Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Students will learn through outdoor labs the use of various measuring methods and laser levels to a degree suitable for landscape measurements and elevations. Drafting experience or coursework is helpful, but not required.

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Critically analyze the development goals of a potential landscape project and compose relevant criteria lists from which to guide informative site evaluation.
• Execute a thorough and relevant site analysis and inventory of a landscape site.
• Utilize common industry equipment to accurately measure, record, and interpret field measurements and elevations of a landscape site.
• Develop systems and techniques to effectively communicate site information both verbally and graphically for use in design and/or construction of the landscape.
• Read and interpret landscape plans and translate into field measurements for accurate layouts.

The Instructor prepares hands-on labs before class (e.g. find sites, organize equipment, prep site). During the lab period, the Instructor teaches site evaluation and landscape measurement techniques and skills through active demonstrations in real time. Students then carry out lab work with the Instructor's guidance and receive verbal feedback as they work. Students map and record the development of the project (written and with photographs). Students draft maps on the projects detailing site specifications and limitations and offer analysis of the site with respect to the project design program. Plans and associated analysis are submitted and the Instructor evaluates the work outside of class time - providing a score and feedback on technical accuracy, completeness and professionalism.

• Written mid-term and final exams
• Weekly reading assignments
• Individual and group projects
• Drafted landscape site plans

• Design Programs and Criteria Evaluation
• Measurement Units
• Measuring Equipment
• Measuring Horizontal Distances
• Measuring Vertical Difference
• Calculate Slope and Elevation Interpolation
• Measuring Horizontal Angles and Property Lines
• Landscape Site Plans and Site Analyses