It's everbody's dream, everybody aims at it, one rarely succeeds and, time and again, one cannot explain it: the big, the real hit.

Designing and planning is a complex process, and a draft the basis of any definite project. The draft not only is the result of an analysis of a location and a situation but the connection of this analysis and the special task involved with something that's difficult to define: the idea, the necessary inspiration – maybe even by the Muses –; but they don't give kisses every day!

The successful landscape architect is permanently and impetuously engaged in a search for intellectual nourishment, the ingredients for his creativity; always striving to find plausible and adequate answers to questions put more or less precisely. Landscape architects often walk this fine line between hors-sol-creativity and what is inherent in a location and only waiting to be revealed, to be uncovered with the help of adequate tools. We focus on nothing less, nothing but the genesis of landscape architecture, the creative process itself.

Where and how does a creative idea – or process – originate?
Where do we find (inspiring) examples?
Does the question already contain and, thus, give the solution?
Is there something we call «genius loci» and how can we get through to it and distil it?
How can I expound my draft proposal convincingly?
What can be called – what's at the bottom of – good landscape architecture?

These and more questions we would like to discuss at the Rapperswilertag 2010.

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