City &
Landscape

Syllabus

The Venetian lagoon cannot be understood from a distance alone. Its edges, its tides, its productive ground, and its forms of life resist representation in any single medium. This course develops the practices of fieldwork, the structured methods of recording a place by hand and by instrument, that make the territory legible and make design within it possible.

Fieldwork is the complement to the distanced methods you already know. Aerial photography, GIS, and CAD describe a site from a mediated position. Fieldwork describes it from within, through drawing, measurement, notation, and digital capture. The two registers are not opposed. They are the same inquiry conducted at different scales and speeds, and the work of this course is to move fluidly between them.

Measurement is the hinge. Every sketch you make in the field carries a dimension and a benchmark, so that what you draw can be carried into other formats, verified against the site, and used to make design decisions. We will be working in metric, the system of the country and the international profession. We are interested in temporality, because the lagoon is a place that changes with the tide, the season, and the century.

Your phone is an instrument. It records video and photography. It scans with lidar and photogrammetry. Those scans become models, and similar to analog drawing those models become the ground of your design propositions.

City and Landscape operates in coordination with the Research Studio but has its own logic. The studio develops proposals for the lagoon's future. This course builds the recording capacities that make those proposals possible. You cannot design for a territory that you cannot measure and read.

What is Fieldwork

The word fieldwork names a method and a commitment. It is the practice of gathering knowledge in the place where that knowledge lives. The term enters English in the nineteenth century, borrowed from the natural sciences, where the naturalist carried their studies out of the library and into the field. The field was the ground itself, the place where specimens grew and the earth's strata lay exposed.

Each discipline has shaped the term to its own ends. The anthropologist lives in the field, and participant observation became the discipline's defining method after Malinowski's years in the Trobriand Islands. The archaeologist digs, and the field is a site whose strata must be read in order. The geologist maps, and the field is an outcrop whose geology records a history. The ecologist surveys, and the field is a plot whose species and soils can be quantified. In every case, fieldwork is the decision that the thing you are studying must be encountered directly, in place, and that the encounter changes what you know.

Architecture and landscape architecture have their own history in the field. The measured drawing of the Grand Tour, the site survey, the plein air sketch, all of these are fieldwork. Often the disciplines have treated the field trip as a ritual of encounter than as a systematic method, and the field recording has often been kept as a souvenir rather than treated as an actionable representation. This course treats fieldwork as a design method. The field is where the evidence lives, and recording it critically, with measure and with care, is how you learn to design for it.

Objectives

1. Record field conditions by hand, through drawing, notation, and measurement.
2. Work fluently in metric, and calibrate the body to the system.
3. Capture the field digitally with phone photography, video, lidar, and photogrammetry, and carry those captures into other mediums and software.
4. Attend to temporality, recording how a place changes with the tide, the season, and longer cycles.
5. Translate field recordings into design, moving between analog and digital methods.

Course Structure

The semester runs in three parts.

Part 1, in Charlottesville, establishes the method through three exercises. The first is calibration, building metric intuition through the body. The second is recording, developing the field drawing and measurement. The third is processing and curating, learning to carry field recordings into digital tools and into a coherent record.

Part 2, in Italy, is the field itself. Six exercises, one for each week of the residency, except the final week in Vicenza, which is given to the studio workshop. Each exercise joins measurement and drawing, and each returns data that can be carried into the studio.

Part 3, back in Charlottesville, curates the semester's fieldwork into a dossier and exhibition for the final review.

Tools

Required.

• A4 sketchbook or sketchbooks, Midori, Leuchtturm, or Moleskine.
• Pens of varied size and width, Sakura Micron and the like.
• Mechanical pencil, 0.5, with varied hardness of lead.
• Wooden drawing pencils and a sharpener, based on personal preference.
• An eraser.
• A small straight edge and a metric scale.
• A tape measure with metric units.

Phone and apps.

• A phone, iOS or Android, with a camera and a maps app.
• A lidar or photogrammetry app, Polycam or Sitescape.
• A topo GPS app, optional.

Optional.

• A small tripod for the phone.
• A laser measure.
• A fiberglass tape reel.
• A laser thermometer.

Grading

Grading is weighted across the ten exercises.

• Exercises 1 through 9, 60%. Each exercise is graded credit or no credit. The credit or no credit structure is deliberate. It keeps the emphasis on experimentation, and experimentation is what these exercises are for.
• Exercise 10, the curation and dossier, 40%. This exercise is graded on the quality of curation, the completeness of the record, and the originality of the argument.

Grading Criteria

Students in City and Landscape are expected to complete all exercises and will be graded according to the following scale.

A+ 100 / A 95 / A- 90 / B+ 87 / B 83 / B- 80 / C+ 77 / C 73 / C- 70 / D+ 67 / D 63 / D- 60 / F 0

SARC Grade Descriptions

A: Mastery of course content at the highest level of attainment that can reasonably be expected of students at a given stage of development. The A grade states clearly that the student has demonstrated outstanding promise and exceptional effort in all aspects of the discipline under study.

B: Strong performance demonstrating a high level of attainment for a student at a given stage of development. The B grade states that the student has demonstrated strong promise and consistent effort in the aspect of the discipline under study.

C: An acceptable performance demonstrating an adequate level of attainment for a student at a given stage of development. The C grade states that the student has demonstrated a base level of promise and effort in the aspect of the discipline under study such that they may continue their course of study with reasonable hope of intellectual and technical development.

D: A marginal performance in the required course of study demonstrating a minimal passing level of attainment. A student has given little, if any, evidence of prospective growth in the aspect of the discipline under study; an accumulation of D grades should be taken to mean that the student would be well advised to reconsider their course of study in the academic field.

F: An unacceptable performance. The F grade indicates that the student's performance in the required course of study has demonstrated inadequate levels of effort and revealed almost no understanding of the course content. A grade of F should warrant an advisor's questioning whether the student may suitably register for further study in the discipline before remedial work is undertaken.

IN: Incomplete work. Grade is only available due to extenuating circumstances such as health reasons or other emergency situations. (See SARC Extension/Incomplete Policy below.)

Minimum Grade Policy (Landscape Architecture)

As of Fall 2026, the department of Landscape Architecture has implemented a "minimum allowable grade" policy requiring students in the Landscape Architecture program to achieve a minimum grade of C in all core courses, or else be required to repeat the course. While this "minimum allowable grade" affects a student's progress through the Landscape curriculum, it may or may not affect their overall academic good standing; that will be determined by their cumulative GPA as noted above.

Class Attendance

As per University Academic Regulations, student attendance in class is a critical component of the educational experience at the University of Virginia. Faculty members have the right to establish attendance and participation requirements in each of their classes and instructors may establish academic penalties when excessive absences would seriously hinder student achievement in any class. For more information on regulations pertaining to attendance, including appeals by students, see the University's Undergraduate and Graduate Records, and the School of Architecture's Undergraduate and Graduate Records.

Attendance at all class sessions is mandatory. More than three unexcused absences will result in the student being asked to withdraw from the course. Please notify your instructors in advance of any absence.

Attending all reviews in full is mandatory. Work to be presented at a review must be finished before the review begins. Finishing work while a review is being conducted is not permitted and is considered an unexcused absence.

If a student misses more than two consecutive classes without excuse, the instructor will reach out to the student directly. If the student does not respond or attend the following class period, the instructor will notify the Director of Advising, Tashana Starks, tdp2m@virginia.edu, so the Academics Team can contact the student before the situation escalates.

Excused Absences

Absences typically excused are the following reasons: hospitalization, serious illness, family emergency, authorized University activities (field trips, University-sponsored athletic events, mandatory service commitments, etc.), and important religious holidays. A more extensive calendar is available on the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights' Student Religious Accommodations page, under "Religious Observance Calendar and Information." That page also offers guidance and advice about providing religious accommodations.

Students who anticipate absence for cause should obtain permission from the instructor in advance of the absence. Unforeseen absences resulting from illness, or from other circumstances considered to be emergencies, may be excused by the instructor and arrangements may be made with the instructor to complete the assignments missed.

Assignment Extensions

Individual requests for extensions due to medical emergencies or family circumstances should be submitted in writing at the earliest possible time. If necessary, the student and instructor will work together to create a schedule specifying the completion date of any missed exams, reviews, or delayed assignments. The final decision for any project or test extension requests will be made at the discretion of the instructor.

Incomplete Grades

A grade of Incomplete (IN) is to be given only in cases due to medical emergencies and extenuating family circumstances that necessitate additional time to complete course work at the end of the term. It is not to be used as a blanket extension.

An Incomplete Grade (IN) is an appropriate option only when the following criteria are met:

• The student has a consistent and dependable attendance record.
• The student has completed approximately 75% or more of the work for the course.
• The student is not failing the course.

A request for an IN is to be communicated to the instructor, Director of Advising, Tashana Starks, tdp2m@virginia.edu, and the Associate Dean of Academics, John Comazzi, jcomazzi@virginia.edu, prior to the last day of classes. If approved, the request will be submitted to the School of Architecture Registrar, Sharon McDonald, slf7a@virginia.edu, who will provide instructions and an Incomplete Grade form to be submitted and approved by the Associate Dean of Academics (through DocuSign) prior to the last day of exams. Documentation supporting the medical excuse is to be provided by a doctor or healthcare provider with the Incomplete Grade form. Additionally, a work plan outlining the scope and extended deadline for completion of coursework is due to the Associate Dean of Academics and the Director of Academic Advising at the time of the form submittal. An approved grade of IN will convert automatically to a grade of F thirty (30) calendar days after the end of the examination period unless the professor submits a final grade based on the work completed during the additional time or a work plan identifying a specific date for completion of course work. (Note: The faculty and SARC Academics Team may require a shorter window than 30 days in the event that the break between semesters is shorter than the 30-day period for an automatic grade conversion.)

Student Safety

The University of Virginia is dedicated to providing a safe and equitable learning environment for all students. If you or someone you know has been affected by power-based personal violence or discrimination, please connect with the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights website that describes reporting options and resources available and direct access to the Report an Incident tool.

As your professors and administrative staff, we care about your wellbeing and stand ready to provide support and resources as we can. As University employees, we are classified as responsible employees, which means that we are required by University policy and federal law to report what you tell us about any incident directly to the University's EOCR and/or Title IX coordinators. The coordinators are committed to ensure that the reporting student receives the resources and support that they need, while also reviewing the information presented to determine whether further action is necessary to ensure survivor safety and the safety of the University community.

Student Wellbeing

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is the primary mental health clinic for students at UVA. CAPS provides a range of services, including individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatry, case management, crisis intervention, community consultation and outreach. If you are interested in individual therapy at CAPS, please review our Getting Started page.

SARC Embedded CAPS Counselor: The A-School is fortunate to have Varinia Garcia Anderson, LPC (she/her) as our embedded CAPS psychotherapist. Varinia will conduct all appointments from her office in Peyton 205. You may schedule a 45-minute initial phone consultation with Varinia in one of two ways (appointments will appear on Healthy Hoos as an Initial Brief Assessment Telehealth appointment):

• Via Healthy Hoos
• By calling CAPS at (434) 243-5150 and notifying the receptionist that you are enrolled in the School of Architecture
• Contact Varinia at vg2c@virginia.edu with questions.

Outside of regular hours, students can contact CAPS at (434) 243-5150 for help connecting with mental health support and deciding which services are the right fit. Students can view the full landscape of mental health resources available at Student Health and Wellness at this link.

Student Accommodations

It is the policy of the University of Virginia to accommodate students with disabilities in accordance with federal and state laws. Any student with a disability who needs accommodation (e.g., extended testing times, arrangements for seating, extended deadlines, or note taking, etc.), should contact the Student Disability Access Center (SDAC) and provide them with appropriate medical or psychological documentation of their condition. Students with need for accommodation can contact the SDAC directly: 434.243.5180; Email: SDAC@Virginia.edu; Web: https://www.studenthealth.virginia.edu/sdac.

Once accommodations are approved, it is the student's responsibility to follow up with the instructor about logistics and implementation of accommodations at the beginning of the term, or ASAP after identifying the need. Accommodations for extensions for projects, tests, or papers should be arranged at least 14 business days in advance of the date of the test(s).

The Honor System and the School of Architecture

The School of Architecture firmly endorses, upholds, and embraces the University's Honor principle that students will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor shall they tolerate those who do. The instructor will indicate which assignments and activities are to be done individually and which permit collaboration. The following pledge should be written out at the end of all quizzes, examinations, individual assignments, and papers: "I pledge that I have neither given nor received help on this examination (quiz, assignment, etc.)". The pledge must be signed by the student.

More information about the Honor System can be found at Honor Committee. Your School of Architecture Honor representatives can be found at this link.

Classroom Civility Statement & Course Disenrollment

According to the Provost Policy PROV-008, "Students are expected to contribute to a positive culture at UVA by conducting themselves in accordance with a high standard. In instances when a student's behavior impairs an Instructor's ability to conduct a class or otherwise interferes with other students' engagement in the learning process, the Instructor must reasonably attempt to resolve disruptions directly with the individual responsible. Examples of such behavior include, but are not limited to, repeatedly disrupting class or failing to properly engage in group activities. In rare cases, when the student's behavior does not improve in response to the Instructor's attempts, a dean's office may disenroll the student from the course with a grade of W according to the procedures at the end of this document (or WF for schools that use this notation). Decisions to disenroll a student from a course should be aligned with the University's Statement on Free Expression and Free Inquiry."

In this course we take the opportunity to connect with our colleagues. Stay engaged. Do not allow yourself to be in other mental or virtual spaces during lectures, reviews, or pin-ups.

Recording of Class Sessions

Per Provost Policy PROV-005, only the instructor of a course may give permission for a class session to be recorded. When a session is recorded to facilitate learning, students agree not to clip parts of the class and disseminate them on social media or by other methods. We want frank and interesting conversation, which may touch on sensitive topics, and we need to trust those with whom we are speaking.

Communication Policy

Students are expected to check their official UVA email and the course Canvas site on a frequent and consistent basis to remain informed of timely communications by the instructor or fellow students. Email and Canvas are the primary vehicles for disseminating information. Students who fail to check their communications on a regular basis are responsible for any resulting consequences.

Generative AI Policy

The use of generative artificial intelligence and machine learning tools is an open question in the design fields. In the pursuit of innovative and thoughtful design processes, we recognize the potential of generative AI tools to contribute to the exploration and development of design concepts. These tools have the capacity to augment creativity, generate novel ideas, and expedite iterative processes. It is important to approach them with transparency and a critical understanding of the implications. We encourage students to approach generative AI as a supplementary tool, embracing its potential while remaining committed to the principles of a responsible and transparent design discourse.

When integrating AI-generated content into your work, clearly indicate and attribute the usage of generative AI and machine learning tools in the design process, including prompts and the co-creation process. Articulate the role of AI in shaping design outcomes within the context of your documentation.

The question this course asks of the lagoon, what is learned and what is lost when a process is mediated and/or automated, applies to your own method. Any tools you are using should not be seen as ways to circumvent design thinking and authorship. Using generative AI to complete coursework in ways that are not transparent and clearly attributed is a violation of the Honor Code.