Professor Peter Petschek

Professor, OST University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil Switzerland

Professor Peter Petschek

Along with vegetation, grading counts as one of the most important design tools for landscape architects. Landscape architects must be able to design using contour lines, develop alternatives, and examine these in respect to design, ecology, economy, and technology. This requires knowledge of terrain modeling. Peter Petschek teaches basics, such as terrain modelling with slopes, elevation points, contour lines, etc. Also he introduces the students to ground stabilization, stormwater management, and terrain modeling on the construction site.

Landscape Architecture and terrain grading have to move forward because the Digitization of the construction industry is developing fast. Digital terrain modeling combined with GNSS machine control systems, robotic tachymeter stations, BIM construction modeling, Common Data Environment are used already in Architecture and Civil Engineering projects. Landscape Architects need to ”jump on the train” otherwise they are out.

The second big topic are heat islands in the cities and the lack or too much rainwater. Peter Petschek collaborates with two universities in Asia (Tsinghua University, Beijing and Thammasat University Bangkok) on the topic of bridging the gap between BIM construction modeling and Stormwater numeric modelling in an ongoing research project called BIM4RainWaterManagement.

Session:

Landscape Terrain Modelling