Subject: Re: computers in landscape design

From: [email-masked] (Ardith L Lanstra)
Date: 13 Apr 1995 14:26:38 GMT

David Mandel ([email-masked]) wrote:
: David-
: 	Who are we pencil freaks to say that art can't come out of a 
: computer? My mind gets massaged plenty when I use software in landscape 
: architecture, and the level of art is equal to the level of energy you 
: add and your commitment to excellence.
: 			Dave Mandel ([email-masked])

: On 7 Apr 1995, David LAR wrote:

: > You know, computers are very helpful especially when it comes to tedious
: > and repetative drafting.  But using a computer to design?  What has
: > happened when we sacrifice the massaging the mind to make the pencil and
: > eraser create the beauty of well crafted design?  What about the research
: > and thought  put into placing the correct element in the right place?  Or
: > do we just jerk another element from the data base?
: > 
: > 

Does a pencil and eraser create a well crafted design, or a well crafted 
drawing?  Today in Landscape Architecture I think we as students and 
professionals are having trouble telling the difference between the two, 
and remembering which one is important.  I "design" with a pencil.  I 
work out the rough ideas in my sketch book with pencils.  Then I put them 
into AutoCAD, using CAD to get specific distances, angels, alignments and 
perfectly drawn easily re-scalable base sheets.  I tend to sharpen and 
refine my design on the computer.  Descriptive rendering and sketches 
must be done by hand.  Shouldn't we force ourselves to get in the habit 
of thinking of the drawings as personal and transitory, and the space 
that we are creating as the important end result? (Regardless of how it 
is being created) Is this not the difference between Landscape 
Architecture and Landscape Art?  AND, What is a well crafted drawing?  
Is a CAD drafted base map well crafted?  Is it well crafted if it has 
been rendered in Graphite?  Would it be more legitimate if it had been 
had drafted, then rendered, even if the quality of the drafting is 
better on CAD?  

Time to get off my soap box. . .

--
Ardith Lanstra 
Say "gender" not "sex."
If someone says "sex" say "Yes!!!!"

---

From: David Mandel <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 15:20:32 -0700

David-
	Who are we pencil freaks to say that art can't come out of a 
computer? My mind gets massaged plenty when I use software in landscape 
architecture, and the level of art is equal to the level of energy you 
add and your commitment to excellence.
			Dave Mandel ([email-masked])

On 7 Apr 1995, David LAR wrote:

> You know, computers are very helpful especially when it comes to tedious
> and repetative drafting.  But using a computer to design?  What has
> happened when we sacrifice the massaging the mind to make the pencil and
> eraser create the beauty of well crafted design?  What about the research
> and thought  put into placing the correct element in the right place?  Or
> do we just jerk another element from the data base?
> 
>