Author: Andrew Spiering

Remember the first time you walked through a forest?  Do you recall the sounds, the light, the shadows, and the wonder you experienced?  The latest installation by Marshmallow Laser Feast, Musical Laser Forest, was created to awaken “feelings of curiousity and wonderment,” encourage exploration and playfulness.  The installation is an interactive musical instrument commissioned for the STRP Biennale in Eindhoven.  The ‘Forest’ is made up of a series of over 150 rods covering nearly 4800 square feet (450 square meters) of warehouse space.  At the end of each rod is a laser beam that can be played when the rod is tapped or strummed.  

Adding the human element is an important factor for all of their projects to bring out the, “emotional, human side to the tech,” says Robin McNicholas. By strumming and tapping the rods in the ‘Forest’, users can produce both sounds and lasers, so the installation becomes a collaborative instrument, as well as a magical wonderland.

Check out the transformation of the space in the video and images below:

Marshmallow Laser Feast is a London-based creative studio, founded by Memo Akten, Robin McNicholas and Barney Steel, that has set out to choreograph real-time, interactive experiences at the intersection of art and technology.  Take a closer look at the work and creative process over at the creators project. 

Images courtesy of Marshmallow Laser Feast. Photographer: Sandra Ciampone

[Found via NotCot, Images via the creators project]

We are excited to announce the Top 10 finalists for the 2013 Iron Age Design’s Challenge.

Thank you to everyone that voted for your favorite designs.  With 77 outstanding design submissions for Iron Age’s “next family of site furnishings…” we definitely needed your help selecting the finalists!  And a BIG thank you to all the designers that submitted a design.  We were thrilled by the response and impressed with your designs entries.

Along with your vote, we took into consideration overall design and concept, relationship between each element, and construct-ability.  

We will announce the winners on Friday, May 10th, so stay tuned.  For now, enjoy viewing your Top 10 Finalists… in alphabetical order.

TOP 10

Formato Marla Cirino and Anwar Morales

Life is a State of Unbalance by Gökçe Gerekli

Metami by HJM

Orbit Graham Taylor

Sen Masahiro Inoue

Simply Katarzyna Malarek

Springform Public Throne Lindsay Gowler

Urban Abstrictions Chris Lazarek 

Waves & Stripes Marta Warminska

Xanothorrhoea australis John Newman

There were so many great designs, we wanted to note a few Honorable Mentions:

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Voting is now open for the Iron Age Designs’ Challenge!

Thank you to all of you talented designers for entering the 2013 Iron Age Designs’ Challenge!  We received 77 amazing design submissions for Iron Age’s “next family of site furnishings…” and we need your help selecting the finalists!  

We will be selecting ten finalists based on your votes, so head over to the contest page and vote for your Top 10 designs.  You can vote for each design once per day until the end of the voting period, Friday, May 3rd.  

Along with your vote, we will be taking into consideration overall design and concept, relationship between each element, and construct-ability.  We will be announcing the Top 10 finalists on Monday, May 6th, so  stay tuned…  and let the best design win!

Here’s a note from the folks over at Iron Age:

“We at Iron Age are really pleased and impressed with the outstanding response in both number and quality of design submissions.  The Land8 community has really come through on this design challenge. You’ve made the job of picking a winner very difficult for us, but we will do our best. You can help us out by voting wisely, please keep in mind build-abilty and the cohesion of all 3 elements. Thanks to everybody for your submissions and continued participation.” – Dominique Watkins, Iron Age Designs, Partner

Vote here:  https://land8.com/iron-age-design-challenge

The winners’ of the 2013-14 Rome Prize were announced last week at the Arthur & Janet C. Ross Rome Prize Ceremony held at the Metropolitan Club in New York City. Recipients of the 2013-2014 Rome Prizes are provided with a fellowship that includes a stipend, a study or studio, and room and board for a period of six months to two years in Rome, Italy.

Among those selected was Land8 member, Bradley Cantrell, Director and Associate Professor, Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture, Louisiana State University.  He is also the author of Digital Drawing for Landscape Architecture and Modeling the Environment.  Leave a comment on his profile, here.

Here is a list of winners in Landscape Architecture and related disciplines:

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Garden Club of America Rome Prize

Bradley E. Cantrell

Director and Associate Professor, Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture, Louisiana State University

Synthetic and Responsive Ecologies

Prince Charitable Trusts Rome Prize

Elizabeth Fain LaBombard

Associate, James Corner Field Operations, New York, NY

Living on the Edge: Re-thinking Landscape on the Periphery of Rome

ARCHITECTURE

James R. Lamantia, Jr. Rome Prize

Thomas Kelley

Visiting Assistant Professor, School of Architecture, University of Illinois at Chicago

Partner, Norman Kelley, LLC, Chicago, IL and New York, NY

Economy of Illusions: A (re)Valuation of Rome’s Visual Culture

Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon Polsky Rome Prize

Catie Newell

Assistant Professor of Architecture, Taubman College, University of Michigan

Principal, *Alibi Studio, Detroit, MI

Involving Darkness

DESIGN

Rolland Rome Prize

Nicholas de Monchaux

Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture and Urban Design, University of California, Berkeley

Robustness, Resilience, Redundancy and Rome.

Learn more about the Rome Prize and see a full list of this year’s winners here: http://www.aarome.org/news/features/2013-14-rome-prize-winners-announced

This projects comes from an up and coming Landscape Architecture studio in Portugal.  After working together for 7 years, João Bicho and Joana Carneiro branched out on their own in 2011 to create their studio JBJC arquitectura paisagista.  The scope of their activities ranges from small private gardens, agricultural and pastoral landscapes, public spaces, restoration of degraded and sensitive areas, hotels and tourist developments.  Their work is based on the exploration of design through technical aspects leading to an enriching experience of the utilization space.  Read on!

Project Narrative:

The proposed intervention seeks to make the most of the existing landscape in the region, while at the same time surrounding the building with the quality it deserves.

The building which covers the land will also be surrounded by vegetation aimed at emphasising the rural nature of the site, using potential and indigenous vegetation.

The location is quite difficult, considering the almost total non-existence of soil and the presence of large granite blocks.  With solar exposure to the South and West, the planting areas are especially unwelcoming for the installation of vegetable species, even pioneer ones.

Thus, the vegetation tries to emphasize the seasons, providing interesting moments throughout the year.

The automotive passageways allow linkage with important points such as the main entrance to the building, the laundry facilities and the heliport. Since this is a material that is subject to wear and tear, we propose a cement flooring with characteristics similar to gravel on the pedestrian walkways. 

The changes to the terrain are not meant to be significant. The original topography of the land is preserved, with occasional interventions to establish pathways or modify the steepest embankments.

Project: Quinta De Lemos

Landscape Architect: João Bicho e Joana Carneiro, Arquitectura Paisagista, Lda.

Location: Silgueiros, Viseu, Portugal

Area: 33 300 m2

Type: Project design, Construction phase 1 and 2

Phase: Under construction

Project coordinators: João Luís Bicho & Joana Carneiro

Project Collaborators: Ana Miguel Sousa

Architecture / Coordination: CA – J. M. Carvalho Araújo, Arquitectura e Design S.A.

Photographs: JBJC Arquitectura Paisagista

View all project images here.

Over the last five years, the Times Square Alliance has invited architecture and design firms to submit proposals for a romantic public art installation celebrating Valentine’s Day in Times Square. This year’s winning design, Situ Studio’s “Heartwalk”, was unveiled on February 12th just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Made entirely of debris from Hurricane Sandy, Situ Studio’s “Heartwalk” draws inspiration from, “the collective experience of Hurricane Sandy and the love that binds people together during trying times.”  Two ribbons of salvaged planks rise from the boardwalk deck and flare out like waves; creating an illuminated, heart-shaped “room within the city.”  

“Triangulation is the process by which some external stimulus provides a linkage between people and prompts strangers to talk to other strangers as if they knew each other…” William H. Whyte

Visitors from all over the world are capturing the mood and sharing their experience on Instagram using #heartwalktsq.  The photos are being aggregated from the many visitors that visit Heartwalk in Duffy Square between February 12th and March 8th.  

Below are a few shots that tell the story…

The inspiration.

The concept.

The prototype.

The construction.

The result.

Via heartwalktsq

Here are a few more shots found from around the web…

Via ArchDaily and Inhabitat

Thanks for reading!  Receive the latest from Land8 via email: http://goo.gl/fEvxo

Check out the Top 10 designs from the Land8 T-Shirt Design Contest!  We narrowed down the list of our favorites from over 60 design submissions, now it is your turn to select the winner!  Head over to our facebook page and click “Like” to vote for your favorite design(s).  The three designs with the most “Likes” will win and be available for sale in the Land8 Shop.  Voting closes February 8th.

Below are the Top 10 in (somewhat) random order… Enjoy!

The Heart of a Landscape Architect
Design by: Eva Radenich

Markers
Design by: Marton Jancso

North Arrow
Design by: Marton Jancso

Street Tree
Design by: Marton Jancso

The Godfather
Design by: Shea Tighe

You’re Welcome
Design by: Shea Tighe

Central Park, New York
Design by: Nikko Carlo Cayaga

FLO
Design by: Nikko Carlo Cayaga

Land Nature Building
Design by: Andrius S.

Tree Silhouette
Design by: Carlos Dias

Receive the latest from Land8 via email: http://goo.gl/fEvxo

What do a warehouse, boxing ring, hula hoops, and a double decker bus have in common?  Answer, an unforgettable night at the Land8 Happy Hour: PHX-Style!  

In the heart of Phoenix’s warehouse district, just a half mile from downtown, a gem of a space called The Duce welcomed over 250 landscape architects with 5 hours of fun, food, drinks, networking, and all the dancing they could handle. The evening was epic and the energy was…HOT.  (The 80 degrees weather that night didn’t hurt the mood either.)  

The evening started off on a mellow note with some indy tunes that lead us to a toast to Adam Regn Arvidson’s for the launch of his new book, Greening the Landscape: Strategies for Environmentally Sound Practice.  From there, the energy quickly picked up and the dance floor remained full for the remainder of the evening.  People continued to flow in throughout the evening until both dance floor and patio were full.  

It was tough to leave such an energy-packed event.  DJ Lu-is played not one but two encore songs after the crowd wouldn’t let him quit.  The party continued as people piled onto the double-decker bus for the half mile trip back to the hotels.  

I want to give a huge THANKS to Brooke and Lara for helping coordinate the event details and to all of YOU for coming out to celebrate our wonderful profession.  Mad props to DJ Lu-is and the staff at The Duce for keeping the party going, and to our sponsors for helping make it all (financially) possible.  

We are looking forward to Labash this Spring at UGA and ASLA 2013 in Boston.

Here’s to next time!  

Check out more photos on our facebook page.