Fundamentals of Design in Landscape Architecture

This textbook has been written in accordance with the syllabus of the course Fundamentals of Landscape Architecture Design, which is taught as a compulsory course within the interdisciplinary first-cycle study programme Landscape Architecture at the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy and the Faculty of Forestry of the University of Banja Luka.

The textbook consists of six chapters and is structured so that it first explains the basic terminology of planning and design theory and practice in landscape architecture. This is followed by an overview of the concept, objectives, tasks, significance, fields, role, and position

of the landscape architecture profession in spatial planning and design, as well as the elements shaping the spatial structures of the landscape and the relationship between humans and space. The elements shaping the spatial structures of the landscape include the analysis of relief, water, plant material, paved surfaces, buildings, urban furniture, open-space lighting, and garden-architectural elements. Emphasis is placed on the landscape design process: the presentation of basic theories of landscape design and a large number of practical examples, as well as on the techniques and graphics of drawing elements and the possibilities of composing spatial elements into a coherent whole. The conclusion points to the growing threats to the environment and the ecological crisis, which indicate that every individual must change the way they live and adopt a more responsible attitude toward the planet Earth, and that landscape architects must take into account the ecological implications of all their design decisions and offer the community sustainable and healthy spatial landscape solutions.

The aim of this textbook is to familiarize students with basic terminology and the landscape design process, and to enable them to successfully master drawing techniques and graphic elements in order to produce a semester project within practical exercises, focusing on the critical observation of a specific site and the evaluation of spatial elements and their mutual relationships. The presentation of the project involves demonstrating the acquired landscape design techniques through appropriate graphic representation of the landscape composition and its spatial context.