访Peter Walker先生

编者按：作为美国知名的风景园林师，Peter Walker先生创作了大量的国内同行所熟知的设计作品。今年的2月29日，他接受了风景园林新青年的专访，回答了编者提出的一些问题，并使得编者对作为一名风景园林设计师的Peter Walker其人，有了新的认识。希望能通过这篇访谈，使读者能够感受到一个与书本或是舆论上不同的设计师。

风景园林新青年：您在实践领域与教学领域都有过成功的经历，您认为这两者之间的关系是什么？您是否觉得同时兼顾实践和教学会更好？

Peter Walker先生：这与个人有关。也同样取决于教学量。当我只教一个班的时候，我有时间参与实践，但是当我成为伯克利和哈佛的系主任的时候，我确实不能保证全时的实践工作了，因为有太多的工作要做。劳里欧林能够在做系主任的时候兼顾实践，相较于我他更为熟练也更为有计划性。他似乎能做的很好，所以我认为这个是因人而异的。关于两者的关系，我不认为这有一个定式。但我确实认为在学校里需要有实践者来授课，若非如此，很多事情将会变得激进，而这并非一个风景园林师的培养方式。在设计师中确实有很少的纯理论学者，他们热爱设计并且教授设计，但我认为设计师应该有一种更“真实”的东西。在学校里有太多事情是可以冒充的，但是我确信经验并非其中之一。实践经验是你伪装不了的东西。你知道，在学校的studio中你会排除许多问题，尽管你给与学生相当量的压力，但那种经历依然与实践经验不同。

风景园林新青年：毫无疑问您是一位成功的风景园林师，从您的自身经历中，您能给年轻的风景园林师什么建议呢？

Peter Walker先生：其实这个就是5%的天赋与95%的努力的事儿。如果你不上心，不努力你就很难成为一个成熟的风景园林师。我所知道的所有真正优秀的设计师工作得都非常辛苦。此外，我认为旅行也同样重要。在学校你开始了你对于历史和艺术的理解，但是你如何继续深入下去呢？可以去游历，去旅行，去体验不同的文化，去博物馆，去交流，去做所有那些能让你保持活力的事情。设计并非易事，他要求你动用许多手段来关注和解决问题。就像是医生，一个医生总是不停地读书以获取新的知识，从而知道科学家都在做什么，什么药更为有用；我或许并不想知道一个医生在大学的时候都学了什么，同样我不认为大多数人都愿意知道一个风景园林师在学校里都学了什么。

风景园林新青年：您曾经提到过您并不相信设计可以解决所有的社会问题，您对于此是如何理解的？

Peter Walker先生：并非所有问题。但是我认为设计是文化背景的反映。设计并不创造文化，相反文化决定了设计。我生活在这样的文化背景下，我思考我所生活于的文化，我尝试为这种文化做设计。确实有很少数的设计可以改变对文化思考的方式，但那是极少数。而普遍的设计方法依然是做一些解决功能问题的工作，这个就是基于文化背景所产生的。如果你尝试改变人们思考的方式，尝试改变历史的阶段，尝试改变道德和伦理，我觉得这就已经不是设计所关注的了。

风景园林新青年：那么您认为风景园林师的社会责任是什么呢？

Peter Walker先生：我觉得社会责任就是为你所处的文化竭尽所能。我的意思是，如果这个文化是消极的，你要避免它，但是消极的总是文化的一部分——并非文化的所有部分都是好的。文化中有好的方面，你就要关注到并对其赋予形式，以使得其他人能够识别出来。（风景园林新青年：所以您认为您并不创造一种文化形式而仅仅是顺应它？）我认为你可以在学校或是办公室创造一种文化形式，但是如果有人认为通过设计公园或是花园就能够改变世界，我认为这就是在浪费时间了。并不是说这永远不会发生，你的设计到底是要创造出美丽的环境并为人服务，还是为了你能过一种富足的生活？如果你的设计是为了能够过一种富足的生活你就有可能不会有那样富足的生活，这是错误的模式。

风景园林新青年：众所周知中国现在是世界上最大的建设市场，但是还有一个事实我们必须认识到，就是风景园林行业发展并没有美国那样成熟。比如施工技术方面，相较而言美国更为发达。您认为这会影响您在中国的设计么？如果是，如何避免呢？

Peter Walker先生：如果你想要到一个特别的地方却发现这个地方与世界上其他地方没有什么两样，你会很失望。我认为，如果你能够认真学习那些放之四海皆准的知识并且尝试使用它们，会是一个更容易也更好的选择。“高技”手段并非是好的设计所必需的。在高技术形成之前我们已经实践过很久很久了。我想只要有足够的努力，有电力，你就能够在你的设计中通过可行的技术手段来创造非常关键的东西。

风景园林新青年：您对景观都市主义是如何理解的？

Peter Walker先生：我完全不明白。我读了很多关于景观都市主义的东西，我知道所有人都对他有兴趣，但是我必须承认我就是不懂。

The interview with Mr. Peter Walker

YouthLA: you have taught in colleges and also had a lot of successful projects all over the world, what do you think is the relationship between teaching and professional practice? And do you think it is a better choice to do both at the same time?

Mr Peter Walker: it is depends on the person. And it is also depends on the amount of teaching. When I was teaching a single class I can practice. And when I became the chairman both for Berkeley and also Harvard I really couldn’t practice full time. Because I have too many things to do. Laurie Olin in the other hand was able to practice being a chairman, He is more skillful more management than I was .he seem to do fan jobs so I think it is just individual. I don’t think there is a rule. But I do think it is very important to the school to have practitioner to teach. Because otherwise everything become radical and that is not the way to train a landscape architect. The other thing is there is very few pure academism who are designers. they like design and teach design. but I think there is something more “real” about the designer. there are so many things in school you have to simulate and I think the experience is not one of those things. Experience of practice is the thing you can’t simulate. studio you know you give up problems and you give the certain amount of pressure on the student but it is not the same as practice.

YouthLA: it is no doubt that you are a really successful landscape architect. Can you give any suggestions to the young landscape architects from your own experience?

Mr Peter Walker: it is that all thing about 5% inspiration and 95% of perspiration. It is very difficult to be a strong designer if you don’t care about it and if you don’t work on it. Every really good designers I know works very hard. I think travelling is really important. you get your beginning of your history and your beginning your knowledge of art in school. but then how you continue both? By travel, by visiting things, by going other cultures ,by going to museum, by going to seminars by doing all the things that keep that aliving you. Design is not a thing design is that bring a lot of things to bear on problems. so is like a doctor. a doctor is reading all the time about what the new things are ,what they have learned ,what the scientists doing, what drugs were better. I would not want to go to a doctor who was not engaged in all of that. I don’t want to know from a doctor what he learned in collage and I don’t think most people want learn from a landscape architect what they learned in collage.

YouthLA: You use to mentioned you are not a believer that design can solve any problems the society left to us and what your understanding about this?

Mr Peter Walker: it is not any problems, but I think the design represent the culture. it doesn’t make the culture, the culture made the design. you know. I am in this culture I think about this culture I tried to design for this culture. there are great designs and there are very few of them, can change the way a culture thinks. but it is pretty rare. it is not the norm. the norm is to do a ordinary job of some function, which is developed thought the culture. If you try to change the way people think, if you try to change the level of history, if you try to change moral things, I just think that not what design is about.

YouthLA: then what social responsibility do you think we should have as a landscape architect?

Mr Peter Walker: well, I think your social responsibility is to do the best you can for the culture. I mean if the culture is negative, you need to stay away from it. but those a part of the culture and not all culture is all good. parts of culture is good, and he want be in there and give in the forms. so the other people can recognize it. ( YouthLA: So do you mean that you don’t create a new culture but just follow them?) I think you can create a culture in school or maybe in your office, but if people think they can change the world though designing parks and gardens, I think it is a waste of time. it is not that it could never happen. Are your design is to make things beautiful and serve people, or your design to make a very handsome living. if your design is to make a very handsome living, one thing you probably not going make a very handsome living. it is the wrong mode of.

YouthLA: we know china now has nearly the largest construction market all over the world. but it is a fact that we are still not as good as the US has already done. For example, the landscape technology in construction, the US is more advanced than us. do you think this will influence your design in china? and if it will, do you think you can get this controlled?

Mr Peter Walker: If you demand a particular place in the world that their behave like another place in the world behaves, you are going to be disappointed. it is much easier and better I think if you become a really serious student of what happening wherever it is working and try to make use of that knowledge. Hi-tec is not a requirement for beautiful work. We have work all thought the ages wit out Hi-tec . My guess is with a sufficient effort, and with electric power, you can with in the possible technologies to produce important things.

YouthLA: what do you think about the Landscape Urbanism

Mr Peter Walker: I can’t understand it at all. I have read a lot about it. I know everybody are interest in it , but I have to admit I just don’t get it.