Landscape Foundation Studio II
Jump to Weekly Schedule ▾Foundation Studio II is a studio about movement and choreography: how a body moves from A to B, and how landscape design shapes that passage. The semester is divided evenly into two projects that share one conceptual spine. Each project has a dominant axis of movement, not an exclusive one.
Project 1, Move Vertically (Z), is set in Amelia Gorman Park, a very steep hill rising from Broadway to Wadsworth Terrace between West 189th and West 190th Streets. Students design and choreograph a vertical movement through landform and tectonics. How do you spend a rise?
Project 2, Move Horizontally (XY), is set along St. Nicholas Avenue from 110th to 125th Street. Students design and choreograph movement along a corridor, across a plane, through sequence, rhythm and threshold. Landform from Project 1 carries over as a secondary thread. How do you score a duration?
[TODO: shared vocabulary across both projects, e.g. path, pause, threshold, view, effort, tempo]
The studio runs as two sections of 9 to 10 students. Both instructors teach, lecture and run workshops in both projects. Sections swap instructors at the start of Project 2, so every student works with both.
Each project closes with a science-fair pin-up, where both sections hang their work in one room and circulate, followed by a formal review. The midterm review (Project 1) and the final review (Project 2) carry equal weight: the final is called the final, but students should work equally hard for both.
[TODO: teaching methodology: desk crits, lectures, workshops, field visits]
Two projects of 14 sessions each. Sessions are numbered S01 to S28 because closures and recess make calendar weeks uneven.
| Phase | Project | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | Move Vertically (Z), Amelia Gorman Park. Landform and tectonics. Midterm review. | S01–S14 1/28–3/22 |
| P2 | Move Horizontally (XY), St. Nicholas Avenue, 110th to 125th Street. Corridor and sequence. Final review. | S15–S28 3/25–5/20 |
Site model (P1). Each section builds one of two identical chipboard pancake site models of Amelia Gorman Park from a base file the instructors provide, with the existing topography of the design zone cut out as a void. Students design their own landform as inserts that plug into the void. Inserts may be 3D printed, hand-built or laser-cut, and must fit either model. Scale, contour interval and insert rules: [TODO: from the base file].
P2. No physical model is required. Small hand-built study models are welcome.
[TODO: software, materials, model shop, printing, field trip costs]
This course is part of the Landscape Architecture course sequence and introduces the disciplinary skills and thinking processes necessary for a student preparing for a career as a professional landscape architect. The course supports the mission of the Graduate Program in Landscape Architecture at the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture of the City College of New York, which asserts that landscape architecture plays an essential role in connecting social justice to environmental design and the planning of landscape systems in the urban realm. The Graduate Program prepares students to be leaders in the field through innovative research and practice in urban ecological design, planning, and policymaking. This course teaches students responsive technologies and strategies to address issues of globalization, expanding urbanization, social and environmental justice, the transformation of land management practices in response to diminishing natural resources, and resilient adaptation to climate change.
[TODO: 3 to 5 goals]
[TODO: what students can do by the end, as a list]
Project 1, Move Vertically. At least one landform insert per student at the midterm review, plus as many iterations as useful. Section site model (built together). [TODO: drawings and other deliverables]
Project 2, Move Horizontally. [TODO: deliverables]. Optional study models.
[TODO: guest critics and reviews, or delete this section]
[TODO: readings and references]
Studio meets Monday and Thursday. Dates follow the CCNY Spring 2027 Academic Calendar (subject to change). Each project has 14 sessions. Topics are provisional; [TODO: lectures and workshops per session].
| # | Date | Topic | Studio / Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project 1 · Move Vertically · Amelia Gorman Park | |||
| S01 | Thu 1/28 | Studio intro, P1 brief | [TODO] |
| S02 | Mon 2/1 | Site visit | [TODO] · Base file issued |
| S03 | Thu 2/4 | Site reading | [TODO] |
| S04 | Mon 2/8 | Site reading | Site model build |
| S05 | Thu 2/11 | Movement studies | Site model build |
| — | Mon 2/15 | College closed | |
| S06 | Thu 2/18 | Movement studies | Site model complete |
| S07 | Mon 2/22 | Landform and tectonic investigation | [TODO] |
| S08 | Thu 2/25 | Investigation | [TODO] |
| S09 | Mon 3/1 | Schematic design | [TODO] |
| S10 | Thu 3/4 | Schematic design | [TODO] |
| S11 | Mon 3/8 | Development | [TODO] |
| — | Thu 3/11 | No studio (Wednesday schedule) | |
| S12 | Mon 3/15 | Pin-up, science fair, both sections | Inserts in both models |
| S13 | Thu 3/18 | Revision | [TODO] |
| S14 | Mon 3/22 | Midterm review | Guest critics · Final insert(s) |
| Project 2 · Move Horizontally · St. Nicholas Avenue | |||
| S15 | Thu 3/25 | Section swap, P2 brief | [TODO] |
| S16 | Mon 3/29 | Site visit | [TODO] |
| S17 | Tue 3/30 | Site reading (Monday schedule) | [TODO] |
| S18 | Thu 4/1 | Corridor studies | [TODO] |
| S19 | Mon 4/5 | Corridor studies | [TODO] |
| S20 | Thu 4/8 | Investigation | [TODO] |
| S21 | Mon 4/12 | Investigation | [TODO] |
| S22 | Thu 4/15 | Schematic design | [TODO] |
| S23 | Mon 4/19 | Schematic design | [TODO] |
| — | 4/21–4/29 | Spring recess | |
| S24 | Mon 5/3 | Development | [TODO] |
| S25 | Thu 5/6 | Development | [TODO] |
| S26 | Mon 5/10 | Pin-up, science fair, both sections | [TODO] |
| S27 | Thu 5/13 | Revision | [TODO] |
| — | Mon 5/17 | No classes | |
| S28 | Thu 5/20 | Final review | Guest critics |
All students are held to high and consistent standards. Work is considered on its own merits and in relationship to the work of others, to make clear distinctions across the range of work. The full range of the grading scale may be used. Grades are not negotiable. Design work is graded on the following criteria:
- Completeness — Assignments are complete and graphically legible.
- Technical Skills — Executed with appropriate method and proficiency across media.
- Accuracy and Presentation — Completed with precision and presented professionally.
- Effort and Concept — Iterates through multiple drafts; shows experimentation and improvement; concepts are articulated and well-developed.
- Participation — Engages in discussions and group work.
- Attendance — Consistent preparation and on-time presence.
| Grade | Explanation | Quality Points |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | Exceptional | 4.00 |
| A | Excellent | 4.00 |
| A− | 3.70 | |
| B+ | 3.30 | |
| B | Good | 3.00 |
| B− | 2.70 | |
| C+ | 2.30 | |
| C | Satisfactory | 2.00 |
| F | Failure / Unsuccessful Completion | 0.00 |
A grade of C is the lowest passing letter grade for graduate students. Students will not receive credit for this course if their final grade is below C (2.0). Per the Graduate Bulletin, a graduate student with a GPA below 3.0 cannot receive a Master's Degree. For program-specific information on grades, academic standing, probation, and dismissal, meet with the graduate student advisor.
Attendance
This course meets Monday and Thursday [TODO: times] in [TODO: room]. Attendance is required and is taken at all scheduled sessions.
Per CCNY policy on lateness and absence, no distinction is made between excused and unexcused absences, and an instructor may treat lateness as equivalent to absence. For non-clinical courses, the number of hours absent may not exceed twice the number of contact hours the course meets per week. An instructor has the right to drop a student for excessive absence, entering a grade of WU. A student may appeal to the Committee on Course and Standing.
Absence for religious observance or jury duty is an exception. Notify the instructor prior to an absence whenever possible, and append a doctor's note or other written proof where relevant.
Academic Integrity
Academic dishonesty is prohibited at CUNY and is punishable by penalties including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion. Plagiarism — presenting the words, drawings, ideas, or opinions of someone else as one's own — is a serious instance of academic dishonesty. All assignments must be the student's original work, produced for this class and no other. Any copying, even short excerpts, from another book, article, or Internet source, published or unpublished, without proper attribution or citation, will result in automatic failure of the course.
You will fail this course if you: (1) submit work used for another course; (2) copy material and submit it as your own without quotation and citation, or otherwise represent another's work as your own; (3) submit the same work as another student. Plagiarized work will be reported to the CCNY Academic Integrity Committee per the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity.
Incompletes
Grades of "incomplete" (INC) are not given unless there is evidence of a medical or personal emergency. In such cases, instructor and student develop a contract to complete work by a specified date, per CCNY policy. This contract must be processed by the academic advisor and approved by the Program Director and the Chair's Office. Missed work due to illness must be explained with a physician's note.
Classroom Civility
All students are expected to participate in class discussions. Meaningful and constructive dialogue is encouraged; discussion should be civil, respectful, and relevant to the topic. This requires a willingness to listen, tolerance for different points of view, and mutual respect from all participants. Guest critics will be informed of this expectation for civility.
Use of Electronic Devices
Students are expected to engage in active learning during class time. Mobile phones, texting, and social media are distracting; please put handheld devices away and out of view during class. The appropriate use of laptops will be discussed. The instructor provides periodic breaks; personal devices may be used during these.
City College Library Research Support
The Spitzer School of Architecture's library is a shared resource and a necessary supplement to all research and design work. Direct questions to library staff or the Architecture Librarian.
nsanchez@ccny.cuny.edu
library.ccny.cuny.edu/architecture
AccessAbility Center (AAC)
The AAC facilitates equal access and coordinates reasonable accommodations and support services for students with disabilities while preserving academic standards. Students registered with the AAC should inform the instructor at the beginning of the semester. Faculty must receive an official accommodation memo before implementing accommodations.
212 650 5913 (TTY/TTD 212 650 8441)
disabilityservices@ccny.cuny.edu
ccny.cuny.edu/accessability
Health and Wellness Services
City College's Office of Health and Wellness Services offers free and confidential counseling.
212 650 8222 — counseling@ccny.cuny.edu
Office of Diversity and Compliance
City College complies with CUNY policies regarding discrimination. The College has resources to support students who have experienced sexual violence, intimate partner/domestic violence, gender- or race-based discrimination, harassment, or stalking. For confidential support, contact the Student Psychological Counselor / Confidential Advocate at 212 650 8905 or the Gender Resources Program at 212 650 8222. The Title IX Coordinator is Diana Cuozzo.
212 650 7330 — dcuozzo@ccny.cuny.edu
ccny.cuny.edu/affirmativeaction
Public Safety
For an emergency on campus, call Public Safety at 212 650 7777. Off campus, call 911.