ABSTRACT
The landscape architect has always been an agent of reconciliation. This chapter proposes that human impulse can be advanced by an instrumental reconciliation: a reinvigorated and idealized relationship between society and the tools which have designed it. The traditional reconciliation was between nature and art: gardens and parks negotiate the space between wilderness and society. The primary space for reconciliation between instruments and place is a custom experiential and analysis landscape simulation system, developed in the processing programming environment. The Owens Lake Rapid Landscape Prototyping Machine Interface, also known as Greetings from the Owens Lake', is designed as a comprehensive interface to engage the impulses and sensibilities of a designer within the constraints of a specific toolset, resulting in an expanded yet precise exploration of design options. The Owens Lake case study reveals both the intricacy and promise of developing multi-disciplinary infrastructural design systems.
