WATER EXPERIENCE AND ECOLOGICAL QUALITY IN
CONTEMPORARY LANDSCAPE DESIGN

The Comparison of the Use of Water in Contemporary Landscape Designs Based on Inspiration from Villa d'Este

by Mam Suteethorn

Chairperson of the Supervisory Committee:
Professor Iain Robertson
Assistant Professor Nancy Rottle
Department of Landscape Architecture
2002

Abstract: This thesis explores the question of how to successfully use water as a design element in ways that are functional, aesthetic, and ecologically sensitive. It explores how good landscape designs that use water features can provide users with exciting experiences with minimal impacts to the environment. By using a framework incorporating design quality analysis, user's experience, and the ecological footprint, the thesis analyzes the variety of uses of water in eight contemporary landscape projects and develops principles for designing with water in a variety of contexts and applied to different types of water features.