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LK0421

Studio - Water environments and landscape architecture

The course includes a theoretical part and a part with project teaching. The course shall have a current connection to climate issues and global goals for water environment planning and its landscaped design.


The course contains an orienting theoretical knowledge background in water environment planning including three-dimensional design of topography and terrain as a background for project teaching. The theoretical knowledge deals with concepts and directives for water planning at international and national level as well as legislation and processes for decisions regarding the use and design of aquatic environments. General knowledge is provided in the course on aquatic environment conditions, water cycles, and water environments crucial role in the transition to a sustainable climate adapted society characterized by high biodiversity and inclusion of both economic and cultural historical values, and people’s demands for water where access and equal right to a multifunctional landscape are included.


The knowledge background also provides a specific basis for the project teaching, where study visits to good role models from different aspects of landscape architectural designs of aquatic environments are included with examples of coordinated solutions between different areas of expertise. The knowledge background is examined through an individual exam.


The course’s landscape architecture project is based on acquired theoretical knowledge as well as analyzes of own empirical investigations of the conditions of the delimited project site. Landscape architecture skills for communication through a combination of text, pictures, maps, drawings, and illustrations that show how the design of water environments meet the program criteria in the course project is a central part of the project teaching.


The landscape architecture project is based on the situation for a water area. The water area in the course shall have a relatively extensive geographical demarcation in the form of, for example, a lake, a coastal area, an archipelago environment, or a river.


However, the concrete design task is delimited to a manageable part of the whole suitable for the time frame for the course. The project will contain a complex problem picture including several aspects of water, for example water quality, plant- and animal life in and around water, bottom sediment, and the water cycle. The complexity shall also apply to people’s various demands on water use, such as drinking water, recreation and leisure purposes, energy production, industrial use, irrigation, transport, stormwater management and flooding problems.


The project work is supported by lectures, as well as compulsory study visits and exercises with supervision and reviews. The project work is carried out in groups where some of the project work’s exercises are submitted individually.


The course gives 15 credits of skill training.


Course evaluation

Additional course evaluations for LK0421

Academic year 2023/2024

Studio - Water environments and landscape architecture (LK0421-10194)

2023-08-28 - 2023-10-30

Academic year 2022/2023

Studio - Water environments and landscape architecture (LK0421-10040)

2022-08-29 - 2022-10-31

Syllabus and other information

Litterature list


Water centric sustainable planning, retrofitting, and building the next urban environment

Novotny, Vladimir, 1938-; Ahern, John, 1949-; Brown, Paul, 1944-c2010

Read pages: 1-37, 59-60, 87-90, (97-114), (158-170), 177-227, 427-478

https://slu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/46SLUB_INST/1sl36d2/alma9919269535705121Links to an external site.

The Routledge handbook of urban ecology

Douglas, Ian, 1936- editor.; Routledge (Firm)2021

Read: Chapters 13,14, 15, 17, 27, 28

https://slu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/46SLUB_INST/h6sv7c/alma9920902709605121Links to an external site.

Integrated Sustainable Urban Water, Energy, and Solids Management: Achieving Triple Net‐Zero Adverse Impact Goals and Resiliency of Future Communities

Author(s):Vladimir NovotnyFirst published:15 January 2020Print ISBN:9781119593652 |Online ISBN:9781119593683 |DOI:10.1002/9781119593683© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Read: Preface + Chapters 1, 2 and 6

https://slu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/46SLUB_INST/kl53n/cdi_wiley_ebooks_10_1002_9781119593683_part1_part1Links to an external site.

Messy ecosystems orderly frames

Joan Iverson-Nassauer

PDF on Canvas (Files/References/Main literature)

Perceived sensory dimensions 

Stoltz, Grahn.

PDF on Canvas (Files/References/Main literature)

Swedish EPA's Guidance for sustainable stormwater management:

2023-07-18 machine translated and format-edited copy of the following webpage with subpages https://www.naturvardsverket.se/vagledning-och-stod/avlopp/hallbar-dagvattenhantering/#E-170310099 The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (= SNV - Naturvårdsverket)

Course facts

The course is offered as an independent course: Yes The course is offered as a programme course: Landscape Architecture for Sustainable Urbanisation - Master's Programme Landskapsarkitektprogrammet, Ultuna Landscape Architecture Programme - Uppsala, Tuition fee: Tuition fee only for non-EU/EEA/Switzerland citizens: 38060 SEK Cycle: Master’s level (A1N)
Subject: Landscape Architecture
Course code: LK0421 Application code: SLU-10154 Location: Uppsala Distance course: No Language: English Responsible department: Department of Urban and Rural Development Pace: 100%