Intangible Landscapes: Drawing atmosphere in landscape architectural practice

This thesis examines how the intangible aspects of landscape—such as sensory, temporal, and atmospheric qualities—impact human experiences related to sustainability, community, and a sense of place. Despite their significance, these qualities are frequently overlooked in the landscape design process. Adopting a research-through-design approach, this study investigates how drawn representations can highlight intangible experiences and inform design practices. The focus of the investigation is the Porirua Stream adjacent to Porirua Train Station, employing various drawing techniques and mediums to capture atmospheric qualities and guide design decisions. The research engages with the contributions of scholars like Eric Bellin, Elizabeth K. Meyer, Kenneth Olwig, and Tim Ingold to contextualise the understanding of atmosphere in landscape. Through experimentation with diverse visual strategies, this thesis aspires to develop techniques that integrate atmospheric qualities into site analysis and design representation. The findings aim to enrich the discourse on recognising and preserving the intangibility of landscapes within design processes, offering innovative methods for visualising and responding to landscape atmosphere.