Theory and criticism in landscape architecture critical thinking example

Summary and Critique about nature.

All the six articles appear to have a common point of interest, ‘ Nature’. From one of the advanced dictionaries, nature is taken to mean distinct characteristics used to point out an object to which the traits are attributed. Considering Casey’s work, the argument is entirely based on defining wilderness and variation in the meaning of the word according to context of use. Casey tries to give some characteristics of wilderness and what wilderness is all about. This work closely intertwines with Cornon’s version and the outcome is even a clearer definition of the nature of wilderness. Considering a layman’s point of view, the natural appearance of a landscape is its nature. Modification leads to destruction of that nature thus a conflict ensues between nature and modification. This is the outright similarity between Casey’s and Cornon’s articles. Evernden comes into play from an explanatory point on the effects of modification to nature. He tries to put across how human activities have resulted in the modification of the natural systems and architecture. The work of these three authors can be compared to a river profile from a humble origin meanders slowly and later how its erosive power destroys its valley. Curiosity is the origin but as it increases, it causes nature to suffer negative effects.

Looking into Turner’s work he tries to illustrate the connection between nature and natural. Well, we can say that the two are one word drawn from the other. Natural comes from nature and nature comes from characteristics. Thus, nature is derived from certain characteristics. A contemporary approach from Oelschlaeger’s work associates nature to a certain culture. This view indirectly goes back to the main point of nature and how effects of human modification have changed it. Spirn tries also to explain nature and also describe it. Well, it all appears that the authors have many points in common about nature and human modification.

The river of curiosity flows from understanding nature into transforming it. As a river erodes its valleys and washes the debris downstream, so does this river of curiosity erode natural traits of an original architecture and leave indented landscape compared to the original nature of the landscape and destruction of the untouched natural wildernesses. From the articles, it’s clear that this river has shipped some of the nature of the landscape and wilderness into dreamland since virtually all the landscapes have been modified.