An interest in the application of the concept of sustainability to the design of the domestic garden lead to the realisation that the social dimensions of sustainable design, that is, the capacity of the garden to meet human needs, was poorly understood. In the interests of achieving an holistic understanding of the hole of the domestic garden in meeting human needs, fourteen gardeners from rural north-west Hawkesbury were interviewed on the role that gardens and gardening plays in their everyday lives. Using Max-Neef's theory of needs and satisfiers as a reference and applying the principles of qualitative data analysis, the interview transcripts were analysed to identify evidence for the satisfaction of fundamental human needs in the lives of the participants, their partners and families. It was established that gardens and gardening have the potential to satisfy human needs within all nine of Max-Neef's axiological categories of need (Subsistence, Protection, Affection, Understanding, Participation, Leisure, Creation, Identity, Freedom) and across all fours existential states (Being, Having, Doing and Interacting). To present the data in terms which might usefully inform the practice of garden design, key satisfiers identified from the data were conceptualised into themes, which in turn became the basis for five conceptual models (Dwelling, Nurture, Pleasure, Enlightenment and "Being" Fully Human) which serve to define the broad domains within which needs might be satisfied within the garden. Collectively, these five conceptual models constitute the Congruent Garden. A series of garden prototypes relating to the themes of each conceptual model are proposed as the basis for the delivery of garden-related satisfiers. Some suggestions are made on the matter of further research work arising from this initial study.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/187005 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Steven, Michael Lawrence, School of L&scape Architecture, UNSW |
| Publisher | Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Landscape Architecture |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Copyright Michael Lawrence Steven, http://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/copyright |
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