what does tectonic means in landscape design?

Answer 1

The 1st 3 answerers didn't address the whole question, leaving out the design element. The Danes have a design institute which addresses your question:

"The tectonic approach strives to achieve authentic significance in architecture through a continuity and integrity between form and construction, with an emphasis on materiality and detail. This approach to architecture, which reflects a phenomenological interest in the “thingness” of architecture in a Heideggerian sense, can be seen in the work of many outstanding architects, particularly notably in the Nordic countries, including Alvar Aalto, Tadao Ando, Sverre Fehn, Steven Holl, Louis Kahn, Juhanni Pallasmaa, Reima Pietilä, Jørn Utzon, and Peter Zumthor."

So you apply this concept to lanscape design.

Answer 2

Plate tectonics (from Greek τέκτων, tektōn "builder" or "mason") is a theory of geology developed to explain the observed evidence for large scale motions within the Earth's crust. The theory encompassed and superceded the older theory of continental drift from the first half of the 20th century and the concept of sea floor spreading developed during the 1960s.

The outermost part of the Earth's interior is made up of two layers: the lithosphere comprising the crust and the solidified uppermost part of the mantle. Below the lithosphere lies the asthenosphere which comprises the inner viscous part of the mantle. The mantle behaves like a superheated and extremely viscous liquid.

The lithosphere essentially floats on the asthenosphere. The lithosphere is broken up into what are called tectonic plates - in the case of Earth, there are ten major and many minor plates. These plates move in relation to one another at one of three types of plate boundaries: convergent, divergent, and transform. Earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain-building, and oceanic trench formation occur along plate boundaries.


more information at site below

Answer 3

"Tectonic" means it has to do with the Earth's plates. You know, plates that cause earthquakes when they move.
What they have to do with landscape design is a little beyond me. But it's probably something about your trees and rocks not falling over.

EDIT: I think Snance got the words "tectonic" and "Teutonic" mixed up.

Answer 4

Geology. Relating to, causing, or resulting from structural deformation of the earth's crust.

Relating to construction or building.
Architectural.