EMULATION TO THE NATURE IN BASIC DESIGN EDUCATION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Aim: The main purpose of the study is to create a recreational spatial organization with basic design elements and principles by emulating nature in increasing visual literacy. With this study, it was aimed to stimulate students' imagination and make them design spatial organization by emulating geological rock sections in sustainable design approaches of rural landscape areas. Method: The process of producing solutions to the design problem given was carried out by using (i) 14-week basic design training, (ii) taking thin samples from geological rocks for petrographical studies, and (iii) the analogical thinking method which was the inspiration of Goldschmidt and Smallov (2006) and Cardoso and Badke-Schavub (2011) for the transformation of their ideas into forms. Findings: By analyzing the concepts related to the given problem, the solution of the design problem began, and the designers’ abstract ideas were concretized and handled within the framework of the concept. Students, who received the subject of study during the design process, completed the product they prepared in line with the basic design education they received in order to obtain a product from the concept whichthey created in their mind by emulating geological rock sections. The process was successfully completed by adding something to the obtained product, removing something from the obtained product, and combining something with the obtained product in this process. Result: The ability to have a versatile perspective in design education, which finds common ground forart and architecture education, is vital. This study showed that in architectural education, the design process can collaborate with different disciplines and that the products may be unique and sensitive to ecosystem services.