Level 5 studio modules of the accredited Landscape Architecture and Design course introduce students to design challenges in both rural and urban landscapes that may commonly be faced in professional practice. They equip the students with knowledge, experience and confidence to tackle the complex environmental challenges presented by our evolving landscape. The design modules are supported by a technology module which develops the students’ skills in selecting and designing within hard and soft material palettes, and a contextual module providing an un-derpinning of landscape principles and theories.

This year students explored the introduction of a visitor facility in the wild, iconic rural land-scape of Northumberland in the vicinity of World Heritage site Hadrians Wall: its appropriate placement in and materials used to create a distinctive but sensitive, well considered interven-tion. For inspiration they visited the established visitor centre and associated acitivies at Keilder Forest to the north to explore possibilities. The second design based module explored housing development in Adel on the outskirts of Leeds. Based on a live development site, students analysed its approach to placemaking being sensitive to past influences whilst looking forward to future demands. Inspired by visiting Citu, in Leeds, they explored ways to create a well integrated, more community based sustainable solutions. The second element of this module analysed the landscape and visual impacts, using practice based methodologies, of their proposals.

In the second semester the modules were concentrated in more urban locations in the City of Bradford and the exciting preparations for the cities City of Culture in 2025. The first of which, a cross discipline module with Planning students investigated the potential to create a sense of place within the proposed City village to the north east of the city centre. Teams explored ways in which to create well integrated inspirational landscapes utilising the re-prioritising movement routes and changes in land use. The desire to reduce private transport in the city provided the opportunity to remove or re-purpose buildings to create a distinctive urban heart to the district. The final design module of the year explored the detailed design of a small area of their Masterplan proposals to demonstrate how the strategic aspirations can be maintained through attention to detail at the detailed design and specification stage.