Illustrated History of Landscape Design by Elizabeth Boults

How is studying landscape history relevant to today’s designers? We started each chapter with a timeline of world events, and concluded each chapter with summaries of design concepts, principles, vocabularies and lists of ‘neat stuff’ that are typically not part of a traditional course in landscape architectural history. Liz: We really tried to present a broad context for historical works of landscape architecture. What makes this different from other history books?Ĭhip: We have included so many unique graphic features-plans, sections, elevations, perspectives, axonometrics, analytical diagrams, and storyboards-that distill and synthesize important concepts. Seeing an artist’s interpretation of a great narrative made it very real for me. Our book contains only hand-drawings (not photographs) which further help the reader be ‘drawn’ into a space-no pun intended!Ĭhip: As a kid I loved the Classics Illustrated series. Liz: It would be hard not to rely on images to describe space. Liz: I love the choreography of space at the Villa Lante.

It’s survived the changing styles of landscape design over the centuries and remains a testament to wackiness. What are some of your favorite iconic landscape spaces?Ĭhip: The topiary garden at Levens Hall is so unusual and surreal. Historic and contemporary works of art that illuminate a specific eraĭescriptions of how the landscape has been shaped over time in response to human needĭirecting both students and practitioners along a visually stimulating timeline, Illustrated History of Landscape Design is a valuable educational tool as well as an endless source of inspiration.

Summaries of design concepts, principles, and vocabularies Plan, section, and elevation drawings of key spaces Storyboards, case studies, and visual narratives toportray spaces Organized by century and geographic region, this highly visual reference uses hundreds of masterful pen-and-ink drawings to show how historical context and cultural connections can illuminate today's design possibilities. Illustrated History of Landscape Design takes an optical sweep of the iconic landscapes constructed throughout the ages. As an art form, these architectural landscape creations are stamped with societal imprints unique to their environment and place in time. A visual journey through the history of landscape designįor thousands of years, people have altered the meaning of space by reshaping nature.

Illustrated History of Landscape Design by Elizabeth Boults