BLArch Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Landscape Design 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The 'sense of enclosure' in outdoor spaces is primarily created by:
- Painting boundaries with contrasting colors
- The ratio of vertical height of surrounding elements to horizontal width of the space (Correct answer)
- Installing decorative fencing at property lines
- Selecting plants with large leaf surface area
Correct answer: The ratio of vertical height of surrounding elements to horizontal width of the space
Enclosure is a perceptual quality determined by the height-to-width ratio of surrounding walls, hedges, or landforms — taller elements relative to a narrow space feel more enclosed.
Question 2: Which site analysis tool maps the path of the sun across a site at different times of year to inform solar access and shading decisions?
- Viewshed analysis
- Sun path diagram (solar chart) (Correct answer)
- Isohyet map
- Topographic survey
Correct answer: Sun path diagram (solar chart)
A sun path diagram plots the sun's altitude and azimuth angles at various dates and times, allowing designers to predict shade patterns and optimize solar access.
Question 3: In a planting plan, the term 'groundplane' refers to:
- The underground root zone of trees
- The horizontal layer of low-growing plants, paving, and lawn that forms the floor of the landscape (Correct answer)
- The plane of sight from seated users
- Soil preparation beneath hardscape
Correct answer: The horizontal layer of low-growing plants, paving, and lawn that forms the floor of the landscape
The groundplane is the horizontal surface layer of a landscape — including turf, groundcovers, paving, and mulch — that defines the floor and guides circulation.
Question 4: What is the primary ecological benefit of using native plants in landscape design?
- They are always less expensive to purchase
- They support local wildlife, require less irrigation and fertilizer, and are adapted to regional climate and soils (Correct answer)
- They grow faster than exotic species
- They are patented, ensuring design exclusivity
Correct answer: They support local wildlife, require less irrigation and fertilizer, and are adapted to regional climate and soils
Native plants have co-evolved with local insects, birds, and soil microbes, making them more ecologically supportive and lower-maintenance than non-adapted exotic species.
Question 5: Which design element is defined as a line formed by the junction of two different surfaces or materials?
- Texture
- Edge (Correct answer)
- Form
- Pattern
Correct answer: Edge
An edge is the boundary line where two different surfaces, materials, or plant masses meet, and it is a fundamental design element that defines spatial boundaries and visual transitions.
Question 6: In stormwater management design, a 'bioswale' differs from a standard drainage swale primarily because it:
- Is lined with impermeable concrete
- Uses vegetation, soil, and sometimes compost to slow, filter, and infiltrate runoff (Correct answer)
- Only functions during large storm events
- Is designed exclusively for industrial sites
Correct answer: Uses vegetation, soil, and sometimes compost to slow, filter, and infiltrate runoff
A bioswale incorporates engineered soil media and selected vegetation to biologically and physically filter pollutants from runoff while promoting infiltration, unlike a hard-lined drainage swale.
Question 7: The concept of 'imageability' in landscape design, as described by Kevin Lynch, refers to:
- The photogenic quality of a space for marketing purposes
- The quality of a place that evokes a strong, clear mental image and sense of identity in observers (Correct answer)
- The legibility of planting plan drawings
- The use of imagery in client presentations
Correct answer: The quality of a place that evokes a strong, clear mental image and sense of identity in observers
Lynch's imageability describes how strongly a place's physical form creates a vivid, memorable, and emotionally resonant mental image in the mind of observers.
BLArch Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Landscape Design 3
The 'sense of enclosure' in outdoor spaces is primarily created by: