3 meetings a week: on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. working and collaborating in a design studio environment.

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1 Graduate Program in Landscape Architecture The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture Syllabus Spring 2014 Course: LAR 696 Advanced Design Unique number: Course type: Studio Credits: 6 Enrollment Prerequisite: Graduate standing, Landscape Architecture 695 with a grade of at least C, and consent of the graduate adviser. Instructor: Gabriel Díaz Montemayor, ASLA (512) diaz.montemayor@utexas.edu Office location: WMB (West Mall Office Building) Room 4.102C. Office telephone: (512) Schedule: MWF 1:00-6:00 p.m. Location: GOL Office hours: By appointment. Set up via . Catalog Subject Matter Description: Elective studios offering students an opportunity to explore particular topics in landscape, often in collaboration with architecture and community and regional planning students. Meeting Information: 3 meetings a week: on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. working and collaborating in a design studio environment. Course description and main topics: The studio will work in developing a set of design guidelines for the Arroyo dry river- San Jose in San Jose del Cabo, state of Baja California Sur, Mexico. These guidelines will have to address the larger scale of the region, watershed, society, and landscape through an urban planning scope, and will also have to address landscape architecture and urban design scales and issues involving site specific responses, culture, and materiality. The project needs the studio to define appropriate programs in relationship to their immediate, intermediate, and larger contexts; but also to define the architecture of the infrastructure which will support and sustain these programs. This project will be done in collaboration with the Municipal Planning Institute of Los Cabos 1, Mexico, commonly known as IMPLAN. We will engage in research, conceptual, and schematic design phases simultaneously operating in multiple scales. The guidelines should have the capacity to be assembled into one master plan vision but also have the capacity to be disassembled into pieces more suitable for further development of construction projects which relate to a larger whole. The Arroyo San Jose is the geographical backbone of Cabo San Jose but it fails to be integrated as the main urban structure element of the urban fabric. While its length and presence organize land use and infrastructure, the arroyo fails to be incorporated as a polyvalent integrative ecological infrastructure with the capacity to provide public space, amenities, accessibility, connectivity, and restorative ecological function. The arroyo remains largely a wide urban nuisance, a linear void, a dump site, a treeless corridor, until it reaches the coast where an ecologically rich estuary presents plant and animal life. While, the estuary is related to the highest income strip of Los Cabos, the coast, lined with high end resorts out of reach for the majority of the local population; the dry length of the arroyo relates to low income populations. The farther away from the Sea of Cortez, the lower the income. This situation poses the questions of: How to conceptualize the arroyo, and its tributaries, as the main urban structure element of the city? How to make of the arroyo an element leading to environmental quality, equity and justice providing with public space, amenities, and access to ecologically and culturally rich areas, while restoring and preserving these? 1 Los Cabos includes the cities of Cabo San Lucas (CSL) on the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula locally referred to as facing the Pacific Ocean, and the city of Cabo San Jose (SJC), to the northeast of San Lucas, locally referred to as facing the Sea of Cortez.

2 These 2 questions deal with the disciplinary topics of landscape ecology and planning, landscape urbanism and infrastructure, urban design and planning, and are manifested through the physical design, or architecture, of its system components. IMPLAN has recently embraced these questions in the development of the Urban Director Plan vision 2040 (PDU2040). The plan incorporated a planned Public Open Space Network based on the natural drainage ways of the urban areas of both San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. What is still missing from the PDU2040 document is how it can be done from the more specific and detailed approaches of landscape architecture and urban design. At this point, the idea for a green network for Los Cabos is something known to be environmentally and socially adequate, but, there are no specific designs and plans beyond large scale maps making the case for the social and ecological need for the system. While IMPLAN and various government levels have a capacity to invest in the development of solutions for the sustainability of Los Cabos, it is critical to recognize that this capacity is limited. Evidence of this is the fact of the current deficit of infrastructure and public space in Los Cabos. The studio will have to conceptualize integral solutions that incorporate both top-down and bottom-up approaches in order to maximize the impact of the infrastructural systems to be developed. Exploring how the communities, neighborhoods, and land-uses along the Arroyo San Jose corridor offer various different and diverse opportunities for effective programming. The studio addresses contemporary issues in the disciplines of landscape architecture, urban design and planning. The preoccupations and interests of the studio problem/stimuli have been producing literature for the last decades, but more specifically, for the last 10 years with ideas such as Landscape Urbanism, Ecological Urbanism, and Landscape Infrastructure coming to light in view of the global environmental, political, economic, and social crises. There is also an incipient but growing number of projects in the world which convert dry rivers, rivers, and long neglected drainage ways into public amenities enhancing the quality of life of populations while ameliorating environmental deterioration. The studio will make use of this body of knowledge to frame the process and final product. The studio engages with a real issue of a northern, arid, and border influenced city of Mexico, the neighboring country of the US, working in a political, cultural, and economic equator 2. The deliverable of the studio will be made part of the Planning of Los Cabos. IMPLAN will support the studio economically, particularly during the site visit, and technically throughout the whole semester. The studio has a responsibility to Los Cabos and as a laboratory it will apply methods proper of an office: working together, in teams, with different assignments part of a larger whole, participating in discussions, synthesis, and producing one vision for the Arroyo San Jose and its tributaries. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the studio project content we will receive eventual support from urban design and planning faculty via lectures and participating as design critics. IMPLAN officials will make an effort to attend, in person, at least one of the scheduled reviews but will be available during the semester via internet for scheduled revisions, questions, and comments. The studio will work on the project by organizing the work in these phases: 1. Research & site analysis Topics are: Site Analysis: Place and Context: o Los Cabos: current urban planning and design, social, political, cultural, economic, and ecological factors. o Development of base maps. Case studies: o Urban structure, urban (dry) rivers, landscape infrastructure, public space, greenways or green corridors, with an emphasis on projects in the developing world. Design guidelines: What is this? Theoretical framework: Landscape Urbanism, Landscape Infrastructure, Ecological Urbanism, Environmental Justice, among others. The work will be executed by individual and small group research assignments. 2. Concepts: planning and design These will emerge from discussions and presentations by individual student work, advancing into small groups, then into all of the group via synthesis and collaboration. Conceptual organization is to be understood as systems and its pairing or matching. 3. Development To be executed by individual students and small groups making a whole but sharing all basic concepts and system elements. 4. Final product Final format to be discussed with IMPLAN during our visit to Los Cabos. 2 In reference to the Political Equator symposium organized in by Teddy Cruz, Oscar Romo and Andrea Skorepa.

3 Each of these will have specific assignments and grades. See below. The studio will travel to Los Cabos on mid-february, preliminary dates are from Monday 10 to Saturday 15, where site reconnaissance and meetings with IMPLAN authorities will be held. The trip will include visits to the arroyo San Jose and to the larger scale of the watershed and region in order to gain a broad understanding of the place. Given that Mexico is in the restricted regions list of UT and has a US State Department travel warning students are not required to travel to Los Cabos. It is important to mention though that the Los Cabos region has no specific travel advisory from the US State Department: More information, available funding, procedures and requisites for travel authorization from UT will be addressed in the first week of classes. General learning objectives: To work in a multi-disciplinary environment bridging knowledge, methods, and matter. To understand and explore the complexity of multiple scales and issues in Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, and Architecture, synthetizing and delivering appropriate responses in a clear, open but concise way. To explore representation techniques capable of delivering an accessible complexity. To experience working and collaborating together in research and design teams. To learn that the testing of design guidelines, before deliverance, has to be executed through design iteration; while, at the same time, the planning scales have to be tested against different future scenarios. Specific learning objectives: To embrace design and planning activities as integral to environmental justice and equity, dealing with accessibility, diversity, in a conflictive location where tourism is achieved by environmental depredation and spatial segregation from the local population. To research case studies, methods, and theories and explore ways to push these forward effectively influencing a project that, to a large degree, lacks references, methods, and a practice framework 3. To engage in real issues and problems proper of the urban administration of cities, asking larger questions of urbanism, converting these into analogies to be found elsewhere in the contemporary world, but, at the same time specific to the social, economic, political, and environmental factors of Latin America. o To provide design and planning responses in a context of political and administrative instability. (i.e. mayors have a 3 year term only (soon to be changed), and decentralized planning institutions are very young (around for less than 10 years). Attendance policy: With the exception of an excused absence, attendance and participation in studio sessions are mandatory. Excused absences include family emergencies, personal emergencies, and illnesses. In the case of a family emergency an explanation will be required by the instructor. Family emergencies include a family member s illness, a death in the family, accidents, or any other health related issues in the family. In the case of a personal emergency an explanation will be required by the instructor. In the case of an illness, a doctor s notice explaining the absence will be required by the instructor. Attending, for example, weddings, graduations, or family trips are not family emergencies and therefore are not excused absences. o All of these situations should be communicated via with the instructor. Absences based on religious observances must be arranged fourteen days in advance, via . Any work missed during that time must be turned in within one week (7 calendar days) of the absence. Acquiring more than 3 unexcused absences will result in the lowering of the final course grade by half a point. Acquiring more than 4 unexcused absences will result in the receipt of a failing grade for the course. Arriving late, after 20 minutes of the start of class, or leaving early, before 20 minutes the end of class, will be assessed as one half of an absence. The instructor might have to miss a few of the semester s studio sessions due to research activities. Students will be given advanced notice of this if it happens. Assignments and evaluation: 3 Landscape Architecture is largely a misunderstood if not absent discipline in Mexico and Latin America. In Mexico urban planning, urban design, and landscape architecture are practiced by architects who often have minimal training in these disciplines; although this trend is decreasing with more and more highly trained professionals coming in to fill these voids. One example of this is IMPLAN Los Cabos.

4 The final grade will be composed of the different research and design phases of the studio, each of these phases will have individual and group assignments to be determined: 1. Research & site analysis 25% of the final grade To be evaluated in the presentation to IMPLAN in Los Cabos. 2. Concepts 25% of the final grade To be evaluated in the midterm review. 3. Development 25% of the final grade To be evaluated in the pre-final review. 4. Final product 20% of the final grade To be evaluated in the final review. 5. Participation in studio 05% of the final grade To be evaluated as one grade by individual at the end of the semester. Involves student participation and leadership, attendance, and engagement. It is important to mention that while many of the assignments will be group activities, students will still receive individual grades for their work in each of these teams. Meaning that grades in a group are not necessarily going to be even. Final grades will be computed in accordance with University Academic Policies as follows: grade performance level A The assignment is complete at all levels, and is sound in its technical application and description. A- B+ The assignment is thorough, with the potential to become superior with additional B technical or graphic development. The assignment resolves the stated intent, and accounts for the assignment's main concerns. Both process and resolution are complete, but contain minor deficiencies. B- C+ The assignment is undertaken with the minimum effort required to resolve the stated issues; it lacks rigor, precision, and extended exploration. This grade must be offset with higher grades in support courses in order to maintain graduate standing. C C- D D- F The assignment is passing but contains deficiencies in regard to intent, development, and resolution. The project's conceptual framework is poorly constructed, while graphic and verbal materials are fairly imprecise and incomplete. This grade must be offset with higher grades in support courses in order to maintain graduate standing. The assignment is incomplete, and skills are not level appropriate. Technical comprehension and capability are not demonstrated. The assignment is incomplete. Minimum objectives are not met. Performance is not acceptable. Note that this grade will also be assigned when you have excessive unexcused absences. Excused Incomplete grades (X) will only be assigned when the student is absent from class according to University approved criteria, and is unable to make up the work by the end of the term. Assignments are to be completed in the time allowed. With the exception of a medical, family or personal emergency, late work will be reduced by one letter grade per each 24 hour period after the stated assignment deadline. Any grade can be re-evaluated based on student concern. Subsequent evaluations can cause the grade to be reduced, remain unchanged, or increased. Grades can only be discussed on an individual basis, not as a comparison with other students' grades. Academic integrity: Plagiarism or violations of academic integrity in any form will be handled according to measures as outlined by the General Information catalog and the University. Students are expected to abide to the Student Honor Code and the University Code of Conduct: Student Honor Code:

5 As a student of The University of Texas at Austin, I shall abide by the core values of the University and uphold academic integrity. University Code of Conduct: The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. Students who violate University rules on academic integrity are subject to disciplinary action, including the receipt of a failing grade for the course, and possible dismissal from the University. Policies on academic integrity will be strictly enforced. Accommodations: Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, , Concerns may also be directed to the Program Director, Associate Professor Jason Sowell. Office hours: Office hours will be scheduled by appointment only. In order to schedule an appointment please the instructor. Communication between Students and Instructor outside of class hours: will be used by the instructor to communicate with students when not in class time. should be used by students to ask for office hour appointments and/or any question, comment, or request. is recognized as an official mode of university correspondence. Therefore, students are expected to check their inbox often and on a daily basis. Class announcements, readings, assignment descriptions, and other information will be sent by the instructor to students via . The studio will also have a UT Canvas site and very probably use the cloud to share data and assignments. Texts and other resources: 1. Los Cabos Planning documents can be obtained in the Municipal Planning Institute of Los Cabos website (in Spanish): 2. of these, the most important one is the Plan Director Urbano or PDU 2040 (Director Urban Plan) (in Spanish): 3. The cities of Los Cabos are part of the Sustainable Cities Network: Additional readings may be provided by the instructor throughout the semester. Studio schedule: This schedule may be modified by the instructor during the semester. These changes may depend on the availability of guest lectures, field visits, and/or academic travel of the instructor. You will be notified in advance of any changes to this tentative schedule. Refer to the official University calendar for information regarding drop/add dates, payment schedules, and recognized holidays: WEE K 1 MONT H JANUARY DA SESSIO Y N # DESCRIPTION 13 M STUDIO LOTTERY 15 W 1 STUDIO INTRODUCTION. RESEARCH: SITE ANALYSIS, CASE STUDIES, AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS 2 WORK IN RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS. INTERNATIONAL OFFICE 17 F VISITS STUDIO FOR TRAVEL ORIENTATION M MLK HOLIDAY. NO CLASS.

6 FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL 22 W 3 RESEARCH PROGRESS PRESENTATIONS 24 F 4 27 M 5 RESEARCH AND SITE ANALYSIS DEVELOPMENT 29 W 6 RESEARCH PIN UP REVIEW AND DISCUSSION 31 F 7 3 M 8 RESEARCH AND SITE ANALYSIS DEVELOPMENT 5 W 9 PRESENTATION REVIEW BEFORE DEPARTING 7 F 10 PRE TRIP SESSION 10 M FLY TO LOS CABOS 11 T W 12 T H LOS CABOS. DETAILED TRIP SCHEDULE TO BE PROVIDED SEPARATELY. RESEARCH, SITE ANALYSIS, AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK PRESENTATION TO IMPLAN WILL HAPPEN IN LOS CABOS. 14 F S RETURN TO AUSTIN 15 POST TRIP DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION OF RESEARCH AND 17 M SITE ANALYSIS 19 W 16 CONCEPTS PHASE BEGINS 21 F M 18 CONCEPTS STUDIO SESSION 26 W 19 CONCEPTS PIN UP REVIEW 28 F 20 3 M 21 5 W 22 CONCEPT TESTING BY ITERATION IN MULTIPLE SITE SPECIFIC CONDITIONS 7 F 23 MIDTERM REVIEW 10 M 12 W SPRING BREAK 14 F 17 M 24 POST MIDTERM DISCUSSION 19 W 25 DEVELOPMENT PHASE BEGINS 21 F M W 28 WORK IN STUDIO. SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES TBD. 28 F M 30 DEVELOPMENT PIN UP REVIEW 2 W 31 4 F 32 7 M 33 WORK IN STUDIO. SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES TBD. 9 W F 35 PREFINAL REVIEW 14 M 36 FINAL PRODUCTION PHASE 16 W 37 DIANA WIESNER COMES TO LECTURE TO UTSOA AND WILL VISIT OUR STUDIO TO PROVIDE EXPERT ADVICE. LECTURE AT 5:00 P.M.

7 F M W F M 30 W MAY 2 F STUDIO SESSIONS WORK IN FINAL PRODUCTION FINAL REVIEW WEEK: FINAL REVIEW DATE PENDING