students develop novice level skill and knowledge in design concept-generation; form generation; design representation; and design theory and criticism. Includes development of visual and graphic representation skills. Recommended preparation: LARC 150.
Prereqs: Landscape Architecture major, Landscape Architecture minor, or Permission
Coreqs: LARC 251
LARC 253 Landscape Architecture Design Process Studio (6 credits)
Introduction to principles of landscape architectural design process for site design. Emphasizes primary and iterative design processes and intermediate level of graphic and verbal communication. Incorporates principles of programming, landscape analysis, design synthesis, form-giving, and spatial composition. Studio projects based on site ecology, inventory/analysis, socio-cultural factors, and artistic principles of design.
Prereqs: LARC 252; Landscape Architecture major, Landscape Architecture minor, or Permission
LARC 254 Origins of Landscape Form (2 credits)
An overview of the principles and theory of form generation demonstrating the relationship between world-view, historic epoch, science and technology and the creation of form relevant to landscape architecture and other design professions. Summer reading list provided. (Spring only)
Prereqs: ART 121
LARC 288 Plant Materials & Design 1 (3 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 488
Plant identification and selection; the sustainable use of plant materials in relation to soils, topography, and climate; introduction to the principles in relation to planting design. Selected field trips at student expense. (Fall only)
LARC 289 Plant Materials & Design 2 (3 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 489
Continuation of plant material identification with emphasis on planting design at different scales of the landscape. Exploration of sustainable principles and practices of planting design. Two lectures and 4 hours of lab per week; selected field trips at student expense. (Spring only)
Prereqs: LARC 288
LARC 298 (s) Internship (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 299 (s) Directed Study (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 310 Landscape Architecture Representation and Media 3 (3 credits)
Advanced digital technology tools used by landscape architects throughout the design process; emphasis on digital modeling tools that assist with the conceptualization and development of site design and design detail. Further exploration of digital media to assist with the communication and presentation of design process and concepts. Open to Landscape Architecture majors only. Additional project required for graduate credit. (Fall only)
Prereqs: LARC 154, LARC 210, and major in Landscape Architecture; non-majors by permission as space permits
LARC 340 Grading, Drainage, and Stormwater Management (4 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 440
Site grading, drainage and stormwater management design with a focus on siting building elevations and grading open space, green infrastructure, roads, parking, walkways, paved public spaces, cut and fill and horizontal road layout. Sustainable storm water design, grading of swales, calculating runoff and the sizing conveyance and detention basins. Recommended Preparation: MATH 143.
Prereqs: Landscape Architecture major, Landscape Architecture minor, or Permission
LARC 341 Construction Materials, Detailing, and Documentation (4 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 441
Introduction to designing and detailing materials in the landscape. Examines the content and purpose of construction documents, the construction sequence, and properties of common landscape construction materials as they relate to aesthetics, the articulation of place, durability, and performance in outdoor environments. Focus on building a unified set of construction details and document set. Sustainable approaches, practices, and research reports support the work in detailing the materials and completion of the construction document package. Recommended Preparation: LARC 210, LARC 340.
Prereqs: Landscape Architecture major, Landscape Architecture minor, or permission
LARC 353 Landscape Architecture Studio 1 (3 credits)
Studies and applications in landscape architecture site design process at the small to intermediate site scale with an emphasis on critical thinking within the local and regional context; includes readings, lectures and field trips. Recommended Preparation: LARC 210, LARC 251, and LARC 253. Typically Offered: Fall.
Coreqs: LARC 355
LARC 355 Landscape Architecture Studio 2 (3 credits)
Continued application and exploration of design process with a focus on the significance of site inventory and analysis, design programming and the creation of a conceptual framework to guide the design process. Typically Offered: Fall.
Coreqs: LARC 353 or Permission
LARC 358 Professional Practice (2 credits)
Introduction to aspects of professional practice in Landscape Architecture, including: professional ethics and legal obligations, licensure, business structure and planning, office organization, fees, contracts, insurance, and professional relationships.
LARC 363 Landscape Architecture Studio 3 (3 credits)
Exploration of design principles, process, conceptualization, spatial understanding, and craft via narrative; within a cultural, social, and environmental context; and application to creative thinking and decision-making required of site-specific projects. Required field trips and attendance at outside events (lectures, symposiums, films). Course offered first half of semester. Additional project required for graduate credit. Recommended Preparation: LARC 154, LARC 210, and LARC 288. Typically Offered: Spring.
LARC 364 Summer Study Abroad Design Studio (6 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 564
Intermediate site scale planning and design with an emphasis on bioregional context, sustainable development and the cultural landscape as influencing site design factors. A summer abroad studio that may be substituted for LARC 353 and LARC 355, or LARC 363 and LARC 365. Recommended Preparation: ART 110 and ART 121. (Summer only)
LARC 365 Landscape Architecture Studio 4 (3 credits)
Further integration and application of design process explored in LARC 363 via outreach project(s). Focus on sustainable design development. Required field trips and attendance at outside events (lectures, symposiums, films). Course offered second half of semester. Recommended Preparation: LARC 154, LARC 210, and LARC 288. (Spring only) Typically Offered: Spring.
LARC 380 Water Conservation Technologies (3 credits)
Sustainable irrigation best practices; principles of water conservation and water harvesting in landscape architecture site design with the production of a number of drawings and projects at different scales. Recommended Preparation: LARC 210. (Spring only)
LARC 382 Landscape, Language and Culture (2 credits)
Students study the Italian language, utilizing the regional, historic landscape of southern Piedmont and the markets, museums, and cultural events of Cremolino, Ovada, and Aqui Termi as a resource for enhancing language skills. (Summer only)
LARC 389 History of Landscape Architecture (3 credits)
An overview of the history of landscape design with a focus on pre-Egyptian civilization through Ancient Greece and Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the influence of Asian culture, the birth of landscape architecture, modernism, and a contemporary focus of practice. (Spring only) Cooperative: open to WSU degree-seeking students.
LARC 390 Italian Hill Towns and Urban Centers (3 credits)
General Education: International
Joint-listed with LARC 491
A summer lecture and field experience course exploring the historical foundations of community and urban pattern utilizing Italian hill towns and urban centers as a resource. Students study the organic and formal relationships between landscape and human settlement as well as the relationship between urban form and political and historical context. Recommended Preparation: ART 100, ART 111, and LARC 389. (Summer only)
Prereqs: LARC 154
LARC 395 GIS Applications for Landscape Planning (4 credits)
Introduction to theory and application of geographic information systems (GIS) analytical and modeling tools to landscape architecture and land planning issues. Includes development of intermediate level of skill in utilizing spatial and landscape analysis tools, and communication of results. Lecture with 3 hours of lab per week.
Prereqs: LARC 210 or Permission
LARC 400 (s) Seminar (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 403 (s) Workshop (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 404 (s) Special Topics (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 440 Grading, Drainage, and Stormwater Management (4 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 340
Site grading, drainage and stormwater management design with a focus on siting building elevations and grading open space, green infrastructure, roads, parking, walkways, paved public spaces, cut and fill and horizontal road layout. Sustainable storm water design, grading of swales, calculating runoff and the sizing conveyance and detention basins. Recommended Preparation: MATH 143.
LARC 441 Construction Materials, Detailing, and Documentation (4 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 341
Introduction to designing and detailing materials in the landscape. Examines the content and purpose of construction documents, the construction sequence, and properties of common landscape construction materials as they relate to aesthetics, the articulation of place, durability, and performance in outdoor environments. Focus on building a unified set of construction details and document set. Sustainable approaches, practices, and research reports support the work in detailing the materials and completion of the construction document package. Recommended Preparation: LARC 210, LARC 340.
LARC 453 Landscape Architecture Studio 5 (3 credits)
Intermediate scale site planning through integrated studio engagement at the community and urban scale of landscape architecture with a focus on the integration of open space systems in community design. Opportunity to collaborate with students and faculty from allied professional programs. Course offered first half of fall semester. Recommended Preparation: LARC 288, LARC 289, and LARC 389. (Fall only)
Prereqs: LARC 365 or Permission
Coreqs: LARC 455 or Permission
LARC 455 Landscape Architecture Studio 6 (3 credits)
Continued emphasis on community design with a focus on master planning and design development that explores different models of human settlement and patterns of cultural, environmental and social elements. Selected field trips at student expense. Course offered second half of fall semester. Additional project required for graduate credit. Recommended Preparation: LARC 288, LARC 289, and LARC 389. (Fall only)
Coreqs: LARC 453 or Permission
LARC 463 Landscape Architecture Studio 7 (3 credits)
Intermediate scale sustainable land planning and design for the urban and rural environment with a focus on the integration of wetland ecology planning, storm water management and wildlife habitat. Course offered first half of spring semester. Selected field trips at student expense. Recommended Preparation: LARC 288 and LARC 289. (Spring only)
Prereqs: LARC 395, LARC 455, or Permission
Coreqs: LARC 465 or Permission
LARC 465 Landscape Architecture Studio 8 (3 credits)
Intermediate scale land planning and design that emphasizes sustainable development with a focus on landscape restoration and regeneration, visual analysis of the landscape matrix using GIS digital technologies and the use of indigenous plant materials for restoration and rehabilitation. Required Field Trip at student expense. Course offered second half of spring semester. Additional project required for graduate credit. Recommended Preparation: LARC 288 and LARC 289. (Spring only)
Prereqs or Coreqs: LARC 463 or Permission
LARC 480 The Resilient Landscape (3 credits)
General Education: Senior Experience
A capstone course addressing the concept of trade-offs in coupled social ecological technological systems, where landscapes and the communities they support are adaptive and evolving but the ideal is rarely attainable. This is a reading, critical thinking and discussion course with assessment based on class participation in a term project, problem solving, verbal and written communication, collegiality, and collaboration (Spring only).
LARC 481 Urban Systems in Ecology (3 credits)
This course is designed to introduce upper division students of Landscape Architecture and other related disciplines to the principles, theories and processes of urbanism with a focus on sustainability and the integration of natural systems both as metaphor and physical design process.
LARC 488 Plant Materials and Design 1 (3 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 288
Plant identification and selection; the sustainable use of plant materials in relation to soils, topography, and climate; introduction to the principles in relation to planting design. Selected field trips at student expense. (Fall only)
LARC 489 Plant Materials and Design 2 (3 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 289
Continuation of plant material identification with emphasis on planting design at different scales of the landscape. Exploration of sustainable principles and practices of planting design. Two lectures and 4 hours of lab per week; selected field trips at student expense. (Spring only)
LARC 491 Italian Hill Towns and Urban Centers (3 credits)
General Education: International
Joint-listed with LARC 390
Gen Ed: International A summer lecture and field experience course exploring the historical foundations of community and urban pattern utilizing Italian hill towns and urban centers as a resource. Students study the organic and formal relationships between landscape and human settlement as well as the relationship between urban form and political and historical context. Recommended Preparation: ART 100, ART 111, and LARC 389. (Summer only)
Prereqs: LARC 154
LARC 495 Geodesign (3 credits)
Introduction to topics in geodesign with advanced application of geographic information system (GIS) analytical and modeling tools to interdisciplinary landscape change issues. Includes exploration of advanced protocols for communication of results through iterative and evaluative methods.
Prereqs: LARC 395 or Permission
LARC 498 (s) Internship (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 499 (s) Directed Study (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 500 Master's Research and Thesis (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 501 (s) Seminar (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 502 (s) Directed Study (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 503 (s) Workshop (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 504 (s) Special Topics (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 510 Advanced Design Representation and Communication (3 credits)
Theory and evaluation of design representation utilizing digital tools, modeling, and traditional methods to communicate landscape architectural design principles within social and ecological contexts. Typically Offered: Spring.
Prereqs: LARC 210 or equivalent, non-majors by permission as space permits
LARC 512 Landscape Analysis and Site Planning (3 credits)
Integrated systems approach to inventory and analysis of biological, physical, social, behavioral, and cultural elements of the landscape. Development of analysis tools, processes, design programming, data sources, and manipulation as applied to landscape architectural design and landscape planning. Typically Offered: Fall.
LARC 520 Regional and Community Design (3 credits)
This course examines contemporary issues of urban and regional planning and design through focus on a particular project, generally in partnership with a local community or agency. It complements the integrated fall studio (LARC 554), utilizing thematic readings, case studies, and GIS-based geodesign methods applied to urban and regional design and planning. Particular emphasis is placed on: theory and methods in community design and planning; analytical methods and modeling; case study method in design; and data-driven design.
Prereqs: Admission to M. Arch. , M. L. A. or M. S. Bioregional Planning program
LARC 548 Community Design Studio for Non-majors (3 credits)
This studio is an introductory landscape planning and urban design studio for students in the Urban Design Certificate program that are not in the professional M. Arch. or MLA programs. Students will work with students in the LARC 554 studio on urban design problems of regional and district scales. This course emphasizes understanding and analyzing regional human and natural systems within the context of urban development and landscape change. Students do not need a background in design to participate in the studio. This course may meet with LARC 554.
Prereqs: Graduate standing or permission
LARC 554 Landscape Architecture Graduate Studio 1 (6 credits)
The professional landscape architecture comprehensive studio with options to study on campus or elsewhere in collaboration with students from allied professions. Attendance at outside events, lectures, symposiums, films may be required. (Fall only)
Prereqs: Graduate standing, LARC 465; or Permission
LARC 555 Master's Project Preparation (3 credits)
This course guides students through the process of identifying a specific project, and developing a proposal, scope and timeline for their Masters Project or thesis. Students will prepare a research report to support their Masters Project or thesis, utilizing literature review and case study research methods. Students are also introduced to other common methods of original research utilized in the discipline and develop a framework for their own research. Progress is reviewed in regular peer presentations, giving students practice in developing professional level graphic and verbal communication skills.
LARC 556 Landscape Architecture Graduate Studio 2 (6 credits)
The professional landscape architecture comprehensive studio with options to study on campus or elsewhere in collaboration with students from allied professions. Attendance at outside events, lectures, symposiums, films may be required. (Spring only)
Prereqs: Graduate standing, LARC 465, and LARC 554; or Permission
LARC 558 Landscape Architecture Graduate Studio 3 (6 credits)
Graduate final project with faculty advisor.
Prereqs: Graduate standing and LARC 556; or Permission
LARC 562 Landscape Architecture Graduate Studio 4 (6 credits)
Graduate final project with faculty advisor.
Prereqs: Graduate standing and LARC 558; or Permission
LARC 564 Summer Study Abroad Design Studio (6 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 364
Intermediate site scale planning and design with an emphasis on bioregional context, sustainable development and the cultural landscape as influencing site design factors. A summer abroad studio that may be substituted for LARC 353 and LARC 355, or LARC 363 and LARC 365. Recommended Preparation: ART 110 and ART 121. (Summer only)
LARC 589 History and Theory of Landscape Architecture (3 credits)
An examination of landscape architecture from a historic and contemporary perspective as reflected in theory and practice. This course focuses on the development of landscape as a result of environmental and cultural influences. Typically Offered: Spring.
LARC 597 Teaching Assistant, Graduate (3 credits, max 6)
Teaching assistant services performed by advanced graduate students with faculty supervision. By permission only.
LARC 598 (s) Internship (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged
LARC 599 Non-thesis Master's Research (1-16 credits)
Credit arranged. Research not directly related to a thesis or dissertation.