Michael Morgan Landscape Architect
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Mike Morgan
All good designers work from a philosophy. A
design philosophy is a wellspring to which the designer may return
to quench a thirst for ideas. It is a place of refreshment and
inspiration.
A philosophy of design: We humans are to a
large extent a product of our environment. Genetics plays a similar
role to environment in personality development. The relative impact
of environment on who we are varies from one person to the next as
does the balance between environment and genetics[1].
Our environment, therefore, shapes who we are
and what we are able to achieve in life. Architects, landscape
architects, civil engineers and others are environmental designers.
Designers shape most aspects the human habitat. Environmental
designers therefore have a unique ability, and a duty, to understand
how an environment affects human development. Those who have the
means to shape the human environment also have a responsibility to
create environments which allow and encourage positive growth for
their families, clients, employees and followers.
A positive human environment begins with
basics. Light, air, water, food, activity, interaction, safety,
security, comfort, awareness. These healthy elements are similar for
all living beings. The proper balance of these elements can
contribute to the health, welfare and success in life of the
individual and the group. Animals, including humans, respond to an
appropriate environment by finding it attractive or even beautiful.
Humans crave a positive environment. So, a grounding in, and a
periodic review of each of these elements is a must for successful
design. The closer a manmade environment is to the ideal habitat,
the healthier and better for the human animal.
[1] Much
research has been done on this topic and I will not go into
that here except to recommend that an interested or
skeptical reader look into the work of Karl Menninger and
the Menninger Foundation and their research into the lives
of genetically identical twins who were separated at birth.