Progress 09/15/04 to 09/14/09
Outputs
This termination report provides an overview of the activities and accomplishments detailed in earlier progress reports and during the final 2 years of the project. The overarching goal of this project was to establish a student managed landscape design clinic for the public seeking landscaping advice in Tallahassee-Leon County, Florida to contribute to long-term objective of enhancing the landscape design and management curriculum at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. The hallmark of the project was to provide students experiential learning opportunities in the applications of ecological and environmental principles and concepts in designing landscapes. Under this project, several desktop computers were acquired for students to learn and develop their skills in computer aided design, preparing graphic presentations, and developing design portfolios. Throughout its life, the project provided internships to students in Landscape Design and Management. For instance, in year one, three senior students were hired as interns. The internship was for 9-week period, divided into three phases. For the first week, the student interns worked in a local landscaping nursery, primarily to brush up on their landscape plants identification and to gain experience, skill, and better understanding of the different aspects of landscaping nursery operations. During the succeeding six weeks, the student interns were engaged in developing landscape designs for residential homes selected from the community; and a group of new homes built by the City of Tallahassee Office of Neighborhood Services. In addition, they also each developed an ecological design for open/green spaces adjacent to a local church or public property. This program was repeated every summer of each year with different sets of students. The project also provided funds for students to attend and participate in the annual Green Industry and Equipment Expo in Louisville, since 2007 and in the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) Student Career Days, the Great Southern Tree Conference and Florida Nursery Growers and Landscaping Association conferences. Select group of students presented an invited paper entitled 'The Effect of Quality of Parks on Neighboring Property Values,' at the Florida State Horticulture Society Annual Meeting in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Yun Cao, a graduate from the Master's in Landscape Architecture program at Florida A&M University was hired as Other Professional Staff (OPS) to coordinate the landscape design and management clinic. Her thesis was submitted for competition and received the Honor Award in Research at the 2007 Annual Conference of the American Society of Landscape Architects in San Francisco. A number of homeowners in Tallahassee-Leon County, Florida sought landscaping advise and consulting services of the landscape design and management clinic. In addition, students hired worked on designs for the surroundings of various buildings on the Florida A&M University campus. Overall the goal of the project was achieved as its activities have led to students competitiveness in the landscaping and green industry. PRODUCTS: The primary project activities resulted to students exposure and opportunity to sharpening their skills and mastery of graphics, design rendering, understanding of the problem, solution through design, creativity, delivery of oral presentation, and appropriate use of landscape plants. In addition, as listed above, products resulting from the project included two publications, one abstract, and one national award for research. Reprints of the two publications are available for distribution. The grant provided stipends to students who attended and participated in professional meetings and conferences. In addition, students hired to work for the clinic developed and maintained portfolios of their design works and narrative of their experiences in dealing with clients. The project provided two paid and one unpaid internship opportunities to senior students majoring in Landscape Design and Management. Each student completed a landscape design and planting plans for three residential homes, a cluster of four homes, and an ecological design for an open/green space. Each student gave an oral presentation of their respective designs to a jury panel made up of practicing professionals, program faculty and the homeowner clients. Each student was evaluated on his/her skills and mastery in graphics, design rendering, understanding of the problem, creativity, delivery of oral presentation, and appropriate use of landscape plants. The project provided two paid and one unpaid internship opportunities to senior students majoring in Landscape Design and Management. Each student completed a landscape design and planting plans for three residential homes, a cluster of four homes, and an ecological design for an open/green space. Each student gave an oral presentation of their respective designs to a jury panel made up of practicing professionals, program faculty and the homeowner clients. Each student was evaluated on his/her skills and mastery in graphics, design rendering, understanding of the problem, creativity, delivery of oral presentation, and appropriate use of landscape plants. OUTCOMES: As noted above, students were heavily involved in real-life landscape design and management situations allowing them the opportunity to integrate previous coursework in the biological, physical, social, and managerial sciences to solve landscape design and management problems. The percentage of students interviewed and offered internships, permanent employment and/or admission to graduate school has provided confirmation of the potential gains that can be achieved by engaging students in real-life projects. A number of students interviewed for internships, permanent employment and/or students admitted to graduate school - MLA or otherwise. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The work of the students on "the effects of designed landscapes, such as parks and canopy roads, on neighboring property values", and "cultural landscapes," as described above, led to three publications through the proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Florida State Horticulture Society. Reprints of the publications are available for distribution. The national recognition bestowed upon one of the student project provided much needed positive exposure for the landscape design and landscape architecture programs at FAMU. Manuscripts based on the papers listed above, and intended for peer-reviewed publication are in preparation. FUTURE INITIATIVES: The landscape design clinic will establish and formalize relationships with the City of Tallahassee, the Habitat for Humanity and other local garden clubs to continue the original mission and purpose of the clinic. Planned activities after the funding period include increased linkage with the Master of Landscape Architecture degree program to allow students to obtain an advanced degree. In addition, the landscape design and management clinic will be used to facilitate the outreach and research mission of the college. Funding from non USDA sources including individual and corporate donors will be sought for continuation of the clinic. Planned activities after the funding period include increased linkage with the Master of Landscape Architecture degree program to allow students to obtain an advanced degree. In addition, the landscape design and management clinic will be used to facilitate the outreach and research mission of the college. Funding from non USDA sources including individual and corporate donors will be sought for continuation of the clinic. Our work with the City of Tallahassee, local offices of national architectural and engineering firms, including PBS&J and Wood+Partners, and local landscape nurseries and growers has led to a very fruitful collaborative relationship that will continue for years to come. In addition, we will see to it that the manuscripts under preparation are submitted and accepted for publication with appropriate acknowledgement to the 1890 Land-Grant Institutions Capacity Building Program of the USDA-NIFA.
Impacts
The project fundamentally changed the program's student internship requirements and expectations in three critical areas. One, companies in the green industry will benefit from hiring graduates better prepared and equipped with skill set augmented with hands-on experience in real-life cases in landscape design and management. Two, the professional meetings and industry expos listed above, provided students the opportunities to meet and network with industry professionals, to get acquainted with the latest research and technological advances in the industry, witness hands-on demonstrations and gain better understanding and appreciation of the practical applications of subject matters learned in the classrooms. Three, students were evaluated on their performance in each of the phases of the internship. First, nursery manager(s) evaluated students on their knowledge, skills, and work ethics. Second, each intern developed his/her own design which were then reviewed, evaluated and orally presented to a jury panel consisting of the client(s), program faculty, registered landscape architects from both the local government and industry, and certified horticulturist. Based on feedback from the jury and student evaluations, changes in the contents, requirements and delivery of courses in landscape graphics, landscape design studios, and landscape plant identification were introduced to encourage critical thinking, creativity and knowledge of landscape plants usage. The evaluation template currently serves as course rubric for classes in landscape design studio and landscape graphics.
Publications
- Lorenzo, A.B., T. Zhang, Y. Cao, and L. Yu. 2007. Landscape Valuation of the effect of canopy roads on property values in Tallahassee-Leon County, Florida. Invited paper presented at the 120th Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Meeting, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Abstract)
- Lorenzo, A.B., C. Rubottom, F. Cosby, and R. Gomez. 2007. The Effect of Quality of Parks on Neighboring Property Values. In: Proc. 120th Florida State Horticulture Society Annual Meeting, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.120:316-319.
- Cao, Y., R. Rome, A.B. Lorenzo, and M. Powers. 2007. Experiencing Sense of Place of Cultural Landscapes: A Suburban-Strip Chinatown Experience. In: Proc. 120th Florida State Horticulture Society Annual Meeting, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.120:328-331.
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Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
Several students in Landscape Design and Management attended and participated in the Green Industry and Equipment Expo in Louisville, KY, held on October 25-27, 2007. A group of students presented an invited paper entitled, 'The Effect of Quality of Parks on Neighboring Property Values,' at the 2007 Florida State Horticulture Society Annual Meeting in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, held on June 2 4, 2007. Yun Cao, a recent graduate from the Master's in Landscape Architecture program at Florida A&M University was hired as Other Professional Staff (OPS) to coordinate the landscape design and management clinic. Her thesis was submitted for competition and received the Honor Award in Research at the 2007 Annual Conference of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) in San Francisco, held on October 6 - 9, 2007. A number of homeowners in Tallahassee, Florida and a local AME church sought landscaping advise / consulting services the landscape design and management
clinic. In addition, students hired worked on designs for the surroundings of various buildings on the Florida A and M campus.
PRODUCTS: The grant provided stipends to students who attended and participated in professional meetings and conferences. In addition, students hired to work for the clinic will develop and maintain a portfolio of their design works and narrative of their experiences in dealing with clients.
OUTCOMES: Through the project, students are exposed to real-life landscape design and management situations allowing them the opportunity to integrate previous coursework in the biological, physical, social, and managerial sciences to solve landscape design and management problems.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: None to report at this time, however, a homeowners handbook dealing largely on the elements and principles of design will be developed and distributed.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: The landscape design clinic will establish and formalize relationships with the City of Tallahassee, the Habitat for Humanity and other local garden clubs to continue the original mission and purpose of the clinic.
Impacts
Companies in the green industry will benefit from graduates who are better prepared and with hands-on experience in real-life cases in landscape design and management, and horticulture.
Publications
- Cao, Y., Rome, R., Lorenzo, A.B., and Powers, M. 2007. Experiencing Sense of Place of Cultural Landscapes: A Suburban-Strip Chinatown Experience. In: Proc. 120 Florida State Horticulture Society Annual Meeting, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (in press)
- Lorenzo, A.B., Rubottom, C., Cosby, F. and R. Gomez. 2007. The Effect of Quality of Parks on Neighboring Property Values. IN: Proc. 120 Florida State Horticulture Society Annual Meeting, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (in press)
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Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
The final award was completed and activated on September 2004. Preliminary but necessary start-up activities were completed including decisions pertaining to (1) students' assignment of responsibilities and (2) scale and nature of projects the clinic will handle. By early 2005, several landscape design projects for homes built by the Habitat for Humanity, and city parks and recreation areas were identified as potential projects for the clinic. During the summer of 2005, three (3) senior students in the Landscape Design and Management were hired as interns for the clinic. The internship was for 9-week period, divided into three phases. For the first week, the student interns worked in a local landscaping nursery, primarily to brush up on their landscape plants identification and to gain experience, skill, and better understanding of the different aspects of landscaping nursery operations. During the next six weeks, the student interns were engaged in developing
landscape designs for three residential homes selected from the community; and a group of four new homes built by the City of Tallahassee Office of Neighborhood Services. In addition, they also each developed an ecological design for open/green spaces adjacent to a local church property. The students spent the final two weeks of the internship researching, compiling and building at least 100 of the most widely used landscape plants in the City of Tallahassee.
PRODUCTS: The project provided two paid and one unpaid internship opportunities to senior students majoring in Landscape Design and Management. Each student completed a landscape design and planting plans for three residential homes, a cluster of four homes, and an ecological design for an open/green space. Each student gave an oral presentation of their respective designs to a jury panel made up of practicing professionals, program faculty and the homeowner clients. Each student was evaluated on his/her skills and mastery in graphics, design rendering, understanding of the problem, creativity, delivery of oral presentation, and appropriate use of landscape plants.
OUTCOMES: An internship experience was established where students were exposed to the different aspects of landscape nursery operations under the mentorship of real-life professionals and where students were encouraged to integrate previous coursework in landscape graphics, landscape studios and mastery of landscape plants to develop landscape design and planting plans.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: A portfolio containing landscape design and planting plans generated by student interns will be produced, maintained and used as supplementary course materials in landscape graphics and landscape studio classes. A quarterly newsletter containing landscaping and related pertinent information on landscape design and management activities will be prepared and distributed to patrons/clients.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: Planned activities after the funding period include increased linkage with the Master of Landscape Architecture degree program to allow students to obtain an advanced degree. In addition, the landscape design and management clinic will be used to facilitate the outreach and research mission of the college. Funding from non USDA sources including individual and corporate donors will be sought for continuation of the clinic.
Impacts
The students were evaluated based mainly on their performance in each of the phases of the internship. For the first phase, the students were evaluated by the nursery manager on their knowledge, skills, and work ethics. For the landscape design phase, each intern developed his/her own design. Their final landscape design proposals were reviewed, evaluated and orally presented to a jury panel consisting of the client(s), program faculty, registered landscape architects from both the city and industry, and certified horticulturist. Based on feedback from the jury and their evaluation of students knowledge and skills, changes in the course contents, course requirements and delivery were made in landscape graphics and design studio classes, as well as in the landscape plant identification courses to enhance critical thinking, creativity and knowledge of landscape plants usage.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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