January 4, 2010 Edit

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Kyoto Summer Program Inspires UO Student

Landscape architecture student inspired by UO’s Kyoto summer program

The Kyoto Study Abroad Program is led by Professor Ron Lovinger  EUGENE, Ore. -- (Jan. 4, 2010) --    Landscape architecture student, Charlotte Goldman, found a place that inspired her study of garden design when she embarked on the UO’s Kyoto program last summer. In a culture where 7-Eleven convenience stores offer freshly made sushi, 14^th century monasteries come equipped with air conditioning, and bustling city streets are immaculate, Charlotte Goldman, an undergraduate student of landscape architecture, found a place that felt like home. “Japanese design demonstrates true sophistication and rustic simplicity,” says Goldman.  “It was a very real place to focus on landscapes and their emotional impact.”  It was the inspirational landscapes that affected Charlotte Goldman most profoundly.  “The sequence of how a landscape is presented to the viewer causes an emotional reaction,” explained Goldman.  During an excursion to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Goldman found herself greatly moved by the design of the memorial gardens.  The order of how features are presented has the power to accentuate sentiments and stress the significance of the memorial.  The Kyoto Study Abroad Program, offered through the University of Oregon’s Department of Landscape Architecture, provides students hands-on experience working with the rich architectural culture of Japan.  Students worked closely with local residents in order to address and understand spatial and landscape concerns and then teamed up to help make compatible alterations. Students who traveled through the Kyoto program, led by Professor Ron Lovinger, worked specifically in an area of Kyoto called Shijo-Omiya.  Mapping out their ideas with watercolor, students divided into teams and creatively sought solutions for beautification.  “When you are dealing with a real place in an unfamiliar area, it gives you fresh eyes,” Goldman explains.  “You have to accept the unique influences and perspectives of the culture, then work compatibly to make a change.”  The Kyoto Study Abroad Program helped to broaden horizons for Charlotte Goldman.  She is now independently learning Japanese and plans to base her future master’s research on Japanese landscape design and its emotional impact.  Eager to return back to Japan, she is also on board for an internship with a landscape architecture firm in Kyoto this coming summer. “Going abroad helped me to crystallize my goals,” states Goldman. “It was a life-changing experience.”  About the University of Oregon The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 62 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.  Contact: Karen Johnson, AAA External Relations and Communications, 541-346-3603, karenjj@uoregon.edu.  Story written by Gillian Thornton. Source: Charlotte Goldman, (503) 508-6903, cgoldma1@uoregon.edu Links: http://landarch.uoregon.edu/index.cfm?mode=programs&page=summer&sub=kyoto ###