A hotel in Dallas' west end historic district

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Authors
Gaddis, Amy I.
Advisor
Meyer, Bruce F. (Bruce Frederick), 1946-
Issue Date
1996
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (B. Arch.)
Department
College of Architecture and Planning
Other Identifiers
Abstract

This project began as an exploration into what landscape architecture is and should be. The original intent was to seek a synthesis of the artistic avante-garde and the ecological determinist poles of design that exist in the profession today. The result is design that artfully expresses and gives meaning to the landscape. This comes as a result of exploring those natural features and environmental phenomena that are unique to a particular site. The study of these elements in the landscape should become the subject for design, as well as the opportunity for the landscape architect to narrate the natural world to the site observer and visitor.The project study site in the Indianapolis White River State Park was chosen because it philosophically represents the extremes of art and nature that are background to the project intent. To the east of the site is the high art of man in the Eiteljorg Museum, and to the west the raw power of nature in the unpredictable White River. With the philosophical context in mind, the purpose of this project is to create a passive park that also follows some of the 1981 masterplan guidelines laid out for the White River State Park. Two key guidelines are:Creation of an open space counterpoint to the surrounding urban areaCreation of a useful year-round park.This park development will serve as a central focus to many different surrounding landuses such as sports facilities, entertainment amenities, and office complexes. More importantly, the site development intends to make the user and visitor aware of the larger environment by artfully expressing natural site features or phenomena through landscape architecture. In keeping with another crucial 1981 guideline for the park which calls for celebration of the river, the search for the subject of site design begins with the White River itself.