Landscape Architecture (LARC)
LARC 1500 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 1510 Introduction to the Built Environment (3 credits)
General Education: Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing
Cross-listed with ARCH 1510
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 1540 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. Typically Offered: Spring.
LARC 2000 (s) Seminar (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 2030 (s) Workshop (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 2040 (s) Special Topics (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 2100 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 2510 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. Typically Offered: Fall.
LARC 2520 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 1500. Typically Offered: Fall.
Coreqs: LARC 2510
LARC 2530 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. Typically Offered: Spring.
Prereqs: LARC 2520
LARC 2540 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. Typically Offered: Spring.
Prereqs: ART 1210
LARC 2550 Introduction to Historic Preservation (3 credits)
Introduces the history, theory, and practice of historic preservation in the United States, with emphasis on the landscape of the field today. Students become familiar with the major players in the public and private sectors; career opportunities in the field, preservation tools and programs; the fundamentals of preservation law; the principles of preservation planning; and contemporary issues in the field such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, preserving the recent past, and sustainability. Typically Offered: Varies.
LARC 2880 Plant Materials & Design 1 (3 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 4880
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. Typically Offered: Fall.
LARC 2890 Plant Materials & Design 2 (3 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 4890
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 four hours of lab per week; selected field trips at student expense. Typically Offered: Spring.
Prereqs: LARC 2880
LARC 2980 (s) Internship (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 2990 (s) Directed Study (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 3100 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. Typically Offered: Fall.
Prereqs: LARC 2100
LARC 3400 Grading, Drainage, and Stormwater Management (4 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 4400
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 1143. Typically Offered: Varies
LARC 3410 Construction Materials, Detailing, and Documentation (4 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 4410
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 2100, LARC 3400. Typically Offered: Spring
LARC 3420 Documenting and Interpreting the Built Environment (3 credits)
Introduces the research methods and techniques for studying, recording, and interpreting buildings, districts, and landscapes. Class discussions and assignments focus on archival research skills and field methods. Students will learn how to “read” a building (a critical skill in the field), research the history of a property using primary and secondary information sources, write a history of the property, and interpret the meaning of historic places to a larger audience. Typically Offered: Varies.
LARC 3530 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 2100, LARC 2510, and LARC 2530. Typically Offered: Fall.
Coreqs: LARC 3550
LARC 3550 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 3530 or Permission
LARC 3580 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 3630 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. Recommended Preparation: LARC 1540, LARC 2100, and LARC 2880. Typically Offered: Spring.
LARC 3640 Summer Study Abroad Design Studio (6 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 5640
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 3530 and LARC 3550, or LARC 3630 and LARC 3650. Recommended Preparation: ART 1210. Typically Offered: Summer.
LARC 3650 Landscape Architecture Studio 4 (3 credits)
Further integration and application of design process explored in LARC 3630 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 1540, LARC 2100, and LARC 2880. Typically Offered: Spring.
LARC 3800 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 2100. Typically Offered: Spring.
LARC 3820 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. Typically Offered: Summer.
LARC 3890 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. Typically Offered: Spring. Cooperative: open to WSU degree-seeking students.
LARC 3900 Italian Hill Towns and Urban Centers (3 credits)
General Education: International
Joint-listed with LARC 4910
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 1100, ART 1110, and LARC 3890. Typically Offered: Summer.
Prereqs: LARC 1540
LARC 3950 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 three hours of lab per week.
Prereqs: LARC 2100 or Permission
LARC 4000 (s) Seminar (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 4030 (s) Workshop (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 4040 (s) Special Topics (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 4400 Grading, Drainage, and Stormwater Management (4 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 3400
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 1143. Typically Offered: Varies.
LARC 4410 Construction Materials, Detailing, and Documentation (4 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 3410
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 2100, LARC 3400. Typically Offered: Spring.
LARC 4530 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 2880, LARC 2890, and LARC 3890. Typically Offered: Fall.
Prereqs: LARC 3650 or Permission
Coreqs: LARC 4550 or Permission
LARC 4550 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. Recommended Preparation: LARC 2880, LARC 2890, and LARC 3890. Typically Offered: Fall.
Coreqs: LARC 4530 or Permission
LARC 4630 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 2880 and LARC 2890. Typically Offered: Spring.
Prereqs: LARC 3950, LARC 4550, or Permission
Coreqs: LARC 4650 or Permission
LARC 4650 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. Recommended Preparation: LARC 2880 and LARC 2890. Typically Offered: Spring. Prereqs or
Coreqs: LARC 4630 or Permission
LARC 4800 The Resilient Landscape (3 credits)
General Education: Capstone Experience
Cross-listed with FOR 4151
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. Typically Offered: Spring.
Prereqs: ENGL 1102 and Junior standing
LARC 4810 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 4880 Plant Materials & Design 1 (3 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 2880
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. Typically Offered: Fall.
LARC 4890 Plant Materials & Design 2 (3 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 2890
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 four hours of lab per week; selected field trips at student expense. Typically Offered: Spring.
LARC 4910 Italian Hill Towns and Urban Centers (3 credits)
General Education: International
Joint-listed with LARC 3900
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 1100, ART 1110, and LARC 3890. Typically Offered: Summer.
LARC 4950 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 3950 or Permission
LARC 4980 (s) Internship (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 4990 (s) Directed Study (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 5000 Master's Research and Thesis (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 5010 (s) Seminar (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 5020 (s) Directed Study (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 5030 (s) Workshop (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 5040 (s) Special Topics (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 5100 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 2100 or equivalent, non-majors by permission as space permits
LARC 5120 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 5200 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 5540), 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. Typically Offered: Varies.
LARC 5480 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 5540 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 5540.
Prereqs: Graduate standing or permission
LARC 5540 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, and films may be required. Typically Offered: Fall.
Prereqs: Graduate standing, LARC 4650; or Permission
LARC 5550 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 master's project or thesis. Students will prepare a research report to support their master's 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 5560 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, and films may be required. Typically Offered: Spring.
Prereqs: Graduate standing, LARC 4650, and LARC 5540; or Permission
LARC 5580 Landscape Architecture Graduate Studio 3 (6 credits)
Graduate final project with faculty advisor.
Prereqs: Graduate standing and LARC 5560; or Permission
LARC 5620 Landscape Architecture Graduate Studio 4 (6 credits)
Graduate final project with faculty advisor.
Prereqs: Graduate standing and LARC 5580; or Permission
LARC 5640 Summer Study Abroad Design Studio (6 credits)
Joint-listed with LARC 3640
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 3530 and LARC 3550, or LARC 3630 and LARC 3650. Recommended Preparation: ART 1210. Typically Offered: Summer.
LARC 5890 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 5970 Teaching Assistant, Graduate (3 credits, max 6)
Teaching assistant services performed by advanced graduate students with faculty supervision.
Prereqs: Permission
LARC 5980 (s) Internship (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged
LARC 5990 Non-thesis Master's Research (1-16 credits, max 99)
Credit arranged. Research not directly related to a thesis or dissertation.
Prereqs: Graduate standing and permission