RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Design as Research in Landscape Architecture
JF Landscape Journal
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 87
OP 103
DO 10.3368/lj.38.1-2.87
VO 38
IS 1-2
A1 Steffen Nijhuis
A1 Jeroen de Vries
YR 2019
UL http://lj.uwpress.org/content/38/1-2/87.abstract
AB Research through design (RTD) is a frequently used concept in the daily practice of education and research in the field of landscape architecture. RTD as a concept usually refers to a research method in which spatial design plays the leading role. The underlying premise is that design is a form of research and involves a culture of thought. There is a dearth of literature addressing the act of design as a research process in the field of landscape architecture. This article contributes to the discourse by addressing how spatial design can be applied as a research strategy. We define design as a form of research and identify how design relates to other more conventional definitions of research methods. We elaborate on RTD as a concept and the types of knowledge that it generates. The article also addresses the design process and design methods in landscape architecture. Criteria for accepted, responsible research are translated into practical requirements that can guide RTD processes in academic and professional contexts. To continue developing landscape architecture as a design discipline, it is important that the theoretical, methodological, and technical foundations of spatial design are clarified and strengthened.