Integration of landscape and architecture

By Sarah Peddie

It was the last weekend of my break in Orlando and my sister-in-law suggested a trip to a local university. She mentioned that there were a few buildings there designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, which sounded interesting to explore. 

We headed off for the Florida Southern College in Lakeland, and like all the best travel experiences, it seems that by going without any preconceptions or ideas about what you might find most often leads to the best experiences.

Sculptural qualities of the buildings in some areas are emphasised by a pared back landscape approach.

There are 13 structures on the campus designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, built after the President of the college asked for the architect’s assistance in 1938. What I found fascinated is that some of the buildings were themselves constructed with the help of the students. Involving the students in the building process has given an individual quality to the campus, which is very unusual to find in a typical university. 

Rather than a utilitarian and mass-produced feel, there is a sense of quirkiness that invites engagement with the buildings. The scale of the spaces in places is more intimate also, the height of walkway overhangs is low, creating a human scale feel and breaking larger areas into much smaller spaces. 

Landscape and architecture detail with plants meeting the walkway overhang.

Trees and plantings are also cleverly integrated so that shade and comfortable spaces are found throughout. There are lushly planted areas right close up against the buildings, helping to define spaces and adding interest in some areas, while in other areas there is simply lawn and sparse planting around some of the structures, creating variety. 

The campus has the most extraordinary integration of buildings and landscape. At a broader scale the connections between areas and change of levels leads to interesting perspectives and visual links between the different faculties and areas.

Light and shade creates dynamic patterns on the walkways.

Moving down to a smaller scale, the shapes and detail within the buildings and spaces creates one of the most intriguing experiences of shadow and light I’ve ever felt within a space. It is most comparable to walking inside a sculpture, engaging all the senses. Walkways with cut outs overhead bring light filtered through and allow plants to grow alongside and inside pathways.

This integration of planting amongst the buildings makes for interesting spatial experience, where the boundaries between inside and outside are truly blended. Spaces are dynamic, changing with the light over the course of the day.

Simple structural planting in the courtyard of the Emile E. Watson Administration Building.

Rich detailing within the buildings and landscape elements and a wide and varied use of materials lends itself to moments of pure beauty and delight. There are intricate details such as bright glass insets into the bricks that add colour and texture.

When we visited the campus it was Thanksgiving break. There were no students around, but I could not help thinking how fortunate you would be to study there. You would feel inspired and uplifted by your surroundings, the true measure of a good design. Despite being designed over 80 years ago, it is surprisingly fresh and contemporary.

* Sarah Peddie is a landscape architect at Glasson Huxtable Landscape Architects