Visual Communications For Landscape Architecture (Basics Landscape Architecture) – Book Review

Throughout my studies I was taught that there is nothing more important than a landscape architects medium of visual communication. As landscape architects we need our visual communication nearly as much as we need food or a place to rest our heads. The authors of Visual Communication For Landscape Architecture understand this and are clearly lecturers applying their trade. The pocket-sized book, starts with explaining the basics of sketching and the importance of taking good site photographs- something I learned the hard way. Its great for a book to explain the benefits of sketching. When I started in college I wasn’t fond of hand drawing, but slowly came round to the idea.

What can we learn from this book? From the opening chapters its clear that the book is based around analytically reading the landscape. It applies what you have learned on site to better inform design and better visual presentation. It focusses strongly on holistic design- something I’m sure that would please Ian McHarg. Click here and get the book! For its size, the book is graphically presented in a clear manner and its pictures throughout inspire and provide a solid base for any student or practitioner wanting to improve their skills. It’s a great example of a book that could really help students understand scale and the basics of landscape architecture as a whole. It’s an easy to read, go-to book with lots of illustrations for its 195 pages. It gives great examples of real-life projects and what process they used to created their masterplans, from conception to completion. Its text is also full of easy to use words that would improve your technical language and any novice readers out there should have no fear in picking this book up and reading it from start to finish in a couple of days. However, if I was pushed to make a negative remark, the book is lacking short tutorials or a ‘how to’ guide for re-creating the graphic techniques shown. In my opinion, this would be its only real short fall. So is there an audience? From the outset it is clear that this is a, book targeted towards students and graduates. However saying that, I left the book on my desk for the last couple of weeks and it wasn’t long before my older colleagues picked it up- and loved it! Its now been lent to three or four partners in my practice. These are hard-nosed landscape architects and architects, they loved its clarity and easy to read nature. Simplicity really is the books golden thread. Click here and get the book! It’s a must for anyone looking to get into landscape architecture or even designers looking to broaden their palette. I really would recommend this book for an office coffee table. Why buy it?  I feel “Visual Communication For Landscape Architecture” pulls no punches, delivers what the title encapsulates and for its price is a real steal. I wish I had picked this book up in college. It is a book that inspires new ideas and great methods to convey sketches to masterplans really clearly. It would be a real bonus for it to be passed around any university studio from student to student- it’s a definite keeper. Concluding thoughts I’ll be honest; this book has real ‘sex appeal’ in landscape terms; is easy on the eye, simple to read and oozes simplicity. I really enjoyed Visual Communications for Landscape Architecture from start to finish.Its appealing illustrations and graphics constantly had me saying “I want to do that!” or “I could do that!”. The book is fantastic for anyone who needs to sharpen up on skills or is just learning and wants inspiration. Visual Communication for Landscape Architecture (Basics Landscape Architecture) Visual Communication for Landscape Architecture (Basics Landscape Architecture) (Paperback) By (author) Trudi Entwistle, By (author) Edwin Knighton About the Author(s): (taken from Amazon) Edwin Knighton is a Landscape Architect and is Head of  Architecture at Leeds Metropolitan University. He has worked as a landscape architect and urban designer on a wide range of projects in Landscapethe UK, collaborating with artists, architects, designers and users. Edwin also has a postgraduate qualification in education and has lectured in universities in the UK and Europe. He is a Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Trudi Entwistle is a Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture at Leeds Metropolitan University. She is also a site-specific artist. Her unique artwork lies somewhere between land art, sculpture and design and she has produced installations throughout the UK as well as internationally, especially in the Far East. Trudi’s research and teaching crosses disciplines to explore the boundaries and bridge the gap between the process of art and design. Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Type: Paperback Page length: 208 pages Book review by Fergus McCarthy Enjoy what you’ve read! Support us and pick up one of our awesome T-shirts and hoodies today, Click the link

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