Yield of the land — Wireframe Q849 copy

The yield of the land

Imagining Landscapes in Peri-Urban China and Belgium

These drawings result from two assignments in the Master of Engineering: Architecture at Ghent University. Around twenty students spent a semester exploring landscape portraits through drawing. The seminar The Yield of the Land investigated what could be learned by observing and mapping landscapes. Students first explored a study area in China's Pearl River Delta, then an unexecuted road route between Oudenaarde and Aat.

Drawing served as both research tool and final result. Working in groups of three, students developed unique research perspectives and drawing methods. Experimentation was key, with drawings requiring reader movement - across floor surfaces or along meandering paths.
The groups shared a common field, leading to inevitable collisions and overlaps that revealed the landscape's most exciting moments. Continuous consultation between groups made the final drawing a testament to collaborative effort.

The collective work remains readable through color and distinct layer signatures. Rather than presenting a complete landscape image, each drawing offers a collection of concentrated, specific approaches. The landscape remains fundamentally inexhaustible.

Research, 2022
In collaboration with Hong Wan Chan
Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Ghent University