The Topographic Literacy Project investigates grading & drainage design, practice, and education. This site is an active archive of the work.
Please contact David Zielnicki at dave@unknownstudio.la with any comments, questions, or suggestions.
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Tools
Digital tools primarily utilize McNeel’s Rhinoceros 3D Modeling and Grasshopper Algorithmic Modeling for Rhino to incorporate contemporary research into working models. The choice of software is due to its widespread popularity in design disciplines, relative ease of use, and easy incorporation of custom modifications and open-source coding. These digital tools allow students & practitioners to understand the calculations behind common grading & drainage problems, to directly control the visualization of these problems, and to speculate further through easy modification of the provided tools & calculations. Furthermore, we welcome all modifications from users for further developing this content.
Gratitude
We offer sincere thanks and gratitude to the Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund at the University of British Columbia for making this project possible.
Team
David Zielnicki is a licensed landscape architect and an Instructor at the School of Architecture + Landscape Architecture at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. David teaches core design studios and courses focusing on landscape technologies and digital methodologies.
Daniel Roehr is a licensed landscape architect (in British Columbia and Berlin, Germany) and is Associate Professor at the School of Architecture + Landscape Architecture at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Daniel also leads the Green Skins Lab and the Off Screen Studio.
Bryce Fairburn is a Master in Landscape Architecture candidate (2021) at the School of Architecture + Landscape Architecture at the University of British Columbia.
Sarah Klym is a Master in Architecture candidate (2020) at the School of Architecture + Landscape Architecture at the University of British Columbia.