ABB241 Landscape Design 3: Planting Design

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2025, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

This second-year landscape architectural design unit builds on your introductory-level design visualisation skills and knowledge of design principles. An understanding of plant species, characteristics and design considerations are critical to the work of landscape architects, and this unit introduces you to the basic principles and processes of planting design. You will complete a series of exercises to learn about Western plant classification, plant forms and functions, effects of physical conditions and processes on planting design, the importance of plants for sustainability, influences of site history and character, plant selection, procurement and maintenance implications. You will apply this knowledge to plan, develop and communicate a site-based planting design, using industry-standard communication conventions. The knowledge and skills acquired in this unit will inform your work in your ongoing design units and in Landscape Ecologies. 

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Understand and apply theoretical, practical and cultural knowledge and skills related to sustainable planting design.
2. Analyse and respond to environmental and cultural scenarios to plan, develop and complete an appropriate planting design proposal.
3. Effectively communicate a planting design using industry-standard visual and written conventions.

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit engages you in your learning through: 

• Individual and group learning via in-class lectures and corresponding exercises introducing and exploring the basic identification of plants and principles and processes of planting design; 
• Individual learning through the completion of these exercises outside classes; 
• Individual learning through the planning, development and communication of a planting design project. 

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback will be provided by: 

• Formative feedback on exercises in the form of verbal feedback from peers and academic staff. 
• Summative review of submitted assessments in the form of verbal or written feedback from academic staff and criteria-referenced assessment rubrics.

Assessment

Overview

This unit includes three assessments. These have been designed to enable you to understand and apply introductory level knowledge of plants, as well as basic principles and processes of planting design. The first assessment includes the creation of a plant resource catalogue which evidences your knowledge of plant identification, plant forms and functions, and Western plant classification. The second assessment will entail a series of exercises helping you to learn about the effects of physical conditions and processes on planting design, influences of site history and character on planting design, plant selection considerations, procurement and maintenance implications, and the importance of plants for environmental, social, and economic sustainability. In the third assessment you will apply this knowledge to plan, develop and communicate a site-based planting design, applying industry-standard communication conventions. 

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Plant Resource Catalogue

Your first assessment will require you to develop a plant resource catalogue with visuals and text describing the plants that can be used within landscape architecture projects.  You will choose a specified number of plants and describe their potential uses, growing conditions, limitations, ecosystem services, and other relevant information for use. To supplement this research, you will need to find the chosen plants at nurseries, botanic gardens, and in natural areas in order to photograph them and note their general conditions. 

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Planting Design Workbook

In class you will work individually and in groups to undertake a series of exercises helping you to learn the basic principles and processes of planting design. These exercises will involve outdoor exploration, research, discussion, sharing, drawing and writing. You will individually complete these exercises in your own time and submit them for assessment in the form of a written and illustrated workbook.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Planting Design

In-class activities will support and extend your application of the knowledge gained in Assessment 1 and 2 to plan, develop and communicate a site-based planting design focused on sustainability, using industry-standard communication conventions. This will include a visual and written Planting Design Concept, a Planting Plan and a Plant Schedule.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

All commencing students are required to complete the Mandatory Safety Induction

There are no extraordinary risks associated with the classroom/lecture activities in this unit. Field trips will be undertaken and all students will be required to abide by the prescribed risk assessment actions. 

Course Learning Outcomes

AB01 Bachelor of Built Environment (Honours)

1. Apply theoretical, practical and cultural knowledge and skills across a range of disciplines and specialist knowledge and skills in one built environment area.
   Relates to: Plant Resource Catalogue, Planting Design Workbook, Planting Design
2. Design and critically evaluate sustainable and creative solutions to social, economic, technological and environmental challenges.
   Relates to: Planting Design
3. Communicate knowledge, ideas and creative solutions in diverse modes, for a range of contexts and diverse audiences.
   Relates to: Planting Design Workbook, Planting Design
4. Plan, develop and complete research and other projects.
   Relates to: Planting Design