THE INSTITUTE OF MARKING AND MEASURING  
  PROJECTS ABOUT EPHEMERA  
       
   
One Trees: Every Oak in the Alle
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We might do well to argue up front that there is perhaps no such thing as one, single, isolatable tree: trees exist as intensely interconnected organisms that thrive and indeed require a range of mutualist associations through which energy, nutrients, and information is exchanged. An understanding of one tree quickly gives way to an understanding of the community of trees, and throughout the studio we will consistently interrogate the ways that our landscape imaginaries might be tuned to embrace this arboreal collectivity. Throughout the semester, we will use the allee as a laboratory: asking questions of the trees, asking questions of their context, and asking questions of ourselves.

Yi Zhang, The One Tree Project. Root Excavation, Day 2
This interdisciplinary Landscape Architecture design studio used the redevelopment of the central oak allee on on the campus of Washington University as catalyst for a project-based investigation of our landscape and resource legacy. With the imminent transformation of the entire East Campus, this course was be structured around an historical and ecological analysis and evaluation of the historic oak tree allee in an effort to offer a window into the greater meaning of trees in our urban ecosystem and cultures. Working with arborists, ecologists, landscape architects, sculptors, dendrochronologists, craftspeople, and poets, students will interrogate the many meanings of one tree--from root to crown, from microbial sub-soil cultures to species habitats in its highest branches, from the monoculture of the 50 trees in the allee to the diverse community in Forest Park and beyond. The class will be organized around the ritual felling of a single tree in advance of the campus transformation, with subsequent cutting, dimensioning, and drying of the wood forming the material basis for design research.
Root Mapping
Samples from Increment Boring
Tree Enclosure: Iteration II
Root-Eye View: Tree Enclosure Iteration I+II
   

The One Tree Project
Jesse Vogler
Ken Botnick

Researchers
Robert Birch
Alisa Blatter
Shu Guo
Ophelia Ji
Scott Mitchell
Natalie Rainer
Allana Ross
Margot Shafran

Exhibit
Stay Tuned!
2018

Press
"Critical Lifting"
Landscape Architecture Magazine
By Sarah Cowles

"The One Tree Project"
St. Louis Magazine
By Bob Duffy

Awards
Award of Excellence
in Student Collaboration
ASLA National Awards

Award of Excellence
ASLA St. Louis Chapter

A-List Award
Landscape Architecture Project
St. Louis Magazine

Field Sessions
Introduction to a Tree
Doug Ladd

Arborial Convening
Kent Theiling
Skip Kincaid
Ben Chu
Dave Gunn
Joshua Carron

Below the Dirt, Life
Scott Mangan

Dendrochronology
Mike Stambaugh

Tree Blessing
Jim Duncan
Saundi Kloeckener
Curtis
Dee
Molly Tovar

Critical Lifting
Budrovich Cranes
Badger Daylighting
Hanson's Trees
Timberline Tree Care
McCarthy Contractors

Special Thanks
Bruce Lindsey, WashU
Carmon Colangelo, WashU
Rob Barnett, WashU
Doug Ladd, TNC
Tomislav Zigo, Clayco
Jennifer Colten, WashU
Kent Theiling, WashU
Molly Tovar, WashU
Skip Kincaid, Hansen's
Dan Chitwood, DPSC
Chris Topp, DPSC
Ben Chu, MoBot
Dave Gunn, MoBot
Guy Mott, Adventure Tree
Richard Guyette, Mizzou
Joshua Carron, STL Forestry
Scott Mangan, WashU