NullScapes to ResonantScapes: Transforming Neglected Landscapes into Vibrant and Functional Spaces through Innovative Design Methodologies

Ideally, both humans and the ecosystem must benefit from the landscape. However, circumstances like natural calamities and human ignorance affect once beneficial landscapes into nullscapes, devoid of benefit and lacking its original virtues. The selected projects tackle the struggle of taking back what the community needs in life and in living within their chosen environments. The projects formulated methodologies and frameworks that utilize intelligence and knowledge from nature in both indigenous and modern ways through cultural designs and nature-based solutions. The first resolved issues with a cemetery that is easily inundated and did not drain off creating health and access issues for its community. It formulated a design framework that engaged the community for holistic design integration which integrates nature-based solutions into the cemetery landscape. The second aimed to rectify the usual design of subdivisions that are increasingly influence the land-use change of both agricultural and natural areas in the Philippines. By developing a design framework that guides participatory planning for the improvement of subdivisions for multifunctional green infrastructure, solutions were identified and formulated to remedy the blight of underplanned modern urban housing. The last was aimed with improving a landscape that was important to the culture and livelihood of an indigenous people (IP). Their landscape was affected greatly because of a volcanic eruption. Since the eruption, the IP was sustained by tourism and support from the government. The thesis was determined to restore their previous practices and culture through community-indigenous knowledge integration with ecotourism and immersive activity planning.