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
Gavin Zeitz
Abstract
This thesis argues that landscape architecture must more intentionally integrate embodied, outdoor practices into the design process in order to foster a deeper understanding of and engagement with the primary medium of the field: the land itself. When we study a site through digital means, we detach our bodies and minds from the physical material we are working with. Embodied practices encourage a slower, more attentive mode of observation that engages both mind and body through tangible actions and sensory experiences. Through physical touch and sensory engagement, we gain insight into a place across many scales, from the granular texture of soil to the vast networks each microscopic particle is entangled within. By engaging in alternative modes of observation, I aim to study how a hyper-situated understanding of place can inform design practices that are adaptive and responsive to the existing conditions shaping and influencing the boundaries of a site.
What forms of knowledge emerge through embodied engagement with material and the context it is situated within?
How might we practice landscape architecture if embodied, place-based knowledge were treated as integral rather than supplementary to the design process?
Recommended Citation
Ritchie, Mary A., "Touching Ground: Embodied Methods of Design" (2026). Masters Theses. 1683.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1683
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