Here is my two cents. As my studio counts down the weeks till we are thrown into the real world, we are all asking each other what style do we want to learn to represent our ideas. One student is a master of trace and color pencils – the professor told her she is old fashion. Another student is experimenting with V-ray and Sketch up – and another professor can not even open up Sketch up.
We are all discussing with each other what to do? What should we learn? What steps should be taken to finish our projects before deadline? The current system of education just assume you will teach yourself. This is why we have these discussions.
The bottom line is that we the students are running wild with experiments with our technology in school because we are not getting paid and we do not have to conform to a client – yet. Honestly, most of us will not even be able to play with half of the software when we graduate. It is just to plain expensive to buy.
What is important is that we are experimenting ! Any art form ( and landscape architecture is an art ) needs to stay fresh to connect with current generation , keep the interest of past generation, and inspire the future generation.
Hand drawing will always be the best way to express an idea in the present moment. It is the language needed to talk / draw our design out to others, but technology allows us to document our designs into the future as inspiration. Our educators need to be knowledgeable or at least make a stand to a style and technique and let the student rebel against that style to create something new.
