ALUMNI News - Fanshawe College

Front row, from left to right: Lisa Stapleton, Steve Tippett,
Shawn Gingrich, Ron Koudys, Mark Moir and Richard
Forster. In the back row: Aaron Deactis, Josh MacLean,
Mike Kari, Michael Dren and Norma Staples.
The gardens of Villa d’Este in Tivoli, Italy form one of
the most remarkable and comprehensive illustrations of
Renaissance culture at its most refi ned. Its innovative
design along with the architectural components in the
garden, such as fountains and ornamental basins, make
this a unique example of an Italian 16th-century garden.
These gardens had a profound infl uence on the development
of garden design throughout Europe.
8
TOURING AND
TEACHING IN TUSCANY
What better place to learn and experience the beauty of
landscape design than in the ancient garden paradises
of Italy under the Tuscan sun. Nine Fanshawe students
took the trip of a lifetime last fall and spent their fi fth
semester in a learning environment usually studied only
in textbooks. Instead, this fortunate group got to breathe
in the beauty fi rst-hand, returning to Canada after 14
weeks with a lifetime of memories and a much more
worldly view of their chosen profession.
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With stops at some of the most beautiful garden settings in Italy,
third-year students within Fanshawe’s landscape design program
gained a world of knowledge on their optional fi eld trip to Europe
last fall.
Their guide for the 14-week excursion was Richard Forster,
a retired professor from the University of Guelph who has a
passion for the history and theory of landscape architecture.
It took about a year to get the trip organized and approved at
Fanshawe and that process was led by Ron Koudys, who is
coordinator and professor within the Landscape Design program.
Both Ron and the Senior Vice-President of Academics, Joy
Warkentin travelled to Italy to visit and see the group in action.
Ron stayed for two weeks and was very impressed by the quality
of the learning experience.
“Some of the gardens and monasteries toured were 300
years old so it was surreal to walk through them – like walking
back in time,” explains Ron. “You can’t help but appreciate the
early construction techniques and the design history within
such a beautiful setting. Then for the class to sit down together
at a nearby bench or table and discuss it all was a spectacular
experience.”
Daytrips were fi lled with this kind of hands-on learning and
evenings were spent documenting their work and preparing
assignments on computers. The school work was structured so
students would get full credit for the semester. During weekends,
students were able to travel and sightsee because trains and
buses were accessible and relatively inexpensive.
The fi eld trip was so successful that there are plans to offer it
again in 2006 but perhaps structured within an eight-week tour
that will tie in better with the academic year and lower the cost
per student which amounted to about $5,000 last year.
Fanshawe College Alumni News Spring 2006