Author: Land8: Landscape Architects Network

Article by Tahio Avila We explore 10 things you should include in your landscape architecture portfolio . The nicest thing about beginning a design career is that you have fresh ideas and you are ready to participate in a project or in getting a job done. But is your portfolio as ready as you are? Preparing a great landscape architecture portfolio can be a piece of cake for some and a pain in the backside for others. As designers, we should be ready to “build” a portfolio right after we finish school or, even better, start working on it at the beginning of our school life. But sometimes we leave this step to the last minute — and that’s when trouble begins. A landscape architecture portfolio is not only a list of works we have done, it’s also the reference for who we are as designers. A portfolio highlights our work and serves as our presentation card. That’s why it is a very important item to update constantly and care about. Today, we are going to give you 10 topics to include in your landscape architecture portfolio, so that you can start building it or update it easily.

Landscape Architecture Portfolio

1. Sketches and Graphic Process Even if we cannot live without technology, hand drawings and sketches are something that — in my opinion — technology shouldn’t replace. Maybe someday it will; there are a lot of programs that simulate hand drawing nowadays. But all of us have a distinctive way of sketching, and that is a plus that will make your landscape architecture portfolio stand out and show your personality as a designer. You can add sketches of an already known project, landscape, or building; personal projects; and the graphic process you used to conceptualize your projects.

2. Written Description This section will depend on the approach you want to take with your portfolio and whom you want to send it to. You can write a brief description of each project’s location, size, budget, team members; and collaborations. You can write about a project’s details or give a full description of the project and what inspired you in the design process. If the project was part of a contest in which you participated or won, you should write about that, too. 3. Technical Drawing and Graphic Design As I said before, nowadays we cannot live without technology, and it’s become a very important part of our design process. Floor plans, sections, elevations, details, perspectives, and renders should be included so that you can show the project in a clear and dynamic way to your future employer. Still, my advice is to not overload pages with too much technical stuff. You should keep in mind that you also want to show your landscape architecture portfolio to future clients who may not be a part of the design industry. It has to be clear for them, too. 4. Using a Styleboard is Always a Good Idea A styleboard is another way to show the creative process of your projects. This is a one-page board with a collection of images, from sketches to plant selection, that demonstrates how the project was formed, how you wanted it to look, and how you got to that specific idea. It’s simple and easy to put together and it always looks good. It also works if you want to make a quick presentation of your projects. 5. Before and After Photos If you have developed a project from beginning to end, this is a perfect opportunity to show all of the work you have done. Depending on the magnitude of the project, you can use before and after photos to make a statement about, for example, how a small area changed. But if you are showing a big project, it is better to emphasize the finished work. 6. Be Unique Highlight the unique thing in your design. It could be an old tree, a path made with a particular material or ornamental shrubs, a specific selection of flowers, a water line, etc. The thing that makes your project stand out will catch the eye of your future employer. 7. Be You! Landscape architecture portfolio can turn into a “generic” thing very fast, and we don’t want that. You have to show all of your potential in a few pages, so it’s very important to show your style, design methods, influences, and inspirations. All of this will make your portfolio stand out from the rest. 8. Plant Selection Should Be Exciting! Plant selection can draw a lot of attention if you know how to display it. You can design a “timeline” with information about all the plants you have used in your projects and arrange it in accordance with their colors and flowering time. It is also nice to see a project with a full-color bloom, plant selection images, and perspectives. The magic word in this topic is: Color! 9. Define a Scheme A background scheme will help you modify your landscape architecture portfolio faster. Your portfolio is constantly growing, so defining a scheme will make it easier to change. You never know when you’re going to be applying for a new job. If you like white backgrounds, I would recommend that you organize your projects in a consistent way, defining a fluent structure that will make your portfolio flow. 10. Tell Them About You A landscape architecture portfolio is a compilation of your best work. In comparison to a Curriculum Vitae, you can put all the images you want, but it also has to contain important information in case people ask only for your portfolio in an interview. If you have worked as a landscape architecture writer, participated in contests, or collaborated with some important companies, people should know about it. Your potential as a designer is already demonstrated in your projects. Let them read about the most important things in your career, too. –

Your Landscape Architecture Portfolio

A landscape architecture portfolio should be an instrument that helps you communicate. Make it a part of you and keep it updated. Even if you’re not looking for a job, it will help you describe your work in a better way.

Did you have any troubles making your portfolio? Tell us about it.

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• 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 Tahio Avila

Article by Tahío Avila Les Quais – Ville De Bruxelles, by Espaces Mobilites, in Bruxelles Centre-ville, Brussels, Belgium. On the edge of the Senna River and right of the city center lies the new “green route” of Bruxelles: a safe pedestrian and cyclist green route developed to encourage recreational leisure and increase gatherings and activities in the zone. This long-neglected embankment has become a place that enhances the quality of life of Bruxelles’ inhabitants and promotes user-friendly public spaces between the historical center and the commerce area of the district. It is a project with the perfect combination of past and present that we (as landscape architects) are happy to develop and bring to life.

Les Quais – Ville De Bruxelles

The Starting Point For several years, this crossroads was a neglected area. It was considered an oversized space with no special provision for cyclists or pedestrians, remaining a very unappealing area. It was used very little in the summer, was reserved for car use only, and had no safety measures or protection when it came to tram intersections. We are going to see how, with a simple but functional design, this area has become a formal square that has been given back to pedestrians and cyclists. At the same time, it integrates and complements the public transportation route.

Pedestrians and Cyclists are the Priority The project is designed to reverse the car traffic and offer an open space to pedestrians and cyclists, transforming it into an articulated point in the town center, where different public spaces and visual perspectives join together, in addition to a pond or water mirror crossed by the tram line. This design highlights the many assets of the zone. One of these is the orientation — it is obviously an open space, but there’s no shadow from other buildings during the day, giving the perfect amount of light to the square and making it an ideal place to visit and relax during both summer and winter. The open space comes from the design of old platforms or embankments, which offered big, open spaces as a refuge for all users. Water also occupies an important part of the area. Another interesting part of the design is the integration of the tram line, which becomes an essential part of the square, crossing it right in the middle of ponds or water mirrors, trees, and seating areas. The square became an articulation point once the designers from Espaces Mobilites transformed it into a meeting place where urban spaces and perspectives join together in a single layer of street crossed by a line of public transportation, pedestrians, and cyclists. Humanizing Bruxelles One of the purposes of this project was to change the way inhabitants see and use old platforms in Centre-ville. The design makes it an accessible verge that invites all kinds of users — locals, tourists, pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, etc. — to spend real time in this square. Another idea was for the verge to become a place for strolling, walking, playing, interacting, and meeting. The designers succeeded in the most important purpose of the design: to renovate the area into a more “human” space that breaks the barrier between users and a functional urban space, as well as between the quality of historical spaces and new areas. A Simple Square Freshly Composed The designers worked on the project in a very fresh and clean way; they used colored ocher asphalt tone — the same tone as the dolomite used on the embankments’ pavement around the area. A green zone was projected with a “tunnel” of trees with seating areas, guiding the pedestrian trajectories around the square to other locations or from one platform to another. The designers used plane trees very proximate to each other so that they can grow tall (instead of wide) and form a natural tunnel structure that you can easily visualize from the outside. The square is a combination of views and simple natural areas among an open space, articulated with water mirrors or ponds crossed by the public transportation, to remind users of the presence of water in the past embankments and giving a mix of elements in the same square. The presence of stone and water restates the environment and history of the square. Car traffic (almost eliminated) remains as discreet as possible, so that it is integrated easily and safely into the landscape. “The verge and the park in the immediate vicinity of the crossroads are physically connected by removals or restrictions of traffic and geometric continuities and/or surfaces. The tram now crosses in a place where it glides peacefully over the water and enables the passengers to see their reflection,” the designers say. Living the Landscape Clean landscape design can change any area into a mature and formal square such as this. A good design can and must change not only the physical space, but also the perspective and point of view of the inhabitants. People need to feel included in the process of design of a public or urban space. In the end, they will be the ones who spend most of their time passing by places such as this, which nowadays, has became an important requirement for a good quality of life. People should “live” the landscape every day. Do you think this project has the details necessary for its intended use?

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Full Project Credits For Les Quais – Ville De Bruxelles:

Project Name: Les Quais – Ville De Bruxelles Landscape Architecture: Espaces Mobilites Location: Brussels Client: Ville de Bruxelles Research: 2009 – 2011 Completed: 2014 Area: 6,550 square meters Budget: 63.500 € VAT incl study Budget Execution: € 1.23 million including VAT 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 Tahío Avila

Article by Giacomo Guzzon St James Park, by  ASPECT Studios, in Woolley Street, Glebe, NSW, Australia As a landscape architect, I am always intrigued to see new projects. More importantly, I want to find out how a place has been transformed to embody the design. James Park and John Reserve in Sydney, Australia, are the perfect examples of how design can transform a place. They occupy a formerly degraded plot of land in the middle of a suburb that needed to be to be updated in order to address the current needs of the local community. Now the question is: What were the key design aspects that were fundamental in transforming this place?

Engaging with Key Park Users It is very important to understand who is going to use the space and how the design can accommodate the users’ needs and desires. This park is completely embedded in the urban fabric of the suburb of Glebe, and thus the key users were very important in shaping the park. The residents community group and the St. James primary school worked closely with the landscape architects and the city of Sydney to ensure that the project considered every key user. Public consultations with the local residents were held to approve many aspects of the park, such as the location size and the orientation of the buildings within the park. Children from the primary school also helped to redefine the design for the playground and inform the play elements. Connecting the Park with the Urban Grid Ever since the creation of public spaces such as Central Park in New York City or Birkenhead Park in Liverpool, the importance of circulation and connectivity for anchoring a park into the city’s grid has been widely understood. Park entrances are often designed where the city’s grid intersects with the perimeter of the park. In St. James Park, the entrances are placed on the corner, at the intersection of streets, or in proximity to a pedestrian crossing. Moreover, the connection and accessibility within the park were improved by laying a new brick-paved path and steps to overcome the variation in grade and align the tennis fields and the park with the street level. Creating Character with Original Elements and New Features Giving character to a new place is always a challenge for designers. In St. James Park, some existing park benches were reused in the new design. These furniture elements add character to the new park, because they are old and people will unconsciously remember them from the time before the works, creating a feeling of familiarity and perhaps added comfort. The existing tennis courts were re-graded/surfaced and a new building with toilets and a changing room was added, enhancing the experience of users of this sport facility. The playground on the northeast corner of the park was extended and new play features added. The original location for the playground — under the shadow of the majestic Celtis spp. trees — was perfect and therefore not changed. In this park, the sense of a place was achieved through the ingenious use of both new and refurbished elements that were placed in the right location, increasing the variety of activities in the park. Promoting Wildlife In cities, where green areas are often scarce, it is particularly important to design spaces that promote wildlife and give people an opportunity to experience nature. In Glebe, there are not many public parks, so this new space has crucial value for wildlife. The John Reserve was designed based on suggestions by the Blue Wren committee on how to create habitat for this unique Australian bird species. The planting for both parks is focused on using native shrubs such as Murraya ssp. and Plumbago spp., which will create a thick understory layer of vegetation — a suitable habitat for the local fauna. The Celtis trees, being an exotic and invasive species, will be replaced gradually over the next five to 10 years with native trees such as Melaleuca ericifolia and Melaleuca styphelioides. Using plants that are native to a place is not only beneficial for wildlife, but also helps to make the place feel right and blend smoothly with the wider landscape. Designing a public space for people who really need one is surely one of the ultimate aspirations for landscape architects. A successful park design reflects a unique combination of a precise analysis of the place, a sensible interpretation of the data, and synthesis into an inspiring scheme. This project shows us how to do this. By considering only a few simple but important design elements, it is possible to transform even a small, degraded neighborhood park into a place really vital for a community. There is no recipe to follow to create a successful place. Instead, you have to trust your understanding of a place and your ability to provide what is lacking. Involving the local users, creating character, connecting it with the city, and promoting wildlife are just a few elements that make this space work. What do you think could have been done to make it even better?

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Full Project Credits For St James Park:

Project Title: St James Park Location: Woolley Street, Glebe, NSW, Australia Client: City of Sydney Council Project Lead and Landscape Architect: ASPECT Studios Project Team: ASPECT Studios (Project Lead and Landscape Architect) Sam Crawford Architects (Architect for the timber pavilion) Deuce Design (Graphic Designer for the interpretive design) GTA Consultants (Traffic Consultant) Lighting Art + Science (Lighting Designer) Northrop (Civil & Structural Engineer) Year: 2015 Area size: 3,600 m² Budget: $2.1 million Photography: Florian Groehn 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 Giacomo Guzzon

Article by Radenka Kolarov Following on in our world series we have selected 10 awesome projects that perfectly represent landscape architecture in Germany today. Let me ask you, have you seen those astonishing German landscapes? In case you haven’t, don’t waste any second more, and give you self the trip of a lifetime. You won’t regret seeing the projects in landscape architecture too, they are equally marvelous. From beautiful pavilions through a garden of remembrance to great public-square solutions, you will find out just how awesome Germany actually is.

Landscape Architecture in Germany

10. KALA Square, by Rehwaldt LA, in Berlin The site used to be the residence of industrial employees before the Second World War. Now this public-square solution is multifunctional as a place for the children, and also for the elders. Materials like concrete, sand, bright wood and water are used to set the stage. Blocks, sheets, meshes and ground vegetation are arranged in strategic positions, giving space for children to play, to allow for public passage, and for the rest and picnicking of elders and families.

9. König-Heinrich Platz Averdung, by Agence Ter, in Duisburg Right in the front of the theater lies a large grassy park space. That simple lawn provides a meeting place where everyone can settle as he or she wishes. This simple-yet-so-effective design consists of a game between the hardscape, vegetation and water jets that animate the central space. The furniture is discreet and comfortable, which alltogether makes for a terrific ambience. 8. RheinRing Bridge, by Marco Hemmerling, in Cologne Truly work of art. The sweeping arc of the planned structure adds an essence of modern art and surrealism to an area often filled with art aficionados and tourists visiting the Ludwig museum. Completing a loop touching all four of these landmarks, the RheinRing connects the two halves of Cologne without adding an additional span to the river. 7. Solingen Town Square, by Landschaftsarchitekten, in Solingen This public space is intended for the citizens, as an idea of creating an “urban living room”. The designer’s intentions were to accentuate the relationship between the surrounding architecture and landscape, linking several spaces that form the precinct through a network of circulation and verdurous spaces. Solingen Town Square has at its center a group of Japanese Pagoda Trees (Sophora japonica) creating a space around three enormous, organically-sculptured seating elements. The paving of the square is also very well done by its simple solution, yet so impressive. 6. Aqua Magica Park, by Agence Ter Landscape Architects, in between Bad Oeynhausen and Löhn Light, shadow, sound, scent and fauna in the park are among the many vehicles used to achieve the most significant purpose this project – the establishment of a connection between humans and nature. French landscape architect Henri Bava came up with an unusual idea, he and his team went down into the depths of Löhne and Bad Oeynhause and discovered healing water and geological structures, which before long were brought out to the surface. It leads to a staircase winding 18 meters down to the bottom of the fountain. Going deeper and deeper, sounds grow louder, light gets weaker, and water comes closer. Just imagine that breathtaking experience. 5. BUGA 05 Playground, by Rainer Schmidt Landschaftsarchitekten, in Munich Here’s a powerful solution using just a few tricks. With modification of terrain making different levels of height and strong graphic contrast in colors such as orange and green, you must admit that in some way this place invites you in and provokes you. The main thing about this design is that it doesn’t contain the usual fabricated elements such as swings and teeter-totters. Combining only two elements, grass and tartan, all needs have been settled. 4. ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion, by The Institute for Computational Design, in Stuttgart This Research Pavilion was inspired by the underwater nest construction of the diving bell water spider, Agyroneda aquatica. The building process of the water spider’s web was analyzed, and the designers transformed the underlying behavioral patterns of the spider and design rules into a technological fabrication process. The Agyroneda aquatica spends most of its life underwater, and therefore must construct a reinforced air bubble to survive. Would you be brave enough to sit in that kind of environment? 3. Killesberg Park, by Rainer Schmidt Landschaftsarchitekten GMBH, in Stuttgart The area was used as a quarry for industrial purposes. The starting point of the design concept was the graceful fusion of the two themes that characterize Killesberg – soft, natural landscapes and manmade quarries as hard topographies. The hard karst forms, representing the typical quarry topography, change over time, varying from sharply broken hardscape into soft, rounded landscapes covered by earth and greenery. 2. Porsche Pavilion, by HENN Architects, in Wolfsburg The organically-shaped structure, designed by HENN Architects, can be defined as a dynamic yet static sculpture with an elegantly curved and softly glimmering roof platform, covering an exhibition and presentation area of 400 m2. Just like the lines of the car, the curves of the building pick up speed and then slow down to end in a seamless shell, representing the dynamism and comfort characteristic of the brand. 1. Garden of Remembrance, by scape Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH, in Düsseldorf During World War II most of the Synagogues were demolished and destroyed. Ever since, Marburg’s Jewish community has worked to rebuild itself, and sincerely have managed to achieve that. This garden adds to the restoration by making a space that is both a meaningful memorial to the people and culture destroyed in the pogroms and a public space integrated into the life of the city. While the palette of materials is limited and austere – steel, stone, glass, and white concrete – the planting palette is restricted, but far from restrained. Densely planted red shrub roses provide a lovely perspective. Roses have a special significance here, since the rose was the only flower permitted to be grown within the city walls of ancient Jerusalem.

Landscape Architecture in Germany

‘‘Lustgarten” – Awaits for You Through this small list of projects in landscape architecture, a lot can be learned. First of all there is no doubt that Germans definitely have amazing style and taste for landscaping. Just look at how sophisticated Porsche pavilion looks, and yet the connection with the environment is preserved, and how clean and yet natural, like Killesberg Park shows us. Determined order and the projects’ level of quality makes Germany stand high and proud, for sure. Which project has made the deepest impression on you? Let us know in the comment section below!

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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 Radenka Kolarov

Article by Frank Bourque We take a closer look at how to become a landscape architect and start innovating today. Want to become a landscape architect and start designing beautiful outdoor spaces? The whole world will pat your back. Landscape architecture is one of the fastest-growing types of architecture in the world and the real future of architecture. We see green spaces everywhere from roofs to terraces and even in remote areas. What is Landscape Architecture all About? In case you are interested in a career in landscape architecture, you should know that the industry is more than just creating private gardens for luxurious clients. The reality is actually quite different – the best landscape architects work on public areas and spaces. These may include parks, trails, sporting facilities etc. The design of the campuses for groups of buildings is, in fact, another common area of practice in landscape architecture.

Become a Landscape Architect and Start Innovating

So, how to become a landscape architect and start making our lives easier? Your first stop towards becoming a landscape designer or architect lies in the knowledge you need to gather. Therefore, you can enroll in a university or college landscape architecture program and start learning the basics. However, you should know that landscape architecture includes a lot of education that spans an array of subjects including ecology, botany, urban planning, urban theory, construction ethics, cultural resources and obviously, design. The work of landscape architects is meant to articulate a space in a better way, examine its potential and resolve the problem(s) it faces. The bottom line of landscape architecture is that it’s one of the most innovative ways to live in this complex and fast-changing world. Every landscape architect deserves a chance to see the best of his creativity and put it into practice. Looking for some inspiration? Check out the work of the Top Ten Names in Landscape Architecture Today. Each in their own way, they changed the world with their great environmental impact. So, are you up for making your move? If yes is your answer, you should read the following checklist – Top 10 Names In Landscape Architecture Today, and

The ‘Landscape Architect-To-Be‘ Checklist Landscape architecture is one of the best ways to ensure the prosperity of the natural environment and take a leap forward when it comes to innovating in existing living spaces. Here is a simple checklist that sums up all the steps you need to take in order to become a landscape architect. 1. The starting point of the checklist requires your interest as a must. Doing some basic background research on what it takes to become a landscape architect such as the I Want to Be a Landscape Architect YouTube video as well as taking a look at some existing designed landscapes or starting a discussion in some forum threads or Facebook groups can be of great importance. 2. Enroll in a landscape architecture program at university, college or private school 3. Understand the basics and develop the appropriate skills to visualize design 4. Learn the computer aided design (CAD) programs and aspects that help you understand landscape architecture (there are a lot of them offered for free) 5. Develop stellar analytic skills in order to identify and define the problem, examine the options and act on a plan 6. Develop sophisticated writing skills and learn how to communicate with the media through posts and letters 7. Develop great oral communication skills in order to ‘push’ the idea of landscape architecture in front of a bigger audience and help them understand its focus Starting your career as a landscape architect demands that you have an industry- accredited academic degree in your portfolio, so applying for that is a must. However, before doing so, you may want to check out the sub-niches of landscape architecture. The ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) page sums up the entire process of applying as well as its criteria. You can check it out by clicking on this link. Areas and Types of Landscape Architecture to Choose There are five main areas of landscape architecture all of which you can focus on when becoming a landscape architect. They include:

• Landscape Design
• Landscape Management
• Landscape Science
• Landscape Planning
• Urban Design

While some of the best landscape architects excel when it comes to science and work with plants, others work in urban spaces, and others know how to manage the public space best. In reality, each of these areas of landscape architecture is as important as the industry itself.

Finally, the Best Thing About Landscape Architecture Starting a career in landscape architecture will make you think proactively and be a greater leader but also an avid follower of trends. It will eventually let you become successful. But is there one thing that landscape architects enjoy most? In other words, what is the best thing about you being a landscape architect? You make the people’s lives better and easier, which is why you have to be enthusiastic about every single project you see, but also knowledgeable and resourceful when it comes to managing the environment and society through the principles of landscape architecture. In the end, being a landscape architect is a profession that is booming. You can start with no experience at all and work with some of the best professionals in the industry. The landscape architect job is definitely among the best ones in the country, since it aims on reinventing and giving new functions to every public and private space.

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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 Frank Bourque

Article by Frank Bourque We take a look at 10 Qualities of Great Landscape Architects. “Heroes of the design community.” This is a common definition of landscape architects. They are responsible for bringing us the future of design. But even more than that, they are creating art with every structure they design and bring to life. Some landscape architects work alone, and some are part of a team. Working collaboratively with other professionals is important, however, it is not the most vital thing when it comes to the role itself. But what defines a successful landscape architect? In other words, what qualities do great landscape architects have?

Great Landscape Architects

10. Their Knowledge Base Extends Beyond Their own Profession A professional landscape architecture degree is the root of every landscape architect’s knowledge. Technically, a degree in landscape architecture is a must so that one can design and develop new projects. Understanding the principles of landscape architecture and how design works in practice comes from the classrooms. However, having a degree is one thing and being knowledgeable is another. Speaking of which, a degree in landscape architecture involves a lot of knowledge in the fields of design, engineering, ecology, biology, etc. WATCH>>> Bloomingdale Trail

9. They are the Innovative Architects Today’s Society Needs Landscape architecture is not only designing and building inside the comfort zone. It is the perfect marriage of art and science and gives form to living spaces which are more comfortable and user-centric. Landscape architecture has a lot to do with giving structures a true purpose. Landscape architects, therefore, not only design beautiful things; they create purposeful areas that make living better.

8. They are Ecologists Thinking about the environment and being aware of all the changes that happen in it when designing something new is definitely a unique trait. Landscape architects pride themselves on having it and always considering it with every new project. This form of architecture meets the highest standards of ecology and environmental awareness. 7. They are Resourceful A landscape architect thinks outside the box and works with less to create more. Being resourceful in creating new structures is therefore a great quality – and a growing trend in every industry, more or less. 6. They can Think Ahead Landscape architects know everything about changes and when they are going to happen. In a nutshell, the world of landscape architecture is all about following new trends and putting them to practice in different living spaces. Therefore, every landscape architect knows how to use the new trends – but they also take the weather and climate conditions into consideration for a living space that is comfortable and enjoyable. 5. They are Communicative Successful landscape architects always consider the needs of the client and put them in first place when designing and developing a new project. They are communicative and know how to explain the ‘innovation’ to the rest of the world and show them why it is bound to work. Aside from being communicative, landscape architects know many ‘languages’ and are able to seamlessly express themselves through drawings, specifications, and technical language as well as plain, everyday language. This, once again, tells a lot about how important understanding landscape architecture actually is. 4. They are Hard Workers Landscape architects usually work around 40 hours per week, not considering any additional hours that are usually required when planning and designing a new project. Although they spend a lot of time travelling to various sites, their focus is always adapted to working outdoors and in all weather conditions. 3. They Appreciate Design and Take Advantage of it Every great landscape architect lives and breathes design. They have a high appreciation of all design principles and are avid followers of the current trends. After all, every landscape project is an innovation in design and a scratch on the surface of possibilities for the future. 2. They Know Their way With Computers Creating landscape architecture masterpieces is not only work for pencil and paper. Landscape architects excel when it comes to using many programs and are digitally educated accordingly. One example can be the use of computer-aided design (CAD) programs that better their technical and scientific understanding. 1. They are Amazingly Creative Being creative is one of the top-shelf qualities landscape architects have. Art and innovation are definitely one of the fastest growing trends when it comes to architecture. Landscape designers blend them together in a unified approach. Moreover, a professional landscape designer’s main aim is to provide an even greater purpose when designing a living space, as well as tailor it to the latest design principles.

So, What do all Great Landscape Architects Share?

In the end, a great landscape architect is an engineer, visionary, communicator, designer and ecologist. He is able to connect with his environment and determines, with the help of science and design, innovative ways of creating functional and practical spaces that inspire. There are endless job opportunities for landscape architects nowadays in the residential, commercial and industrial construction fields. In addition, the already-designed projects are only the tip of the iceberg. It is up to us to see what the future brings in landscape architecture. However, one thing is certain; this industry is changing the world, one project at a time.

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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 Frank Bourque

Review by Samia Rahman An eBook review of Green Roof Construction – the Essential Guide, produced by LAN and ZinCo. In a sustainable city, the expression of architecture itself is expected to be an eco-friendly response to the environment that provides comfort to people. With the pace of rapid urbanization in a modern era, every day we are losing our natural green spaces by constructing new structures for fulfilling our needs. This affects our climate and environment and makes the city gray rather than green. As every cloud has a silver lining, the awareness of the need for green is rising. We, the designers, are trying to return back that lost nature with amazing ideas including green roofs, green walls, street trees, and parks. “Green roof” concepts are not new but have flourished during the last decade as one of the approaches to sustainability. Green roofs offer many environmental benefits such as energy savings, rainwater harvesting, air quality improvements, and reduction of the urban heat island effect. The green roof has achieved an attraction for the city dwellers and now it is a common practice in every city.

Green Roof Construction – The Essential Guide

The Green Roof Construction guide is available FREE for all of our VIP subscribers. You can sign up HERE! The green roof is one of the most tangible elements of sustainable strategy. The eBook “Green Roof Construction – the Essential Guide” fills the gap by providing an overview of techniques that have been effective in the green roof installation process. It gives us an overall knowledge of how to effectively adapt green roof technology. We have seen many amazing ideas in green roof practices but we laypeople know little about how exactly a green roof works properly and how to adopt the techniques, and overall how difficult is it to maintain a green roof properly. This guide helps us to learn about the various typologies of the roofs where various techniques could be applied, introduces innovative green roof design, and explains the numerous landscape elements possible on a green roof.

Benefits of Green Roofs:

• Sustainable drainage
• Improvement of microclimate
• Biodiversity
• Increasing building performance
• Aesthetics

Would you like to read more benefits? You might grow vegetables so that you can feed your family. You can create a space as safe and comfortable as being indoors. You can plant a garden where you can sit peacefully and spend time with your family, neighbors, and friends.

What is the Key Feature of the eBook Green Roof Construction?

The eBook focuses on the importance of having a green roof. It extensively covers two main aspects of the green roof. They are roof technology and vegetation technology. It also focuses on detailed technical solutions for a green roof. It includes some landscape elements and ideas such as farming, walkways on the rooftop, and driveways on rooftop, etc.

The roof technology chapter elaborates the structural aspects and shapes of roofs. Protection from winds, proper drainage systems, and fire-suppression systems of the roofs are also included here. The vegetation technology is the most focused part of the book where one can understand easily from the description of various types of green roofs and their detailed construction techniques. It helps the reader to choose the proper solution for his or her roof garden and provides an understanding of the importance and aesthetic quality of green roofs.

Why Should you Read the eBook – Green Roof Construction?

This eBook on green roof construction is the type of book where you can go through the whole book enjoying the eye-pleasing images and well-written, easily understood text. It is a complete guide for beginners; designs that encourage the reader and increase their interest in green roof technology. Each topic is neatly formatted and neither too long nor too short to read and understand clearly. It contains a huge amount of technical and aesthetic information about the green roof. The book is worth reading because of its clear images and specific detail drawings of solutions for green roofs.

These images help us to see the essence of the aesthetic quality of these spaces and inspire the dream to build a new one. The content is rich enough to identify different perspectives of the future solutions of roof gardening regarding green roofs. Anyone who is seeking solutions for their green roof, who wants to know more about green roofs and who wants to make a connection with nature, the eBook “Green Roof Construction” is the perfect guide and solution for them. This book inspires us to continue our future development of the sustainable environment. The book is a glimpse of our vast technologies of green roofs that ensure that possibility. Without technical and aesthetic understanding, we cannot make our efforts fruitful towards a sustainable city. So, How much do you know about green roof construction? The Green Roof Construction guide is available FREE for all of our VIP subscribers. You can sign up HERE! Review by Samia Rahman

Article by Sophie Thiel We take a closer look at landscape architecture in North America that also makes for great tourist destinations. Every person interested in the field of landscape architecture knows and wants to see prestigious projects such as The Highline when visiting New York City or newly hyped ones such as Sugar Beach in Toronto, Ontario. However, these cities — along with all of the other more or less touristic places on this diverse continent — have so much more to offer than the obvious projects of landscape architecture that get maniacal attention anyway. Therefore, the aim of this article is not to create a compilation of the 10 best-known tourist destinations in North America, but to surprise you with hidden spots of landscape architecture to visit during your next trip.

Landscape Architecture in North America

10. The Four Seasons Hotel and Residences in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, by Claude Cormier + Associés In front of the Four Seasons Hotel of Toronto, one can find a pocket park and a carpet-like pavement plaza designed by Claude Cormier. Since the rose-shaped park and the entrance plaza are open to public, it is definitely worth a visit — even if you cannot afford to stay at the high-end hotel next to it. With the design of the tiny plaza and garden, Cormier and Associés created an isle in the style of the Victorian era in the middle of the modern metropolitan skyscrapers. It is a place where stylistic elements from the 19th century are amplified successfully to fit modern-day perceptions.

9. ASLA headquarters in Washington, D.C., USA, by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc. and Conservation Design Forum The American Society of Landscape Architecture – ASLA – is internationally known and appreciated for its commitment to the profession, as well as for the pioneer work that is often done in the field of landscape architecture. Its headquarters in the heart of Washington, D.C., mirrors this commitment in the form of the new 3,000-square-foot green roof. Obviously, it is not surprising that the design of this green roof was conceived for both research purposes and to engage the public imagination of sustainability by educating audiences about the green roof agenda. The green roof of ASLA headquarters was also featured in the following article by LAN’sPaul McAtomney: USA’s Got Talent. 10 Awesome Projects From The USA 8. Metamorphous in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, by Paul Sangha Landscape Architecture One man’s joy is another man’s sorrow: The existence of the Metamorphous project — a wonderful seawall sculpture — was made possible due to the occurrence of King Tides that struck and destroyed the coastline of Vancouver in 2012. To avoid further foreshore erosion, the landscaping team made every endeavor to create something durable, but also extraordinary. The idea evolved into the creation of an abstract seawall sculpture, inspired by the natural form of the sandstone rock formations of British Columbia. The different meanings of Metamorphous mirror in every single detail of the project. The used material – CorTen steel – demonstrates one of the meanings in an exemplary way: It has an ability to change its appearance over time. 7. Uptown Normal in Normal, Illinois, USA, by Hoerr Schaudt The circle of Uptown in Normal – a city located between the two major cities of Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri — has nothing to do with a conventional roundabout. A resurgence of new life and energy came along with the redevelopment of the business district that transformed Normal into a vibrant and sustainable destination. The circle became the new center, not only due to its traffic calming function to a former misaligned intersection, but mostly because it incorporates a small park and plaza with a million extras added. If you come by the city of Normal, I would strongly recommend that you park the car and go for a stroll to Uptown’s new meeting circle, lie down in the grass, or watch the water circle in its educationally arranged basin. 6. Urban Spa in Chihuahua, Mexico, by students of ISAD, in cooperation with PKMN architects With the Urban Spa, an attraction was added to the Chihuahua city center. In short, this project is a reactivation of an unused water source and neglected public space. However, if you look more deeply into it, a success story is revealed: The Urban Spa installation shows how to rejuvenate a public space and, at the same time, create an attraction for all by uniting a neighborhood. Indeed, it is a project to learn from. Do not miss this thriving and colorful fountain with the important added value of social resilience. 5. Peak Experience in San Francisco, California, USA, by Atlas Lab During your stay in San Francisco, you definitely have to visit Market Street, with its Peak Experience project. It is definitely hard to pass by without recognizing the tiny but bright pink replications of San Francisco’s rolling hills. The city’s famous hilly topography has curated and framed its diverse neighborhoods. However, Market Street was built on a rare flat land, lacking the iconic views of San Francisco’s landscape. The Peak Experience project added a collection of undulating mini-mounds that vary in elevation, finally allowing Market Street to take part in the city’s iconic terrain play. 4. Simcoe WaveDeck in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, by West8 and DTAH Another unique project in Toronto – a city full of astonishing landscape architecture – is the Simcoe Wavedeck at the central waterfront. The wooden deck structure is a one-of a-kind project that adds a sense of interconnectedness and identity to Toronto’s new waterfront at Lake Ontario. The functional but artistic design features an informal public amphitheater-style space with impressive curves that soar more than 2.5 metres above the lake. This unique design was inspired by the shoreline of Ontario’s Great Lake, as well as the famous Canadian cottages. The WaveDeck is meant to give urban dwellers a feel for life at the lake – it is a place to play and live for young and old. 3. Greenacre Park in New York City, USA, by Sasaki Associates, Inc. Greenacre Park is definitely one of the must-see hidden spots of New York City. This so-called “Vest Pocket Park” was one of the first ones that were realized after the city embraced the idea of these small parks in 1964. The modernist style of this mini garden offers visitors an intimate experience in the middle of this rushing city. The design includes a waterfall, shading of trees, and lots of shrubs and perennials to soothe the eye. Sit down on one of the various chairs and get comfortable while listening to the sound of bubbling water that manages to drown out all of the stressful sounds of the metropolis. The Greenacre Pocket Park was also featured in this article by LAN’s Erin Tharp: 7 Top Pocket Parks: Small Spaces With a Huge Impact 2. Memorial to Victims of Violence in Mexico City, Mexico, by Gaeta-Springall Arquitectos With the Memorial a las Víctimas de la Violencia, Gaeta Springall Architects contributes to one of the most important issues of contemporary Mexican society: violence in daily life. The project proposes an undetermined space that is open to the city and open to different appropriation by its citizens or visitors. You will have to be on site to be able to deeply comprehend the memorial as a whole, to understand the subtle connections between the built structures and the natural layer and also to clearly see the void that evokes the non-presence and the absence of the victims. This memorial with its pure but at the same time afflicted silence will touch everyone who has ever lost somebody, no matter how. On the other side – and it might sound crazy – you can also find peace at the Memorial to Victims of Violence. 1. Green Varnish and Green Air in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, by Nomad Studio “We live in denial within varnishing landscapes” was the inscribed quote of the art installation Green Varnish by Nomad studio at the CAM Saint Louis. Green Varnish was the first act, a green fabric made up of thousands of plants floating in the space like a huge, green flying carpet. Sadly, this first part of a play in two acts has already been de-constructed, but only to make room for the second part of Nomad studio: Green Air. This second act is going to be the counterpart of Green Varnish and will be open to the public in summer 2016. If you are in the St. Louis area, don’t miss out on the Green Air installation, as it promises at least the same brilliance and richness of detail as the first installation. It seems like Nomad studio achieves to provoke an art and society critique within all of us.

Enhance Your Travel Experience Landscape Architecture in North America

With this article, I am not telling you to avoid well-known places such as The Highline on your next trip to North America, but to keep always in mind all of the rather unknown spots in between. Even if some of the projects mentioned above might be only temporary, there are always new spots of landscape architecture springing up around us, in cities and in rural landscapes. Keep your eyes open for the unexpected, hidden ones that are not hyped in every travel guide. This instruction applies not only to North America, but also to every journey you will go on round the whole globe. Have you already seen some of those hidden spots? If yes, where and what kind of project has it been? I am curious to hear your personal stories and experiences!  

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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 Sophie Thiel

Article by Yang Su We explore the 10 best books for landscape architecture. Continuing on from part 1 of our series – Top 10 Books For Landscape Architecture we launch the second in our series of top landscape architecture books, to help guide you in this ever demanding and increasingly complex profession.

Best Books for Landscape Architecture

(Click on the headline to explore any of the books in greater detail) 10. Returning to Nothing: The Meaning of Lost Places, by Peter Read Losing the places we love arouses our deepest feelings. What does it mean for us to lose a place forever in our memories? Why do we need to return? Returning to nothing indicates how essential living places are and how unforgettable they are to us. This book provides examples of many lost towns, suburbs, and homes in Australia. It is readable because the author visited each of these destroyed or lost places, and his powerful and thought-provoking stories are based on interviews with the people who lived there

9. The Experience of Place: A New Way of Looking at and Dealing With our Radically Changing Cities and Countryside, by Tony Hiss Deliberate changes to our surroundings can directly or indirectly affect our health, senses, behaviors, and even intelligence. Some modifications of landscape can even change the quality and pace of our lives unconsciously. What is the secret to improving our cities, and how can we better perceive our surroundings? How can we refill the places with our own reactions, thoughts, and feelings? The Experience of Place provides creative possibilities of new ways of planning, constructing, and managing our most instant and neglected surroundings. 8. Form and Fabric in Landscape Architecture: A Visual Introduction, by Catherine Dee Fabric and form generate a spatial morphology based on the use and experience of landscapes. This method is beneficial to the visual-spatial design philosophy. Catherine Dee describes fabric and form of landscapes through illustrations of topographic space, vegetation space, built space, and water space, as well as their paths, edges, foci, and details. This book helps to investigate the idea of perceiving landscapes from aesthetic, spatial, and experiential perspectives in natural, social, and cultural contexts. 7. Responsive Environments, by Sue McGlynn, Graham Smith, Alan Alcock and Paul Murrain This book expresses the explicit characteristics of creating understandable, friendly, and manageable places, using lovely sketches and drawings. It also articulates how design affects people’s choices through different methods, demonstrating permeability, variety, legibility, robustness, visual appropriateness, richness, and personalization. It deserves a read, especially for architects, landscape designers, and planners who want to enrich people’s opportunities and design the fabric of built environments in a friendly way. 6. The Landscape Urbanism Reader, by Charles Waldheim The Landscape Urbanism Reader was written by Charles Waldheim, who collects the work from many fields’ prestigious practitioners from around the world. This collection of essays provides an understanding of the definition of landscape urbanism. Waldheim explains that landscape urbanism is a new way of thinking about planning or organizing a city by focusing on landscape instead of buildings. The 14 assembled essays are written by leading figures from around the world, such as James Corner, Alan Berger, and Julia Czerniak. This book is an inspiration for the future of city making and is an essential resource for students, scholars, landscape architects, and urban planners. 5. Great Streets, b Allan B. Jacobs Which street impresses you a lot and brings good memories to your life? What are the characteristics and physical qualities of streets that make them the best in the world? To answer these questions, please read Great Streets, written by Allan Jacobs, who analyzes a broad range of street types and urban spaces and how they relate to users and designers around the world. The detailed plans, sections, use patterns, and maps of each street are analyzed and compared from diverse perspectives. Jacobs summarizes the practical design merits and approaches that have contributed to making great streets. 4. Projective Ecologies, by Chris Reed What is the ecological thinking in landscape design practices? How do we enhance robust design thinking in adaptability, resilience, and flexibility? You can find the answers in this book, which provides ideas about how ecologies inform design thinking and practice. It is a welcome reference for all researchers, designers, and students interested in ecological ideas or metaphors in a broad range of natural sciences and potential design practices. 3. Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature, by Douglas Farr Sustainable Urbanism mainly focuses on increasing the interdependence of all life on Earth and keeping the balance between humans and nature. This book is an urgent call for leaders to shape the built environment to create and improve a walkable and diverse place unified with high-performance buildings and infrastructure. Douglas Farr clarifies sustainable urbanism issues based on powerful case study analysis in London, Australia, the United States, and China. Sustainable Urbanism is the ideal book to generate ideas for making a positive impact on our cities and lives. 2. Visual Communication for Landscape Architecture, by Trudi Entwhistle and Edwin Knighton How can you effectively and quickly record and present your ideas on a landscape project? This book explores different ways to read and understand landscape with visual representational skills, such as perspectives sketches, analytical drawings, and 3D models based on 200 images from landscape practitioners and students. It helps students and practitioners of landscape architecture to express their concepts in an efficient, visual communication technique. 1. The Image of the City, by Kevin Lynch What are city dwellers’ memories of their city’s image? How can we build a vibrant and meaningful city image? What does a city’s form mean to those who live there? Based on the research of the particular visual quality “legibility” of three cities — Boston, Jersey, and Los Angeles — Kevin Lynch describes valuable principles in creating a city image and defines its elements and forms. Landscape architects, architects, city planners, and certainly city dwellers are all welcome to read this book. – All of these books could help you to comprehend how you perceive your surroundings and generate innovative ways of creating a friendly and manageable living environment. What books For Landscape Architecture would you recommend? Let us know in the comments below!

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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 Yang Su Featured Image: Shutterstock.com

Article by Samia Rahman Bridges are often seen as great functional feats of engineering. We take a look at the bridges that change this perception and show us that they can be so much more. “Bridges are among the most ancient and honorable members of society, with a background rich in tradition and culture. For countless generations, they have borne the burdens of the world and many of them have been great works of art.”  — Charles S. Whitney, Bridges: A Study in Their Art, Science and Evolution, 1929 In this era of modern technology, we are amazed every day by new innovations. As an integrated part of the natural landscape, bridges are among those innovations. Environmental issues and technological structure are integrated into the proliferation of design concepts. Here, we have put together a list of 10 incredible bridges that change the interpretation of modern bridges.

Bridges

(Click on any of the headlines to find more information about that project) 10. Vancouver Land Bridge, Vancouver, WA The Vancouver Land Bridge is located over a six-lane highway in Vancouver, WA. Its most elegant features are its serpentine form and its ecological contribution of integrating native plants, as Eduardo Reguer discusses in the article “Land Bridge is an Ecological Masterpiece”. Each landscape of the bridge is comprised of various species of shrubs, herbs, grasses, and trees. Amalgamating the art with architecture, the infrastructure shows the quality of uniting the memory of cultural history and the environment.

9. Butterfly Bridge, Copenhagen, Denmark To promote cycling in the city of Copenhagen, Dietmar Feichtinger Architects has made a bridge that consists of three individual spans. According to Tahio Avila’s article “The Butterfly Bridge Opens its Massive Wings to the Public”, the bridge is designed with three decks that connect the different banks. Two of the spans can be opened for passing sailboats. When those spans are lifted, they form a spectacular butterfly — that’s why it is named “Butterfly Bridge”. 8. The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, China How would you react if you couldn’t see the bridge you’re walking on under your feet? Many of us think that would be a scary dream, but now it has come to reality. The stunning bridge in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is a transparent glass-bottom bridge that provides views over the top and sides, as well as through the bottom. The architect accepted the challenge to design it as “invisible as possible — white bridge disappearing into the clouds.” This structure inspires us to express the incredible capabilities of our limits. WATCH >>> The longest and highest Glass Bridge in the world

7. The RheinRing Bridge, Germany The RheinRing Bridge promotes a new form of urban space for cultural exploration. As the description is illustrated in “RheinRing Bridge is a Work of Art!” by  Sha Sulaiman, the geometry is derived from a mathematical model of a superellipse, flattened shape that blends into the context of nearby forms. The bridge stands without any single piers, so that the river traffic below remains unaffected. The barrier-free cantilever arch invites pedestrians and cyclists.

6. Bridge of Mont-Saint-Michel, France As a part of a UNESCO list of world heritage sites, the Mont Saint Michel Bridge affirms a cultural identity with its mesmerizing landscapes. Tania Ramos’ exceptional article “New Access Promotes the Revival of Mont Saint Michel” reveals the challenging story behind returning the area’s appeal by replacing a massive road with a long jetty without hampering the natural settings. “The structure is minimal in its expression, but ambitious in its design and performance,” says the architect, Dietmar Feichtinger. 5. Vlotwatering Bridge, The Netherlands There is no bridge that directly contributes to the habitats of bats like the Vlotwatering Bridge, also known as the “Bat Bridge”. Check out Eni Ceka’s excellent article “How Can a Bridge Serve as Outstanding Eco-Infrastructure?” in which she technically elaborates on the intention of designing the bridge and how it helps to improve ecology. As a part of the design team, Marcel Schillemans, a bat expert from the Mammal Society, says it is “a textbook example of how a functional object can at the same time serve nature.” 4. 11th Street Garden Bridge, Washington, D.C. The 11th Street Bridge Park is a collaborative effort of the Washington, D.C., city government, the OMA and OLIN, and the Ward 8-based non-profit group “Building Bridges across the River at THEARC.” Erin Tharp’s excellent article “The Street Bridge Park Everyone’s Talking About” reveals the features of the dynamic thoroughfare infrastructure that erects a public space by providing multilayered programs for communities. 3. Double Foot Bridge, Paris, France The Feichtinger’s passerelle is the classic masterpiece of contemporary infrastructure design. In the LAN article “Incredible Double Footbridge in Paris”, Win Phyo discusses the bridge that creates an elegant look in its form. The most striking feature is its unsupported span and total length of 304 meters — which is as equal to the Eiffel Tower. The overlay of two curves creates a lens-shaped space in the middle of the bridge, offering a unique public area suspended over the water. 2. Pedestrian Bridge of Yanweizhou Park, Jinhua, China Located at the center of Jinhua city, Yanweizhou Park has become a hub for cultural activities and biodiversities of green spaces. Once, the park was underutilized and underdeveloped because of its lack of public accessibility. As Erin Tharp states in her well-written article “The Stunning Yanweizhou Park Recaptures Lost Ecology”, the main focus of the park is the poetic pedestrian bridge. The architect intentionally designed the elevated structure to reinforce the vernacular tradition. 1. The Infinite Bridge, Denmark While all bridges have a starting and finishing point, the Infinite Bridge never comes to an end. We may think it unbelievable, but it is not only infinite because of its circular shape, but also because of the unending views of the sea that it provides, as Joanna Laska discusses in her excellent article “How Has The Infinite Bridge Changed How we Experience Space?” With an aim of bringing visitors back to the coast, the ring-shaped bridge offers an endless walkway that offers unhindered views.

Bridges

As we can see from these examples, no bridge design is impossible if the designers take advantage of modern technology. These bridges create connections with people, turn the structures into gathering spaces, and create strong relationships between technology and the social activities of people. What others technologies can be used in modern bridge design? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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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 Samia Rahman

Article by Irmak Bilir Anchor Park by SLA/Stig L. Andersson, Malmö, Sweden. Anchor Park is located in the middle of a new urban neigborhood built at the former industrial estate and port area of Västra Hamnen in Sweden’s coastal city of Malmö. The park has a patchwork character and uses the water in a way we haven’t often seen: The water is intentionally collected in reliefs! In the spring of 1999, the City of Malmö invited SLA to build Anchor Park for the new district of Västra Hamnen, as a part of the international housing exposition BO01, held in Malmö in 2001. With Anchor Park, SLA gained a nomination for the European Mies van der Rohe Award in 2003. The park serves as an attractive urban space for everyone, not only for the area’s residents.

Anchor Park

The 29,000-square-meter, rectangular park is divided into two unequal halves divided by a low, sinuous wall consisting of a lawn with biotope islands. This provides a living place for a specific assemblage of plants and animals on one side, and a pool on the other. The canal of about 9,000 square meters of saltwater is a beautiful focal point. It is wide, and the park’s shoreline side is wavy, while the opponent side of it is linear. Visitors can cross over the canal on straight bridges that have fences and wooden floors. The largest bridge’s direction is not 90 degrees to the water’s flow — this positioning allows visitors to spend more time walking over the water. The bridge is easily accessible to people who have disabilities, as it has a low-slope entry. Moreover, straight jetties and winding chains make the park a place of continual experiences and surprises.

A Patchwork Park The most significant and distinctive characteristic of Anchor Park is its patchwork nature, in spatial terms. It is subject to continuous and ceaseless change and is not organized along hierarchical lines. Rather, its axes and perspective lines feature sequences of open, flowing spaces. Four biotypes play the main role as non-aesthetic materials, which include wood, concrete, metal, and rubber typical of the ancient port and coastal towns. All of them are different in sensory effect and change steadily under the influence of the weather. They are enclosed in steel and lie in the lawns like independent and self-sufficient microcosms. Another different component of the park is the reliefs that have been pressed into wet cement along the canal. Because rain falls an average of 113 days a year in this part of Scandinavia, these reliefs collect the rainwater and create water puddles on the bank. A string of fiber optics traces the line where the water and the bank meet, casting a glimmer of light across the water’s rippling surface and giving it artificial phosphorescence. The Vegetation Anchor Park has seven different species of grass, which will eventually grow together over time. These grasses assist the patchwork system of the park. The grass zones provide visual diversity with their various colors and textures. Some types grow taller, some are more thick and short, and all have some special features. All of the grass species wither and turn gold or brown during the winter months, and this maintains the homogeneity. In other seasons, the park offers refreshing changes every day and intensifies the experience of being present in a certain time and place. The trees and bushes are divided from the grass by a low elevation. Grass species cover most surfaces of the park. In addition, the park’s biotopes include alder swamps, pine species, oak forests, and saltwater biotypes with crayfish. All of these encourage contemplation and children’s play. Marine biologists assisted with the canal’s living population of seaweed. The park’s vegetation is complex, providing an opportunity to experience and learn about Swedish biotopes in the middle of the city. Thus, the park is a new type of urban park — a hydroglyph. Developed according to ecological considerations, it points out liquid compositions of different habitats. Landscape Elements Large and small Swedish boulders, embossments, and conical and cylindrical elements are used for visual effect and for seating along the kilometer-long concrete bank. If they prefer, visitors can sit on the wooden decks and swing their feet toward the water. We generally see boles as being horizontally cut in landscape architecture, but in Anchor Park, they are used more creatively. A long bole, cut from the middle with a quarterly shape, provides a place for seating. It is remarkably inspired and emphasizes the naturalness of the park. In landscape architecture, it is always so important to see objects that are used a lot in a different perspective. Surroundings The surroundings of Anchor Park are generally buildings of three to four stories. A tall, white conferance center – Turning Torso — is one of the determinative structures around the area. It is dramaticly tall and eye-catching if we compare it with other buildings. Its reflection can be seen in Anchor Park’s canal. There are a few other natural places in Västra Hamnen, but Anchor Park has created a completely new ecosystem and livened up this area. Trees, plants, and water provide residents and visitors with a way to experience the different habitats of the Swedish countryside. Moreover, it shows us how to create a patchwork park and different perspectives for using water and reliefs. Do you think Anchor Park has demonstrated this well? Let us know in the comments below!  

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Full Project Credits For Anchor Park:

Project Name: Anchor Park (Ankarparken) Location: Västre Hamnen, Malmö, Sweden Landscape Architecture: SLA Team: Stig L. Andersson, Hans Kragh, J.P.Berglund, Christian Restorff Liliegreen, Hanne Bruun Møller, Stine Poulsen Client: City of Malmö Design Phase: 2000 Construction: 2001 Project Area: 2.9 hectares Cost of Construction: €4 million Awards: 1st prize, competition by invitation, July 1999 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 Irmak Bilir

Article by Domenico Pistone We examine the term gentrification and take a closer look at what it means to Landscape Architects. It’s a word that now, more and more often, we meet while browsing articles on large cities undergoing transformation. It pops up notoriously around the topic of workers’ quarters; when reading a post on urban regeneration; whilst looking for examples of great world cities like San Francisco, Berlin, New York, or Rome; it is a word that seems far too complex to be understood easily.

So, What the Hell is Gentrification?

Gentrification Definition: “The buying and renovation of houses and stores in deteriorated urban neighborhoods by upper- or middle-income families or individuals, thus improving property values but often displacing low-income families and small businesses”. – www.dictionary.com It is a term coined in 1964 by R. Glass, (1912-1990) a British sociologist of German origin. Fifty-two years since that gentrification definition, you need to look at an overall picture to see a phenomenon that is sometimes associated with any kind of urban regeneration; but all growth is not gentrification. The term derives from the noun, “gentry”, described first as the lower nobility, and, broadly speaking, as people from good families that make up the bourgeoisie. Gentrification is typical of global cities and is often the result of economic change. Since Ruth Glass analyzed this socio-economic phenomenon, the largest debate over issues of gentrification is that concerning the causes of this type of change. Gentrification Meaning There Were Two Main Lines of Thought for Gentrification The first, supported by King’s College professors T.Butler and C.Hamnett, is oriented to the demand side: the society is changing (reflect, perhaps is happening to you, too), the middle class, engaged in more paying jobs, begins to spend money, the economy turns and moves towards closer to work areas. The second, supported by the geographer Neil Robert Smith and the Scottish academics, focuses on the supply side, identifying the devaluation of housing as the engine of gentrification. In both cases, therefore, gentrification leads to the creation of real portions of the city abandoned or left to themselves, as maybe is happening outside our window and we do not know. WATCH >>> Gentrification: The New Age of Colonialism (Documentary)

How to Recognize Gentrification?

Glass claims that the gentrification process includes three different points of view: geographic, social, and housing. From a geographical point of view, when gentrification occurs in a big city, it takes on a neighborhood size and concerns especially deprived areas near the city center. From the social point of view, it assumes the immediate relevance of class membership. As it happens, families or individuals of the middle class go to occupy housing and neighborhoods from which the families of the working class have been expelled. From a construction standpoint, the process involves old, run-down homes, which are recovered and refurbished by the new residents with repercussions on their real estate value. The Glass description suggests an organized process, a plurality of uncoordinated individuals. This theory has been revitalized, in part, by Benjamin Grant (city planner, urban designer and head of the SPUR interagency Master Plan for Ocean Beach). Sociologist Jason Patch, in his book, “The Embedded Landscape of Gentrification“, rethinks the relationship between social environment and buildings, yet confirming the prime arena of gentrification: the city. It is only in the city, in fact, that this socio-cultural and economic process can and does happen. It is the city that allows these changes, driven by the economy, to occur at the speed of a change in fashions and trends. Times Change, Gentrification Does too Of course, in fifty years many things have changed in society. Now, perhaps, the term gentrification is used more commonly and is used to define a much broader concept than it did fifty-two years ago. You could say that we can define gentrification as any urban transformation that has two of the following three characteristics:

1. Social concerns
2. Building renovations
3. A central location

WATCH >>> The Pros And Cons Of Gentrification

Gentrification, however, leads to homogenisation of the areas of design, often stripped of any study linked to the specificity of place, design which is devoid of passion and character. Memory and historical identity give way to economic and sociological drivers that lead to a forced redevelopment of the sites. It is a capitalist and in some respects speculative approach which greatly influences the culture and character of a territory, making gentrification a controversial process. Perhaps we too are endorsing the practice and we do not know it? Many critics say that the most onerous damage caused by gentrification is the displacement of the original inhabitants of a redeveloped area even poorer areas. WATCH >>> Gentrification: Help or Harm?

Let the Past be our Future; the Role of Landscape Architect! Landscape architecture, the practice that often reinterprets historical memory in a contemporary way, may be interested in gentrification, this social and economic cultural process which instead of displacing residents, revitalizes a place, bringing benefits to those who live there now. Gentrification is a process that can hardly be stopped; it is useless to try. Change is inherent in the human soul, said Heraclitus, the ancient Greek philosopher, and one of the greatest pre-Socratic thinkers, “there is nothing immutable, but the need to change”, so why not take advantage of this change to the physical and mental well-being of the residents of a place? That’s why the landscape architect should be interested in gentrification because they are the right people to reinterpret an economic process with a participatory planning process and redevelopment of the sites aimed at improving the lives of residents. Imagine that this healthy change involves every neighbourhood of every city in the world. Imagine the potential contained in every story and how the landscape architect could reassess land development to create a general well-being requested by the affected; by those who are usually required to move because of gentrification. Has this article helped your understanding of gentrification?

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Recommended Reading:

• Gentrification by Routledge
• There Goes the ‘Hood: Views of Gentrification from the Ground Up by Temple University Press

Article by Domenico Pistone Featured Image: Buildings on Mainzer Straße in Berlin. By No machine-readable author provided. Gryffindor assumed (based on copyright claims). – No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public Domain