Building on sensory investigations within the design process, this interdisciplinary work examines how the haptic sense can directly inform spatial and landscape design

Part 1 treats the land as a body by translating the fashion technique of fabric draping onto the landscape. Referencing Jennifer Bloomer’s concept of 'Dirty Drawings,' the approach pairs something finished with something in progress to create a product that is 'technical, critical, and pleasurable.' Here, the tree acts as the 'finished' element and the fabric drape as the work-in-progress. By applying a haptic technique meant for the human form to the natural environment, I sought to radically shift perception in the design process.

Part of the beauty of draping is its ability to build an intimate, tactile understanding of material. While I am quite familiar with this physical dialogue regarding the human body, translating that same haptic sensitivity to the land opened up an entirely new way of comprehending environmental materiality. ​

In Part 2,  the land engaged with land. I investigated how “draping” exists in the natural environment, directly building upon the foundations laid in Part 1. This phase draws on Julian Raxworthy’s theory of the Viridic, which is a framework that advocates for the reconnection of gardening with landscape architecture.