FRS 001A — Sec. 001 — (1 unit) — CRN 35561 — M 4:10-5:00 pm — TB 100
Rebuilding Ground Zero: Memorial as Meaning and Memory

Instructor: Mark Francis, Department of Landscape Architecture, College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences

Description: This seminar will explore ways landscape and architecture can successfully reflect meaning and memory. We will examine the idea of memorials, how they are designed, and how people come to use and experience them. Special attention in the seminar will be devoted to the ongoing debate over what should be built at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan. We will consider the various proposals for the site (of which there are already thousands) and attempt to put them in a larger social and cultural context. Students will be encouraged to pay particular attention to the visual and design aspects of proposals for rebuilding Ground Zero and compare them with other memorials, both built and proposed. No design background is required for the seminar although an interest in art, architecture or criticism will be helpful. The format will be informal and participatory.

Format: Special attention in the seminar will be paid to the work of architect Maya Lin and her powerful efforts over the years to design memorials for the Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Women's Rights, environmental sustainability, etc. We will view the Academy Award winning film by Frieda Lee Mock (1995) "Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision." Maya Lin's book Boundaries (Simon and Shuster, 2000) will serve as the text for the seminar. Students will be asked to develop a short case study of a memorial of their choice. Each student will be asked to present their case as part of the seminar and together we will assemble a monograph of the cases. Grading: The final grade will be based on a short (4-6 pages) paper presenting their case (60%) and participation in the seminar (40%).

About the Instructor: Mark Francis is a landscape architect and urban designer who has taught at UC Davis since 1980. His research is focused on the meaning of the built and natural environment. His books include Urban Open Space (Island, 2003), Village Homes (Island, 2003), The California Landscape Garden (University of California Press, 1999), Public Space (Cambridge University Press, 1992), The Meaning of Gardens (MIT Press, 1990), and Community Open Spaces (Island 1984). He has designed public open spaces both here and abroad including Davis’ Central Park and Farmer’s Market, Davis Commons (Borders), and the Davis Greenway. He is currently working on a book on the cultural landscape of childhood.