Landscape design for educational function

Modern landscape design for educational function is a board concept. Depends on detailed functions and significances, it's divided by three types.

1. Landscapes which are

• located in educational institutions (campuses, primary schools, kindergartens, training institutions, etc.)

• landscapes just for enjoy

• provide convenience, such as comfort seating, walking areas, sun shades, etc.

Example Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc., South Campus, Torrance, CA

2. Landscapes(don't have to belong to schools) which are more or less not only have interesting features but also have educational functions (hard to be sustainable). For instance, landscape design encourages people to observe how do crops grow and mature.

Example Shenyang Architectural University Campus, Taizhou City, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China

In this case, crops may not grow well because:

• teachers and students generally don’t take time and energy to look after crops

• teachers and students don’t have enough experience

So, it may cause negative impact that people don’t do something that the designer supposed to do and waste money because the unsuccessful design.

3. Landscapes(don't have to belong to schools) which are sustainable that makes advantages for the environment and implicitly guide people to observe nature. The most important thing is the feelings of the observations. Different people can't have the same feelings. But the key is different people have feelings after they observe.

Example Salem State University – Marsh Hall According to ALSA 2014 awards, "With this design, the entire campus can reconnect both physically and symbolically to the adjacent tidal marsh, a habitat rich in plant and animal life."

Example Salem State University – Marsh Hall According to ALSA 2014 awards, "The 180' long bio-swale gives modern form to a natural process, educates students about alternative storm water practices while making architectural and material references to the historic Salem Wharf."

Salem State University – Marsh Hall

All of three types have developed in the same era which is sustainable development.

Significance of Landscape design for educational function,

1. Schools need good environment. The stress of study is big, people need a comfortable environment to relax. After crazy study, students sometimes get a good feeling which couldn't be described by languages after they observe nature.

2. For sustainable development, there is a greater significance. Sustainable environment shouldn't just be a task for minority designers. All of people should understand and do efforts to maintenance. No matter the landscape is in schools or not in schools, the implicitly guide play a stable role to impact people to love nature then protect nature. It may inspire a few young people to be landscape architects.