Haute jardin : exploring the pre-fabrication of landscapes through the process of making

Abstract

The hand thinks while it builds. Only by physically grappling with a material does one truly understand what it wants to become. In c o n t e m p o r a r y l a n d s c a p e architecture, there is typically a separation between the act of designing and the act of making, often causing a lack of practical knowledge of the capabilities of materials and their relationship to one another. To construct expressively means to comprehend a material's physical properties and how its process of production is revealed through repetition and exaggeration. This dissertation attempts to explore the pre-fabrication of landscapes through an iterative process of making by hand with the goal of uncovering material properties that would otherwise remain concealed. It starts with a material exploration on a detailed level, after which the resulting artefact is applied in the larger context of Pretoria. In addition, this exploration attempts to add to the very limited body of wor k c on c e r n i ng l an d s c ap e architectural tectonic theories.

Die hand dink wanneer dit bou. Slegs deur fisies met 'n materiaal te wroeg verstaan mens waarlik wat die materiaal wil word. In eietydse landskapargitektuur is daar tipies 'n verdeling tussen die daad van ontwerp en die daad van maak, wat dikwels lei tot 'n gebrek in praktiese kennis oor die geskiktheid van materiale asook hul verhouding tot mekaar. Uitdruklike konstruksie dui op 'n begrip van 'n materiaal se fisiese eienskappe en die tentoonstelling van sy produksieproses deur repetisie en oordrywing. Hierdie skripsie poog om die voorafvervaardiging van landskappe te verken deur die herhalende proses van maak met die hand, met die doel om materiaalseienskappe te ontdek wat andersins geskuil sou bly. Dit begin met 'n materiaalverkenning op 'n detail vlak, waarna die artefak toegepas word in die groter Pretoria konteks. Verder poog hierdie verkenning om by te dra tot die beperkte kennis van tektoniese teorie in landskapargitektuur.