Lawrence Halprin was an influential landscape architect. His projects have many values to become benchmarks in the development of modern landscape architecture. For example, the most his favorite design is the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington D.C which set a new standard for the public’s involvement. The plazas and grand fountains in Portland, Oregon are a joyful participation in public open spaces. Moreover, he also wrote many lectures and books, such as the Sea Ranch: Diary of an Idea. I think that Lawrence Halprin is one of the most important landscape architects because he used his ideas which evolved over his experience of study and travel to create better places which are suitable with demand of social …show more content…
The word “choreography” which he used to describe the movement from space to space in many his designs was influenced by Anna Schuman after his project was Halprin House and Garden, Kentfield, California in 1954. His idea began to create an outdoor dance deck for his wife. In this project, he designed a choreographed sequence of paths to link the house to the dance deck throughout the garden. He continued to develop his idea of the movement when he designed the McIntyre Garden, Hillsborough, California in 1961. He wanted everyone to feel the closing with nature when they walk into the garden which utilized hard geometric forms. He took some essence of nature to combine to his design, including sounds, smells, and textures. He used fountain to represent the sound of water, he chose plants which had smells, and he copied the textures of plants to create the texture of paving. He used this idea to design waterfalls, parks, and plazas later (Halprin, 114-135). Therefore, the two projects were the most important to create the unique style of Lawrence …show more content…
He imitated John Muir when Muir discovered Yosemite National Park by camping at the Sea Ranch, and it was the best way to observe space. Halprin took a long time to draw many sketches about the Sea Ranch and noted everything he saw. Thus, he understood clearly how physical, ecological, and cultural elements were influenced the site, and he could give the best solutions. For example, when he searched the directions and speeds of wind, he thought to create new buildings with roof slopes which control wind and provide protection from wind. There were variety land forms with different plant in the ranch, so he gave a vigorous tree-planting program to protect micro-environment. When he studied about community activities in there, he thought how to link the buildings with nature and create the feeling that human is a part of nature (Halprin). The book recorded everything which he saw and felt at the Sea Ranch, and how he could find and develop concepts to become a real Sea Ranch community. Hence, I think that the book helps everyone to obviously understand a useful progress when landscape architects start to