Author: Land8: Landscape Architects Network

Article by Meenal Suresh – Metro Forest Project, by LAB (Landscape Architects of Bangkok), in Prawet District, Bangkok, Thailand Have you ever wondered how nature would define a city? Bringing elements of nature into cities has been the hallmark to many city planning schemes. Green spaces improve the health of city dwellers, attracts tourists, act as a neutral meeting space for citizens of all types, statuses and wealth categories. A city is often the flipside of nature – sleek, synthetic, man-made, and slightly impersonal. So what makes a well-thought-out urban city? Of late, innovative solutions are in the rise such as a forest in the middle of the Thai capital. How has the PTT Metro Forest helped Bangkok? Why is it considered a big deal? Read on to find out what sets this manmade forest apart.

Restoring Nature Where it Belongs (in Bangkok)

These days when finding a green patch in Bangkok is equivalent to searching for a needle in a haystack, it is almost impossible to believe that an oil and gas company PTT created a 4.74-acre green space amidst the urban sprawl. “After all this time we have finally come to realise that we have neglected things that are important to us. So, we decided to grow a forest in the city,” said Prasert, PTT executive vice-president for social responsibility.   “After all this time we have finally come to realise that we have neglected things that are important to us. So, we decided to grow a forest in the city”

Reclaiming an Abandoned Site

Located at the Eastern fringes of Bangkok in the suburban district of Prawet, close to the Suvarnabhumi International Airport, lies PTT’s Pa Nai Krung. It is an ecological regeneration project that aims to promote afforestation, eco-sustainable reforestation, and instigate “green awareness” among the public.

In early 2012, the PTT Reforestation Institute commissioned the landscape architects of Bangkok to design a space for reforestation. Initial analysis indicated the dredging of soil as the excavation created pits for illegal refuse dumping, inspiring them to create a new terrain for forest regeneration. Non-compostable waste was cleared while the rest was allowed to decompose. 37,000 cu.metres of earthwork was introduced and graded with 6,000 cu.metres of planting soil to create a suitable terrain. A pre-mixture of highly fertile, organic soil (3-parts topsoil, 1-part raw rice husk, 1-part coconut coir dust, 1-part chicken manure) was imported to provide porosity and prevent compaction of the designed berms. A meandering stream was carved out forming the riparian edge. It has been rejuvenated and divided into three crucial sections: 75% forest, 10% water and 15% land. This has reversed the trends of urban sprawl, urban heat island, and flood-prone developments by incorporating historically local plant varieties.

Promoting Indigenous Plant Breeds

Japanese botanist Dr. Akira Miyawaki’s planting techniques were implemented. He says the best way to build a forest is to plant native trees and allow them to grow naturally. Best management is no management. Praset adds “We’ve planted a variety of trees, mixed between fast- and slow-growing plants, that provide shade to replicate a real forest. When they are all mature, there will be trees, shrubs and herbs all over“.   “We’ve planted a variety of trees, mixed between fast- and slow-growing plants, that provide shade to replicate a real forest…“   Plants of different types, heights, growth periods and foliage are grown on mounds of earth with small streams of water encircling them like miniature islands. Plants are carefully grouped according to successional rate and appropriate water-to-ground surface-level growing conditions. For example, species able to survive during intermittent flooding conditions were planted along the riparian edge. While atop the berms, a diverse mix of deciduous forest plants and lowland dipterocarps cover the area.

60,000 trees of approximately 279 unique species with 3-4 plants per square metre are nurtured here. The planting is sparse in few areas to open up views and control sightlines. A forest canopy of multiple layers controlled through monitoring of plant coverage, moisture, and nutrient levels was designed. After the canopy has reached maturation, a ground-level trail will be carved, giving an experience of “walking through the woods”.

Water to a Forest is Equivalent to Blood to Mankind

The project focuses on creating a total water area of 1.2 hectares for wetland species. These forests reduce flooding in the locale during the wet season. Circulating water systems help in the vegetation growth while a water cascade adds to the aesthetics. Efficient water distribution and recycling systems have been employed keeping in mind the necessities of each plant separately.

Evolution of Landscape

The LEED Platinum-certified, Land Art-inspired outdoor exhibition centre aims at being a medium where landscape will be constantly evolving, generating new experiences every visit. The project allows the traveller to move along visually from a very densely built exhibition centre to the observation tower. The link between these spaces is the forest itself. The single-storey long exhibition venue has a central area made up of curved rammed earth walls. At varied spots along the inner sides of the wall are artworks like ‘Seeds of Wild Origin’ in transparent resin.

Something for Everyone

Keeping in mind the different age groups of visitors, it has various zones of interest, including a Cinema Room showing short films, the Impact on Town Exhibit that raises awareness on why Bangkok needs its dose of wilderness, the Wild Bangkok Exhibit– the history of Bangkok through stories that a grandmother is telling her two grandkids starting from years ago when Bangkok was a vast land filled with rice paddies and luxuriant vegetation to the present urban jungle, and an exhibit sharing the knowledge gleaned from the combination of reforestation projects implemented in the forest.

A Walk Above the Thicket At the back one finds another curved wall separating the structure from the forest and opposite that is a staircase taking you up to the rooftop. Here a canopy skywalk awaits, where one can stroll leisurely, learning from signboards about various plants or rest in the benches that blend with scenery. The skywalk of 200m extends around the park at a height of 10.2m allowing for perspective views and also ensuring that the native plants below remain undamaged. Finally one reaches the 23-metre-high observation tower constructed from pieces of metal that blend in with the tree trunks easily, which rises vertically while widening to a cylinder on top. It provides for a 360-degree bird’s-eye view from a high vantage point.

Vernacular Architecture Connects to the Soul

The materials are derived from nature. The heat-resistant rammed earth walls are a combination of soils of multiple colours (clay, red oxide, etc) from various areas of Thailand. The patterns, colours, coarse texture and manual construction techniques add beauty while further connecting one to nature. Low-pollution-emission materials are used such as bricks, interlocking blocks made of clay, and bamboo. A green roof insulates the building.

Promoting Eco-friendly Connectivity

Separate parking has been provided for bicycles, energy efficient cars, fuel efficient cars, eco cars, electric vehicles, etc. A photovoltaic cell has been installed to generate renewable electricity to the building at 16800kW/yr. In short, as a visitor expressed – “All I want is to stand in a green field and to smell green, to take air, to feel the earth want me, without all this concrete hating me.” Do you think the project has achieved in being the “Green Roadmap for Bangkok”? Is it the beginning of recovery from the much-favoured but undesirable concrete sprawl? Leave your comments below.

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Full Project Credits For Metro Forest Project in Bangkok:

Project Name: Metro Forest Project Location: Prawet District, Bangkok Area: 4.74 acres Design Phase: 2012-present day Construction: Began in May 2013 Client: PTT Public Company Limited Landscape Architecture: LAB (Landscape Architects of Bangkok) Principals: Tawatchai Kobkaikit, Boontarika Wannapin Landscape Architects: Nantawan Sirisup, Akachai Werasakulchai, Hatacha Sukprakob, Punyada Klinpaka Horticulturist: Thannaphat Tonnuea, Tiprada Tingklub Recognition: Finalist for Rosa Barba Prize, presented at the International Biennial of Landscape Architecture in Barcelona in September 2016. Consultants and other collaborators: Ecological Forest Consultant: Dr.Sirin Kaewlaierd Landscape Design Consultant: Assistant Professor Dr. Angsana Boonyobhas Architectural Design & Interior Design: Spacetime Architects Interior Design of Mini-Theatre area: designLAB NLSS Energy & Green Building Consultant: A49 Exhibition Design: PICO Commissioning Authority: SCG Green Building Department Lighting Consultant: LD49 Structural Engineering: H. Engineer MEP Engineering: MITR Quantity Surveyor: Langdon & Seah Thailand Construction Management: EDA Consultant Contractors: Main Contractor: RITTA Softscape Contractor: CORDIA Waterfall Contractor: Tropical Garden Rammed Earth Sub-contractor: La Terre Earthwork Contractor: Psatanachod Kanyotha Recommended Reading:

• Becoming an Urban Planner: A Guide to Careers in Planning and Urban Design by Michael Bayer
• Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature by Douglas Farrs
• eBooks by Landscape Architects Network

Article by Meenal Suresh  

Article by Maria Giovanna Drago – A review of the park design at Drapers Field by Kinnear Landscape Architects, in Waltham Forest, London, UK. Drapers field has been in a controversial debate in the last five years. It’s located in Leyton, London, where used to be social housing with relative facilities – Drapers Field was a green area including a sport field – until 2008, when a Compulsory Purchase Order had been emanated due to the urban plan redesign for the Olympic Games 2012. So fences had enclosed it and Olympic sheds were installed. “It is not said that what has been taken will return.” said a local resident to a journalist. After the Olympics were held, KLA was designated to reshape three parks in Leyton by the London Borough of Waltham Forest Council. In particular, they were asked to make the Drapers Field a key area bridging the east London communities with the former Olympic Park. They were commissioned with the renovation of the sports facilities and the pre-existent Pavilion, along with the development of a playground.

Park Design in 5 Steps

These are the five key points – valid in every area or project – that the architects have developed to make the park a local success:

1. Ensure That it is Crossable

.. so people are encouraged to visit it even if they are not interested at first. A route to the nearby Chobham Academy, located in the former Olympic village, cuts through the green grass diagonally. It goes from the north-east Leyton High Road to the south-west Temple Mill Lane. Therefore students from the neighbourhoods can walk it daily and meanwhile enjoy a different – and safe – landscape from the usual sidewalk. It is bicolored with earth tones and black to distinguish the bike route from the pedestrian way: the first one is enriched by obstacles and bumps at different heights to add fun to the experience and to challenge users’ skills while learning to bike.

2. Promote Sports How many sports professionals started at an early age? Another key point is to integrate both free and professional sport activities, which encourages young people to keep on including sport in their futures, even preventing all the risks that a sedentary lifestyle can cause to their health. Drapers Field includes an 11-a-side synthetic grass football field with adjacent free parking indeed; it hosts professional matches both from local and travelling away-team players. There are also changing rooms available for customers with well-maintained facilities. There is a separate junior grass pitch for children to play freely next to it, from which the young people can admire and imitate the adults playing.

3. Make Your Mark in the Landscape

.. so that the project stands out in the urban surroundings and in the gossip of people. The “waves” are the park peculiarity: developing along the route, they give a sense of movement and accompany the walk. Can you imagine everybody chatting about a “park with the waves”? Never forget, as word of mouth is better than advertising!

The lawn undulates from both sides of the route as well as the white concrete strip with water play on the south side, which is immediately adjacent to the timber deck facing the pavilion. It is the space where children prefer to run and roller-skate, and to splash in the water in the narrow channel. The grass waves are also home to several games for children made out of simply leaning or sliced tree trunks, some of which are integrated with nets on which swing or climb. Surely enough, KLA had to identify themselves with children to imagine a park suitable for them; only the mind of a child could imagine waves on land, indeed!

4. Open a Bar or Café

Perhaps the far more simple way for people to meet, gather, and live in a public space, at Drapers Field, parents can relax at the pavilion while the children run wild. The existing building has been renovated; it is right next to the parking lot, and retains its characteristic yellow brick and grey tiles of the pitched roof, but it presents a new large glass entrance that overlooks the park. Furthermore, it has been equipped with changing rooms for players, so that they can come here directly from work without popping home and may go out straight after.

5. Meet the Neighbourhood Desires

The local community was concerned about not getting back the playground after the Olympics and that the area was going to be transformed into something too luxurious instead. It is usually important to know the desires of those who are the immediate beneficiaries of the area, otherwise, they risk misunderstanding or disregarding the project. Today, architects prefer to consult locals more and more often as they can give their contributions and start to feel the project is more suitable to their needs.

We should admit that Kinnear Landscape Architects gave all the architects a park model from which to extrapolate the five key points for a better design, which are quite simple but definitively work. Are you going to apply them to your next project? Perhaps some of you thought about other points to add to the list and we would be pleased if you would share them with us in the comments below.

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Full Project Credits For Drapers Field:

Project Title: Drapers Field Landscape Architecture: Kinnear Landscape Architects Location: Waltham Forest, London, UK Client: London Borough of Waltham Forest Budget: £2m Scope: Restoration of a public space Completion: 2014 Recommended Reading:

• Becoming an Urban Planner: A Guide to Careers in Planning and Urban Design by Michael Bayer
• Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature by Douglas Farrs
• eBooks by Landscape Architects Network

Article by Maria Giovanna Drago

Article by Irmak Bilir – The National Gallery / ICN DESIGN Landscape Architects, Singapore National Gallery Singapore shows us how to integrate two national buildings with landscape architecture successfully. It is one of Asia’s most significant architectural projects in the cultural sphere. It is designed between two national and neo-classical buildings of Singapore. One of them is the former City Hall and the another one is former Supreme Court, completed in 1929 and 1939, respectively. It was the main aim to integrate these buildings and their surroundings for the art gallery as well as to integrate exterior and interiors. The landscape architecture project makes us see them better in a coherence. An extensive group from different professions are worked at the National Gallery of Singapore. The leading company is studio Milou architecture in collaboration with CPG Consultants Pte Ltd, and the landscape architecture company is ICN Design Landscape Architects. The opening of the gallery was held in November 2015, on the day 50th Anniversary of Singapore’s Independence. And the project won Excellence Skyrise Greenery Award and Design of the Year President’s Design Award both in 2015.

Architecture of Monuments The buildings which were used for some cultural activities or as art museums, in the past, have some different features -like their slightly different colors- but in many ways they integrate. For preserving the buildings’ architectural authenticity and character, restoration works have been planned around the original structure.   “Adding layers to, rather than altering essential aspects of the monument in the name of creating one institution”   Being a national monument, conservation guidelines had to take precedence. Jean-François Milou:“Adding layers to, rather than altering essential aspects of the monument in the name of creating one institution” For integrating the buildings inside, the monuments are conjoined within the basement and for the outside, two sky bridges linked between them.

Landscape Architecture

The gallery spaces, a public atrium, dining terraces and the elegant roof garden and a venue ,where people can put on shows, are the landscape project’s parts, and all of them designed to make people have an amazing experience while they enjoy the gallery. ICN Design’s professional work includes soft scape and water design, design and documentation, implementation inspection, and for the landscapes features; streetscape and public realm, grand roof garden, roof terraces. Variation of spaces(scale, character, etc.) is created with small touches inside the buildings, rooftops and at the 3.000 square meters extensive outdoor garden of the National Gallery. Vents and voids are well-integrated into the overall landscape. New walkways which radically change the circulation and allow visitors new perspectives are added between the buildings. The competition jury is appreciated the team how they transform the visitor experience while changing very little things.

An atrium, which is covered by stylized canopy made of cut-aluminum panels, joins the buildings. The grandly proportioned court looks skyward and it is sloping downwards at the entrance between two monuments and creates a visual continuity. It is one of the most important elements in the project for integrating buildings with landscape architecture. Linear seating elements are placed longly, next to large planting pots. There is also some level elevations and some different paving types which give a more dynamic atmosphere to the atrium. Outdoor garden welcomes to arrivals, allow to ceremonies, events, parades, special civic and national occasions, gathering and interaction. Roystonea palms and layers of hedges reinforce a civic character of the design with their linear form. Their harmony with the buildings is also spectacular. Bauhinia trees, Schefflera and Monstera are some of the other plants which are preferred in planing design, so this lush tropical planting attracts sunbirds and other avian visitors.

Sky bridges and Vertical Gardens

An upper (level 4) and lower (level 3) sky bridges, located in the atrium where the main entrance is, link both City Hall and former Supreme Court. These two bridges offer grand vistas of the buildings. Moreover 5 m tall, and 129m long massive vertical green-walls extending the length of the building. One wall is adapted to suit shady conditions, and the other to Singapore’s tropical climate. Fresh tropical greenery softening the light to interior galleries. These green canvases create a strong visual and physical connection.

Roof and the Roof Garden

For integrating interior and exterior, a filigree metal and glass structure roof is designed, which drapes over the monuments, is letting in daylight while serving as a screen against the harsh tropical sun. The roof filters the light, filling the atrium and many of the interior spaces with natural light. The roof system is supported by tree-like steel columns and stretches across both buildings. It gives a sense of continuity between the two buildings and softer ambiance. The rooftop’s of the former City Hall and the Supreme Court was previously empty, and not opened to the public, so people could not experience the view. The rooftop garden, located on Level 5 & 6 of old City Hall, is open to the public now, and it is possible to enjoy new perspectives of the buildings and 180 degree views of the spectacular city skyline and seascapes, with garden spaces, water features, and dining areas while they are at the buildings’ highest points. The surface of the rooftop is smoother luminous and it allows to reflect even soft shadows. For creating flexible spaces while exhibitions and events, movable planters and large pots were used. Furthermore, the roof garden helps to reduce the heat-load within the building with planting. National Gallery inspires with it’s architecture, landscape architecture and modern art from Singapore, Southeast Asia, and the world. In two weeks after the opening of it, the museum attracted about 170,000 visitors. What do you think about landscape architecture’s role in integrating the historical buildings and creating new public spaces on this project? Let us know in the comments below!

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Full Project Credits For The National Gallery:

Project Name: The National Gallery Location: St Andrew’s Road, Singapore Landscape Architect: ICN Design Landscape Architects Architects: Studio Milou Singapore, CPG Consultants Image Credits: ICN Design Landscape Architects Project Year: 2009 Client: Ministry of Communications and Information Owner: National Gallery Singapore Capital partnership Completion Date: November 2015 Recommended Reading:

• Becoming an Urban Planner: A Guide to Careers in Planning and Urban Design by Michael Bayer
• Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature by Douglas Farrs
• eBooks by Landscape Architects Network

Article by Irmak Bilir

Article by Kurt Longland – A review of Green Arena, by Stradivarie Associated Architect, in Cavallino-Treporti, Italy. Stradivarie Associated Architects powerfully combines storytelling and imagination in the ever-changing Green Arena. Through a series of the architects’ drawings, we are free to interpret the scene and draw our own conclusions on the meaning of the site. But before we delve deeper into the arena’s outcome, we first need to understand the project’s context and scale. Green Arena is located 15 to 20 kilometers east of Venice, Italy, in the town of Cavallino. The site is largely a temporary space that regularly changes occupation throughout the year. It is home to markets, tourists, campers, and public transportation.

Green Arena, by Stradivarie Associated Architect

Providing that sense of identity was part of Stradivarie’s work on the project, which broke down the market area into a three-stage investigation and implementation: Make Up, Plug In, and Green.

Setting the Scene

In viewing the project, storyboards, and available imagery, the most interesting aspect is the collection of illustrations that show snippets of life in Green Arena These can be seen in a number of combinations, much like pieces of a storyboard that can be arranged in a variety of ways. It could be as simple as introducing each element of the design scheme or demonstrating pieces a story.

The Inclusion of Color and Bold Forms

Another feature to note is the constant use of a vibrant yellow on important features and elements. While it ties everything together nicely in the drawing package, its importance in the landscape will be seen later. The creation of a scene can also be viewed in the plans. For example, the inclusion of a figure holding an umbrella in the rain might strike the viewer as odd, because it’s from a bird’s eye view. Such unusual perspectives spark our interest.

Not Meant to Show Off

This hint of a narrative helps explain why the site is quite open, passive, and — to some — stark. The design of Green Arena is not meant to show off the site, but to create a stage or scene — an arena — for other activities, occupations, and visitors, allowing people to use the space as they see fit. This suits the adaptable and evolving nature this market area contains.

The Clever Use of Color

What Green Arena has been able to achieve is a very quiet and relatively peaceful space that allows anyone to engage with its elements as he sees fit. The use of the vibrant yellow, which originally seemed odd, provides clear direction in the finished landscape. The yellow signs and markers act as a way finder and easy identifier, both within and outside the site.

Planting and Layout of the Green Arena

The minimum contouring and circular layout, while informed from the market area itself, give enough variance to separate the arena from the market space and provide enough internal interest to distract the eye instead of offering a view of a flat surface. Additionally, the use of sand filling the outer edge, with the grassland in the middle combined with deciduous trees, creates some very pleasant imagery. Some of the most interesting features can be found at the entrance. The entrance, as shown at the beginning of this article and seen again as “Illustration A”, is a solid wall with the cutout of a silhouette of an adult and a child. This interesting design gives a sense of scale and ownership, representing people, not private transportation.

A Place for People 

This, combined with the fact that the site is a market, drives home the idea that the arena is a place for people. The entrance is a quite effective and simple piece of artwork for a landscape that is often seen as empty or only temporarily occupied. The multiple elements in Green Arena allow everyone’s experience to be unique. It is unfortunate that due to the locality and time of review, we have been unable to see how Green Arena copes and adapts to these multiple uses. However, what has been achieved is the adaptability of a scene and a space.

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Full Project Credits For Green Arena:

Project Name: Green Arena Location: Cavallino-treporti (Venice), Italy Area: 3100 Mq Green Arena Completion Date: 2015 Landscape Design: Stradivarie Associated Architect Consultant: Federico Cicutto, Valeri.zoia Architetti Associati Photographer: Gianna Omenetto Client: Municipality Of Cavallino Treporti Firm: Proscavi Srl – Energy Snc (Electrician) Budget: 205.000 Euro Recommended Reading:

• Becoming an Urban Planner: A Guide to Careers in Planning and Urban Design by Michael Bayer
• Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature by Douglas Farrs
• eBooks by Landscape Architects Network

Article by Kurt Longland

If you live in a Victorian cottage, does your garden design have to be all roses and sweet peas? Does 21st-century architecture call for sleek grounds with nary a messy tangle of geraniums? Well, there are certainly some house and garden combinations that might appear jarring at first, and a few design rules it might be better to follow, but from there it’s pretty much a matter of personal taste. From where we sit, if what you want around you will make you happy, then go for it and let your creative spirit fly.

No Matter the Style, Make Sure It’s Alive and Healthy

The one thing that there’s really no debate about is that no matter what style your house is, your lawn (if you have one) should be healthy and green. To leave yourself free to create the flowering garden of your dreams, consider using a professional lawn care service like TruGreen Canada. With lawn chores off your to-do list, take a look at some general guidelines that will help you plan your garden, no matter what style you’ve got in mind. Climate and Garden Zone The best plans will go awry if what you’d love to see growing in your garden won’t survive in your part of the world. So the first step in deciding what style of garden to plant is to do some research. You may have to revise your plans to accommodate reality, but you still might find some reasonable alternatives to what you originally had in mind. New varieties adapted to non-native environments are always being developed, though it’s not likely you’ll find a banana tree that will grow in Calgary. Good nurseries in your community should only carry plants that thrive locally, but be careful if you’re buying plants and seeds online. Don’t get carried away by some exotic bloom that will wither as soon as you put it in the ground.

Purpose

Style aside, decide what you want to be able to do in your garden. Do you want a comfortable space for entertaining? A children’s play area? Somewhere you can retreat into your own private world? An area to grow herbs or vegetables? Also consider if your dog will have free access and what that will mean for fragile plantings that aren’t raised or fenced. A garden should be beautiful but don’t forget to be practical, too.

Scale and Proportion

Regardless of the kind of garden you’re planting, you don’t want its scale to be dwarfed by your house, and conversely, you don’t want it to swallow your yard, either. Choose plants that will have impact without being overpowering. And remember that plants will grow. It takes patience to wait for something to reach its full height or width and give the effect you want, but better to wait than plant something you’re going to have to fight with forever because you put it where it didn’t have growing room. As for architectural elements of the garden, like walls, arbors, walkways, steps, and so on, there are basic design rules of proportion that date back to antiquity and have stood the test of time in creating spaces that are pleasing to the eye. One is the Golden Ratio, a formula of length to width, which appears in everything from the pyramids at Giza to some patterns in nature, like the spiral pattern of leaves. Related to the Golden Ratio is the Golden Rectangle with a ratio of about 1 to 1.6, which would translate, for example, into a raised bed measuring 5 by 8 feet.

Sight Lines

Part of the pleasure of a garden is being able to see it from inside your house. When you’re planning, take some time to consider the view from your windows. Also take into consideration whether a plant that’s going to grow tall will block those views.

Plan Large to Small

In order of size, plan where you’re going to put trees, shrubs, and perennials. After that, because you can change them every year, decide where you can place annuals. Following the rule of putting all of your large plants in the back and graduating to smaller ones as you get to the front can be boring, so mix it up a bit. You may have so many favorite flowers that you’re tempted to plant just a few of each so you’ve got room for them all, and that can certainly create a joyous jumble, but there’s also something to be said for including a sweeping swath of one variety that delights the eye. Recommended Reading:

• Becoming an Urban Planner: A Guide to Careers in Planning and Urban Design by Michael Bayer
• Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature by Douglas Farrs

Article by Angie Olsen Featured Image: By BodnantGarden – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

We take a closer look at some excellent tips for improving your garden shed so that you get the most of this room outside your home. A lot of homeowners have come to terms with the fact that a shed is always messy and dirty; the truth is that it doesn’t have to be that way. Many houses now have gorgeous yet functional sheds that are not only good for storing tools and other items but are also comfortable to work in all day. Making your shed cleaner and more comfortable is not difficult either. These next few tips we are about to discuss will help you improve your garden shed in no time.

Improving Your Garden Shed

Declutter and Organize

The main reason why a shed feels uncomfortable and packed is the lack of proper storage and organization. This is a very easy problem to fix, especially now that there are prefabricated shelves and storage solutions designed for sheds of different sizes. Start by organizing your tools and the items you store in the shed. Don’t hesitate to throw away things you no longer need; yes, I’m talking about that old tyre you keep in the corner and other old junk you’ll never use again. Next, install some shelves and plastic containers to keep everything organized. You can label each plastic container and group items based on frequency of use, types and other factors. As you start storing more items in shelves and containers, you’ll be able to feel the effects immediately. Don’t forget to label every container as you store your items too. Labelling makes retrieving the tools you need a lot easier. You should also stick to storing everything neatly to avoid cluttering your shed again in the future.

Shed Improvements

Depending on how you plan to use the garden shed, there are several improvements that are worth considering. Switching from glass windows to plastic ones, for instance, is a good idea to consider. Plastic windows are much cheaper and won’t break as easily. These plastic replacement shed windows are also more durable, so you don’t have to worry about common problems such as scratches. A good ventilation system can also change the interior ambience entirely. Roof ventilators work particularly well for sheds. Better circulation will make working inside the shed for a long time much more comfortable. It will also help fight off dust and excess moisture. Lastly, a skylight or roof windows will make the shed a lot brighter without increasing your energy bills.

Invest in Security

One last thing to consider when you’re in the process of improving your shed is security. Sheds are often not built to be entirely thief-proof, but that doesn’t mean you can skip installing a good set of locks and securing the interior properly. Padlocks and clutch-head screws are the things to use if you want to quickly – and affordably – secure your garden shed. You can also tint the shed windows or install a screen on the interior side to make it more difficult for thieves to see what’s inside. As you can see, improving your garden shed is not a difficult thing to do. Get started today and you’ll have a comfortable and organized shed that you can use more frequently. Recommended Reading:

• Becoming an Urban Planner: A Guide to Careers in Planning and Urban Design by Michael Bayer
• Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature by Douglas Farrs

Article by Veselina Dzhingarova Featured Image: CC0 Public Domain, source

We take a look at 5 rules to follow when tiling outdoor area to achieve the best results and make incredible landscape designs. Renovating the outdoor area with some beautiful tiles is a good idea to make it more interesting and eye-catching. Just like the indoor tiles, the outdoor ones are being offered in a vast majority of colors, materials and textures. However, contrary to the indoor space, tiling an outdoor area has some peculiarities that you should be aware of. In this post, we’ll go through the must-know ones.

1. Choose the Right Tiles

Probably the most significant factor when choosing the right outdoor tiles is how you plan to use the space and what weather conditions are primary in your area. These are the most popular types of outdoor tiles you can consider: Ceramic tiles. They are the best options to use indoors and, provided that they have a sufficient PEI rating, can be used outdoors as well. If you decided to use ceramic tiles outdoors, do not glaze them as this would make the surface slippery when it’s damp outside. Porcelain tiles. Being much stronger and less prone to water absorption, these tiles make a better choice for the outdoor areas. Many come with a non-slippery texture. Quarry tiles. Coming in a very limited color range, these tiles are thick and dense. Home owners love them as they add a nice touch of Mediterranean design. Sandstone tiles. This is a great solution for patios. Remember, however, that they need to be properly sealed in order not to absorb water. Granite tiles. Of course, this type makes the most durable tiles. It doesn’t absorb water and salt and you don’t have to seal the tiles. Limestone tiles. These tiles are beautiful and strong and are a great choice for outdoors. The only drawback is they can easily be ruined by acids (both natural and acidic detergents) so be sure to seal the surface. Travertine tiles. This is a type of the limestone tiles which is famous for its spongy look. Just like the limestone, travertine tiles are very strong and durable but subject to the negative impact of acids. For this reason, make sure to seal the tiles. Soapstone tiles. These tiles make an exquisite choice for the outdoor area, even while being quite soft and, therefore, subject to scratches. You can fix the scratches with a mineral oil textures. Slate tiles. These tiles have a unique uneven surface which gives them a natural air. If you live in a warm region, you can safely install them outdoors. In colder climates, these tiles can crack. Outdoor rubber tiles. While not having that beautiful natural look, this type of tiles is great in terms of safety. It’s non-slippery and, coming in a vast array of colors and patterns, can be a perfect match for many homes. Outdoor deck tiles. If you’re a fan of DIY home renovations, these tiles will come in handy. You don’t even have to buy nails or adhesives. Just place them on the outdoor area and that’s it. Outdoor carpet tiles. Basically, these are square carpet pieces. You can easily remove, replace and clean them. They are non-slippery and could be installed in any outdoor area.

2. Consider your climate

The climate you live in greatly impacts your choice of outdoor tiles. Warm climates allow for softer tiles, while colder regions call for tough, strong tiles. You wouldn’t like your brand new tiles to crack all over once the temperature falls to -2°, right? Before purchasing anything, consult a seller with regards to the weather conditions you live in. Don’t go for cheaper options – installing inappropriate tiles can not only turn out to be costly but dangerous to your health too.

3. Prepare the area carefully

It’s especially important to carefully check your outdoor area for any cracks, hidden valleys, etc. The surface should be smooth and even, otherwise the tiling process is going to be difficult, if not impossible. The area should be even enough to tile it.

4. Check proximity

Depending on the material and climate, the tiles can behave differently than you might expect. Sometimes factors such as sunlight or excessive moisture can cause the tiles to contract or expand. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on things after you installed the tiles.

5. Seal the tiles

In most cases, it’s recommended that you seal the tiles with a proper solution (depending on the tiles you used). That’s because the outdoor tiles are naturally exposed to a much stronger climate impact than indoor tiles. For this reason, you’d want to provide them with an extra layer of security. These practical tips will guide you through the process of buying and installing the tiles for your outdoor area.

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Recommended Reading:

• Becoming an Urban Planner: A Guide to Careers in Planning and Urban Design by Michael Bayer
• Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature by Douglas Farrs

Article by Oleg Yemchuk Featured Image: By Eowkdfnd – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

UrbanLISP is celebrating; in 2016 the app store exceeded 100 AutoCAD commands. As a holiday offer all commands are now available FREE as social download! Of the many programs we use in landscape architecture AutoCAD is an essential one. For years now I develop AutoCAD commands, like the ones in the video above, inspired on projects in urban design and landscape architecture by renowned offices. In my UrbanLISP app store you can find the more extensive ones. This year I managed to release a whopping amount of 16 new commands. WATCH >>> UrbanLISP promo

Through that there are now over 100 commands available for you to download. A number that is reason for celebration. How do we celebrate? By offering all commands for free! Temporarily you can download ALL commands as a social download. Tweet or post the command on Facebook and you can download it for free and try it out for a while. 100 commands with a video to show what the command does. There’s about 4 hours worth of video material you can watch. That is a lot! So where to start? In order to get you going I give you my personal top 5 of AutoCAD commands from the UrbanLISP app store and I will tell you why it’s one of my favourites.

5. Hatch Random

WATCH >>> Hatch Random

Download here Hatch Random is one of the first commands I’ve written and from my favourite category of commands; the randomisers. I was working a lot on urban plans for new residential areas, like this one in Amersfoort, the Netherlands, organising the plots and houses. The idea behind these plans was that every house should be different or at least be read as The idea behind these plans was that every house should be different or at least be read as individual house like you would see for instance in the historic centre of Amsterdam. A house is a place where a person or family lives, it’s part of your identity. As nobody is the same nor should the house be. A garden is an even stronger expression of personal identity. Like people, few gardens are exactly the same. This is something you can express easily in a plan drawing. By applying the colour green in a variety of shades randomly to the gardens you get a very expressive drawing.

4. Categorize

WATCH >>> Categorize

Download here One of the main tasks in the development of the plans mentioned above was the organisation of the plots. The masterplans I’ve worked on often contained no less than 500 plots. The plots are the saleable parts of the plan so the clients always want to know how big these plots are. Although it is possible to write the area of a polyline in it, with 500 to a 1000 plots the amount of numbers dance in front of your eyes. With Categorize however you can hatch the plots on a layer according to its size. As a result you get a very graphic representation of the size of the plots in your plans. All of a sudden calculations become fun!

3. Dimension Level Polyline

WATCH >>> Dimension Level of Polyline

Download here Besides plan drawings it is very common to make sections in landscape architecture to see the spatial ratios of your plan. They are also useful to understand the levels in your plan. This dimensioning tool combines very basic AutoCAD features into a powerful command for landscape architecture. The command uses a basic AutoCAD line entity as a reference for the level in your section. After all a level is a flat surface so a line is a perfect way to represent a level. In every section you can make a contour of the space. When you create a polyline to emphasise the contour you have a second basic AutoCAD entity. By applying ‘Dimension Level Polyline’ the command places a multileader, the third basic AutoCAD entity, pointing to every vertex of the polyline. The multileader shows the distance between that vertex and the line representing the level. So in one action you add all relevant levels to your section.

2. Measure Alternating

WATCH >>> Measure Alternating

Download here In the masterplans I’ve made the main roads are often guided by rows of trees in order to create beautiful lanes. It is common practise to draw a tree as a block. Measure and divide are two native AutoCAD commands that place trees on linear entities such as lines, arcs and polylines. I took these principals to make many similar commands with a lot more options. After all, in landscape architecture you should be able to place a tree on the exact position you want it to be without too much hassle. ‘Measure Alternating’ is such a command. What I like so much about this command is the composition of the trees in the end is of mathematic perfection based on one single linear entity. Creating a row of alternating trees along a line is not that hard. Creating it along an arc is a bit harder but still doable. Creating it along a polyline with a lot of curves, something that occurred a lot in the masterplans I’ve made, is extremely time consuming and hardly ever done right. ‘Measure Alternating’ is an easy way to do this. Besides it being quick the mathematic perfection makes the plan drawing easier to read. Be sure to make the polyline segments tangent to one an other, as I described in a previous article.

1. Grass In Elevation

WATCH >>> Grass in Elevation

Download here Although I am a big fan of blocks I am reluctant to use them when it comes to nature in sections and elevations. You can use blocks for grass for instance. When you do however you will always read a repetition of that block. Grass in reality never shows any repetition. Besides, the stretches of grass you need to draw are hardly every exactly the length of that block. That means you have to cut or scale the block somewhere, somehow. Not to mention let the block follow curving landscapes. ‘Grass In Elevation’ allows you to pick a linear entity and draws grass on it. It does it randomly so the grass doesn’t show repetition and it does it on the exact length of the linear entity so you don’t need to remove anything. It is one of the essential commands in my work. Through this top 5 I try to show a glimpse of the many ways work in AutoCAD can be optimised. There are so many ways! Whether it is for conceptual designing or engineering. Whatever you use it for, you’ll find out drawing in AutoCAD becomes a lot more fun. Browse through the app store or have a look at the previous articles I’ve written for LAN. Follow UrbanLISP on Twitter or Facebook and receive tips a few times a week. Enjoy!

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Article by Rob Koningen. Recommended Reading:

• Digital Drawing for Landscape Architecture by Bradley Cantrell
• Detail in Contemporary Landscape Architecture by Virginia McLeod

Article by Brooklyn Williams – We take a look at methods for bringing green back to the city, some of which you can do yourself today to make an instant impact.  The first inquiry in a game of twenty questions tends to be “is it animal, vegetable or mineral?” Here “vegetable” means all kinds of plant life, not just the broccoli and cauliflower mom tried to get us to eat as a child. Whether for food, exercise or recreation we humans have a need to interact with the plant life around us. Human ingenuity has created ways for those of us in urban and suburban areas to bring some of the greenery closer to us.

Bringing Green to a City Near You

UP ON THE ROOF

Besides being a classic song by The Drifters, “up on the roof” is where architects and city planners are creating green areas. Take a close look of an aerial photograph of any urban/suburban center in the world and two things really jump out.

One, there is a lot of empty space on the roofs of all those buildings; acres upon acres of tar and asphalt. Imagine a one-mile square overlaid upon that picture and you have 640 acres (for people who like big numbers that is nearly 28,000,000 square feet) of mostly blank space just waiting for some landscaper to plant trees and scatter some grass seed. Two, as an adjunct, there is very little green area at ground level. Somebody, somewhere saw that and decided they could utilize all that area and bring some vegetation into the concrete jungle. Around the world there are rooftops that have been converted (some designed from square one) into places for grass, trees and plants to flourish to different purposes, such as: Community Parks—Here you may find pathways winding among trees, through areas of topiary (living sculptures) and even along manmade lakes. College Quad—A place for the students to gather to study, toss a Frisbee® or just soak up some rays. Reduce Carbon Footprint—Green spaces help reduce the effects of Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) on our health and world. From asthma to regional weather patterns, UHIs can impact many aspects of our lives. GROWING FOOD In many cities around the country, urban dwellers are finding ways to grow their own foodstuff. Every nook and cranny like apartment building roofs, scattered vacant lots and empty spaces between buildings can be, and are, used these days to grow vegetables. With concerns like genetically modified plants (GMOs) being introduced into the food chain and illness-causing pesticides used on larger commercial farms people are concerned with what they are putting in their bodies. Keeping control of what is planted and where it’s grown is becoming more important in our society. Freshness and cost can also be factors in deciding to grow an urban garden. Going just outside the front door and picking some tomatoes or peppers gives us sure knowledge on how old they are and how much they’re going to cost.

EVEN INSIDE

Even if there is no access to outdoor areas to plant gardens, there are ways of growing fresh herbs and vegetables inside. Examples here can include: Aeroponic—Something simple like the “as seen on TV” hanging planters that grow tomatoes and peppers year-round is one idea. Aquaponic—A simple and affordable idea I have seen is an enclosed symbiotic tabletop herb garden. A planter is set on a small fish tank, the plant bi-products feed the fish (typically a beta fish) and the fish cleans the water. Window Box—We’ve all seen the wood boxes hung outside off the window sills somewhere in our life. Today, there are pre-made systems where a small planter and a soil pod with seeds implanted are boxed together. Stick the dirt pod in the planter, water it, provide light and grow basil or lemon grass right over the kitchen sink. From macro to micro there are ways to bring greenery and food into the urban environments we have created.

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Recommended Reading:

• Becoming an Urban Planner: A Guide to Careers in Planning and Urban Design by Michael Bayer
• Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature by Douglas Farrs

Article by Brooklyn Williams Featured Image: By Ryan Somma – source

Article by Agmarie Calderón Alonso – Koningin Juliana Square, by Delva Landscape Architects Urbanism / Powerhouse Company, in La Haya (The Hague), Paises Bajos (The Netherlands) Koningin Juliana Square, by Powerhouse Company and Delva Landscape Architects Urbanism, is a proposal that will connect the train station (Den Haag Centraal) in The Hague with the square, creating a way for visitors and the community to enjoy a new kind of space. Through an efficient configuration of pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle circulation, the square will function as a guiding entrance toward the center for incoming visitors and local commuters. In addition, a new bicycle parking basement under the square will increase parking capacity while freeing up the square as a social gathering space. It is important to note that the greenery in The Hague has always been protected — in the early Middle Ages by the counts of Holland and, from the 14th century onward, by forest wardens and citizens alike. These efforts have been supported by the 1576 Act of Redemption, a law banning the felling or selling of trees. Thanks to this act, we can today enjoy this great site — Koningin Juliana Square, named for Koningin Juliana, or Queen Juliana, who reigned from 1948 to 1980.

Koningin Juliana Square

The plan for the square is to emphasize the landscape design, architecture, engineering, and program implementation. The open entrance hall of the train station merges seamlessly into the square, with the absence of doors or gates but with views of greenery such as autumn moor grass (Selseria autumnalis) and blue-green moor grass (Selseria heufleriana). The square serves as place of orientation, but also as a space for lounging. The design does not limit itself to Koningin Juliana Square, but continues as a connection into the adjacent Koekamp Park.

The Hague Carpet

Creating a connection is part of the plan for this area also known as “The Hague carpet”. Each space has a specific identity in relation to its context or use. Much of this space is surrounded by museums and public buildings, and the intention for Koningin Juliana Square is to design a “green carpet” extending toward the historic center, the Museum Quarter, The Hague forest, and the beach.

Kiss & Rise

Knowing the daily path of the sun, the landscape architects have composed a unique architectural form that will allow the right amount of sunlight for the space. They have created a “kiss & rise” zone where traffic flows easily through Den Haag Centraal station, passing within an open façade line toward Koekamp Park. Traffic flows are managed in a subtle and casual way through the manipulation of leisurely undulating green hills.

Giving the City a New Face

Having a space that people can actually enjoy passing through no matter what the time of day is a challenge in itself; having a space that connects to other important points in the city is a masterpiece, in my eyes. Conceptualizing the site into a clear space or area within the city, giving it a new “face”, was very important. The design team was able to make it work because they went into this project thinking correctly about the space, volume, density of the area, and how people would and could go through it.

Koningin Juliana Square and Koekamp Park

Utilizing the interaction between Koningin Juliana Square’s green hills and Koekamp Park’s greenery, which bleeds across the road and into the square, brings it all together. The undulating hills resemble The Hague’s historic dune landscape, providing a social, leisurely space that mitigates the need for tree planters and exhibits a variety of different shrub and tree species. For example, the design uses calcicoles, which grow well in calcium-rich soils like those found in The Hague.

The Goal to Create a Sustainable Environment 

The architects have used an integrated approach based on the principles of a circular economy, in which waste flows are mitigated through reuse and recycling. This allows the station building to perform well in terms of energy consumption, but also in terms of water and waste management. The goal is to create a sustainable environment. The design also uses granite bordered by water-permeable asphalt with a brown top layer, a material inspired by traditional Dutch towns, that contributes to an atmosphere of a city park.

Planting at Koningin Juliana Square

In the area of the planting, the strength of the green hills is enhanced by tree rooting but also by the introduction of flowering bulbs, such as Giant snowdrop (Galanthus elwesii), Lady Jane (Tulipa clusiana), and Reticulated iris (Iris reticulata). The flowers will create beautiful and colorful moments, blooming in spring and dying off no later than April. Along the edges of the hills, a variety of ornamental grasses and perennials appear, adding to a dynamic and exciting array of colors. By developing an area that creates a connection within different spaces in the city, the landscape architects have conquered design, form, and composition, having the broad idea of using space correctly and introducing sustainable concepts to what could have been only more buildings. What experience can you create by connecting built spaces with landscapes?

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Full Project Credits For Koningin Juliana Square :

Project: Koningin Juliana Square Architect: Delva Landscape Architects Urbanism / Powerhouse Company Collaboration: Metabolic, Skonk, IMd, Goudappel Coffeng, Nelissen Location: La Haya (The Hague), Paises Bajos (The Netherlands) Year: 2016 to present Budget: € 50,000,000 Size: 42,000 square meters Recommended Reading:

• Becoming an Urban Planner: A Guide to Careers in Planning and Urban Design by Michael Bayer
• Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature by Douglas Farrs
• eBooks by Landscape Architects Network

Article by Agmarie Calderón Alonso

Article by Ophelia Yuting Ji – We dive in and explore the attributes that make Copenhagen in Denmark the number one bike-friendly city. Many cities claim that they are bicycle-friendly, but often times what they actually mean is they have more bicycle lanes than the average. However, a bicycle-friendly city is not merely about that. It requires high-quality bicycle lanes and facilities, convenient renting locations and services, and high safety of riding bicycles on the streets, which can create a great atmosphere of healthy life modes and pull the relationship between citizens closer. Being advanced in all these aspects, Copenhagen is no doubt one of the most outstanding models. According to the data from Cycling Embassy of Denmark, over 255,000 people in Copenhagen commute by bike every day; this is more than half the population. The more surprising part is the number of bikes is almost 5 times greater than cars there, which is something hard to imagine in any American city. The passion for riding bikes and the habit of “everyday biking” for the Danish are so amazing that they certainly deserve more attention from us. Here are three highlights we can learn from Copenhagen’s case:

Copenhagen – A Bike-Friendly City

1. Comfortable and Safe Bike Paths

Based on the report “Facts about Cycling in Denmark” by the Cycling Embassy of Denmark, there are a total of 454 km of coherent and first-level quality cycle lanes in the city. You basically can get to every corner of the city on a bicycle without worrying about running into dead ends or broken roads. Separate lanes for cars and bikes have given drivers and bike riders enough freedom and safety. Additionally, on some of the busiest streets, double lanes will be provided for bike riders to ease their tension on traffic. New bike bridges and cycle superhighways continuously emerge, such as the elevated bike bridge Cykelslangen, (See Landscape Architects Network’s former article about Cycle Snake: Can Copenhagen Become the Best Cycling City in the World? ) completed in 2014, connecting the highway and the harbor, and the first cycle superhighway, completed in 2012, connecting greater central Copenhagen with the surrounding suburban towns.

To further improve the continuity and safety of bike riding, traffic lights at intersections are designed to turn green faster for bicycles than for cars. This time difference will be customized based on the specific road condition of each intersection. Likewise, LED lights with sensors are implemented on the roads to help avoid right turn conflicts for cars and bicycles. When cyclists are crossing the intersection, the lights will start flashing to alert the vehicles. As the lights are only visible for cars through side mirrors, the cyclists would not be distracted from their regular movements, as Denmark’s bicycle ambassador Mikael Coville – Anderson told us in the video “Copenhagen Bike Paths – an Example to all Cities” WATCH >>> Copenhagen Bike Paths – An Example To All Cities

2. Well-Considered Facilities and Services

According to the Icebike.org’s research “Bike City Copenhagen: This Is The Ultimate Bicycle-Friendly City”, 4 out of 5 people living in Copenhagen have access to a bike in Copenhagen and 17% families with children have a cargo bike. As the cargo bikes are generally much more expensive than the regular ones, customized parking facilities are designed to protect them from being stolen. The facility looks like a cute pink car from the outside, but inside it is spacious to store eight cargo bikes nicely. That is not the whole picture yet. As Mikael Coville – Anderson told us, there are many bike counters in the city which can provide real-time data to track patterns of bike riders, and in the meantime, they show the “civic pride” of Copenhagen’s passion towards bike riding. In such way, citizens are encouraged to use bikes more often. Even during the freezing winter time, riders’ passion would never decrease, as on those snowy days, sweepers would continuously work to clean the street up for cyclists’ safety, regardless of any circumstance. 3. Connecting Bike Riding with Social Life Besides these basic facilities on roads, creating a bike-friendly environment and atmosphere is significant as well. An excellent example of using bike riding to build social connections is the project “Cycling Without Age”. Since many of the elderly do not have the physical ability to ride bikes anymore, this movement encourages young volunteers to ride the rickshaws to give the elderly another chance of feeling the fresh air and enjoying beautiful sceneries on the bike. Simply by registering on their website and starting to ride bicycles, an intimate relationship between young and old people is built up in this city. Undoubtedly, all these strategies would not be successful without the strong support from the government. As it says in the blog; “Gladsaxe focused on cycling – and saved millions” by Copenhagenize Design Group, the city has till now spent €24 million in traffic calming and cycle infrastructure. But all these investments have paid off from cyclists’ health savings. That being said, for the authorities, what could be more amazing than gaining valuable social and economic benefits by simply encouraging citizens to put away their cars for a little time? And for us individuals, instead of spending extra time in gyms to keep fit, why not just pick up our bikes for a little leisure on the way to work or study?

 Recommended Reading:

• Becoming an Urban Planner: A Guide to Careers in Planning and Urban Design by Michael Bayer
• Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature by Douglas Farrs
• eBooks by Landscape Architects Network

Article by Ophelia Yuting Ji Featured image: By Leif Jørgensen – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, source.

Article by Eni Çeka – A project review of the Villa in Monte Argentario, by Lazzarini Pickering, Tuscany, Italy. An inspirational display of stunning design and Italian charm. “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach…” – Henry David Thoreau Who wouldn’t want to live in a residence where the interior melts into the gardens of the outside world, diving into a voyage of spiritual discovery? This 32-hectare private estate in the Tuscan countryside is an exquisite example of the Italian landscape style. The intense dialogue of the villa with the natural surroundings makes this house truly unique. The landscape reflects beauty, tranquility and relaxation while allowing the villa to become one with nature.

Stunning Garden Design

Location of the Project

This dreamy villa is located in the peninsula of Monte Argentario, about 150km south of Florence in the region of Tuscany. “La Bella Toscana”, as Italians call it, is recognized throughout the centuries for impressive gardens; from the Medici gardens to small villas within the rolling Tuscan hills, the landscapes tell the story of their past.

Tuscan Villa Garden Design

The term Tuscan villa implies the presence of an elaborated design. The Italian Renaissance garden broke down the wall between the garden, the house and the landscape outside. This villa in Monte Argentario develops the same design concept further, allowing the interior to flow into the garden. The landscape design is also influenced by the giardino all’italiana, meaning that the visitor has to search hard to find extensive flower beds forming part of the garden of a Tuscan villa. Instead the categories of vegetation preferred are forests, orchards, olive groves, shrubs and herbs.

The Building and its Relation with the Landscape

The project is the outcome of a fruitful exchange of ideas grown over the years between a longtime client and the architects. The main volume of this villa in Monte Argentario is set around a tower from the eighteenth century, the internal adjustments of which have been completely revised. The new volumes that host guests form an open-air courtyard delineated by horizontal and vertical wings. Here the atmosphere is emphasized by the warm color of rusted steel matched with the shades of gray of the stone walls. The old building covered by a thick mantle of ivy juxtaposes with the new prismatic structure of rusted steel and glass.

The original building also preserves the intimacy of a few private rooms in the house, in contrast with the new addition where the rooms open onto the garden through sliding glass doors. The glass walls merge the interior with the exterior green space. The interplay between the rooms and the garden also help erase the visual boundaries between interior and exterior, so that the trees seem to grow indoors. The Garden Design The landscaping design, for which Lazzarini Pickering successfully collaborated with Paolo Pejrone, enhances the forest-like nature with plants like orchids, mosses and lichens, creating an articulated route comprised of wooden platforms and stairs suspended above the underbrush. The steps connect the house and the forest visually and extend the greenery surrounding the house. The topography of the site helps the design by providing wonderful vistas in different landings. As in typical Tuscan gardens, the landscape tends to be more formal near the residence and more informal as it extends into the forest. The route moves along an orthogonal geometry that runs across the entire property, emphasizing the position of pine trees, cork trees and holm oaks that populate the park. One of the most respected values of a Tuscan garden is that it is sustainable by using natives and plants that are suited to their climate. This means that plants thrive in the area with little water and maintenance; because plants are encouraged to grow in their natural growth habit, this reduces maintenance. The project evokes a sense of calm which is amplified by reflecting ponds, a pool and a play of reflections created by natural light. Within this villa project in Monte Argentario resides a stunning and awe-inspiring landscape that makes people want to stay forever. The simple, yet carefully considered design is timeless due to its perfect balance between the contemporary and traditional. This project beautifully demonstrates that to live in between the interior spaces and the fascinating nature is an almost transcendental experience.

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Full Project Credits For the Villa in Monte Argentario:

Project: Villa in Monte Argentario Location: Tuscany, Italy Architects: Lazzarini Pickering Date of construction: 2002-2007 Photographs: Clive Nichols, Lazzarini Pickering Architetti

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