Landscape Design and Eco-management

Landscape Design and Eco-management, the most recent addition to AUB's list of majors, is the result of cooperation between both the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and the Department of Architecture.

The major in Landscape Design and Eco-management was proposed in late May 2000, to meet the needs of the considerable number of FAFS majors, who, upon graduation, seek employment at landscape firms or turn towards landscape design. This major can accommodate twenty students only, as it is still new and in need of bigger facilities and additional specialized staff members. According to the chairman of the program, Professor Jamal Abed, the faculty of FAFS, who are responsible for recruiting staff members, are still on the look out for a faculty member to occupy a full time position in design; the selection will be coordinated with the Department of Architecture.

It is the job of landscape designers and eco-managers to design and restore resourcefully areas, such as residential areas, historical sites, public parks, shopping centers and colleges, in practical, creative, and environmentally friendly ways. Graduates of the new major will also have the opportunity to work for government or private sectors with architects, engineers, environmental scientists, and surveyors, while dealing personally with clients and manually supervising outdoor work. The University offers a four-year program in which graduates will receive a BS in Landscape Design and Eco-Management, and a Diploma of Ingenieur Agricole, which will allow the graduate to become a member of the Order of Engineers. The courses required include a variety of computer classes, lab sessions, physical and social sciences such as geology, chemistry, ecology, biology, math, plant soil science, business and management, history, drawing, and painting. An increase in specialized faculty members is still being discussed, as the University has also hired part-time architects and designers from the private sector to give students a better and more realistic sense of this field from a more technical rather than theoretical approach.

After completing the program, the student will have a strong fundamental basis in three main areas: landscape design and analysis, landscape management, and landscape and the environment Landscape design and analysis aims to provide students with basic tools and skills that will allow the student to devise design concepts on their own. According to Professor Salma Talhouk, with the help of software programs, such as Computer Aided Design, students will be able to implement actual landscape-planting designs and learn how to pick out appropriate construction sites, thereby becoming both builder and designer.

Design oriented problem such as the attempt to design something from a different environment, that doesn't necessarily blend in well with our Middle Eastern environment is a common fall ground for many designers. The "lawn syndrom," says Professor Talhouk, is a perfect example of this problem. The lawn syndrome refers to the common use of green lawns by landscape designers when they are most commonly found in Europe and not the Middle East.

The business aspect of this program will provide students with an understanding and insight into financial accounting and business management. Landscape and field management, which includes "horticulture," the study of plants, insects, and pests, are also topics covered in this second area. Learning about our environment and how it is intertwined with landscape designing is an essential theme in this program. This third objective emphasizes environmental courses covering topics such as irrigation, the impact of pesticide and pollutants, and the use of natural resources. The Geographic Information System, a computer program which overlays different maps of an area, is a key component in fulfilling the third objective.

Landscape design and eco-management students, complained that the program seems to be too concentrated on architecture courses, giving students very few choices and little time to broaden their horizons with different electives.

The three main areas of this major,will empower the students to form creative, original, practical, and environmentally friendly work methods and ethics. When asked about the seriousness and significance of landscape design and eco-management in Lebanon, where most construction is unplanned and untamed, professor Jamal Abed replied, "Academic programs are designed to meet market demands, yet they never stop at that level. They are always expected to bring forth awareness and practices that are not present." Professor Abed also believes, "The market will readjust to encompass the new ethical and professional dimension that this program will bring forth."

"It is a very well-rounded and focused program; students will graduate with confidence," says Professor Talhouk. She also believes this major might be popular with women who enjoy agricultural work and design, but feel uncomfortable with certain responsibilities of an agriculture engineer, such as driving around remote places and country sides and dealing with country folk and farmers.