Point A to B

2017 Master of Landscape Architecture Candidate
LAR 501 Introduction to Design Fundamentals Studio
North Carolina State University
Fall 2015

DESCRIPTION:

A scaled landscape designed as the physical manifestation of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.

OBJECTIVE:

Using only chipboard and glue, design a 1” = 6’ scaled landscape that provides an experience for a person as they navigate from ground level at one corner to 40 scaled feet above ground level at the opposite corner, and then back again.

METHODS:

The landscape is designed using the proportions of sheet music and built with structures that represent dominant themes within the musical composition. Visualizing the audio through spectral and waveform analysis helped to interpret the piece into opposing forces, lengths, sections, and components. The rectilinear landscape base creates the physical sensation of moving through ledger lines, the time signature, dominant chord progressions, and the iconic “da-da-da-dum” motif of the symphony. Massive “L” and “X” shaped forms representing the opposing E-flat major and C-minor keys emerge from the ground and build into a dense tangled web. As a person moves through the landscape, the path gradually rises and the sky opens to reveal two massive towering forms high above, one on the brink of overtaking the other.

RESULTS:

A scaled 1″ person moving through the landscape experiences a range of physical dynamics and spatial developments that correspond to the evolving emotional experience someone might have while listening to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. The physical model was featured in the 2016 MLA accreditation proceedings and the project demonstrated research and design qualifications that led to a Research Assistantship designing landscapes for virtual reality.