Author: Land8: Landscape Architects Network
Land8 Social Media Awards in Landscape Architecture 2018 – Winners!
Last month, we announced the launch of the inaugural Land8 Social Media Awards in Landscape Architecture. Social media has the power to significantly increase the awareness and importance of the profession of landscape architecture, and we believe industry leaders in social media should be promoted and recognized.
We received so many worthy submissions that we decided to extend the awards per category from eight to ten! Rather than a checklist or points, we took a holistic approach to determining the winners to offer a variety of successful social media accounts – be sure to follow the winners to help grow the profession!
Top 10 Social Media Accounts – Landscape Architecture Firms
- Arterial, LLC | Arterial does a fantastic job of using graphic design, engaging techniques, and educational tidbits to promote landscape architecture and planning. They address the experience of communities in different spaces and how it can be enhanced through human-oriented landscape architecture and street design. Though their following is still growing, their content is top-notch, showing the value and art of landscape architecture for people inside and outside of the industry.
Accounts to follow: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Blog - EDSA | EDSA utilizes social media to educate its audience on the many facets and benefits of landscape architecture as well as create awareness for the industry. As part of its social media strategy, they focus on diving deep into one topic each month. For example, EDSA covered technology in design, coastal resiliency, urban design trends, hospitality/tourism trends and water in design. They also launched a video series on social media called “Inside the Design Studio”. The interview-style videos showcase EDSA principals discussing the impact of design and the importance of landscape architects in projects.
Accounts to follow: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube - NAK Design Strategies | NAK uses their social media platforms to share their work, share fantastic global design inspiration, explain what landscape architects really do, and to show people more about what a landscape architecture office is all about. The balance between places and the people behind the design of those places makes for a great account to follow for designers and non-designers alike.
Accounts to follow: Instagram | Facebook - Cadence | Cadence has utilized various social media platforms to focus on connecting social and physical landscapes. The channels help influence their local community, promote the profession of landscape architecture, and build connections with an international audience of students, designers, and nature enthusiasts. Their feed is populated with an insider’s look at day-to-day operations, environmental awareness, and hyper-local community engagement to yield true “in-person” relationships.
Accounts to follow: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Blog - TBG Partners | One of the biggest problems facing landscape architects is a lack of recognition by allied professionals and clients. TBG helps solve this problem by educating and then engaging their audience in the design process. Social media allows them to easily showcase the romance of their designs – from videos to beautifully done hand-drawings to immaculate built project photos. TBG does an excellent job of not just showcasing the “what” of what they do, but also the “why.”
Accounts to follow: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter - Stack Rock Group | Stack Rock Group demonstrates the creative ways their team uses landscape architecture and planning to solve problems for clients. A self-described “quirky and creative” firm, their posts fit the bill and engage the audience in a very fun and relaxed manner. In addition to the fun, their high quality images and informative descriptions of their projects promote the value of landscape architecture.
Accounts to follow: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Blog - Arterra Landscape Architects | Arterra’s account features a full range of images and content of a design studio’s office culture, projects, and the materials that fascinate them. The Instagram account represents not only a company, but also “the visual musings, daily adventures, and site visits of Kate Stickley,” offering a glimpse into the perspective of a leader of a landscape architecture firm.
Accounts to follow: Instagram - Seferian Design Group | Seferian Design Group utilizes social media to illustrate their people, projects, and process as they relate to landscape architecture. From conceptual design to construction, they believe all aspects of the design process are important to promote and educate followers. It’s clear that the firm values teamwork and gives insight into working in a collaborative architecture firm that is people-oriented.
Accounts to follow: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter - Agency Landscape + Planning | Agency uses its social media channels for unique purposes. Facebook provides real-time project updates and events. Twitter advocates for ideas that are core to its mission (diversity, resilience, inclusion, and engagement). LinkedIn connects them with clients and collaborators. Instagram shares experiences that “make them feel”. It is the social media embodiment of the firm culture: diverse, fun, feminist, artful, engaging, and expressive of gratitude for the people they work with.
Accounts to follow: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn - hutterreimann Landschaftsarchitektur | hutterreimann uses their Instagram account to present competition results and built projects. Even if you don’t speak German, the stunning images and designs are beautiful in any language (there’s always the translate button too!). This account offers a European perspective on modern landscape architecture.
Accounts to follow: Instagram
Top 10 Social Media Accounts – Individual Landscape Architects
- Kale Hicks | Kale created the @LandscapeArch.Rendering Instagram account to be a community for landscape architects, firms, and students alike. It’s a chance to celebrate each other’s work at any level and provides tons of inspiration and the chance to learn from others in the process. It also provides the opportunity to see how landscape architects in other countries are practicing, demonstrating how global the profession is and how much more global it’s becoming. The account has a large following, bringing landscape architects on Instagram together while promoting the profession to others.
Accounts to follow: Instagram - Gina Ford | If you’re looking for the hot button topics and projects that landscape architects are talking about, you will want to follow Gina. She leverages her leadership to advocate for equal rights, access, and opportunity for underrepresented voices in landscape architecture. She uses social media to spread the best design evidence that landscape architecture is “the best profession on earth”, call out press when they fail to recognize the landscape architect’s contribution, celebrate the amazing work of others (particularly women and people of color), share her own thoughts and writing about the values the profession provides, connect landscape thinkers to ideas and each other, show the world that our profession is fun, funny, and engaging as well as being profoundly important and meaningful.
Accounts to follow: Twitter | LinkedIn - Zeke Cooper | With a focus on gardens, plants, and details, Zeke created an Instagram account to give viewers a glimpse into his life as a landscape architect. He shares the things he likes, his current and past work, and insight into his design process. The account is educational with a personal touch, giving his audience a great place to find inspiration, which is proven by his large following.
Accounts to follow: Instagram - James Richards | The primary focus of James’ social media presence is to promote and celebrate freehand design drawing and on-location sketching as foundational skills for designers, as vital ways to see and value the world’s lands and cultures, and to envision a better world. They offer windows into the leadership role of a landscape architect in teaching and promoting these skills across disciplines and in countries around the globe. They foster remarkable conversations about places and placemaking, design, and creativity, giving a landscape architectural point of view a broad, diverse and growing audience.
Accounts to follow: Instagram | Blog - Ula Maria | Ula uses social media to engage not only with fellow professionals, but also the general public, especially to promote the profession to younger audiences who might be making their career choices or are simply curious about landscape architecture. She keeps the content relevant, fresh, and cool so that landscape and garden design becomes one of the leading professions in the design industries.
Accounts to follow: Instagram - Faezeh Ashtiani | With thousands of followers on Instagram, mostly in the USA and Iran, her dual language posts help extend her reach and educate them on a variety of topics, including landscape architecture. She has held live stories about landscape architecture programs and the path to becoming a landscape architect. She frequently posts stories of office culture, projects, products, and more. She shows the full scale and variety of what landscape architects do to those who are not the most familiar with the profession. She enjoys talking about the design aspects of the physical environment from her daily commute in Chicago to her international trips, showing the importance of the built environment and how it affects the health, safety, and welfare of us all. It’s a thoughtful and interesting account to follow to learn about the perspective and experience of an Iranian-born landscape architect practicing in Chicago.
Accounts to follow: Instagram - Jennifer Nitzky | Via Instagram, Jennifer focuses on inspirational landscapes wherever she goes and the details that make the designs great. She does a series of #plantnerd posts highlighting various plants, sharing characteristics of the species. Her Twitter handle is used to raise awareness of landscape architecture by sharing the latest news, announcing calls to action for issues relating to our profession, and engaging others to learn more by providing helpful links. For World Landscape Architecture Month, she visited and highlighted 30 different New York City landscapes.
Accounts to follow: Instagram | Twitter - Emily Sutherland | Curated from the perspective of a recent graduate landscape architect wandering the globe in search of inspiration, the account utilizes the accessibility of social media to promote Landscape Architecture through the medium of travel. By documenting a diverse range (scale/prominence/location) of projects visited the aspiration is to inspire and educate fellow professionals, as well as non-designers, on the breadth of places which are facilitated by Landscape Architecture. Checkout this Land8 article about her profile from earlier this year.
Accounts to follow: Instagram - Maren McBride | Maren uses social media with beautifully taken photos to document her day to day life as a landscape architect in the Pacific Northwest, including life at her firm Mithun and the places, spaces, and people (and food) that inspire her. She’s actively engaged in the Seattle design community and hopes to inspire other landscape architects to get involved in awesome organizations like ASLA, ULI, ACE Mentor Program and Techbridge Girls.
Accounts to follow: Instagram - Sally O’Halloran | Sally, a landscape architecture teacher at University of Sheffield, uses social media to promote the profession to prospective students through #chooselandscape, to encourage the students she teaches to use it specifically to promote planting design through #shefplanting, to highlight the work of the landscape architecture department and colleagues, and to highlight good examples of planting design in landscape architecture case studies. This is a fun and informative account to see landscape architecture through the lens of an academic.
Accounts to follow: Instagram | Twitter
Top 10 Social Media Accounts – Allied Organizations
- American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) | Keeping with its mission, ASLA’s social media channels advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education, and fellowship. This is the place to find award winning projects (mostly in the USA) and to see what recent efforts the organization is doing to advance the profession, reaching and inspiring many outside of the USA as well with its large following and reach.
Accounts to follow: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest - The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) | In addition to announcing new initiatives, furthering the reach and exposure of media coverage, and empowering advocates to take action – all while actively promoting the work of landscape architects and allied professionals – TCLF leverages its myriad social media platforms to drive traffic to its expansive website and advance its strategic communications/messaging. Also, Birnbaum Blogs now debut on Dezeen, a global and influential design forum, to further elevate the profession’s visibility.
Accounts to follow: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Blog | Pinterest | YouTube - Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) | LAF uses social media to recognize student scholarships winners, fellows, researchers, and exemplary design and business practices in landscape architecture. They share stories to lead the profession forward on issues of equity and inclusion and on designing for climate change. In doing so, they inspire action from landscape architects, from making sure to vote to encouraging lifelong learning to building a culture of philanthropy within the profession. LAF has their finger on the pulse of “next practices” in landscape architecture.
Accounts to follow: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn - Landscape Forms | A leading manufacturer of site furniture and lighting, Landscape Forms sets the bar high for manufacturers utilizing social media with high quality photography that not only features their products, but also the beautifully designed landscape where it is situated. Their posts engage the audience and the landscape architects they work with, along with their clients. Each post is set to activate the potential of outdoor space and enrich the experiences of the people who use them. A recent initiative includes featuring student profiles to help them share their passion and grow their industry network.
Accounts to follow: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn - Linescapes | Linescapes support landscape architects and others by helping them use drawing to understand their environment better as well as communicate their ideas more easily to the public. They publish their knowledge and drawing advice online for free and use social media to reach a larger audience. It’s their firm belief that if they can help practicing professionals carry out their work better, they contribute to the advancement of the profession. Their YouTube videos are super helpful, high quality, and fun to watch.
Accounts to follow: YouTube | Facebook | Instagram - XL Lab at SWA Group | XL Lab, SWA’s firm wide home for research and innovation, provides insights into future conditions in the built environment, analysis of constructed spaces, new tools and technologies through experimentation, and topical studies. Beyond providing key updates and sharing work, they use social media to reveal their research process, showcase external stories and tools they find inspirational, and start a conversation about the challenges of tackling practice-based research in the AEC industry. Their process of documenting their work offers a fascinating and open behind-the-scenes look into their work.
Accounts to follow: Instagram | Twitter - Vectorworks | Through their channels, Vectorworks (software company for designers) shares user-generated content from both professional and student designers in the industry, promoting their projects, accomplishments, and successful workflows to various design professionals. They often feature industry news, trends, and articles too. They share free landscape-oriented webinars on a monthly basis, as well as promote industry trade shows and events. It’s clear they are supporters and promoters of everything landscape architecture.
Accounts to follow: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | Blog - Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) | GRHC social media channels increase the awareness of the economic, social, and environmental benefits of green roofs, green walls, and other forms of living architecture through education, advocacy, professional development and celebrations of excellence. They value their partnerships with landscape architects and provide inspiration and resources that designers should take advantage of for their green roof and related projects.
Accounts to follow: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram - LOFscapes | LOFscapes (“LOF”, borrowed from Mapuches Chilean aborigines meaning “community”, and “scapes”, English for “configurations”) is a space for critical discussion about the transformation of the Chilean landscape, particularly in the last two decades. The audience is able to take a unique and authentic look at landscape architecture in Chile.
Accounts to follow: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter - Kansas State University Student Chapter of the ASLA / Michigan State University Student Chapter of the ASLA | We ruled this one a tie as both represent great examples of how student ASLA chapters can engage their student members as well as a wider audience to those outside of their program and soon-to-be profession.
Accounts to follow: KSU Instagram | MSU Instagram | MSU Facebook
Want to be a part of this list? Please check back for the call for self-nominations for 2019!
Land8 Social Media Awards for Landscape Architecture 2018 – Call for Nominations!
Land8: Landscape Architects Network announces the inaugural Land8 Social Media Awards for Landscape Architecture. Land8 was founded as an online hub for landscape architecture professionals to interact with each other. It has since grown to an international community of not only landscape architects, but also those interested in learning about the field of landscape architecture with over 1.5 million followers across Land8’s social media channels. Social media has the power to significantly increase the awareness and importance of the profession of landscape architecture, and we believe industry leaders in social media should be promoted and recognized.
AWARDS
Eight (8) awards will be given and ranked in each of the following categories:
- Top 8 Social Media Accounts, Landscape Architecture Firms
- Top 8 Social Media Accounts, Individual Landscape Architects (or landscape designer with landscape architecture degree or student in landscape architecture)
- Top 8 Social Media Accounts, Allied Partners (those supporting work related or promoting landscape architecture, such as nonprofits, associations, universities, or vendors)
Awardees will be featured on a list of “Land8’s Best Social Media Accounts in Landscape Architecture 2018” promoted through our extensive network, and our followers will be encouraged to follow the awarded accounts.
CRITERIA
Land8 will judge social media accounts on the following: Visual Excellence, Influence, Engagement, and Promotion of Landscape Architecture. This may include popular mediums, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and/or blogs. Only public accounts will be considered.
SELF NOMINATIONS
Self nominations are due December 21, 2018 with announcement of winners by December 31, 2018. Nominations may be from anywhere around the globe. Please submit your nominations in English. If language is a barrier to apply or account is in another language, please contact us.
NOMINATION FORM >
Land8 “Happy Hour” Comes Full Circle in Philly
If you’ve ever attended the ASLA Meeting + EXPO over the last decade, there’s a good chance you attended or at least heard about the famous Land8 Happy Hour that bills itself as “The Largest Party for Landscape Architects in the World.” It’s only natural that the largest gathering of landscape architects (ASLA Meeting + EXPO) also includes the largest social event too with over 700 attendees expected at the Happy Hour.
The 11th Annual Land8 Happy Hour returns to the city of its very first Happy Hour on October 21 at 8pm and includes an open bar, limited edition t-shirt, photo booth, networking, raffles, pub games, and dancing! Register here.
The first Land8 Happy Hour in Philly 2008 | Photo: Kevin Gaughan
So why is it called a “Happy Hour” if it’s a late night event? Land8 Managing Partner, Matt Alcide, states that it’s a nod to Land8’s humble beginnings. At the inaugural Land8 Happy Hour in Philadelphia in 2008, it truly was a traditional happy hour with about a dozen attendees and a few pitchers of beer. While the size of the gathering has changed, the purpose has not, which is to bring landscape architects together in a relaxed informal setting to kick back after long days of meetings and educational sessions.
If you’re in town Sunday evening 10/21 in Philly, be sure to get your tickets ahead of time at land8.com! The Land8 Happy Hour is made possible by the event sponsors Anova Furnishings, Vectorworks, and Permaloc.
REGISTER HERE >
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This article originally appeared in ASLA’s LAND.
Paveshare.org Now on Land8!
PaveShare.org open-education curriculum for landscape architecture students and educators is now available through the Land8: Landscape Architects Network.
PaveShare.org, a free ICPI resource, links to self-guided presentations with interactive animations and a studio project library on segmental concrete pavement design and construction. Educators can supplement existing curriculum with resources from PaveShare.org and encourage students to add to a living library by uploading their completed projects to the site. Students and educators can also explore pattern design and structural principles or utilize a curriculum path.
“Segmental concrete pavement systems provide landscape architects with a proven, flexible, and durable method that also allows tremendous design freedom,” said Kendall Anderegg, ICPI Board Chair. “By teaming with the Land8 network, ICPI brings innovative design ideas and technical information to landscape architecture students and educators in a free, easy-to-use manner.”
PaveShare.org resources include:
- Information about concrete paver composition and uses
- Project design ideas and case studies
- Construction and installation best practices and detail drawings
- Glossary of key terms
- List of resources available from other organizations
“Concrete paver sales in the U.S. and Canada have reached post-recession highs during the last several years,” said Anderegg. “Homeowners and landscape architects frequently choose segmental concrete pavement for residential and commercial projects because of its visual appeal and durability. PaveShare.org helps the next generation of landscape architects address this growing demand.”
Students and educators can participate in the PaveShare.org curriculum by visiting www.land8.com/paveshare and clicking on the “Resources” link above the masthead.
View a video demonstrating how to use PaveShare.org:
LEAD IMAGE: The University of Tennessee at Knoxville incorporated permeable interlocking concrete pavement into a campus center upgrade. PaveShare.org is flexible, living landscape architecture curriculum delivers latest concrete paver design and technical information. View Case Study.
Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture Brings New Life to Constitution Avenue
Article by Maria Giovanna Drago Constitution Avenue by Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture along with Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects, and MEC in Canberra, Australia. Constitution Avenue is a key street in Canberra, Australia. In fact, along with Commonwealth and Kings Avenues, it forms the city’s basic geometric design guidelines that developed Canberra in the 1900s. Situated in a lively area, it’s adjacent to residential and commercial buildings, but also recreational and cultural activities. In 2016, Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture completed the renewal project after four years of construction. The renovation brought modernity to this roadside axis, rewriting its role in the city. We can say that Constitution Avenue was influenced by great western avenues like the Champs-Élysées in Paris or La Rambla in Barcelona. The City Design Walter B. Griffin was an American architect and landscape architect who won the international competition for the design of the new capital city in 1912. He and his wife, Marion, developed a plan and ran an architecture firm together. “I have planned it not in a way that I expected any government authorities in the world would accept. I have planned an ideal city – a city that meets my ideal of the city of the future,” said Griffin.
Canberra Design Plan by Walter B. Griffin and Marion M. Griffin took inspiration from Ebenezer Howard’s Garden city movement. Credit: National Archives of Australia
Rendering from the Summit of Mount Ainslie in Canberra by Marion Griffin, 1911. Credit: National Archives of Australia
Constitution Avenue designed by Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture. Credit: John Gollings
Constitution Avenue facing northwest. Credit: John Gollings
The redesign of Constitution Avenue won the Canberra Medallion as well as the ACT’s top award for urban design. Credit: John Gollings
Constitution Avenue. Credit: John Gollings
Furniture on Constitution Avenue. Credit: John Gollings
Crepe myrtles in bloom along Constitution Avenue. Credit: John Gollings
- 10 Great Projects Showing why Australia are Leaders in Landscape Architecture by Paul McAtomney
- Streetscape | 5 of the Best Projects Today for Design Inspiration by Kurt Longland
- Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Turns Sidewalk into Awesome Park by Aybige Tek
Featured image: Constitution Avenue | Canberra, Australia | John Gollings | 2016
5 of the Smartest Drainage Systems
Article by Maria Giovanna Drago We have selected five of the most interesting drainage solutions to show you how their impact could be implemented in the landscape. Are you planning on designing a park or renovating your home garden? While you may already have knowledge of vegetation, outdoor furniture, paving, and lighting—a troubling issue that many are faced with is an excess of water. If it rains too much a garden or park could quickly become a swamp. Once the soil becomes saturated insects start to proliferate in the water, some of which are bearers of diseases. Additionally, overflow water can make moving through a space difficult as well as damage buildings or other structures. Avoid a Bad Design Do not rely on mediocre designed systems. A poor design decreases property value up to 15 percent, without mentioning the aesthetics and usability. It’s always wise to consult an expert and shy away from do-it-yourself methods.
Warsaw University Library Garden located in Poland. Credit: Maria Giovanna Drago
Warsaw University Library. Credit: Maria Giovanna Drago
Grass pavement. Credit: Immanuel Giel via CC BY 2.0
Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia by Kaseman Beckman Advanced Strategies and Buro Happold. Credit: Brien Aho via CC BY 2.0
New Road located in the city of Brighton & Hove, UK designed by Landscape Projects and Gehl Architects. Credit: Gehl Architects
- 5 Best Plants for Phytoremediation by Elisa García
- Permeable Pavement: Why We Need Permeable Pavement More than Ever by Frank Bourque
- Quzhou Luming Park Proves that Natural Processes Offer the Most Sustainable Solutions by Erin Tharp
Featured image: Quzhou Luming Park | Quzhou, Zhejiang, China | Turenscape | 2016
What Lessons Can We Draw from One Spadina Crescent?
Article by Moreira Filho One Spadina Crescent by NADAAA with the leadership of Nader Tehrani and Katie Faulkner along with Adamson Associates, Public Work, and ERA Architects in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located on Spadina Avenue and the north side of College Street in Toronto, this building was constructed in a roundabout that interrupts and divides the avenue. It’s impossible to pass through without seeing it, as it’s a monumental sculpture that seems to grow into the skies as you approach. Built in 1875 to house Knox College – incorporated by the University of Toronto (U of T) 12 years later – it used to harbor a theological seminary, military hospital, various departments of U of T, and a penicillin factory. Rendering this building, and giving it back to Torontonians and worldwide citizens, while linking the past to a present utilization was a big challenge for the design team. The firm chosen to develop this design was NADAAA, through the leadership of Nader Tehrani and Katie Faulkner in partnership with architect of record Adamson Associates, landscape architects Public Work, and heritage architects ERA Architects. Let’s look at some lessons we can take from them.
One Spadina Crescent Site Plan. Credit: Public Work
Third Floor Graduate Design Studio. Credit: Lori Whelan
View to the South. Credit: Public Work
View to the North. Credit: Public Work
View to the East. Credit: Public Work
- Canada’s Got Talent – 10 Awesome Examples of Landscape Architecture in Canada by Paul McAtomney
- Beautiful Plaza Celebrates Canadian Landscape by Alexandra Wilmet
- Sätra Centre: How a Public Square Turned into a Cozy Living Room by Velislava Valcheva
Featured image: One Spadina Crescent, seen from above | Toronto, Canada | Roof Topper | 2017
Two Famous American Urban Parks Demonstrate How Citizens Changed in 160 Years
Article by Maria Giovanna Drago We examine how urban parks in the United States have evolved over the last 160 years through a comparison of New York City’s Central Park and Chicago’s Millennium Park. Society has continually changed throughout history, often in reaction to events and novelties. Important time periods, such as industrial revolutions and wars have influenced the way of life and because of these events some people favored living in fast-paced cities while others in the countryside. These progressions can be seen in the layout of cities, particularly the urban parks. Parks allow us to better understand the struggle between nature and the built environment. Even though it seems that more attention is usually given to the expansion of cities, over the centuries urban green infrastructure has not remained static.
Central Park West Historic District, seen from Bow Bridge over the Lake in Central Park. Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0
Aerial view of Millennium Park. Credit: Ashley Diener
Lower end of mall at Central Park in 1901. Credit: CC BY 2.0
Crown Fountain. Credit: Serge Melki via CC
Pritzker Pavilion Great Lawn. Credit: Bob Segal
Heckscher Playground in Central Park. Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0
- 10 of the Best Urban Projects in the World by Erisa Nesimi
- How Bishan Park Became “The Central Park” of Singapore by Win Phyo
- How Can a Park Become “A Lung for the City”? by Irmak Bilir
Featured image: Central Park from Rockefeller Center | New York, New York | Andrew Mace | 2015
10 Reasons to Go on a Landscape Architecture Exchange
Article by Emily Sinclair Discover why landscape architecture students should embark on a foreign exchange. There are many clear advantages to participating in an exchange program during your time in university. From learning a new language to experiencing a new culture, becoming a foreign exchange student can change your perspective on the world around you. As landscape architecture students, we all deal with the design of spaces and the surrounding environments in our projects. While we can study theory, and delve into case studies of monumental landscape works, there is no alternative to visiting the space in person. Traveling is always an option, but there are benefits to spending a semester abroad as a landscape architecture student. 10. Exposure to Projects As mentioned above, while studying a space can be useful to your studies and forming your personal design style, nothing quite takes the place of visiting a project in person. Landscape architecture is found worldwide and each country takes its own approach to the field. By traveling to new countries, you are not only opening your mind to new experiences, but also new philosophies and values. By exploring projects with your feet, eyes, and sketchbook rather than your textbook, you can draw your own conclusions and discover something you didn’t expect to find.
Kyrkogårdsförvaltningen, Malmö, Sweden. Credit: Emily Sinclair
Ribersborgsstranden in the Winter, Malmö, Sweden. Credit: Emily Sinclair
A Swedish ‘Champagne’ Breakfast. Credit: Emily Sinclair
Bern, Switzerland. Credit: Emily Sinclair
Always Bring a Sketchbook. Credit: Emily Sinclair
- 10 Great Places to Study Landscape Architecture in Europe by Erin Tharp
- 5 Cities a Landscape Architecture Student Should Visit and Why by Eleni Tsirintani
- 10 Great Countries for Living and Working Abroad by Alexandra Antipi
Featured image: Slottstradgarden | Malmö, Sweden | Emily Sinclair | 2017
How Jardin des Rives Brings People to Nature and Nature to Man
Article by Radenka Kolarov Jardin des Rives by Studio Basta in Amiens, France.
Les Hortillonnages d’Amiens is an area that stretches alongside the Somme River. Since Roman times, the land has been hard and unusable so food was cultivated on small islands in the water. In modern times, the food crops were largely lost, leaving many islands unused and without a purpose. The MCA wanted to change this and with the help of Studio Basta organized a festival for art and gardening in this area. Inspired by the ancient Roman islands, still found on the water, Studio Basta built two wooden terraces that include benches combined with native plants arranged in a perfect order of color and composition.
History As an Inspiration? There are projects all around the world that have used the history of a local area for inspiration. Jardin des Rives is a small project, yet its design relies on a distant history, one that dates back to Ancient Roman times. Romans had a specific way of plant cropping and created well-known vegetable gardens on islands. Nowadays, these islands are abandoned and largely forgotten. Studio Basta’s main idea for this project was to re-innovate these islands and use them as the driving force behind the design. So, what have they done?
Kayakers at Jardin des Rives. Credit: Studio Basta
Jardin des Rives Wooden Terrace. Credit: Studio Basta
- France’s Got Talent – 10 Awesome Projects from France by Lidija Šuster
- Extraordinary Development Re-connects City with the River Bank by Simon Vive
- Museum Park Louvre Lens Shows us the Potential of Coal Mines by Cristina Conciatu
Featured image: Jardin des Rives | Amiens, France | Studio Basta | 2012
Designing a Barcode Patterned Square: Täby Torg Square by Polyform Architects
Article by Gwgw Kalligiannaki Täby Torg Square by Polyform Architects in Täby, Sweden. In the 1960s, the City of Täby joined the Swedish “Million Programme” to help solve the housing problems in the city. The project’s goal was to build one million apartments in a short period of time and to provide a roof for all. Although the speedy rebuild was very successful, the town’s appearance was monotonous and lacked public space. Therefore, in the early 2000s, the Municipality of Täby decided it was time to resolve the issue and transform the public, urban life of their citizens. To do this, they selected the parking lot of the city’s main shopping center and converted it into a space to host public events and activities. Danish firm Polyform Architects was commissioned for the design of the New Centre and brought a sense of character to the city. Their design for a multi-functional square was cleverly organized into six themed squares, each with its own identity, and each providing different opportunities in public life.
Täby Torg Square Barcode. Credit: Wichmann + Bendtsen, Ake Lindmann
Täby Torg Square Playground. Credit: Wichmann + Bendtsen, Ake Lindmann
Täby Torg Square Water Fountain. Credit: Wichmann + Bendtsen, Ake Lindmann
Täby Torg Square Lighting. Credit: Wichmann + Bendtsen, Ake Lindmann
Täby Torg Square Lighting. Credit: Wichmann + Bendtsen, Ake Lindmann
Täby Torg Square Pavilion. Credit: Wichmann + Bendtsen, Ake Lindmann
- New Urban Squares | How to Activate the Leftover Spaces Between Buildings by Giacomo Guzzon
- Top 10 Imaginative Squares by Sonia Jackett
- How This Square in Spain is Bringing People Together by Taylor Stapleton
Featured image: Täby Torg Square | Täby, Sweden | Wichmann + Bendtsen, Åke Lindmann | 2015
What Roles Can Landscape Architecture Play for Physically Challenged People?
Article by Farah Afza Jurekh In this article we look at the fundamentals of universal design. Universal accessibility is widely considered by landscape architects. However, beyond functional elements such as crosswalks with sound cues, there are very few landscapes that are designed to engage the senses and provide benefits to the visually impaired. Landscape design principles offer an array of opportunities to the people who are visually impaired and physically challenged to ensure their ease in movement and comfort. Visually Impaired People When visually impaired people negotiate with the outside world, their hands and feet become their eyes. They use their feet to acquire surface information and fingers to recognize texture, form, and location. Additionally, the blind rely on other sensory organs to compensate for their lack of sight and their ability to hear, smell, taste, touch, and feel is more subtle than people with sight. By manipulating certain aspects of the landscape, a person who is visually impaired or physically challenged could have an enhanced perception of the surrounding environment. Sites that accentuate non-visual experiences can foster feelings of security, both physical and psychological, by creating alternative prompts and allowing them to navigate and identify spaces that may not be familiar. Importance of Tactile Surfaces Especially for Physically Challenged People Texture Texture, for this purpose, refers to ground surfaces, which can be used to denote footpaths for visually impaired people through their sense of touch. They are detected either underfoot or via a walking cane. Furthermore, changes in ground surface can be used to indicate an approaching hazardous area, such as a road or signal crossing, and show the correct direction to proceed.
ADA compliant color contrast detectable warning installation on a high traffic area in New York City. Credit: CC BY 3.0
Low profile directional tactile markings are installed on busy pedestrian crossings in Japan. Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0
The future approach to Brickell Station along Miami’s Underline. Credit: James Corner Field Operations, courtesy Friends of the Underline