Drawing Time. The representation of change and dynamics in Dutch landscape architectural practice after 1985

Landscape architect design involves drawings. The relation between drawing and new landscape seems evident, but is complex and fascinating, due to the particularities of drawings, of landscape and of landscape architecture. Landscape is essentially a time-based medium -think of the seasons (cyclical time) or the growth of trees (progressive time) - but drawings of landscape architecture projects often do not display aspects of time. They conform to the taxonomic system for representations as developed in architecture, focussing on spatial not temporal aspects. There are two central questions. One addresses the role of time in landscape architectural design, the nature of drawings and the role of time in drawings. The other asks is time present in today's landscape architecture drawings, and if not, why not?
The research provides 4 perspectives: a reflection on the drawing itself; on the aspect of time; on professional practice; and on a Dutch tradition against the background of the history of landscape architecture. The research collects and categorizes drawings that seem to display aspects of time, and interviews provided further material for analysing the underlying thinking. The research also evaluated projects in terms of the conditions that guided representation. Various ways of representing time were investigated in 'drawing experiments'. A re-ordering of the taxonomy in spatial and temporal representations is proposed. Halprin's score (1969) is taken as a promising concept, but also concepts from choreography, film, cartography and forestry offer new directions. The overall conclusion is that representation of time is certainly possible. The last chapter explores, in the light of the tradition, history and main publications, the future challenges for professional practice and education.