Landscape Aesthetics Quiz

Appreciating the Natural Landscape Characters

• The presentation is about appreciating natural landscape characteristics.
• The presenter is Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mazlina Mansor, from the Department of Landscape Architecture, Kaed, IIUM.
• Aesthetic appreciation is linked to nature and the arts.
• Appreciation depends on human perception of the environment.
• The presentation emphasizes the importance of beauty and pleasure in natural environments - "nature appreciation".

Aesthetic & Beauty in the Landscape

• Aesthetic appreciation is connected to nature and art forms.
• Aesthetics depend on the perception of people. This is how people perceive their environment.
• Aesthetic appreciation is fundamental to our sense of beauty and pleasure gained from the environment.

Appreciating the Natural Landscape

• Landscapes can be appreciated using all five senses.
• Visual is the most noticeable aspect of all the senses.
• The other senses - sound, smell, taste, and touch, determine the landscape's appreciation.

The Aesthetic in Nature

• The aesthetic quality of nature is highlighted in many Quranic verses.
• Examples include Surah Qaf (6-11), and mentions of mountains, pairs of creatures (male/female), water/rivers, and plants.
• The verses emphasize the beauty and design of the natural world.

Principles of Aesthetic

• Aesthetics are attained through the unity of elements working together.
• This creates a sense of "Genius Loci", which is a sense of place.
• The absence of unity, leads to ugliness, due to incongruity among elements.
• Principles include unity, regularity, simplicity, proportion, balance, measure, and definiteness.

Landscape Character

• Landscape character refers to unique aesthetic features that distinguish one scene from another in terms of time and space.
• It represents the aesthetic qualities of particular landscapes, as described by Yu (2008).
• Essentially, it's about how a viewer perceives the scene.

Design - Land & Resource Planning

• The Quran emphasizes the harmony/unity among natural elements like land forms, rock formations, vegetation, and animal life.
• Correct landscape design should draw on this natural harmony.
• Essential elements to have include a recognizable/consistent pattern, order, balance, proportion, simplicity, and sense of place within the landscape design.

2. Plants/Softscape

• The variety of plants with diverse beauty and aesthetic qualities are mentioned.
• Plant species provide abundant, numerous, and various forms of aesthetic beauty. Examples include gardens, plants, trees, fruits etc.
• Plants and vegetation create rhythm in the landscape.
• Plants and vegetation form visual boundaries for privacy.

2. Plants/Softscape

• Verses in the Quran discuss plants in several contexts, including environmental balance and righteousness.
• Plants are used as metaphors in the Quran.
• Bad words are analogous to a bad tree unconnected to the earth.

The Aesthetic of Plants

• The Quran highlights the beauty, structure, and utility of plants, especially in depictions of Paradise.
• The verses on plants in different settings (i.e., gardens of Paradise and on earth) point to the aesthetics and diverse functions (food, shade) of plants.

The Aesthetic of Plants - For Utilitarian Sustenance

• The Quran includes horticultural information.
• The Quran and Prophet Muhammad both encourage responsible use of resources and sustainable practices.
• The Quran includes different fruits and flowers in its descriptions.
• This emphasizes the importance of plants and their various culinary and medicinal uses.

Aesthetic principles of plants in landscape design

• Diverse plant types, morphological principles, and the use of patterned, repeating elements create a sense of movement in spaces.
• Plants form visual boundaries/barriers, and act as backdrops for other elements in the landscape (e.g., accents, focal points).

3. Water Element

• Water resources, such as rivers, waterfalls, lakes, and oceans are mentioned as integral parts of a landscape.
• The Quran presents water as essential for life and connected to several natural elements like clouds, rain, wind etc.
• Verses highlight water's role in creating life despite the barrenness.
• Importance of sustainability and preservation of water resources is important.

Design - Water

• Water is essential for life, used for sharing, and plays a key role in the environment.
• Allah created life through water
• Allah's guidance on the appropriate preservation of water resources (i.e., haram areas).

The Built Elements

• The Quran highlights the importance of well-designed homes and spaces, in line with natural principles.
• These ideas are presented as "built elements" from the perspective of planning and engineering.
• There is a range of design elements (e.g., materials/pavement, linkages, site furnishing) that can be used to achieve an aesthetically pleasing landscape.

Design - The Built Elements - Absence of Corruption

• The Quran cautions against abusing the earth.
• The Quran emphasizes the importance of preserving and using natural resources responsibly.
• This includes maintaining a respectful and constructive environment.
• The Quran portrays the earth as a divine trust that should not be corrupted.