NUS BA (Architecture) Year 1 / Semester 2

AR1724 Introduction to Landscape Architecture

NUS BA (Architecture) Year 3 / Semester 1
AR3101a Design 5 (Landscape Architecture Emphasis)
LA3201 History and Theory of Landscape Architecture
NUS BA (Architecture) Year 3 / Semester 2
AR3102a Design 6 (Landscape Architecture Emphasis)
LA4212 Tropical Plant Identification

MLA Year 1 / Semester 1

Modular Credits

LA4701 MLA Studio: Quarter

LA5301 Geo Design

LA4301 Material and Design

LA3201 History and Theory of Landscape Architecture

MLA Year 1 / Semester 2

LA4702 MLA Studio: City

LA4202 Planting Design

LA5302 Detail Design

LA4212 Tropical Plant Identification

MLA Year 2 / Semester 1

LA5701 MLA Studio: Country

LA5201 Policy of Landscape

LA5222 Urban Ecology and Design

UD5221 Theory and Elements of Urban Design

MLA Year 2 / Semester 2

LA5702 MLA Studio: Region

LA 5303 Urban Greening: Technologies and Techniques

LA5742 Dissertation

BA (Architecture) Year 1 / Semester 2

AR1724 Introduction to Landscape Architecture. This module introduces basic concepts in landscape architecture and
design through a series of lectures and site visits. Urban landscape architecture and tropical climatic considerations are
emphasised.

BA (Architecture) Year 3 / Semester 1

AR3101a Design 5 (Landscape Architecture Emphasis). This studio-based module develops basic skills in landscape
design and marks the 'first-time experience' of architecture students in the field of landscape architectural studio work. It
leads the students into urban and suburban contexts, where landscape 'meets' city and city 'eats' landscape.
LA3201 History and Theory of Landscape Architecture. Human inhabitation and intervention on the landscape is traced
from prehistoric times to the present. In particular, the relationship between humans and landscape as presented in
particular traditions and cultures is highlighted. The coverage is broad, including both Eastern and Western traditions and

ancient and modern practices. Emphasis is on comparative studies between different cultures and traditions rather than on
detail and depth of any particular practice of landscape intervention.

BA (Architecture) Year 3 / Semester 2

AR3102a Design 6 (Landscape Architecture Emphasis). This studio-based module develops basic skills in landscape
design and marks the 'second-time experience' of architecture students in the field of landscape architectural studio work. It
leads the students into central urban contexts, where architecture 'meets' landscape architecture and built city 'defines'
public open space.
LA4212 Tropical Plant Identification. The course will leverage on the experience gained through establishing Singapore
as a "Garden City". The creation of a forest within a city, an "urban forest", is one of its aims. The course will start with an
appreciation of the immense biodiversity of plants in our region. The irreplaceable values that natural primary forests have
will be emphasised. The case of the need to extend these forests by recreating them in the urban context will be discussed.
The appropriate use of non-indigenous plants will also be covered. The need to be ecological-minded when selecting plants
will be emphasised with particular attention being placed on conservation; the beautification of place should not be done at
the expense of making another landscape look less attractive. Lectures will be augmented with field trips which serve
illustrate the application of the principles discussed to the ground. The business implications to matching the right plant to
site, using quality plants and then being able to care for them professionally will be covered.

MLA Year 1 / Semester 1

LA4701 MLA Studio: Quarter. This studio-based module develops higher level skills in landscape design and marks the
first of four subsequent master-level core studios in landscape design. Projects of city quarter scale are undertaken to
explore issues of context, programme and socio-economic considerations. Projects will cover sites with different functions,
e.g. residential, commercial, industrial, educational, health and recreation. Civic spaces like roadsides, highways, plazas,
parks and city squares will also be tackled. There is an emphasis on sustainability and tropical design.
LA5301 Geo Design. The module focuses on developing the knowledge and techniques of site analysis and planning,
which are essential for sustainable landscape architecture. The module is named as "Geo design" because it emphasizes
on the systematic thinking of site and site alternatives in broad context, in which the analysis is supported by contemporary
theories and methodologies in landscape and urban ecology. This course will develop skills and explore issues and chances
of modeling and understanding the physical and visual aspects of sites and their context using georeferenced digital
resources. The topics of the module include site inventory, site and landscape assessment, landscape and vegetation
modeling, scenario techniques, and interactive 3D visualization as well as how geo data and these methods can be
incorporated into the planning and design process. The tool of geographic information system (GIS) is provided for the
development of advanced techniques in analyzing, evaluating, managing, and modeling.
LA4301 Material and Design. This module provides an understanding of materials as they pertain to landscape design.
Outdoor designs require robust materials that tolerate extreme weather conditions, planned and unplanned forms of use and
urban characteristics like highest intensities of usage and vandalism. The discourse on materials is integrated with their
design process and application on site. Contemporary urban landscape design bases upon a minimized choice of
appropriate materials and high quality of implementation.
LA3201 History and Theory of Landscape Architecture. Human inhabitation and intervention on the landscape is traced
from prehistoric times to the present. In particular, the relationship between humans and landscape as presented in
particular traditions and cultures is highlighted. The coverage is broad, including both Eastern and Western traditions and
ancient and modern practices. Emphasis is on comparative studies between different cultures and traditions rather than on
detail and depth of any particular practice of landscape intervention.

MLA Year 1 / Semester 2

LA4702 MLA Studio: City. This studio-based module develops an appreciation for design skills in tropical landscape design
as applied on a large city scale and marks the second of four subsequent master-level core studios in landscape design.
Interdisciplinary requirements from planning guidelines, architecture design, engineering limitations; as well as
understanding existing natural land and urban systems will be introduced into the design process. Project sites will be larger

in scale with more complex urban design issues, with projects ranging from peripheral nature conservation sites to mix-use
urban centres. There will be an emphasis on deriving innovative design solutions using ecological and sustainability
principles.
LA4202 Planting Design. This module reviews design principles in terms of plant design characteristics and responses to
environment and seasonal changes. There is an emphasis on plants as unique elements of landscape design. Both
aesthetic and functional uses of plants will be covered. Design that favours natural distribution and ecological considerations
will be explored. Class assignments will involve graphic and presentational techniques using computer and small-scale
modelling to explore architectonic aspects of planting like massing, texture, colour, form and shape.
LA5302 Detail Design. This module covers landscape construction techniques and detailing. The emphasis is in the
integration of details in terms of performance and coherence of the overall design. Consistency in the use of materials and
adaptation of detailing to develop thematic strategies to carry design conceptual ideals are explored. The interrelationship
and interdependence of parts and whole, between near and far, and between small and large scales are engaged. Current
examples of local and international designs are presented and discussed.
LA4212 Tropical Plant Identification. The course will leverage on the experience gained through establishing Singapore
as a "Garden City". The creation of a forest within a city, an "urban forest", is one of its aims. The course will start with an
appreciation of the immense biodiversity of plants in our region. The irreplaceable values that natural primary forests have
will be emphasised. The case of the need to extend these forests by recreating them in the urban context will be discussed.
The appropriate use of non-indigenous plants will also be covered. The need to be ecological-minded when selecting plants
will be emphasised with particular attention being placed on conservation; the beautification of place should not be done at
the expense of making another landscape look less attractive. Lectures will be augmented with field trips which serve
illustrate the application of the principles discussed to the ground. The business implications to matching the right plant to
site, using quality plants and then being able to care for them professionally will be covered.

MLA Year 2 / Semester 1

LA5701 MLA Studio: Country. This studio-based module investigates the sustainable issues surrounding land
development of large scales and marks the third of four subsequent master-level core studios in landscape design. Methods
to balance economic and human development with ecological aspects are highlighted and discussed both quantitatively and
qualitatively. The module aims on tropical design issues in the urban context of Singapore and other tropical countries.
Thinking globally, acting locally forms the topical framework of design content.
LA5201 Policy of Landscape. This module presents a review of current topics in landscape architecture and planning
considering environmental and nature conservation issues through lectures, readings, and discussion. A broad sweep of
strategic, comprehensive and regional design issues is provided and students are challenged to critique current practice and
to reflect on the relevance of landscape policies to society.
LA5222 Urban Ecology and Design. Urban Ecology is the study of ecosystems that include humans living in cities and
urbanizing landscapes. It is an emerging, interdisciplinary field that aims to understand how human and ecological
processes can coexist in human-dominated systems and help societies with their efforts to become more sustainable. It has
deep roots in many disciplines including sociology, geography, urban planning, landscape architecture, engineering,
economics, anthropology, climatology, public health, and ecology.
UD5221 Theory and Elements of Urban Design. This module introduces the different theoretical approaches to urban
design and provides the philosophical underpinnings to the various bodies of theories. The application of these theories to
the design of urban environments will be examined. With a greater understanding of the various theories, this module will
serve as a base from which students can develop their own convictions and approaches to urban design. It also examines
the fundamentals of urban design and the factors in the related fields of urban planning, architecture and landscape
architecture that influence the creation of urban spaces. The module aims to lead students to critically examine and
investigate the many ways through which the city is imagined, developed, formed and occupied. There are two components
to the module, lectures and seminars. Lectures will present the theoretical concepts and models of thought regarding urban
design. Seminars focus on the discussion and interrogation of influential writings and case studies of urban projects, and
present opportunities for students to interpret and debate the relevance and applications of these modes of thinking and
acting on the built environment.

MLA Year 2 / Semester 2

LA5702 MLA Studio: Region. This studio based module marks the last of four subsequent master-level core studios in
landscape design. The final MLA studio is regarded as opportunity for the graduating students to deliver their personal
'master piece'. We intend to work in one of the countries of South East Asia, tackling landscape design issues in the fast
growing urban agglomerations of this region. The studio integrates ecological, social and economic thinking in the course of
generation of designs that shall be realistic and workable.
LA 5303 Urban Greening: Technologies and Techniques. Driven by global urbanization trends, landscape architects are
increasingly called upon to sensitively and creatively introduce landscapes in highly urbanized settings. To achieve this,
fundamental knowledge of the challenges that the urban environment poses, solutions to these challenges, as well as the
use of R&D to develop innovations are important in the skills set of landscape architects. This module introduces students to
contemporary and emerging technologies and techniques that have become essential components of urban greening design
and practices. It traces the origins of such technologies and techniques as responses to challenges and opportunities in
creating a green and ecologically-balanced urban environment, explains their scientific underpinnings, and illustrates with
examples of real-life applications. It emphasizes the role of R&D in a continual process to improve the performance of
greening in areas of sustainability, ecological health, and liveability of the built environment. Topics covered include metrics
used to measure greenery, technologies used to integrate greenery with the grey and blue elements of the built
environment, and plants as the basic building blocks of functional landscapes. The module is conducted through lectures,
class discussions and site visits demonstrating real-life applications as well as R&D in progress.
LA5742 Dissertation. The dissertation project engages the student in a research project aligned to the academic interests
of the student and is conducted under the guidance of a supervisor. It presents an opportunity for the student to investigate
in depth, a subject area of intellectual curiosity or of practical relevance to the professional practice of landscape
architecture. The emphasis of the module is on adopting a scientific process of developing a central question or proposition,
collection of evidence, and producing a structured presentation of arguments in relation to the questions being investigated.
This process of self-directed inquiry and learning culminates in a substantial piece of written work that demonstrates a
critical analysis of the pertinent issues, and the use of scholarly methods in the presentation of arguments and perspectives.
Such dissertation projects complement the research-oriented focus of the school towards the teaching of tropical landscape
architecture.