Author: Land8: Landscape Architects Network

Article by Giacomo Guzzon – The Case of St. James Square in Melbourne and Pancras Square in London looking at how they created new urban squares. Almost all historic public squares have some common characteristics. They are typically generous in size, they are often surrounded by important buildings, feature fountains, statues, and seating of some kind, and most importantly, they have lots of light because they are surrounded by rather low buildings, hosting shops and restaurants and conveying a liveable and active atmosphere. Today urban squares are designed in a completely different socioeconomic environment. Space in cities is limited and there is great economic pressure to create tall buildings to maximize their capacity and use.

Many of these new squares such as St. James Square and Pancras Square are located in very challenging sites. Landscape architects are asked to design spaces in the inhospitable conditions caused by shadows cast by tall buildings, wind corridors, and complicated circulation.

New Urban Squares

St. James Square in Melbourne

St. James Square, by Aspect Studios, covers a small site completely surrounded by tall and modern buildings. Here the design had the goal to activate and rejuvenate the public realm that was left after renovating a 1960s building. The open space design has a strong connection with the architecture’s forms and diagonal lines; these are reflected onto the square and used to shape and orient retaining walls, planting beds, and to align trees.

The hard materials palette is simple: grey stone is used on the upper terrace, echoing the building façade’s colour, and timber decking on the lower one, creating an appealing contrast with the other materials and conveying a warmer feeling. The use of timber for flooring and benches is fundamental here because it helps to soften the space, making it inviting and less rigid. Moreover, it creates the perfect spill-out space for restaurants and cafes facing the square. The evergreen magnolia trees (Magnolia grandiflora) with their large, glossy evergreen leaves and white blossoms, are used to mitigate the wind-channelling effect and to anchor the design into the cityscape by providing strong visual nodes throughout the site that are visible from the adjacent streets. The low planting design features Cycas revoluta, Phormium spp. and evergreen groundcover plants.

Pancras Square, London

Pancras square, by Townshend Landscape Architects, is located within a larger masterplan for the redevelopment of an area next to King’s Cross Station in London. The site has many similarities with the one in Melbourne: it is rather small, surrounded by new and tall buildings, and it has a modern atmosphere. The 4000m2 square is composed of different terraces sloping down from north to south and following the natural relief.

The main design element is a cascading water feature that emphasizes the level change and orchestrates the spatial arrangement of the landscape elements: areas of lawn, planting, and seating are juxtaposed with reflecting pools and dynamic cascades of water. The design unfolds in different ways, depending on whether you enter the square from the south or north end. The view from the south emphasizes the water cascading while the one from the north conveys a much calmer and more peaceful feeling, since only the pools of still water are visible. The planting throughout the site is composed of clipped hedges intermingled with lush perennial plantings and broadleaved deciduous trees like Liquidambar styraciflua, Prunus spp. Platanus spp., and Cercydiphyllum japonicum. Here also, trees are used to create visual nodes to anchor the design in the wider cityscape. At the southern end a large Pin Oak, Quercus palustris, attracts people into the square and then throughout the site. The analysis of these two schemes makes it is clear how important is to attract people into these new, often dark, spaces by using appealing design as well as programming. Shops, restaurants, and destinations are necessary to animate the public realm and create an active, bustling atmosphere. Jan Gehl, noted Danish architect and urban designer, researched and wrote consistently about how communities use public spaces and, in particular, his major focus is ‘life between buildings’, which is also the name of one of his books. He explained that communal spaces in cities become meaningful and attractive when different activities (he calls them necessary, optional and social) occur in combination and feed off each other. In both squares we can see how this is happening: they offer opportunities for people to just sit or walk through, they provide amenities where people can eat and meet, and lastly they provide places for social activities where kids can play, and people can meet and see or hear other people. In order to activate the leftover spaces between buildings it is fundamental to understand what is needed–not only in design terms–to achieve a high quality of public life. For example, designing places that feel good using the appropriate forms, materials, features and furniture, providing amenities, creating visual nodes that connect the squares with the cityscape around it, providing opportunities for people to interact in as many ways as possible; these are all ways to create successful public spaces. St. James and Pancras squares both exemplify these concepts, and they both show us how important these are in providing a stage for people to interact with each other. Such successful public spaces are an important part of a democratic and full life in cities.

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Full Project Credits:

Project Name: St. James Square Client: Juilliard Group Team: ASPECT Studios (Landscape Architects and Lead Consultants) METIER3 (Architects) Bonacci (Structural and Civil Engineering) Vision Design (Lighting Design) Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Year: 2013 Budget: AUS $1.2 million Area Size: 2,500 m2 Photography: Andrew Lloyd – Project Name: Pancras Square Team: Townshend Landscape Architects, Robert Townshend, Martha Alker, Andrea Dates Fountain Designer: The Fountain Workshop Year: 2015 Location: Pancras Square, King’s Cross, London, UK Client: King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership Area size: 0.4 ha Recommended Reading:

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

Article by Alexandra-Elena Ciocan – Angles of Incidence, by  Warren Langley and Julia Davis, in Victoria Cross, North Sydney, Australia. The 6-meter high, imposing and curious sculptural landmark created by famous artist-couple Warren Langley and Julia Davis in the Victoria Cross intersection, North Sydney, required tremendous thought and sentiment, as well as thorough artistic and engineering study. The Angles of Incidence project is part of the North Sydney Public Art Trail, consisting of this and 17 other pieces scattered in different locations all over Sydney, with the major purpose of providing visitors with a high-quality public art experience.

Angles of Incidence shows that artists need to utilize much more than just materials or colours in order to conceive of something eye-catching and modern. They must also work with light, texture, and the surrounding landscape, in order to create a true landscape masterpiece.

Angles of Incidence

This project shows that artists need to utilize much more than just materials or colours in order to conceive of something eye-catching and modern. They must also work with light, texture, and the surrounding landscape, in order to create a true landscape masterpiece.

Pulsating with the Rhythm of the City

The glass artwork is definitely a statement piece that has a dynamic influence on the environment, but from our point of view, it is also well-integrated into its surroundings. By these means, it becomes a component and a living structure of the busy city. This glass-and-light canvas is ideal for painting all the images and capturing seconds and memories of the rapid flow of life.

Being reactive to the urban environment, all the physical changes in the light level, time, scenery, and even human position engrave the surface without leaving any marks. The sculpture’s metamorphosis during the evening and night creates whimsical scenery, supported technically by a glowing blue LED light. Langley comments on the contrasting feel the sculpture has day-to-night: “Whether the viewer experience is pedestrian or vehicular, the artwork displays a completely different day time and night time persona.”

Narrating the Specificity of the Site

As much as this blue beacon has a silent personality it also makes a strong impression. The shape it resembles is truly site-specific, as the inspiration for the final form was no other than a small quartz grain from the underlying city layers. The anatomy of the artistic piece echoes the site’s past and its reflective surface provides insight into the present. According to what Davis says, “The dialogue between the sculpture and its surroundings is a metaphor for the ‘interactions’ that have happened on this site from its pre-colonial past to the commercial and entertainment precinct it is now.”

Its style and location portray the historic architectural progress and constant development of the urban setting. The location was not randomly chosen but was actually thought to add to the visibility and bold effect of the project. The artists operated with the space in a way to bring popularity to their creation: the physical intersection of roads would double for a social gathering point, a high-traffic transitional area and even a tourist pin. While the urban space image underwent a striking transformation, the project was to benefit from its positioning.

Entertaining Despite its Static Nature

The very piece was born at the crossing of interactive safety glass planes, falling and rising at different angles, and while the notion of an interactive land sculpture might not be new in the field of environmental art, I assure you that this one is different. While other sculptures are interactive as a consequence of their movement mechanisms that are engaged by wind or water, this glass piece is distinct.

The way in which this piece manages to actively communicate with its surroundings and admirers is by visual deviations, providing the unique chance to enjoy multiple perspectives from the same standing point. Even more, both the selected colour and the reflective quality of the materials used open and extend the space and act in various ways to support the concept the piece beholds. To explain, as the structure first impresses you with its architecture and height, viewing the blue color will also have a subtle impact on your train of thoughts. This rare, naturally-occurring pigment has a poetic significance that raises the social conscience: it is also evocative of landscape and nature. If you did not know yet, this shade is generally created by the structure of the object. In this very case, the colour which seems to be a trademark for the artist-couple’s works was obtained by using a modern digital glass technology. This provided the techniques to create the perfect shade and saturation, the result leading to Warren Langley being bestowed with the contemporary studio glass award – an Ausglass honorary life membership. It has been proven that blue acts well in creative problem solving, so we dare say that this interactive sculpture might mark in fact the perfect spot to make big decisions. Why? It has all it needs; indirect introspective feel? – check, attractive shape and colour to lose your thoughts into? – check, great angles on everything around you? – check. But leaving aside studies, we warmly recommend a visit to Sydney to see Angles of Incidence, to add to your personal experience portfolio. Do you think it is worth it?

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Full Project Credits For Angles of Incidence:

Project Name: Angles of Incidence Artists: Warren Langley and Julia Davis Project manager: Trent Baker Armature Structural Engineers: Harry Partridge and Niki Akbari Commissioned: North Sydney Council Location: Victoria Cross, North Sydney, Australia Dimensions: 6m H x 2.4 x 2.2 Completed: 2016 Type: Light and Glass sculpture Title: Angles of Incidence Materials: Digitally coloured safety glass, stainless steel and LED lights Photo Credit: Richard Glover Recommended Reading:

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

Article by Gwgw Kalligiannaki – We take a look at 10 incredible YouTube tutorials for creating a landscape architecture plan to improve your skills. The landscape architecture plan is a communication document. We create them to visualize our ideas to other people. However, we live in the age of publicity, so the plan is also part of the architect’s professional image. As the competition grows, most of us spend lots of hours in front of our computers not only for ‘cadding’, but also for illustrating our plans. I really love editing, paying attention to the line weights, using textures for the different materials, using symbols, in order to form a more aesthetically interesting landscape architecture plan. Fortunately, we can easily find a variety of video tutorials for editing, and tips to speed up the illustrations. It’s important to know what you should highlight, in order not to distort the information that the landscape architecture plan must give. So, I created for you a list of 10 video tutorials that I watched to improve my editing skills, but also to save time during the editing process. I hope you find them as interesting and helpful as I do.

Creating a Landscape Architecture Plan

10. Drawing Trees

During the design progress we usually use drawings, before we start “cadding”. But have you ever thought about using the hand-drawn trees in your final plan? Well, now you will think, ‘why draw my trees when I can find a thousand blocks online?’. Drawing your own trees will be more interesting as you scan them and convert them to your own Photoshop brushes (you will see a ‘how to’ video below), or .png files for illustrations.

9. Creating Groups of Plants

Group plants in landscape architecture plans are usually used to represent bushes or groups of flowers. With simple tools; a pencil and a stencil with circles, we can create our own groups. As I said above, by editing your hand-drawn plants in Photoshop you can make brushes or .png images to use in your future design plans.

8. How to Model Detailed Terrain in SketchUp

This tutorial teaches you to create an embossed ground, fully detailed, using the location and terrain tools. This method is based on the location information from Google to create the landscape contours. It seems to help a lot, having a more realistic terrain with which to illustrate the landscape architecture plan. Used by thousands of architects in 3d design, it was time for SketchUp to include tools to create the topography of a site.

7. Preparing the Plan for Photoshop

This video was one of the first videos that I came through as I was searching tutorials. It doesn’t actually show an illustration method; it shows all the preparation, before importing the landscape architecture plan into Photoshop. The illustration becomes faster when you have set layers for materials, the units of the design, or have all the elements of the landscape architecture plan as polylines. I have to say that when I started to use this method, things become easier in Photoshop.

6. Creating Seamless Textures

A landscape architecture plan almost always contains continuous areas of grass or pavements. As we use textures to our plans, we are usually reaching for seamless textures, images that can be placed side-by-side with themselves without creating a noticeable boundary between two copies. It is useful to know how we convert a simple image to a seamless texture, to avoid the appearance of distracting seams in our plan.

5. Rhino Topography from Contours

Rhino is one of the most-used 3d visualization programs nowadays. Watching this tutorial, you can understand how to create a site’s topography from contours. Some of us find it a bit hard in illustration when we face areas with gradients. And once the ground is the basis of our design, we cannot overlook the topography when creating a landscape plan. Programs such as Rhino make the simulation of topography a lot easier. 4. Graphics For Landscape Design

We usually want to pay so much attention to our plans that we tend to overdo. We are not artists; the design plans are documents that help us communicate our ideas. “Graphics for Landscape Architects” mentions the important key points of the landscape architecture plan, such as line weights, colors, plantings, and trees and paving.

3. Using Photoshop Brushes

Watching this video, the first thing that came to my mind was the countless hours I have spent searching the Internet for high-quality .png files of plants for my plans. Now, Photoshop brushes are extended, so they include many more ‘stamps’ such as plants, people figures, or animals. Watch out; this tutorial actually starts at 3:00.

2. Creating Custom Brushes in Photoshop

Even if we can’t find the brush that we want, my beloved Photoshop gives another solution…create one! Photoshop now allows you to use images to create your own brush collection. I find this command so helpful, especially for plants, because it makes the illustrating process faster without the stress of quality, since the quality is adapted during design. I find this command so helpful, especially for plants, because it makes the illustrating process faster without the stress of quality, since the quality is adapted during design.

1. Landscape Architecture Section and Plan in Photoshop

I usually work with combined floor-section plans. I think that they make the whole idea of the design more clear. In this tutorial, even though the illustration is done without a CAD background, it gives all the information needed for this design. While watching the floor plan we can easily understand the layout of the elements, and the section above shows not only the planting and lighting, but also how they relate to human scale. As I’ve already said, I am an illustrated-plans lover. Watching all these tutorials (and many more as I work on my designs), I feel that the presentation of the design plan becomes part of the total design process. Not only are the editing programs, like Photoshop or Illustrator, improving their “skills” to offer more editing features, but the design programs now contain display element tools. What tools do you use in your landscape architecture plan illustrations?

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Recommended Reading:

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

Article by Radenka Kolarov – Zhangjiajie Pour, by Martin Duplantier Architectes, in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China. Zhangjiajie Pour project by Martin Duplantier Architectes and Daqian Landscape Architects, in Zhangjiajie, China. This new stainless steel bridge is part of an award-winning concept designed by Martin Duplantier Architectes for the Zhangjiajie World Heritage Site in China. Landscape design for a World Heritage Site is all about treading lightly. And the latest concept for the Zhangjiajie World Heritage Site in Hunan Province, China, does exactly that. Martin Duplantier Architects has released its award-winning plans for pavilions and three scary bridges that will link mountain peaks via a new walkway in the wilderness.

The plans come just a few months after the longest glass bridge in the world opened in another part of the World Heritage Site. The architects describe the landscape as “baroque, unique and breathtaking”. So, let’s take a closer look at this powerful project.

Zhangjiajie Pour

Form, Shape and Structure Three pavilions will be set in the park, offering incredible views to the visitors. Pavilions in the same materials are organized in three levels; from the 360° panorama on the roof – a terrace-panorama directly accessible from the path, to the café in the middle with its dedicated spaces, down to the exclusive VIP suite in the lower level – a royal guesthouse that offers a unique space of contemplation in the heart of the national park; the latter being the visitor’s only means to enjoy a unique night in the middle of this magical landscape. These incorporate space for a terrace, a cafe and a luxury guest house. “After the crowds of the day having disappeared, the lucky tenants will be able to enjoy the spectacle in perfect solitude,” the architects say. Those pavilions are connected with a very special bridge. Set down on the rocks, this step-bridge has two levels to be enjoyed. The upper one connects the two sides, while the lower one is for experiencing a moment “in the air”.

One of the bridges is an elliptical shape with a large off-centre hole through which visitors can view the rock formations below. A net across the hole can be crawled on by those without a fear of heights. One of the bridges also features a water system that creates an artificial cloud effect that sprays “rain” to form a film of water on black granite. This bridge is on two levels, with glass sides. The Contrast within the Environment “The mountains rise like nimble fingers towards the sky. The vegetation, against all odds, has managed to grow on this invincible rock. Faced with this topographic spectacle, all are left astounded.” These are the words that describe the first impression of the architect’s team. The competition involved a new route on the western part of Zhiangjiajie, including bridges and pavilions. Contrasting with a complex landscape, the footbridges are pure geometric shapes, which seem to have been placed delicately on the carved relief of the site. Mirroring the environment, the bridge is an elliptical form with an off-centred hole that allows views down into the gap between the two rock forms. A strong net allows courageous visitors to lay down in the void. Do you see you self as one of those who would try that? For this project there were three different concepts featured. But they all feature reflective stainless steel for the structure and black stone for the flooring. Take a look!

Concept of an Illusion

The concept developed is that of illusionistic geometric development. They are the opportunities, each in its own respect, to create a physical relationship with this rock face. The company’s concept, which was a competition entry, plays on the idea of illusion and stealth; the illusion of a mirror for the first, the fear of the void for the next, and lastly the setting of an abyss for the final.

On the bridge, the “water mirror” is made of two centimetres of water on black stone which gives a completely new aspect of view to this project. The irregular set of the stones gives a feeling of a winding path in the mountains, when one is attracted by the great panorama. Every seven minutes, the water disappears and reappears through spray nozzles, creating a cloud in the middle of the mountains. This cloud progressively lands on the stones, transformed into a veneer of still water. You gotta admit, it sounds promising!

Another Jewel of China

Zhangjiajie Pour is a project by Martin Duplantier Architectes and Daqian Landscape Architects in the city of Zhangjiajie. The project is located in the Zhangjiajie National Park which is one of the most important natural wonders of the country and it is a true geological museum of China. If this has made you want to go straight to Zhangjiajie we recommend that you might prefer the period of September through October. You will enjoy a pleasant time while you enjoy a refreshing landscape and these astonishing pavilions connected with the remarkable bridge in the center of Zhangjiajie National Park. Would you be brave enough to visit such a place as a Zhangjiajie Pour? Let us know in the comment section below!

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Full Project Credits For Zhangjiajie Pour:

Project Name: Zhangjiajie Pour Location: Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China Client: ZTG Dates: Winner of the 2015 International Competition. Construction periods should be done in 2018. Landscape Architects: Martin Duplantier Architectes, Daqian Landscape Architects Recommended Reading:

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

Article by Ophelia Yuting Ji – We take a  look at how Amsterdam became one of the most sustainable cities in the world due to the development of the Amsterdam Canal Ring.  Revolving windmills, blossoming tulips, and meandering canals; we are all drawn to the beautiful sightseeing in Amsterdam, but the capital of the Netherlands is definitely more than that. The city, located in the North Holland province in the Netherlands, was derived from a fishing village along the Amstel River in the 13th century. The clue can easily be found in its name: “Amster-dam” basically means the dam around the Amstel River. Despite the fast development around this river and IJ Bay, Amsterdam has become one of the top 5 sustainable cities in the world, according to the Arcadis “Sustainable Cities Index” in 2015.

This index includes three main aspects; people – measures social performance including quality of life, planet – captures environmental factors like energy emissions and pollution, profit – assesses the business environment and economic performance. Thanks to the city’s sustainable vision, Amsterdam scores high in all three aspects. But what does this mean to an Amsterdamer’s daily life? Let us delve into the city together.

Amsterdam Canal Ring

In-Water Transportation

The whole city was developed along the canals made by careful city planning decisions. The water management in Amsterdam has a very long history. Beyond the water managing function, even before the 16th century, the canals were first used as a defensive moat. They gradually became used for commercial and residential uses, as well as for transporting merchandise, as it says in “Time Out Amsterdam”.

Paul F. State also says in “A Brief History of Amsterdam” that nobody is sure when the first inhabitants emerged in the Netherlands but the flint artifacts found have shown the country was already occupied 150,000 years ago. The Romans, led by Julius Caesar, and some Germanic tribes were the first invaders in this country to seek more lands for dwelling and development, starting before 60 B.C. Then according to iamsterdam.com, at the end of 15th century, many Jewish people fled to Amsterdam after the Spaniards conquered Antwerp; the large flow of immigration brought the opportunity to develop, which called for the expansion of canals. The initial plan of the canals was started in the 17th century, its golden age, where the canal belt was fully-fledged. Each canal in this ring has a different function. Prinsengracht (Prince’s Canal), Herengracht (Patrician’s Canal), and Keizersgracht (Emperor’s Canal) are mostly for residential development; Singelgracht is for purposes of defense and water management, according to “The Bridge and the City” by Daniel Biau. In 2010, UNESCO added the “Seventeenth-Century Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht” to its World Heritage List. Now, in Amsterdam, there are 165 canals in total with more than 1,200 bridges over them, creating this fantastic crisscrossing and unique cityscape. This water-based transportation system is not only beneficial for local people’s uses but also generates commercial and recreational opportunities by attracting visitors. Often times, you can see tourists sitting in the canal boats and taking photos of the beautiful landscape and waterscape of Amsterdam. A different view of Amsterdam Canal Ring is shown in front of you when looking up from the canal boat. Recently, the noise of canal boats in Amsterdam’s waterways was reduced by introducing electric boats, as written in “Amsterdam in 2020” by the city of Amsterdam. The extra costs for using battery-powered boats are financially supported by the city government to move this pilot project forward. Using the electricity power for cars is also largely encouraged by the government by providing cheaper parking spots for electric cars. Check out this video to view the “Expansion of Amsterdam in the Seventeenth Century”

Windmill – Wind Power

Besides the water and electricity power usage, as is known, wind power technology is another advantage for the Dutch. According to iamsterdam.com, the Netherlands used to have 10,000 operational windmills for industrial purposes, and now there are 8 in Amsterdam. In fact, the windmills can not only be used to make flour from grain but also function to drain the lowlands of excess water to reclaim polders, press oil out of seeds, and saw wood. Nevertheless, the Dutch are obviously more enterprising in the new decade. Starting from January 1st, 2017, all electric trains are now powered by wind in the Netherlands, says Ton Boon, the spokesman for national railway company, NS.

On-Land Transportation

Walking in the city, you can always observe people riding bicycles as they flash by. With a population of 842,343 residents in August of 2016, based on the data from Centraal Bureau Voor de Statistiek (Central Bureau for Statistics) in Netherlands and a 21,949-hectare total surface area, based on the data from 2016 Jaarboek Amsterdam in Cijfers (Amsterdam Yearbook in Figures), the largest city in Netherlands has always been promoting their bicycling traditions. According to the City of Amsterdam, in the period from 2005 to 2007, residents used their bicycle an average of 0.87 times a day and their car 0.84 times.

That being said, the passion towards bicycles has surpassed that of the cars. In addition to the bikes, the public transportation is also so well-developed that it enables people living in Amsterdam to avoid using private transportation tools. With the transportation card, called OV-chipkaart, you can conveniently get on any kind of public transportation vehicles, including metro, tram, bus and ferry operated by GVB (the public transportation system in Amsterdam), not only in the Amsterdam Canal Ring but the in whole of the Netherlands. The transportation system is nationally well-connected with this small card to make life in the Netherlands sustainable and enjoyable.

By understanding the multifaceted history in Amsterdam, we would appreciate all the efforts having been put into this land that make it such an inclusive place for people with different backgrounds and living rituals, and the courage of being a pilot in making a sustainable cityscape by embracing what they used to be afraid of and turning it into a great water resource for the city. Does this planning model of Amsterdam Canal Ring give you inspiration on what we can do to improve our city, to make it more sustainable and inclusive to diverse communities?

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Recommended Reading:

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

Article by Farah Afza Jurekh – A review of the vibrant plaza at Place des Droits de l’Homme, by B+C Architectes , Tremblay-en-France. The urban squares are like magnets to cities. The magnetic forces that the city square possesses depends highly on the design of the square. An unused, forgotten, mournful space can be easily turned into a dynamic, attractive, vibrant place if it is designed creatively and meticulously by architects. Place des Droits de l’Homme, located in Tremblay-en-France, designed by B+C Architectes, is one such project which has turned an old, unused square into one of the most attractive, living spaces of the city.

Place des Droits de l’Homme Vibrant Plaza

The Site, its Context, and its Importance

The site of the vibrant plaza project, or its context, dictated a lot in the design process. Place des Droits de l’Homme is located in a very significant portion of the city. Being enclosed by civic, cultural, and residential buildings, the rehabilitation of the square demanded that it be very lively and open.

The old design of the square posed several problems, since the square was raised 2m above the ground for 2 storeys of car parking underneath the concrete deck, breaking both the visual and physical linkages with the urban realm. Not only that, but the design team was also successful in turning a dangerous place into a safer one since the concrete deck of the square, raised above the natural topography, became fragile over many years due to maximum loading of 350kg/m2. It should not be forgotten that the Square is not just a square, it is an essential part of the very big urban fabric.

Permeability in Planning

As a pivotal place of the city, connectivity is undoubtedly an essential factor for this particular vibrant plaza project. Hence, from an urban design approach, the design team at B+C Architectes intervened to make the square more permeable, bringing an openness in plan so that the square can be a nodal point connecting the surroundings seamlessly with the urban fabric. Therefore, the design team stated that they have worked on both the ‘horizontal and vertical interfaces’ of the square to ‘open up’ the place.

The Design Approach; to Make the Square Accessible to All

Since the main idea was to open up the square in order to mend the broken connections, it was necessary to make it accessible to the city dwellers from all nodal points. As mentioned before, the square was raised above ground level, so it was important to make it accessible from all directions. Firstly, le Jardin des Cultures, located to the south of the square, was connected through the introduction of a generous staircase.

Secondly, Nelson Mandela Avenue was linked by the revamp of the staircase and universal accessibility was ensured through the design of a new ramp for physically challenged people. Thirdly, the northern urban park was linked through the design of a new access ramp from the boulevard de l’Hôtel de Ville.

The Dynamic and Vibrant Checkerboard Square

So we all understand that only making it accessible from all points will not make the square a lively place. The ramps and staircases certainly made the square accessible from vertical surfaces, but the horizontal facets of the square also needed to be taken care of. The old paving slab of the square, which became risky due to overloading, was replaced by concrete squares, making it a safer place.

A new, dynamic pattern of paving was introduced in that area to make it an interesting, interactive and attractive square. The giant checkerboard of 3.5×3.5m concrete pavers form an organized grid, producing a pixelated and sporty look to the surface of the square. The colored, reinforced concrete pavers of blue and yellow bring a sober look to the whole square, while the combination of different shades of blue gives a vibrant yet soothing look to the square. Since the square is enclosed with public buildings, to accentuate the entrances of these surrounding buildings, a different yellowish-brown patterned paving was introduced. Thus, the patterns of the paving system clearly define the entrances and the horizontal surface of the whole square. Moreover, the LEDs insertion in the pavers light up the square at night.

The Micro Gardens

The use of concrete pavers amidst the concrete jungle was equalized by introducing biomass — the micro gardens. A richer diversity of trees and plants, starting from deciduous trees like maple and a variety of flowering species, along with evergreens, are inserted in the micro gardens. The micro gardens were arranged to take up 4 ‘pixels’ of the checkerboard. Since the square was aimed to house multiple events, it was a great idea to design mobile micro gardens; these micro gardens can be transported by forklifts depending on the occasion.

Alongside the micro gardens, the wooden seats were designed to provide opportunities for people to relax, interact, or to simply spend time indulging in the beauty of nature. The square which was once an ignored space is now the breathing space of the town.

The Multifunctional Square

The city squares demand to be multifunctional. As the design firm stated, “When “empty” the square has to vibrate day or night. When “filled” the square has to send signals of its organization with people densities varying according to use.The design approach rightfully serves these purposes as the square can become a civic square by day,

The design approach rightfully serves these purposes as the square can become a civic square by day, urban forum by night, a marketplace for special events, a flea market, or a public plaza linking the theater, mediatheque and town hall. Place des Droits de l’Homme gives us inspiration about how a totally unused, disconnected place was linked to its surroundings to become an important part of the urban realm and how the use of a dynamic paving pattern brings a new outlook to the mournful space. Do you think this project has achieved its goal of revitalizing the city square? Share your comments below.

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Full Project Credits For Place des Droits de l’Homme Vibrant Plaza:

Project Name: Place des Droits de l’Homme Location: Tremblay-en-France Budget: 13.6M € Date of Completion: 2011 Client: COMUNE DI TREMBLAY-EN-FRANCE Project Size: 3000m2 Recommended Reading:

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

By Niriti Porwal – A Review of Esperance Waterfront, by HASSELL, in Esperance, Australia. The town of Esperance — located 720 kilometers southeast of Perth in Western Australia — is experiencing a rapid urbanization, with the state’s population expected to more than double by 2050. Esperance Waterfront, a 1.1-kilometer-long site, was recently developed along the coast to meet the new infrastructural needs of the town. This project is an addition to the worldwide portfolio of landscape architecture that connects the landscape with the context for a sustainable urban environment. Designated as a “Super Town” by the government, Esperance is earmarked for strategic development to support the growth of its town. HASSELL was chosen as the principal consultant for this waterfront renewal project. The prime expectation was a development that would keep the essence of the city alive while accommodating the future development the town is expected to experience.

The Design – Esperance Waterfront

Wedding the Past to the Future

The design for the project draws its concept from the history of Esperance. To implement it properly, HASSELL’S design team worked with the Shire to understand the relationship of the people with the waterfront and how they see the development in the future. The constructive conversations resulted in a few major interventions, including a reclaimed headland, a continuous revetment along the promenade, pavilions, and play space for family gatherings.

Designs that Serve All

Programmatically rich, the design includes a plethora of activities that take into account people of all age groups and interests. Reorienting the park as a family destination was an important consideration, which has made the project lively. The entrance to the site is marked by a whale tail sculpture located at the beachside plaza at James Street. The intervention allows improved access to the waterfront and connects the site with the historic town. Following the plaza, the reclaimed land around the historic tanker jetty was planned to provide a vast area of 11,000 square meters for public events and sports.

The improved infrastructure and tourist attractions also support new business ventures and invite private entrepreneurs and pop-up events. Along the stretch of park, larger spaces are connected through meandering pathways and amenities such as playgrounds, seating areas, barbecue stations, bike racks, picnic shelters, shade sails, and public art. “We are really proud of our new waterfront, which has truly enhanced the vibrancy of our town. On any given day, you can see people strolling along it, walking their dogs or simply enjoying the view. It is very satisfying to see the waterfront being used so well and enjoyed by the community,” Malcolm Heasman, president of the Shire of Esperance, said at the waterfront’s opening. The completion of the Esperance Waterfront Project has proved beneficial in two ways: First, it has provided the Esperance foreshore a protection from coastal erosion; second, it has enhanced the site for recreational and commercial development.

Creating a Sense of Belonging

What makes the project unique is the connection between the site and people. To create a sense of place, design decisions were made by involving historians, local artists, and graphic designers. When one walks through the site, it narrates stories about the indigenous, natural, and early settler history of the town. The experience is enhanced by nodal points along the pathways, integrated with artistic signage. Public art combined with distinctive flora and fauna at important places highlight significant elements such as Sammy, the adored resident seal.

The material palette is one of the creative inputs that give the project its identity and sense of belonging to Esperance. Pink granite, which is native to Esperance, was used for walls, paving, and the reclaimed jetty. Timber from the original railway line that once served the jetty is also used for benches, walkways, and playground features.

Foundation for the Future

The choice of plants for a landscape project is a crucial decision that brings inclusiveness in varied design elements. However, the specification and management of plantings, particularly ground cover and tree stock, becomes challenging in a coastline environment, explains Anthony Brookfield, principal at HASSELL.

To overcome that challenge, the existing dunal system was integrated with the revetment sea wall that runs along the site. The new wall follows the natural contour to allow extensive planting areas, thereby reducing soil erosion. More than 63,000 new plants — 70 percent of which are endemic — accentuate the landscape design of this waterfront. More than 1,000 new trees have been planted, including Norfolk Pines, Swamp Sheoak, and Coastal Moort. The trees have been positioned prudently to strengthen the foreshore structure and also become an attractive shelter.

A New Lifeline

Esperance Waterfront has become one of the most conscious design solutions speaking to context, accommodating the future needs of a growing population, and at the same time being ecologically sensitive. According to the Shire of Esperance’s 2015 waterfront community and tourist satisfaction survey, more than 85 percent of locals said the waterfront redevelopment met their expectations. Ninety percent of locals use the foreshore every week. Esperance Waterfront is truly a cultural and environmental restoration for a central foreshore community. What do you think? How can landscape projects remain true to their context and yet fulfill the needs for future development?

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Full Project Credits For Esperance Waterfront :

Project Name: Esperance Waterfront Location: Esperance, Australia Client: Shire of Esperance Landscape Architect: HASSELL Scale: 8 hectares Year: 2015 Status: Completed Project Consultants: JDSi Consulting (Civil Engineer), 3E Consulting Engineers (Lighting Design), Harriot Mair Landscape Architect (Local Landscape Architect), CADSult (Irrigation), Beverley Iles (Artsource), Paperbark Technologies (Arborist), Cartman Designs/HASSELL (Architect), Scott Smalley Partnership (Structural Engineer), Griffiths Architects (Heritage Consultant), Sime Building and Construction (Construction) Photography: Peter Bennetts Site Plan: HASSELL Awards: 2016 Australian Urban Design Awards – Commendation for Delivered Outcome – Large Scale 2016 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (Western Australia) Awards – People’s Choice Award 2016 Australian Institute of Architects (Western Australia) Awards – State Commendation for Urban Design Recommended Reading:

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

Article by Win Phyo – Funmix Shopping Centre, by LSA Design, in Beijing, China. Shopping malls in Asia are not only a source of retail therapy but also a prime location for social hangouts. Modern China is no stranger to consumerism, and Beijing, the third-largest city in the country, has fallen prey to shopping mall developments. Towering over the city at more than three stories in height, these large-scale buildings were widely invested in by China’s urban planners to meet the growing demand and also to suggest the aspirations of the urbanizing middle class. But as often happens, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing: Many of these malls are on the verge of economic collapse, forcing developers to try harder in order to attract more people.

Funmix Shopping Centre

That’s where Funmix Shopping Centre comes in. The new mall focuses on cheerful and functional outdoor resting and play spaces. Like flies swarming to a source of light, children and adults alike are drawn to the bright outdoor features. Could malls such as Funmix be the answer to retailers’ prayers? “To see elements like our bubble seats and the F-U-N-M-I-X lightboxes built — elements with less conventional design details and construction methods, elements which are often labeled too hard after the concept stage in China and discarded — to see them built makes the push to get something unique for a project like this all the more worthwhile.” – Marc Deuschle

Letting Go of Passive Recreation

The core nature of the Funmix space is rooted in themes of action/activity and function. Around the building itself are a series of open, inviting, and bold pedestrian social-scapes (no vehicles clogging these areas) that don’t rely on people enjoying them passively. As such, there is color, movement, sound, and vegetation that won’t become stagnant as time goes by. At the street level, commercial plazas dot each of the three main entrances. The ground is dressed in a flowing wave pattern, which extends into the building’s ground floor.

The highlight of the streetwise social-scape is a set of circular, yellow bubble seats scattered around the plaza. They look like waving cartoon characters that might just wobble if you touch them. Did we mention that they also light up at night? No wonder kids can be seen climbing them as though they are a part of the play-scape. During the summer, kids are also can be heard running and playing between the water jets of the southern plaza. If one has had enough of the cheerful activity in between the entry plazas, there are simple gardens made up of mounded, ornamental lawns and trees where you can have a relaxing break. The organically shaped mosaic seats also allow for a comfortable rest. Swinging and Sliding Opportunities on the Roof Funmix Shopping Centre has made sure there is an excuse for all shoppers to continue all the way up to the top of the building. There lies the “jewel of the development” — an animated play-scape for children of all ages. The elements of a typical commercial roof space, such as exposed ducts, pipes, and plant equipment, have been used as background elements for the play-scape, expressed as part of the design. Useable and intentionally designed spaces are dotted among these features. To tie the new features into the existing pipework, oversized pipes were used to create visual connections. The brightly colored plant equipment can also be seen in the backdrop and the traditional play equipment sitting among them. Cheerful adjectives and stenciled wordplay on the paving further express the fun nature of the space. And at night, the whole area is illuminated via the red climbing boxes and the bubble seats, creating a visually stimulating place. And We Can’t Forget About Climate Control Measures Beijing’s climate runs from water scarcity during the dry season to heavy flooding during the wet season. China’s capital suffers from being one of the most water-scarce cities in the world, and the tragic reality lies in the city’s 60-year transformation from water abundance to one in which its 200-plus rivers and streams have little to no drops of water. Funmix Shopping Centre has thankfully incorporated a water management system, in which swales have been placed in the majority of the gardens. Alongside custom-designed tree pits, these swales collect all available water from the paving, allowing the site’s trees to thrive.

Shopping “Centres” to Shopping “Spaces”

As online shopping gets more popular in China, there is a competitive need for physical shops and the spaces that encapsulate them to work harder both internally and externally. Therefore, designing them as an incorporation of public squares, plazas, and play-scapes could well be the answer: Shopping isn’t merely popping in and out of shops, but an exciting journey.

That is why Funmix Shopping Centre’s landscape is the project’s most important drawing card. It clearly creates an atmosphere of context, energy, boldness, and playfulness. It becomes a well-considered spatial experience for the regular shopaholic, the bored group of teenagers, or the impatient boyfriend, in which all of them can feel like they can have their own space and feel good about the time spent at the mall. If one of the driving forces of the local economy is going to continue to be consumerism, we might as well make these spaces more communally beneficial. And after decades of monolithic solutions, let us create more well-considered shopping “spaces”. Here is food for thought: If you had the opportunity to re-design shopping centers, what would you do?

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Full Project Credits For One Canal :

Project Name: Funmix Shopping Centre Client: Beijing Vanke Ltd / Cofco Date: Completed January 2015 Design Team: LSA Design – Marc Deuschle / Alex Zhang / Nicholas Pierson www.lsadesign.com.au Other Consultants: Woods Bagot / CPG Architects & Planners Local Landscape Design Institute: Miland Design Major Materials: Concrete and brick pavers, steel, poured softfall, perforated aluminium, fiberglass Length of Construction: 6 months (landscape only) Recommended Reading:

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

Article by Meenal Suresh – Surly Destination Brewery, by HGA,  in Minneapolis, MN, USA In its most simple definition, a brewery is a place where beer is produced commercially. But can a brewery also be a unique and welcoming public gathering space? The Surly Brewery in Minneapolis shows that it can. This brewery isn’t just a space for crafting beer; it has also become a homeground for cultural activities, owing to its surprisingly festive environment in a working industrial space.

Surly Destination Brewery

The AIA Minnesota Honour Awards Jury commented: “This brash, industrial project’s exterior space really grabbed our attention – this project almost straddled the line into urban design. It focuses on catering to the future demands while making a mark in the present.” What makes this hot property a worthy visit for beer enthusiasts and tourists alike? Here, we decode how it became a brand in and of itself.

1. A Multivenue Concept

The Surly Brewing Company in nearby Brooklyn Center had reached its production limits and was struggling to meet the needs of consumers in 2011. The solution was a new brewery that not only met the local need, but also reached out to international tourists and beer enthusiasts. This facility was designed on the multivenue concept (similar to Stone Brewery in San Diego and Stiegel Brewery in Austria), in which consumers can observe the beer-making process and also enjoy the finished product on site. But first Surly had to overcome a major obstacle: state law prohibited breweries from making, selling, and serving beer all on the same site. Voices were raised, the law was amended, and the “Taproom Bill” or “Surly Bill” went into effect.

2. Premium Connectivity

The location of the new brewery played a pivotal role, playing up the site’s advantages while turning certain challenges into benefits. Situated near the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus, Surly Brewery is connected to the rest of the city through an excellent transportation network of light rail transit and local highways, making supply, shipping, and visiting easy. It also draws water from Surly’s Brooklyn Center facility, ensuring that both branches provide same-tasting brews.

3. A Regenerative Greening Project – Toward a Sustainable Future

The 8.3-acre site is comprised of seven separate parcels of land, divided by the municipalities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, which meant many laws and jurisdictions had to be taken into consideration. It was also a brownfield site that previously housed many industries, the latest being a potato-processing plant. This meant the industrial park had to be replenished, especially since hazardous methane gas was escaping from the soil. A membrane floor and structural concrete slab with continuous ventilation were employed after all the drains were located, ensuring that all of the utilities were operated on ground and only the drains ran below.

4. Exposed Architecture – “It’s In You Face” Inspired by German beer gardens, the goal was to bind visitors to the brewing process while providing them with a community experience, entertainment, access, and safety, all while satisfying the production needs of a state-of-the-art brewery. The site consists of a brewery, beer garden, beer hall, private beer hall, and fine dining. The building is designed to be a lean, mean brewing machine. It is raw, gritty, and exposes Surly as it is, which works beautifully in its favor. The exterior is clad in corrugated steel panels and western red cedar, with capped, low-slung, flat rooflines that make the space look somehow elegant. As Steven Dwyer, AIA lead designer, explains, “Visitors pass a large fire ring and a water feature—visual and auditory appetizers before entering the building.” The brick paving guides visitors from the entry plaza to the heart of the facility. On entering the brew house, one faces “the beer temple” — rows of suspended funnels of holding tanks, whose pattern will become more impressive with the addition of more funnels in the future. The three-story house is enclosed in floor-to-ceiling glass walls, making the brewing process completely transparent. Contrary to the popular outlook of an industrial space, the high ceilings, clerestory windows, and tubular skylight devices make these areas seem light and airy. The interiors are washed in the Surly brand colors of red, gold, and black.

5. Creative Recycling Provides the Edge

One then proceeds to the open beer hall, with the typical long, communal-style tables. Black metal and cedar are used throughout the beer hall. The hall is flanked by the brew house, the beer garden and deck, an amphitheater, and a free-flowing, 10-foot-high space. Overlooking the hall on the upper level is the formal Brewer’s Table Restaurant, with pre-function, events, and bar areas. An adjacent outdoor deck looks upon the gardens and interactive spaces.

Drawing from the industrial setting of the brewery, HGA Architects and interior designers turned worn-out materials into innovative elements that give an edge to the brewery. Exposed concrete slabs were formed into retaining walls. Steel, glass, and reclaimed wood from trees blown down in a tornado were turned into table tops and metal panels, and recycled plastic Coke bottles became designer chairs.

6. Landscape Employed to Create Elements of Surprise

The beer garden is surrounded by a series of gabion walls and a dense hedge of red cedars that can be segregated into three smaller pockets, providing visitors multiple choices to suit their mood. The Grove, as the name suggests, is a forest of honeylocust and serviceberry trees surrounding the flexible seating area of picnic tables and benches around a fire pit. It is reminiscent of a camping site. The crushed granite surface of the Greek-style terraced amphitheater looks over the stage and is backed by an artistic turf mound. Probably the most informal space on the site is the Spill Garden.

Reminiscent of an abstract painting, it is made of numerous turf landforms, fire pits, informal focal points, and perennial plants that together form one composition. The beer garden as a whole has a sense of mystery around it, piquing curiosity. As Dwyer says: “From the day the facility opened, the customer has owned the space. The building, along with a carefully choreographed tour route and curated graphics, (immerses visitors) in the Surly Destination Brewery experience — a brand in and of itself.” The design on the whole is like a work of art. The overall placement and organization of the various spaces, ranging from one-on-one dialogue areas to an assortment of community elements. Each is strategically linked with the people, as well as with the interrelationships between these individual elements, making Surly Brewery a sterling composition worth visiting. Do you think destination breweries such as Surly, where the brewing is as important as the experience and memories, are changing the design fabric? Leave your comments below.

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Full Project Credits For Surly Destination Brewery :

Project: Surly Destination Brewery Client: Surly Brewing Company Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA Architects: HGA Landscape Architect: HGA Design Principal: Steven Dwyer Engineer: HGA Principal in Charge: Mia Blanchett Project Architects: Robert Good, John Cook Project Manager: Johanna Harris Project Team: Alex Terzich, Jesse Zeien, Paula Storsteen, Jennifer McMaster, Rich Firkins, Tony Staeger, Mark Johnson, Scott Lichty, Julie Hagstrom, Ross Altheimer, Erica Christenson, Kenny Horns, Chrysanthi Stockwell, Zac Poynter, Joe Wetternach, Connor Frazier, Robert Johnson Miller Size: 50,000 square feet Cost: $16 million (construction) Start Date: October 2013 (construction) Completion Date: June 2015 Photographs: Paul Crosby Photography and Corey Gaffer Contractor: McGough Construction Recommended Reading:

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

Article by Lidija Šuster – One Canal, by Copley Wolff Design Group, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Large cities are mainly characterized by tall and expressive buildings, business and educational centers, industrial facilities, shopping malls, and other various types of urban areas. When it comes to residential living many of them offer very luxurious residences, and Boston is no exception. Boston is the capital of Massachusetts, and also the largest city in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Its famous linear park, the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, holds many interesting landscapes and places for living, including the One Canal project.

This project is designed by Copley Wolff Design Group, located on the land of Boston’s historic Bulfinch Triangle. The building is not just modern by its construction, but important by its position – it connects three major and vital traffic systems known as the Central Artery, and Orange and Green lines. So, by all means, One Canal represents significant and attractive structure that is ultra-modern and pretty spacious. Twelve stories tall, this building offers 310 deluxe apartments and various types of open public spaces, landscaped in a way that no one can stay indifferent to them.

One Canal

Supporting Life in the Heat of an Urban Area

Considering its capacity and cost, One Canal has a lot to offer for its residents and visitors. Including vast space reserved for residential and retail purposes, this project emits a stunning impression of luxury. From the ground level all the way up to the 12th floor, everything has been carefully planned so that spatial organization provides its fullest potential. According to the building’s planners, the entrance is arranged to visually and historically refer to the Middlesex Canal that once flowed throughout the site.

This only shows one very important fact – if something is constructed in a contemporary way, that does not mean history should be forgotten. Further, using the newest technology, the second and third floor are equipped with all necessary services intended for functionality and people’s wellbeing. That includes much-needed parking, a fitness center, renting spaces, and other features which support life in the heat of urban area. And finally, starting from that point and finishing on the rooftop, the previously-mentioned 310 apartments form a breathtaking luxury block that represent an example of the most modern and tasteful landscape design. The Copley Wolff Design Group (in their own words) provided landscape design services for the streetscape, an amenity roof deck located on the third floor, and a roof-level pool terrace.

Representing Nature

“An amenity roof deck“, so called by the designers, offers a wide range of possibilities for enjoying the space. Curved edges blended with wavy embankments support the natural look, which contributes to the relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. By using bushy ornamental grasses and flowering perennials, designers provided the spatial impression that is not seen very often above the ground.

Following the curvy composition, the amenity roof deck is arranged with mounds that look like little grassy hills, providing a whiff of nature to the residents. With different shapes, sizes, heights, and types of plants, these patches of greenery bring dynamism and vibrancy into the living area. Surrounded by this kind of landscape, the space intended for enjoyment can flourish completely. Private niches, decorated with lighting, equipped with cozy, attractive chairs, make the perfect spot for drinking morning coffee or evening beverages.

As an additional pleasant view, the designers added into the space a custom wall made of recycled wooden material. Its horizontal lines bring a mild contrast to the natural shapes in the landscape, but the piece also harmonizes the use of natural materials – as most of the furniture is made of wood.

Roof Level Pool Terrace

Another stunning part of the One Canal project is its pool terrace located on the roof. Let’s say that majority of people (myself included) are strongly drawn to pools (and other water elements), so implementing this type of feature was an absolute bingo. With its breathtaking view of the city, the pool is located on an elevated platform, accesed by six wooden stairs (the designer’s concept of using wood material is also transferred to this level).

By laying approximately in the middle of the platform, the swimming pool is surrounded with two half-rounded sundecks, both containing different types of seatings. Next to a wall for movie projections, one side of those sundecks has a contemporary-designed pergola, which gives a special note of impression. Last but not least, the whole terrace is professionally and carefully equipped with landscape lighting, which gives a unique spirit to the space (particularly at evenings). With the same type of vegetation as on the third floor, the designer’s brilliant imagination came to reality with this roof-level pool terrace.

The Outer Edges

The aforementioned landscape mounds and “grassy hills“ were not just implemented on the inner side of the fence. What gives this project an additional virtue of uniqueness is forming a vegetation belt outside the floor’s edges. Replicating the natural shapes and holding the native plants, these outer edges definitely support the natural landscape look. Combining all of these elements and a view on the Boston’s land from above, One Canal offers a perfect place for condominium living.

For the Copley Wolff Design Group this certainly is a great success. Making a project for a high-density city is a challenge, but striving to do something out-of-the-ordinary is truly a venture. Projects like this should be praised, because they represent oases for the residents and inspirations for landcape architects. What do you think about One Canal? Tell us in the comments!

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Full Project Credits For One Canal :

Project Name: One Canal Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA Year Of Completion: 2016 Designers: Copley Wolff Design Group Size: 12-story Building/ 310 Apartments Client: Icon Architecture/trinity Financial Total Development Cost: $195 Million Recommended Reading:

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

Article by Kamil Rawski – Würth La Rioja Museum Gardens, by Pablo Serrano Elorduy, in Agoncillo, Spain. The Würth Museum is located in the northern region of Spain, about 15 kilometres to the east from Logroño, in Agoncillo. This building has been designed as a 21st-century, avant-garde, international, contemporary arts scene. Admission to this interesting architectural building is free (3 € per person, subsidised by Würth España S.A.). And there is an option, with prior reservation, for a free guided tour for groups of more than 10 persons. Try to imagine what kind of garden should be designed for the Würth Museum? What do you think; would an ordinary garden be appropriate to such a place? I think it is not and a similar opinion was held by the designers – Blanca and Pablo Serrano Elorduy. They decided to create a modern space, so below, we can see and read about the results of designing the new, geometrized gardenscape.

Würth La Rioja Museum Gardens

Main Idea The main premise of the Würth La Rioja Museum Gardens project was to show and use the conditions of the former site and transform it into a new form of landscape. The existing morphological, topographical, and topological configurations were used for this purpose. Designers traced the lines in these schemes and were able to create a virtual grid, which was used to design particular elements of the space. Despite the visual disorder, everything seems to be organized well. In this way, they managed to get to the geometrized ground of the existing site.

Geometric Nature

Disordered lines, which are the borders of specific surfaces, refer to elements of nature. We can find connections to forms such as branches, channels, leaves, rivers, and cracks. Thanks to that, it was possible to control each of the different areas to create a new arrangement of space. These irregular lines are also adapted to the solar topography, so as a result they widen and narrow as well as intersect and intertwine.

Interweaving surfaces and volumes of wood with concrete walls and stone paths, break the rhythm of quiet and secluded vegetation. Simultaneously, they are the counterweight for it, which makes the space well-balanced. As the result, a garden was obtained which is not based on random choice or personal whim, but is a space where everything is in its place and has a rationale balance.

Separated Areas

Landscape designers created not only a usable space but also a harmonious composition of nature with anthropogenic elements. Irregular lines create not only walking tours but also become the rest areas. Every element of the garden, such as trees, herbs, rocks and water sheets, seem to move at the same pace and you can find out about it by walking through this space on a concrete path.

The strips that we can find in this space are vertical trees, walls and also many other separated areas such as the laces of permeable branches and surfaces with bark, which refer to the ground of the forest. Whereas the white pebble stones, eroded over time by water, are reminiscent of a river, as if it was involved in this process.

Vegetation

The vegetation on this site was planted in isolated irregular geometrical areas. Low plants predominate, but there are also bushes and trees. Shrubs grow mostly near the water and the trees on the peripheral areas. In the case of perennials, each plant species fills a whole separated area making a uniform colour patch.

Among the hues, shades of green, red and blue predominate. The rest of the area is covered by a low-mowed, dense, dark green lawn, which is a background for the path made of bright concrete. Such contrast makes the path stand out to the foreground. Interspersing with other areas, it looks like a kind of colourful patchwork.

Furnishings

The whole composition is complemented by small architectural objects, and at night also the game of light and shade. The whole area is equipped with benches, single seats, and trash baskets. They are made of concrete and wood to create a consistent composition with the rest of the Würth La Rioja Museum Gardens project. Located on the elevated wooden terrace, there are also tables with chairs. In the garden there are also sculptural elements. At the bottom of the single seats there are mounted lights, which at night create interesting effects; in particular, near the museum entrance, where they are dispersed in greater amounts.

In addition, single light posts were also designed and implemented. In summer there are many social activities carried out here and also organized playrooms for children which are praised by people. In spite of not much space and a wide diversity of terrain, the designers have created an interesting place that focuses the attention of the recipient, beside which it is difficult to pass neutrally. Large amounts of different surfaces, after all, are not causing chaos, and the architects’ vision is evident. Thanks to this, the garden is willingly visited by tourists. One of them, who has published a review on Google, recommends this place in this way: “Obligatory to visit if you go to La Rioja or its capital city Logroño. It is a museum at the same level as the great centers of contemporary art in Barcelona or Madrid. Admission is free and exhibitions are frequently renewed”. What do you think, was it a good idea to emphasize the modern character of this object by geometrizing nature?

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Full Project Credits For Würth La Rioja Museum Gardens :

Project: Würth La Rioja Museum Gardens Site: Agoncillo, Logroño; La Rioja, Spain Architect: Pablo Serrano Elorduy Designer: Blanca Elorduy Collaborators: Ingeniería Torrella Riggers: Joaquín Sierra, Pablo Devalle. Lighting: Cromm Promoter: Würth España S.A. Surface: 11.280 m2 Recommended Reading:

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