Date of Award
Spring 5-22-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)
Department
Landscape Architecture
First Advisor
Suzanne Mathew
Second Advisor
Laura Gomez
Abstract
Chinese classical gardens embed a set of spatial framing principles that shape how landscapes are seen, moved through, and experienced over time. Through framing, concealment, and pathway-guided movement, these gardens create layered spatial experiences that gradually unfold rather than reveal themselves all at once. Drawing from The Craft of Gardens by Ji Cheng, Scholar Gardens of China by R. Stewart Johnston, and The Classical Gardens of China by Yang Hongxun, this thesis identifies and synthesizes key spatial framing strategies embedded within Chinese classical gardens.
The thesis then critiques contemporary American urban landscapes, focusing on Higginson Circle in Boston, where openness and immediate legibility often limit spatial depth and sequential experience. Through site analysis and design intervention, this research explores how principles such as Borrowing Views, Concealment, and guided movement can be translated into a contemporary design framework to construct a more refined “slow landscape.” Ultimately, the project investigates how layered spatial experience can reshape movement, perception, and engagement within the city’s interior.
Recommended Citation
Feng, Beiqi, "Framing the Slow Landscape" (2026). Masters Theses. 1675.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1675
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