INTRODUCTION: UNDERSTANDING CULTURE 

The Dual Nature of Heritage

- Tangible Heritage: architecture, monuments, materials, historic landscapes, traditional spatial layouts.

- Intangible Heritage: rituals, oral traditions, community identity, festivals, ways of gathering, storytelling.

Key Message: Landscape is not just physical—it's a canvas for collective memory and identity.

CULTURE AS A LIVING SYSTEM

- Culture is dynamic, evolving with people’s values, movements, and global influence.

- Importance of listening to local communities to uncover embedded cultural cues.

- Placemaking

 MATERIAL SELECTION: Meaning Beyond Texture  (unsure about this one, would be a quick mention possibly)

Local Materials = Local Stories

- Use of regionally-sourced stone, wood, earth to root the space in place.

- Materials that resonate with historical or indigenous uses (e.g., adobe walls, lava rock paths, bamboo).

Climate + Culture

- How environmental adaptation and cultural response (e.g. shade, water features) come together in material choices.

 SOCIAL SPACES: Designing for Belonging

The Social Heartbeat

- Plazas, markets, courtyards as cultural gathering nodes.

- Space for intergenerational interaction—elders to share stories, children to play.

- Flexibility to host both formal and informal cultural events.

 PLAY + FITNESS: Movement as Cultural Expression

- Play as a reflection of culture

- Spaces for martial arts, dance, tai chi—movement that’s both exercise and expression.

- Fitness stations that borrow from traditional labor or games (e.g. balancing, climbing, carrying).

CULTURE-AS-CODE: Embedding Identity in Design

Cultural Layering

- Use storytelling, signage, and art to make cultural narratives visible in the landscape.

- QR codes linking to oral histories, songs, or interviews with local residents.