Graduation Semester and Year

2017

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Landscape Architecture

Department

Landscape Architecture

First Advisor

David Hopman

Abstract

This research presents a study of the diffusion of innovation (Figure 2.8) as it relates to the manipulation of psychological responses through landscape architecture that enhance the user’s experience and achieves the design intent of an outdoor environment. This research also tests the level of awareness of psychological based strategies (Table 1.2, 1.12) and modes of perception (Table 2.1) by landscape architects in north Texas. Design solutions focus heavily on function and/or aesthetics within the profession of landscape architecture (Norman 2009, Ortony 2014). The functional design solution satisfies the rational and analytical mind while the aesthetic design solution facilitates short and long term memory, and direct sensual experience. Predicting the performance of landscape projects is difficult because consideration of the way people perceive and experience their environments is not required to reach a design solution that meets minimal functional and aesthetic values. Ed Woodcock, director of strategy at the branding agency Aesop, believes that designers may not be cognizant of the applicable psychological strategies available (Taylor 2013). Although psychological theory is applied to creative design intermittently, it’s more likely that creative people intuit clear ways of perceiving and sensing design intentions. This intuition is then reflected within the designed landscape and recognized by psychologists (Taylor 2013). This research is qualitative which identifies contradictory behaviors, beliefs, opinions, emotions and relationships as well as identifying intangible factors, social norms and gender differences. A single method is utilized to collect data for this study. The method of data collection is cross sectional surveys consisting of selected landscape architecture professionals in north Texas, providing data on their awareness of selected psychological based strategies and modes of perception people use to experience and understand designed landscapes. The findings of this study show that while there is a limited level of awareness of psychological based design strategies, landscape architects in north Texas perceive them as possessing a high level of importance in design and indicate that they should be applied, thus supporting the hypothesis. Participants express that they use psychological based design strategies intuitively when they design yet their application has been limited to the use from zero to five different strategies. When surveyed on a sample of seven strategies, only cost benefit was recognized by all participants and labeled as possessing a high level of importance. Participants indicated they were unaware of the remaining six and therefore did not know the level of importance they had towards design. When surveyed on modes of perception, participants indicated a high level of awareness relative to the five passed down by Aristotle: sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. Responses also indicated a very low awareness of any modes of perception outside of those five after data is collected and analyzed.

Disciplines

Architecture | Landscape Architecture

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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