A field in flux: exploring the application of computational design techniques to landscape architectural design problems

Landscape architectural design problems are under-served by the current canon of computational design techniques. More investigations into modeling landscape phenomena would improve the capabilities of designers working in this field. This paper introduces some of the problems specific to the intersection of computational design and landscape architecture through a case study in generating planting plans using parametric techniques. This illustrates issues of temporality, complexity, and dynamism that distinguish land form from built form alongside the opportunities and challenges found in adapting computation to the design of natural systems.