A Sense of Harmony

Red Rocks Amphitheater, photo by Matthew Traucht

Through The Cultural Landscape Foundation’s (TCLF) ongoing work to document a diverse array of landscapes, the need to identify and define new landscape typologies creates exciting opportunities for discovery. Currently, TCLF is developing documentation about national and state parks for What’s Out There Weekends in Denver and Austin, and for a partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) to produce site profiles for urban landscapes in Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, and Richmond.

The 'Naturalistic or Cohesive' style of landscape design emerged with the establishment of the NPS in 1916 and was fully developed by the time the United States entered World War II. Guidelines for the design and construction of parks evolved from the NPS mission to “conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” Landscape architects, engineers, architects, and park superintendents designed the constructed features of national and state parks to blend with the natural surroundings.

TCLF’s definition of the style is as follows:

A characteristic of many national and state parks across the United States, this style is derived from the use of constructed features that are made to blend with their settings and appear natural, rather than man-made. Designed and constructed between 1916 and 1942 by landscape architects, architects, engineers, park superintendents, and craftsmen—often working in collaboration—this work displays the landscape characteristics of Picturesque, Arts & Crafts, and Prairie styles. Standards and guidelines were developed to enrich the visitor experience, creating a continuity across parks while reflecting the character of the regional landscape.

Bergen Park, Evergreen, CO. Photo by Barrett Doherty
 

In undertaking this work, designers employed local building materials, which resulted in a “rustic” style of architecture.  Purposefully articulating and framing significant views and vistas, native plants enhanced landscape compositions and passages of scenery. By minimizing impacts, as well as re-naturalizing clear-cut and quarried areas, planners and designers endeavored to promote the natural, scenic, and cultural values of individual parks. Landscape architects such as Thomas Vint and Conrad Wirth led the Civilian Conservation Corps in the implementation of many projects, including parkways, overlooks, campgrounds, entranceways, bridges, trails, and comfort stations. Design considerations promoted cultural resource management, compatibility with natural systems, and a sense of harmony with the physical setting.

With the development of the style’s definition, TCLF re-examined What’s Out There site profiles to apply this definition to existing landscape descriptions. More than 30 landscapes in the database that formerly had no style designated have now been listed as Naturalistic or Cohesive. In addition to national parks such as Yosemite and Glacier and state parks like Bastrop and Mount Blue, the style can also be found along the Appalachian Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the C & O Canal National Historic Park, and the Historic Columbia River Highway.

In 2013, TCLF added a definition for Postmodernist landscape style to the What’s Out There database. In preparation for What’s Out There Weekend Miami in 2014, TCLF had the opportunity to refine its definition of the Mediterranean style. Later that year, TCLF’s research for What’s Out There Weekend Richmond spurred a reworking of the definition for Colonial Revival. With the addition of the Naturalistic or Cohesive style, TCLF’s glossary now identifies sixteen different styles of landscape design. TCLF’s What’s Out There database, launched in 2009, now comprises more than 1,800 landscapes, 900 designer profiles, and some 10,000 images.

Lookout Mountain Park, Golden, CO. Photo by Barrett Doherty