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Dragon Lake Bridge Park | Establishing a New Waterfront District in Bengbu

Article by Emily Sinclair – Dragon Lake Bridge Park, by AECOM, in Bengbu, Anhui Province, China The Dragon Lake Bridge Park, designed by AECOM designers Lee Yi and Lian Tao, in Bengbu, Anhui Province, China, is bringing the city back to its roots as a waterfront city. Bengbu is a mid-sized city in the Anhui Province of China with a population of nearly one million people. The Dragon Lake Bridge park lies in the centre of the city along one of the major lakes. The park, full of walkways and bridges, meanders along the bank of Dragon Lake, leaving many places for vistas and terraces to bring new views of the city and the water to those enjoying the park. Designed with gentle slopes and open pavilions, the waterfront has become a central destination for city-goers to enjoy at any time of day or night.

Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Dragon Lake Bridge Park

Water from the Beginning

From the beginning of the design conception for this park, the history and culture of the surrounding Chinese landscape has been an important inspiration. The city’s connection to the water has been part of its identity since its inception. Even in name – ‘Bengbu’ in Chinese translates to ‘Clam Wharf’. With the Huai River and Dragon Lake nearby, the city grew as a center of the freshwater pearl industry.

Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Since then, as the city expanded further away from the lake, Bengbu also thrived in the food processing industry. Unfortunately, this economic boom has had a downside for the rivers and lakes which the city started alongside, as the lakes which were once popular for fishing and other recreational activities had become polluted to the point where city officials warned the public to avoid the waters or risk their health. This is where AECOM began forming the idea of the new waterfront for the city, asking the question: How to return the water back to something the locals could use on a daily basis?
Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Improving Water Quality

The city’s historic connection to water was important from the beginning, especially because of the polluted nature of the waters. The waters which once provided recreation and economic support to the locals had become dangerous with high levels of algae bloom. In order to return the waters of what is now known as Dragon Lake Bridge Park to healthy, normal levels, a variety of measures were implemented.

Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Through artificial methods of circulating and aerating the water, they turned the waters back from the eutrophic state that the lake had been in. In addition to these measures, the design team made sure to design the landscape with new wetlands and restored the vegetation buffers of the pre-existing ecosystem.

Establishing a New Signature District

What would a new lakefront park be without city dwellers inhabiting it? Many areas for different programing are included in the design of this park. The simple materials with lighting subtly inset between rails and under steps make this a destination during the day and at night.

Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

The reflection of the lights of the walkways off the water help create a feeling of floating as you stroll along the elevated walkway from one end of the park to the other. The city almost melts into the river; the terraced landscape (carefully reshaped by the design team) brings visitors gently down to the level of the river. Long, wide steps allow plenty of opportunities to sit and watch as people walk by, or enjoy a lunch with friends. Further along the lakefront, a rock beach allows the opportunity for families to enjoy the lake in a playful and relaxing naturalized landscape.
Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Plants and Local Identity

The planting scheme around the park is carefully chosen to reflect the surrounding natural landscape and situate the park within its regional context. The park spans 25 hectares in total, and throughout the park one can find numerous indigenous trees and native plants. Especially worth visiting is the Bamboo Garden and Celebration Plaza. This area, located at the center of the park, provides space for galleries, outdoor exhibitions, and sculptures while still maintaining a distinctly Chinese character.

Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Enriching the Cultural and Recreational Offerings William H. Whyte (planner and author of The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces) once said, “If there’s a lesson in street watching it is that people do like basics – and as environments go, a street that is open to the sky and filled with people and life is a splendid place to be.” This lakefront design does just that, bringing people and excitement to one area, drawn by the simple pleasures; a place to sit, to play with their kids, or to stroll along with the sun shining on their face.
Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

The addition of the lakefront park has not gone unnoticed and sets the stage as Bengbu continues to grow. Juror S. C. Liu (chairman of MyTopHome) described the park as being “exemplary in terms of environmental and investment considerations… (and is) evidence of how a well-planned project can bring multifaceted advantages to a city and its people.” Thoughtful waterfront designs can drastically change the character of a city district. What fond memories of your own include some time spent along a beach, a harbour, or a boardwalk?

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Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Dragon Lake Bridge Park. Photo credit: AECOM

Full Project Credits For Dragon Lake Bridge Park :

Project Name: Dragon Lake Bridge Park Firm: AECOM, Los Angeles Location: Bengbu, Anhui Province, China Budget: 40 million Date of Construction: Completed May 2009 Size: 25 Hectare Awards: 2010 ULI Global Award for Excellence Client: Xincheng Comprehensive Development Zone Bengbu Recommended Reading:

Zuidwestoever | How to Use Urban Furniture to Define a Space

Article by Eleni Tsirintani – Zuidwestoever, by Guido Hermans: Stadsruimte, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands There are many ways to intervene into the landscape. It can be modified, reconstructed, handled, or simply maintained. The latter is also an intervention. Zuidwestoever design introduces all of the above in a single design gesture to create a new place for the citizens of Amsterdam where they can walk, sit, organize events or simply be next to the water. A new arrangement along the lakeside redefines the interaction with water, facilitates a number of new activities, and allows the citizens to enjoy a contemporary and high-quality public space.

Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Stadsruimte BV

Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Stadsruimte BV

A set of linear wooden benches, specially designed and constructed for the site, articulate the new plan. Lines that bend, fold or unravel along the lake materialize the project. The new geometry unfolds around and in interaction with large trees already found on-site. The design works with both new and existing elements to reach a coherent result.
Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Stadsruimte BV

Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Stadsruimte BV

Zuidwestoever

The intervention unravels along the edge of Sloterplas Lake. It is a linear boulevard; part of the Slotersplas Park facilities. Sloterplas is an artificial pond in the western suburbs of Amsterdam. Sloterplas Lake was shaped in 1935 and it was part of the General Expansion Plan for the area. The lake presents a variety of activities in water sports. There are a great number of facilities for sailing, canoeing, angling, and diving sports.

Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Stadsruimte BV

Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Stadsruimte BV

A new condition by the water was required to complete the experience and register the place as a new, interesting public area. Gazing towards the water and being able to reach it are two principal qualities in most waterfront design projects. In the case of Zuidwestoever these qualities became the central point of the new plan. A new wide surface, paved with rectangular, grey stone slabs, forms a uniform base for the intervention. The paving ends along wide steps towards the water that allow both sitting and approaching the water’s edge.
Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Stadsruimte BV

Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Stadsruimte BV

The steps connect the different topography levels and make the bank totally accessible in both longitudinal and transversal directions. The existing trees near the lake that seem randomly planted are framed with wooden benches especially designed for the project. The seating units form a sort of puzzle around each tree trunk and create a sense of rhythm and interesting variations according to the water proximity.
Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Stadsruimte BV

Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Stadsruimte BV

The bench design bears the signature of Grijsen Park & Straatdesign, a well-established company in the field of urban furniture and infrastructure. A row of existing trees creates a clear boundary between the intervention and the adjacent vehicular access. The rest of the surface is open to possibilities. Walking, an open air market, musicians playing by the lake; anything finds its place there. In most projects, urban equipment comes from a wide range of ready-made design products that sometimes fit more and sometimes fit less into the general concept.
Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Stadsruimte BV

Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Stadsruimte BV

The Zuidwestoever project makes an exception; it places the main focus on urban equipment instead of anything else. The benches are custom-made and they are what actually materializes the project geometry. Seen from a certain angle, they seem like they are floating over the water, blurring the boundaries between land and lake. The benches were constructed in parts, brought onto the site, and then installed. That allowed for both transport and any necessary adjustments to take place easily.
Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Stadsruimte BV

Zuidwestoever. Credit: Visualisatiekoning

The wooden parts are specially treated in order to resist high humidity and being exposed to difficult weather conditions. They maintain their quality and texture with little maintenance. Special LED lighting fixtures create a unique atmosphere and make the area accessible and interesting during the night. Landscape interventions are about the large scale. There is no doubt about that. Anyone working with the landscape does not do it because they get excited with 1-to-5 scale details.
Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Grijsen

Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Grijsen

However, addressing the actual issues that a project presents might also involve handling smaller scale, especially when it comes to urban design projects. Sometimes it is important to take the design process to an extravagant level of detail in order to reach a successful result. This is what this project has to contribute; a way of thinking towards detail and urban equipment that is different and subversive. Urban equipment becomes a concept itself, a design tool that actually articulates the intervention.
Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Grijsen

Zuidwestoever. Photo credit: Grijsen

Full Project Credits For Zuidwestoever :

Project Name: Zuidwestoever Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands Date of Completion: October 2016 Design: Guido Hermans: Stadsruimte Caroline Elbers: Municipality of Amsterdam Patrick Grijsen, Grijsen Park & Straatdesign in collaboration with Eric Kruisselbrink, Idenova. Production of the Benches: 
Grijsen Park & Straatdesign Construction: JSB Infra. Recommended Reading:

Can Architecture Combat Air Pollution?

In this article, we look at how architecture can possibly combat air pollution and look at what the results of such solutions look like.  For decades scientists, urban planners and multiple other disciplines have been looking for ways to reduce air pollution in cities. Lately we’ve seen smarter cars, more bicycle paths, innovative transportation methods, and a surplus of propaganda promoting the benefits of walking whenever possible. While all of these incentives have become part of the strategy to reduce smog in larger cities, architects may have found a better solution.

Can Architecture Combat Air Pollution?

The Manuel Gea Gonzalwz Hospital in Mexico City fights pollution by having a veil like structure coated with titanium dioxide which helps break down pollutants like nitrogen oxide. Essentially when the titanium dioxide is exposed to light, its electrons interact with water to release pollutant-busting free radicals. These radicals break down any pollutant particulate on the coated panels and attack airborne particles, too. What makes this pollution busting strategy unique is that the coating can be applied to a variety of surfaces. The Musee du Quai Branly in Paris tackles pollution with a living wall. The wall follows the properties of photosynthese meaning that is absorbs carbon dioxide while emitting oxygen. WATCH >>> 11 Insane Futuristic Architectural Designs

The greatest benefit to this approach is that it can be implemented in any part of the city to provide residents with better air-quality. Perhaps taking the green wall to a whole new level, Milan’s Bosco Verticale will be covered in approximately 730 trees, 11,000 ground-cover plants, and 5,000 shrubs. If you’re interested in reading more about this environmental initiative, read our article Forests in the Sky? While it’s currently only a concept, The Hyper Filter Skyscraper is tackling the threat of environmental pollution by not only inhaling carbon dioxide, pollutants and greenhouse gases but also exhaling concentrated oxygen. This process is achieved by the long pipe filters which ensure that the air is cleaned while the harmful substances are stored for use in the chemical industry. The Congress Gateway Towers in Chicago propose a complex air filtration system. The C02 is first adsorbed at the crown of the tower by carbon scrubbers and then by algae growing inside the building. The algae is then processed into biofuels to provide energy for the building residents’ clean vehicles. ________________________________________ Emily Matlovich is the writer for CADdetails’ blog Design Ideas for the Built World. The blog aims to inspire ideas for design professionals and is your source of information about the latest cutting edge projects, innovative product designs, and updates on industry trends. It is an extension of CADdetails which is the leading provider of manufacturer-specific building product information, delivering high quality planning documents to architects, engineers, contractors, and other design industry professionals throughout North America. Their mission is to help bring design projects to life by connecting the AEC industry with high-quality CAD drawings, 3D models, BIM files, specifications, images, projects and related documents from reputable manufacturers across the continent. All of their digital content is available for download free of charge. Recommended Reading:

Featured image: shutterstock.com

Company Profile: Brummell Landscape Architects

Landscape Architects Network Features a Company Profile of Brummell Landscape Architects. Brummell is among the leading landscape architecture firms in Germany. It is known for its national and international projects, not to mention its style and innovation. Some of the services offered in Brummell’s diverse portfolio include — but are not limited to — water gardens, waterscapes, water management, gardening, bio-engineering, urban concepts, hotel resorts, and roof gardens. What started as a simple vision to make places greener and more user-friendly has led to an entire network of landscape architects known collectively as Brummell, working on numerous projects both inside and outside of Germany. Brummell is the design team behind many successful urban parks and squares in Germany, as well as hotel resorts and green planning projects in Spain and Russia.

Brummell Landscape Architects

Brummell Landscape Architects

Brummell Landscape Architects

Currently, the company is known for its influence on many projects within Germany, including streets, residences, parks, and hotel refurbishments in Berlin and many similar projects in Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Munich that have been in place since 2014. Although the main offices are based in Berlin, Brummell has four other offices around the world: Bangkok, Frankfurt, Hangzhou, and Karlsruhe. Brummell is on the frontier of a new revolution in landscape architecture. The cornerstones were set 25 years ago, in 1992, by Andreas Brummell, the firm’s owner and CEO. The very first projects were mainly focused on industrial development and preservation projects in Germany.

Brummell Landscape Architects

Brummell Landscape Architects

Brummell designed its first successfully constructed square, in the township of Mutshelbach, in 1992. Two years later, Brummell made a leap forward, setting the cornerstones for another similar project and creating its first roof garden in the city of Karlsruhe. From that point, there were numerous projects within Germany. But as the new millennium approached, Brummell found itself gaining respect outside of Germany and began its “landscape invasion,” with many international projects in China and Europe.

A Philosophy That Tailors to the Modern Principles of Landscape Architecture

From Bangkok to Berlin and Hangzhou, Brummell’s design philosophy has spread to many corners of the world. The diversity of their landscape architects’ expertise can best be seen through their list of projects, including clinics, hotels, industrial development buildings, nursery schools, parks, private gardens, shopping centers, and squares.

Brummell Landscape Architects

Brummell Landscape Architects

What sets Brummell apart from the competition is its spacious view on projects and its unique style, which is incorporated into every single project. Known for its mixture of more regional and national influences and skills, Brummell’s touch uses natural resources to shape structures and therefore promote the value of landscape architecture in today’s hectic world. The fact that Brummell uses sustainable landscape materials is vital to the durability and unity of the arts and landscapes its landscape architects help create. They always strive to reduce the essentials, so that they make the most of the materials and forms and do not overuse anything. Another key value is the company’s approach to integrating nature in order to save resources and, at the same time, make modern spaces more adaptive to the natural environment, which in turn helps them last for long periods of time.

Specializing in Public, Private, and Commercial Projects in Many Parts of the World

Brummell’s reputation goes beyond the national borders of Germany. Its past and future projects in China, Thailand, and Europe are solid proof of this. Brummell specializes in three main fields of operation: private, public, and commercial projects.   This way, the company promotes a universal approach toward integrating landscape architecture into today’s world and is able to help the environment as much as it helps people to enjoy parks, residences, streets, and urban areas in many corners of the world. Brummell is also known for many other types of projects, including golf courses (Russia), retirement homes (Germany), hotels (Klinikhotel in Berlin), and even sauna/bath projects. Brummell is a leader in various types of projects that aid the environment and make people feel more connected to nature while still breathing the urban air.

Brummell Landscape Architects

Brummell Landscape Architects

Influencing a Change in Urban Planning Around the World, One Project at a Time

With more than a dozen employees in its four main locations, Brummell continues to grow, project after project. Brummell’s clear vision and unique approach to landscape architecture is definitely changing the aspect of urban planning and our view on it, as well. Since 1992, Brummell has been changing the world. What was once a new frontier in landscape architecture is now a company that has a profound role in the reconstitution of meaning and value in the community today — and one that influences all aspects of environmental development.

Direct Information for Brummell Landscape Architects:

Office Name: Brummell Landschaftsarchitekten International Founder: Andreas Brummell Year of Foundation and Location: Founded in Germany in 1990 Office Locations: Bangkok/ Berlin / Frankfurt / Karlsruhe Niebuhrstrasse 4 – 10629 Berlin Website: http://www.brummell.de E-mail contacts: info@brummell.de Social Networks: Facebook, LinkedIn Some of the most important public realm projects designed by Brummell Landscape Architects include:

The private projects that the landscape architects at Brummell Landscape Architects pride themselves on include:

Lastly, the commercial projects are the ones that include malls and hotel terraces, such as:

If you would like to get your landscape architecture office profiled on Landscape Architects Network, contact us at office@landarchs.com Profile composed by Frank Bourque

Little Bay Cove | A Big Ecological Endeavor

Article by Gwgw Kalligiannaki – Little Bay Cove, by McGregor Coxall, in Little Bay, Sydney, Australia. Designed with the principles of “urban ecology”, the Little Bay Cove is an excellent example in which “the experience of the landscape has been carefully considered to support a diversity of spaces that provide a range of amenity”, as McGregor Coxall says of his project. His proposal is based on a grid, where housing typologies are placed. A water-sensitive design basis is incorporated into the central ecological corridor and public park, but also the streets themselves.

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: E Little Bay

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: E Little Bay

Little Bay Cove

Coxall’s design is based on reuse of the site’s materials and local plants, to ensure absolute sensitivity towards the local topography. As landscape architects analyze, plan, design, manage, and nurture the built and natural environments, they work to create outdoor places, in order to maintaining the balance between the built and natural environment in our cities. They design innovative spaces and improve environmental quality in order to produce “human spaces”. Many landscape projects are influenced by the key points of “urban ecology”; providing spaces designed to respect and highlight the locality of the landscape, inculding “social, environmental, and ecological systems”.

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Creating a New Masterplan

As the former buildings and services, as the UNSW sports fields or the UNSW Biological Resources Center, were scattered across the site, the design team decided to demolish all existing buildings, and redesign the landscape. The new master plan includes two public parks, the Urban Lounge and the Brand Park. The streets are organized according to the Water Sensitive Urban Design principles. Also, all the pedestrian connections around the site were enhanced to connect the new master plan to the existing city grid.

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Design Strategy

Coxall’s design is based on three main principles; water sensitive design, endemic plant material use, and ecologically responsible design. Paying attention to those principles, the design strategy is based on rigorous site analysis with Australian standards and codes. Also, the brief indicates a stormwater system to detain and clean stormwater.

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

The idea is to lower the landscape strip down to the level of the road, in order to use stormwater for irrigation. Porous materials, like EcoPave, or the establishment of roadside swales used to gather rain for the gardens. The bio-retention swale in Urban Lounge is also used as part of Water Sensitive Urban Design.

Organizing the Site

The public open space provides a new street grid, which connects the site with its public environment and is based on water sensitive urban design initiatives. The street typology consists of avenues, green streets, raingarden streets, urban lounge access ways, lanes, and pedestrian links.

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Public parklands were designed for recreation and stormwater initiatives, such as Urban Lounge and Palaeo Valley with Brand Park. Public domain will be the key to produce a healthy, extroverted community, and so the architect provides a range of spaces such as a BBQ corner and a toddler playground.
Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Wandering in the Landscape

The pedestrian network was formed to connect the site with the city, but also to give space for walking, jogging and play areas. The snake-form steel bridge, the steel stairways and weir-top bridge provide pedestrian access across the site bringing guests close to all of the site’s spaces, even over the water.

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

In order to have a connection to the sea, the design also engages views over the ocean and across the site, through viewing platforms and locations. Another important issue in designing public space is safety. On this point, Little Bay Cove’s masterplan deals with safety through vibrant areas using environmental design initiatives.
Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Respecting the Remnants

Unlike the former buildings, Coxall proposed to retain and protect the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub and the Miocene and Ochre deposits. Interpretive signage was provided to inform the guests about the history of the site, the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub and the Miocene. It is really important when we redesign spaces that have some history, to keep former elements that show the previous character of the site and its connection to the present. Coxall promoted the using of salvaged and recycled materials in the site’s areas, reinforcing that remnants are not treated only as historical evidence, but can also used in the context of eco-design.

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Planting

A strong gesture from the architect is the use of native plants on the site. The indigenous planting limits help the new design to relink to the existing topography, and link the site to the remnant patch of the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub. In Coxall’s design, planting is used to promote privacy between the site and the “neighbors”, but also to create shade areas. The Casuarina planting on the northern boundary was also retained and reinforced with native plants. The re-generation of the Central Corridor is used to foster the creation of native ecosystems and promote urban biodiversity. A lot of the existing native trees were retained within the “urban ecology”. This new design gives Little Bay Cove a new, vital character as a public space, which provides communication between the users.

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: Simon Wood

Designing with ecology strategies, Coxall created an eco-friendly public space, using existing and local flora with stormwater irrigation systems. Also, as the new masterplan reformed the landscape, all the important remnants were retained, protected, and respected as a history of the site. What principles do you define as ecologically responsible design?

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Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: TA Little Bay

Little Bay Cove. Photo credit: TA Little Bay

Full Project Credits For Little Bay Cove:

Project: Little Bay Cove Location: Little Bay, Sydney, Australia Total Site Area: 13.6 ha Client: Charter Hall Group, TA Global Year: 2014 Budget: $7,000,000 Collaborators: Charter Hall Group Hill Thalis Architects + Urban Projects Candalepas Associates Steensen Varming Paragon Project Management CIP Commercial & Industrial Property Pty Ltd Worley Parsons Aecom Robert Bird Group Steve Paul and Partners Norman Disney & Young AHMS Denny Linker & Co Travers Bushfire & Ecology Charter Hall Group Recommended Reading:

Land Art Park Buitenschot | Can a Landscape Design Cut Out Noise Pollution?

Article by Amrita Slatch – Land Art Park Buitenschot, by H+N+S Landscape Architects, in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands When you land at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, you might not notice the 80-acre, diamond-shaped green space right next to one of the runways. But that’s OK. That is not the purpose of this green space. Instead, it is meant to solve one of the most basic issues faced by residential areas near airports: ground noise. The idea to deflect low-frequency noise caused by aircraft taking off from one of the busiest airports in the world is an amazing attempt at using the nature of plants to absorb sound. It’s a project that doesn’t just aim to beautify the open space with landscaping, but to technically mold the space to solve a much bigger problem. Let’s learn how H+N+S Landscape Architects managed to pull of this multidisciplinary project.

Land Art Park Buitenschot. Photo credit: Paul de Kort

Land Art Park Buitenschot. Photo credit: Paul de Kort

Land Art Park Buitenschot

Researching Noise-reducing Landscape

After the airport’s fifth runway (Polderbaan) was built, the ground noise near the adjacent residential area of Hoofddorp increased to such an extent that mitigating measures were required. Over the span of some time, residents noticed that the ground noise was largely reduced when farmlands were plowed. This became a gateway into understanding and researching noise-reducing landscape.

Land Art Park Buitenschot. Photo credit: Your Captain Luchtfotografie

Land Art Park Buitenschot. Photo credit: Your Captain Luchtfotografie

The Iterative Process

The undulations formed on farmlands after plowing helped in sound dispersion, which further helped reduce noise. After understanding this, a team of people — including H+N+S, visual artist Paul de Kort, TNO (a noise-reduction technology company) and Witteveen + Bos (cost calculation and feasibility) — conceptualized the idea of a ridged landscape near the runway. Under the supervision of the Government Service for Sustainable Rural Development, Mainport and Groen Foundation, and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, a maze-like park was designed, drawing from the 17th-century experiments in acoustics by German scientist Ernst Chladni, known as the “father of acoustics.”

Land Art Park Buitenschot. Photo credit: Marleen Bos

Land Art Park Buitenschot. Photo credit: Marleen Bos

The Landscape that Diminishes Noise

Having realized the importance of ridges and how they help in deflecting noise, the team designed three-meter-high embankments that were carved onto the land surface. It is important to recognize that the three-meter value was generated after a lot of measurement and calculations on how oblique planes help to distort and disperse ground noise.

Land Art Park Buitenschot. Photo credit: Marleen Bos

Land Art Park Buitenschot. Photo credit: Marleen Bos

These embankments move along the length and breadth of the site (500 meters by 100 meters), placed very close to each other and perpendicular to the direction of the sound waves (for optimal sound reduction), forming a diamond pattern. This specific pattern forms a very interesting relationship with the orderly grid of Hoofddorp’s urban fabric. The embankments, which rise into the shape of a pyramid, have a rather interesting noise-amplifying element placed atop them. These noise-amplifying elements are parabolic sound mirrors — also called “listening ears” — that help to amplify the ground noise for whoever stands on them.
Land Art Park Buitenschot. Photo credit: Marleen Bos

Land Art Park Buitenschot. Photo credit: Marleen Bos

The Landscape that Stimulates Wandering, Fun, and Recreation

The beauty of this project lies in the fact that the embankments are designed so that they very seamlessly blend into the existing landscape. The reason for this is that the in-between spaces between two raised embankments have been converted into one-meter-wide walkways.

Land Art Park Buitenschot. Photo credit: Marleen Bos

Land Art Park Buitenschot. Photo credit: Marleen Bos

These intermingling pathways and bikeways invite nearby residents to enjoy a nice walk or ride amidst the wilderness that is a creation of the great planting strategy. The spatial vistas of the site, which are framed within the three-meter-high embankments adorned with grasslands and sedges, help form big and small spaces. These spaces then manifest into sports fields, long fields for walks and rides, and small intimate spaces. It would be appropriate to say that the landscape has very effortlessly catered to the needs of the nearby residents by not making noise reduction their only objective.
Land Art Park Buitenschot. Photo credit: Paul de Kort

Land Art Park Buitenschot. Photo credit: Paul de Kort

Something Much More than Just Land Art

A land art project — and at the same time Europe’s largest maze — has singlehandedly integrated the disciplines of landscape architecture and acoustic technology. According to the Works that Work, the park reduces the ground noise by two to three decibels. Although that is less than what was expected, which was eight to 10 decibels, the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport hopes to work on that in the future. Looking at Land Art Park Buitenschot as an example, the Melbourne Airport and London’s Gatwick Airport are adopting similar measures as natural ways to curb ground noise. A form that was agriculturally inspired seems to have been able to answer the questions regarding noise reduction and recreation. The result of Land Art Park Buitenschot is a multidisciplinary project that has made the residents of Hoofddorp less burdened by ground noise and able to live a more comfortable life. Have the designers been successful in their efforts to solve the noise pollution problem? Do you think this type of work can achieve more positive results? Should such noise-reducing landscapes be made compulsory near airports? Answer with your comments below.

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Full Project Credits For Land Art Park Buitenschot:

Project Name: Land Art Park Buitenschot Location: Hoofddorp, the Netherlands Budget: € 830,000/ha Date of Construction: 2014 Size: 36,000 square meters Awards: Finalist for the Rosa Barba Prize Client: Schiphol, in collaboration with Stichting Mainport en Groen Designed By: H+N+S Landscape Architects Collaborators: Paul de Kort, artist landart; Witteveen + Bos, engineering company; Nijmeijer en Mokking environmental consultancy, environmental experts; TNO, independent research organization Recommended Reading:

How did EXPO Antalya 2016 Express its Theme of Flowers & Children?

Article by Irmak Bilir – Expo Antalya 2016 by Artı Architecture Engineering Consulting, in Antalya, Turkey. It’s sure thing that a botanic expo must give a significant point to flowers, and at the same time, if an exposition’s philosophy is “A Green Life for Future Generations”, it is a must to include “Children” in its theme. Botanic EXPO Antalya 2016, which is designed by Artı Architecture Engineering Consulting, bears the theme “Flowers and Children” with its slogan, Cultivating the Future.

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

The sub-themes of the exposition are history, biodiversity, sustainability and green cities. Antalya is located on the south side of Turkey and it is a coastal city on the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations and a beautiful city with its Mediterranean climate, agricultural significance, flora, endemic species, history, and culture. Let’s have a look at how EXPO Antalya expresses its theme.
Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Expo Antalya 2016

EXPO Antalya’s opening ceremony was held on the 23rd of April 2016, on the National Sovereignty and Children’s Holiday which was dedicated to all the world’s children by Atatürk, the founder and greatest leader of the Turkish Republic, in 1923. It was a nice beginning for a “Flowers and Children”-themed exposition. A big manmade lake lies down in the exposition area and there is an island and a semicirclular structure which is called “Children Island”.

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Entrance to the area is provided with 4 different bridges. From morning to late hours, there were various entertaining and creative activities, ateliers, workshops, a Plant Labyrinth, music, and food for children. Most of the official and non-official countries’ and participants’ gardens had some special activities or playgrounds for children.
Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

For example, Germany’s garden was a very educational place about the potential for innovation in renewable resources, herbs and extracts, horticulture, and building with renewable raw materials for not only adults but also they had lots of materials, books, etc, for telling this concept to children. In the various amphitheaters and squares, there were activities, concerts, and theater shows.
Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

In addition, there is an area designed specifically for kids. The Kids’ Science & Technology Center was built to showcase the entertaining aspects of science and can be enjoyed by children of all ages. There is also an enormous playground surrounded by palm trees and other lush vegetation for kids looking for more traditional play activities.
Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Flora

The area around Antalya is extremely fertile and has an enormous variety of plant species. There are 750 endemic species in the area. What a good place to arrange a botanic EXPO! There are indoor gardens, a cactus garden, an agriculture and biodiversity museum, Turkey Biodiversity Trail, EXPO Greenhouse, EXPO Forest, an aquatic plants garden, medicinal and aromatic herbs garden, institutional and university gardens. And moreover, a peony terrace, which is next to the lake and allows watching of the musical water fountain dance shows.

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Live Plant Sculpture Exhibition Area

One of the most fantastic parts of the EXPO is the giant live plant sculptures which spread around a large area and tell their stories with their magnificence. The plant sculpture project belongs to a Canadian firm Mosaicultures Internationales De Montreal and it is the largest plant sculpture site worldwide. For the 108-plant sculpture, it was planned that they would use 700,000 plants.

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

This area explores the link between humans, animals, insects, plants and human use of these three life forms by visualizing mankind’s journey for survival which has begun thousands of years ago. Gorgeous planting designs spread all around the exposition area. The large lake requires bridges for crossing around and these bridges are not just ordinary boring ones but wonderful botanic gardens.
Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

All the WC areas are constructed under small manmade hills. With this creative solution, there don’t seem to be lots of structural areas and it allows to green to extend to the top of the hills, so it enlarges the green area. The Green Oasis Garden which is based on a ‘Green City’ concept is one of the most fantastic gardens in the exposition area. The aim of the design is to demonstrate the value of ‘living green’ in cities and to encourage investment in sustainable green spaces.
Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

A water mill confirms one of the sub-themes of the exposition; sustainability. It does this by meeting a portion of the area’s energy needs. It’s made from wood and gives a wonderful view at sunset with the wonderful sky and palm trees which are next to the mill. Antalya’s temperature is generally too hot for walking under the sun, so lots of different coverings take place at the top of the benches, seating areas, and passages.
Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Last but not least, one of the biggest landmarks of the EXPO is the EXPO Tower. The structure is 100.7 m tall and it is possible to see it from almost all parts of the exposition area. EXPO Tower, inspired by Hadrian’s Gate and palm trees, presents a great opportunity to view the unique scenery of EXPO area and Antalya. EXPO Antalya, with its features, ensured that visitors experienced lots of different regions’ flora all in one day. In 2016, not only children but also adults of many different ages and nationalities had lots of fun and at the same time learned about their environment. And the good news: it is now a permanent area and is still open to visitors. Do you think EXPO Antalya 2016 has expressed its theme “Flowers and Children” well?

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Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Expo Antalya 2016. Photo credit: Irmak Bilir

Full Project Credits For Expo Antalya 2016:

Project Name: Expo Antalya 2016 Location: Antalya, Turkey Area: 1121 decar Cost: 1.6 billion Turkish Liras Landscape Architecture: Artı Architecture Engineering Consulting Employer: Expo Antalya Agency Project Year: 2016 Recommended Reading:

 

LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo | A Temporary Open Air Maze

Article by Anja Graner – LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo, by Flavia Pastò, landscape architect, in Jesolo, Venice, Italy. In 2015, a unique and innovative attraction was initiated in Jesolo, a metropolitan town in Venice, Italy. It was LeMESSI, the corn maze, which attracted visitors of all ages and nationalities to test themselves on 6 kilometers of trails. The designers upped the ante in 2016, creating five different mazes with increasing levels of difficulty over an area of 50,000 square meters. The maze played an unusual role of connecting open air entertainment with the dynamic of local agriculture. Natural rhythms met the seasonality of the corn plant, whose cultivation is widespread in this region. Visitors and locals were able to experience a sustainable and affordable playground. This one location provided many adventures. Visitors could immerse themselves in the magical atmosphere and join in on theme nights with special entertainment.

LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo. Photo credit: Flavia Pastò

LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo. Photo credit: Flavia Pastò

LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo

The corn maze emerged in collaboration with local designer Martino Messi and the American company “The MaiZe”. During a trip to the United States, Messi discovered “The MAiZE”, the largest maze consulting company in the world, specializing in designing and creating corn mazes. Fascinated by the idea and the designs, Messi decided to bring the attraction to the seaside town of Jesolo, which is characterized by seasonal tourism and agriculture. In 2016, the Italian landscape architect Flavia Pastò joined and designed the floor plan of the corn maze. Following the agricultural calendar, every year in April nearly 500,000 corn kernels are sown, and the maze plants grow during the months leading up to summer. In May, when the plants reach a height of about 50 centimeters, the trimming of the pathways processes according to a previously drawn map on the computer. The footpaths that spread over the area make up the whole maze, and the complete design is only visible from above.

LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo. Photo credit: Flavia Pastò

LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo. Photo credit: Flavia Pastò

The maze is open from June after the paths are created to September, when harvest time begins. The corn crops are used for the production of flour and other food products. At the end of the season, the maze disappears, leaving room for a bare field that will sit idle all winter waiting for another summer maze. The LeMESSI maze combines the charm of an ages-old game with the seasonality of the corn plant, offering a proposal for a new entertainment that is eco-friendly and accessible to all.
LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo. Photo credit: Flavia Pastò

LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo. Photo credit: Flavia Pastò

The green space offers a simple but not trivial game that involves a wide range of people, since no special skills are required to enjoy the maze. It is a fun attraction, but also educational. Young people can get an introduction to and a better empathy for agriculture. People try to find the way out by orienting and using their intuition, technical skills, and creativity. LeMESSI is a natural amusement park where visitors can have fun in an innovative and philosophical way. Its significance refers to the combination of a fun, relaxing environment with fresh air that provides recovery, leisure, and creativity.
LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo. Photo credit: Flavia Pastò

LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo. Photo credit: Flavia Pastò

Getting lost in the maze doesn’t have to be scary; it can be entertaining. The aim is to find the way out as quickly as possible, but the intention is to get lost in the maze. Visitors enjoy an unforgettable experience by choosing shadowy paths that include various colors, forms, inspirations, and amusement.
LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo. Photo credit: Flavia Pastò

LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo. Photo credit: Flavia Pastò

The maze transforms the natural corn field into whimsical, challenging pathways that temporarily change our perspective and relationship with the everyday built environment. It is a playground filled with dead ends where the journey itself is what’s important. Often, there are marks that help you find your way and alleviate frustration, but the idea is to get lost a few times before figuring out the terrain and finding the way through. It requires patience and time to solve the puzzle. Therefore, mazes tend to attract those who are interested in solving mysteries and facing challenges.
LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo. Photo credit: Flavia Pastò

LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo. Photo credit: Flavia Pastò

Nowadays, modern maze makers are creating puzzle paths out of mirrors and other hard materials, as well as trimming them into cornfields and hedges. The maze as public art and entertainment brings particular creative attractions as well as strengths to the society. Successive lines of paths and barriers create a powerful design. A maze can provide different kinds of geometries, materials, colors, and shapes that each have their own individual impact and effect. What did you experience while walking through a maze?

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LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo. Photo credit: Flavia Pastò

LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo. Photo credit: Flavia Pastò

Full Project Credits For LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo:

Project: LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo Location: Jesolo (VE) Designer: arch. Flavia Pastò, Landscape architect Costumer: CA’ Verde srl, with the sponsorship of Jesolo City Tourism department Timeline: April 2016_ Corn planting May 2016_ Cut of Path June 2016_ Opening September 2016_ Closing and threshing Area: 52.300mq the total area (with service, bar, parking) 50.000mq the Labyrinth area 462.500 grain of wheat 6 km of path 5 Labyrinths with different difficulty Cost: € 25000 Image credit: Flavia Pastò Recommended Reading:

“El Coso” Garden and Business Incubator: A Landscape of Opportunities

Article by Domenico Pistone – “El Coso” garden and business incubator, by Cómo Crear Historias, in Cehegín, Murcia, Spain. It all started in the ’50s, when a heavy snowfall in Cehegín, a Spanish municipality in the autonomous community of Murcia, brought down part of “El Coso”, a part of the high district of the city. Serious harm was done to the community; the event created a barren space within the city and the various height differences did not favor the repopulation of the area. A great void that became a landfill, crossed only with difficulty by the citizens who created trails in their wake. A void which left a city with no water and no paths or walkways for citizens. It is from here that the mysterious history of the garden that produces water begins.

"El Coso" Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

“El Coso” Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

“El Coso” Garden and Business Incubator

For this project, the group of architects thoroughly analyzed the discontent of the citizens, marked paths that were born spontaneously, and started a process of participatory planning and work camps involving the entire city. The garden is a landscape of integration, returning to community members their right to walk through the neighbourhood and acting to connect different sites of the city that were remote. It is also an important example of how a city can create a garden with limited resources.

"El Coso" Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

“El Coso” Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

A Project with Many Voices; Participatory Planning

During the design phase, the architectsset themselves a number of questions and objectives, but the primary goal was the linkage and the path within the project. They found 9 possible results under different route conditions; at the same level, through stairs, inclined or with varying dimensions, or organically with the fall.

"El Coso" Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

“El Coso” Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

Working to identify the spontaneous paths that people had created to reach the other side of the site, and to adapt them to the appropriate municipal regulations, the architects spoke at length with community members in order to understand the city and to identify the best fields on which to act – an example of participatory and inclusive design. The route becomes the protagonist of the project, helping the visitor experience “full immersion” and letting him enjoy the view of the site and the surrounding country.
"El Coso" Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

“El Coso” Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

Paths that are not born on paper or on the screen of a computer, but by realizing the needs of citizens well, is a project that is born and developed with the needs and habits of citizens in mind and a project that will become, even before it is concluded, one with the citizens and the countryside; “the desire paths”.
"El Coso" Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

“El Coso” Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

The Vegetation; Cure and Ornament

In order to achieve a result of such a high level, as has been done by the designers, one must undertake an almost obsessive study of the vegetation that would make healing and changing the landscape of El Coso possible. Many plant species are found here that perform the most varied functions such as Typha latifolia, (broadleaf cattail), a macrophita that purifies the water, and which assumes a brown colour in summer and green in the other seasons, or Hedera Hibernica, (Irish ivy), covering retaining walls and colouring them red in autumn and winter (this measure helps the walls accumulate less heat and cools the atmosphere in summer) or the violets’ scent or Freesia x hybrida that flourishes its perfume into the air and cheers the walks of citizens.

"El Coso" Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

“El Coso” Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

After defining the network of pedestrian connections, it was important to solve the purification of water from the sewers of the city; here too, the collective of architects analyzed the land and exploited the difference in levels due to the collapse. They thought it best to create a river that runs through “El Coso” and slow its progress among meanders, ponds, and artificial lakes as its waters are purified by vegetation and then used for irrigation.
"El Coso" Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

“El Coso” Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

Innovation and Technology Help History

The main structure within the garden houses a business incubator that aims to enhance local excellence by supporting youth policies. Part of the interior of the building overlooks magnificent tanks for wine, partly discovered after the collapse, from the seventeenth century, weaving together culture, architecture, and business. The ceiling of the structure that contains the business incubator is designed to become a viewpoint over the river, the garden, the ponds, and the whole landscape.

"El Coso" Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

“El Coso” Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

El Coso is a very innovative project that has managed to blend into a territory injured by a landslide and which was able to fully involve the population in both the planning and in the practical work of building. The materials used to achieve these goals were concrete, used to hold the slope, to create the reservoirs of purification and water, and to create the structure that contains the business incubator. Prefabricated concrete slabs were used for the building’s roof, which becomes the vision-point to admire the scenery. Everything is supported by a strong steel structure. And coating the whole are local plants, flowers, climbing plants, and floating macrophytes that cast shadows, offering cooler and more relaxing environments.
"El Coso" Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

“El Coso” Garden and Business Incubator. Photo Credit: David Frutos

Water as a Metaphor for Life

Never has the name of a project been so spot-on because the “mysterious history of the garden that creates water A.K.A. El Coso” is a project that has something special; it is not limited to the construction sphere, but also involves anyone who walks into its spaces. It is a magical project because it is able, thanks to the water, to give life to a dull, dark place, and it has managed to make a site of bad memories a place of regeneration and happiness. This is the mysterious history of the garden that produces water; a better place, a fantastic project, don’t you think?

Full Project Credits For “El Coso” garden and business incubator:

Project Name: “El Coso” garden and business incubator. Project Title: “The mysterious story of the garden that makes water” Project Location: Cehegín, Murcia, Spain (2003-2015) Architects and technical construction management: Mónica García Fernández and Javier Rubio Montero (cómo crear historias) Quantity surveyor: Patricia León de la Cruz Contractor: Jose Diaz Garcia S.A. Structural engineering: Dolores Romám Mechanical engineering: AGM ingenieros, José Alberto García Fernández Safety and health coordinator: Antonio Martínez Sánchez Owner/ developer: Municipality of the city of Cehegín Photographs: David Frutos Total area: 4.436 m2 Budget (Materials and execution works): 3.111.262 € Project start date: 2003 Construction period: 2011-2015 Recommended Reading:

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge : Luxurious African Sustainable Resort

Article by Sara Fausti – Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge by Nicholas Plewman Architects in Association with Michaelis Boyd Associates (MBA), in Okavango Delta, Botswana, Africa. A look at the formidable project of Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge by Nicholas Plewman Architects in association with Michaelis Boyd Associates (MBA). Can you imagine a luxury resort in an African landscape, surrounded by elephants, lions and giraffes, but with a minimal energy impact?  

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

The idea of a refined hotel in a wild landscape doesn’t seem to fit with the concept of sustainability but Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge is the example which shows this is possible. Nicholas Plewman Architects, in association with Michaelis Boyd Associates (MBA), took on the challenge of designing a prestigious hotel in the Okavango Delta in northwest Botswana through an interesting design and eco-friendly strategies.

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge

The project is a perfect integration between aesthetics and function in a harmonious fusion between architecture and nature; a building which respects the environment through technological solutions without compromising high-quality comforts and deep perception of the space. Okavango River Valley is one of the most fertile areas of Africa and was conscripted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014.

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Due to the value of the land, severe construction restrictions have been imposed by the government. Among the new regulations; building materials had to be biodegradable, and 70% of electricity had to come from renewable sources. The plan of the lodge is reminiscent of the shape of a pangolin, Africa’s armadillo. The result is an organic wood-shingled structure that nearly disappears into the wild landscape and operates off the grid.
Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

The building gives a sense of hospitality and protection due to its resemblance to a shelter of an animal or a warm nest. Twelve private bungalows of 116 m2 each are placed all around the lodge and elevated from the ground due to the area’s seasonal flooding. Each shelter contains high comforts and an elegant and suggestive design.
Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Cosy fireplaces and secluded nooks offer an intimate space with a pleasant view through the wild forest of palms and fig trees. The exterior is comprised of a private plunge pool and a comfortable deck, while the interior design celebrates Botswana crafts.
Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

The entire complex includes offices, a kitchen, and a restaurant which offers succulent local dishes. The main building, the lodge, rises from the ground in an undulating metamorphic shape made from glulam pine while the exterior cladding uses Canadian cedar shingles for a pleasant visual quality.
Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

The arched, curved structure of the canopy resembles the ribcage of an animal. It opens on both sides to allow for both the flow of air and an open view to the exterior. This openness suggests a direct contact to nature, providing for a personal and unique experience.
Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Designers faced several issues during the design of this complex structure: the frame had to be cut into three sections to be transported through the hard African landscape. But when the timber arrived on the site the pieces had warped and they couldn’t be joined together. A reject of the material would have increased the costs and it wouldn’t have been good practice as waiting for new arches would have caused significant delay in the works.
Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

The architects decided to fix the supplied sections in CAD and the frames were re-cut using a large circular saw on the site. Despite the unexpected issue, the imperfections are largely imperceptible and the team ultimately solved the problem. In order to insure a sustainable development, an accurate use of the material was done in terms of availability, production, assembly and disposals.
Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

The complex is composed of 90% wood, most of it local. Several types of wood were integrated in the structure and the interior design; pine, cedar, eucalyptus, and massaranduba. A fusion of colours, texture and tactility create a unique atmosphere rich in positive vibes. Despite being removed from civilization, the building offers an energy system which is completely self-sufficient and environmentally green.
Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Despite energy restrictions, the project couldn’t compromise in terms of consumption in order to offer as high a standard of comfort, as found at the best hotels in the world. A system of solar panels needs to run only three to four hours a day to cover the energy demand while hot water is delivered instantly through a system of tubes backed up by heat pumps, continuously circulated through a 2.5-kilometre ring main.
Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Water and soil waste is collected and pumped through an accredited biological treatment plant in order to reduce the impact on the site. Through its design the complex has a minimal impact on nature and in the local animals’ lives: elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes and hippos feel free to surround the building and be observed by the visitors.
Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge represents a brilliant example of integrated design where aesthetics and feeling of the space find the right balance with high comfort and respect for the environmental. It also offers a unique experience in the African landscape through its intimate and warm spaces that celebrate the wildness of the surroundings and wrap the visitors in direct contact with nature and complete comfort.

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Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Photo credit: Dook

Full Project Credits For Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge:

Project: Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge Architects: Nicholas Plewman Architects in Association with Michaelis Boyd Associates (MBA) Location: Okavango Delta, Botswana, Africa Date of construction: 2014 Size: 11,500-square-foot Awards: winners in the Hotels & Resorts category at the A+Awards 2016 Clients: &Beyond Recommended Reading:

Latest News Landscape Architecture March Edition

20-Mar-2017 – Latest News Landscape Architecture March by Brett Lezon | Edition No. 4 out of 4 In this week’s Latest News in Landscape Architecture we highlight the winners announced to redesign St Jose’s Park. We will also look into how BIG’s looping station design in Paris turns bridge into public space. And have you seen the bold proposal for the new bike bridge connecting Miami to Key Biscayne? Additionally, we showcase a book, Landscrapers, which is said to be “an introductory historical survey on the many and creative ways humans have fought for and against the earth beneath our feet, merging man-made forms with the contours of the land”. And don’t forget to check out the YouTube tutorial of the week, you’ll end up “wowing” your teacher or your boss with your new skills in making Landscape Architecture diagrams.

Latest News Landscape Architecture March Edition 03

10 of the Best Stories in This Week’s Latest News Landscape Architecture:

  • Landscape Architecture Diagrams in Photoshop [YouTube Tutorial of the Week]
  • Winners announced to redesign St Jose’s Park
  • BIG’s looping station design in Paris turns bridge into public space
  • Landscrapers: Building with the land [Book Review of the Week]
  • Bold proposal for new bike bridge connecting Miami to Key Biscayne
  • Smart Cities and Urban Transport
  • How do you protect people from terrorism through urban design?
  • Circular runway allows planes to take off and land in all directions
  • Ukraine’s leafy green ‘Tunnel of Love’ is a passageway for trains and lovers
  • New York City’s “floating food forest” returns next month

(Click the headline for the full story)

  • Landscape Architecture Diagrams in Photoshop [YouTube Tutorial of the Week]

This 10 minute tutorial teaches you how to draw informative and beautiful landscape architecture diagrams in Photoshop. The tutorial is informative, easy to follow and will you’re your future landscape architecture diagrams another dimension. Enjoy! WATCH >>> Landscape Architecture Diagrams in Photoshop

A design team made up of San Francisco–based CMG Landscape Architecture, Future Cities Lab, Page & Turnbull Architects, and ARUP engineers has been awarded a contract to rehabilitate San Jose, California’s historic St. James Park. The City of San Jose held a national competition to redesign the neglected park back in 2016 with the aim of reintegrating and modernizing the city’s largest, most urban recreation space. The competition’s top four entries included competing submissions lead by New York City–based !Melk, Berkeley, California–based Meyer + Silberberg, and Philadelphia-based WRT. In a press release touting the winning commission, Nataly Gattegno and Jason Kelly Johnson of Future Cities lab said, “We designed the pavilion to be an open and illuminated space seamlessly integrated with the park. We want to encourage neighbors to stroll through the colonnades and interact with the pavilion day and night,” adding, “When there is a scheduled event, the pavilion will transform into a high-tech performance venue with superb acoustics and lighting.”

Danish firm Bjarke Ingels Group and French Studio Silvio D’ascia Architecture unveiled new rendering of their competition-winning designs for a loop-shaped metro station in Paris. “The Gare du Pont de Bondy continues the Parisian tradition of utilizing bridges as social spaces and cultural landmarks. Located at the encounter between the communities of Bondy, Bobigny and Noisy-le-Sec, the station is conceived as both bridge and tunnel wrapped around a giant atrium, connecting the riverbank to the train landing,said BIG. “The deepest train tunnels will now open directly to the Parisian sky, and all three surrounding neighborhoods will be united in a single inclusive loop—a new architectural hybrid of urban infrastructure and social space.The stations and lines of the Grand Paris Express and expected to open before 2030.

Landscrapers: Building with the Land

Landscrapers: Building with the Land. Get it HERE!

An introductory historical survey on the many and creative ways humans have fought for and against the earth beneath our feet…reveals an architecture that reads the text and texture of the land in three dimensions.” “Developments in structural engineering have made it possible to engage the earth’s surface as a building element. With an increased awareness of the planet’s limited natural resources and with landscape architects exerting ever-greater influence on contemporary design, architects around the world are building into the earth, merging man-made forms with the contours of the land”.

A new exhibit at the Coral Gables Museum is now on view, providing a deeper look into “Plan Z for Miami,” a proposal to create a snaking elevated platform that would provide pedestrians and cyclists with safer passage from Miami to nearby Virginia Key and Key Biscayne. The existing Rickenbacker Causeway has seen four fatal cycling accidents since 2006, spurring many cyclists to push for better bike lanes and barriers to protect them from the high-speed traffic on the bridge. Architect, urban planner, and lifelong cyclist Bernard Zyscovich saw an opportunity to promote cycling as a more viable means of transportation in Miami and launched Plan Z for Miami. The exhibit, titled Plan Z for Miami: From Infrastructure to Open Space, will be on view through May 14, 2017, at the Coral Gables Museum. For more information about the exhibit, visit the Museum’s website here. WATCH >>> Repurposing Rickenbacker Causeway to Rickenbacker Park – Plan Z for Miami

More Top Stories in the News This Week

For all of the latest news in Landscape Architecture continue to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Do you have news to share? Send to office@landarchs.com News report by Irene Crowo Nielsen Return to Homepage  

The Grand Ensemble Park | A Symphony of Early Urban Planning Principles

Article by Frank Bourque – The Grand Ensemble Park, by Espace Libre, in  Alfortville, France Landscape architecture is a vital reality in all parts of the world. The best proof of that is that numerous projects are popping up in every country which unify the vision of a perfectly organized green space. One very impressive project that has been recently made official is the Grand Ensemble Park, a residential-area-and-park-brought-into-one concept in Alfortville, a small town in France.

The Grand Ensemble Park

How it Mimics the Cornerstones of Urban Planning (Set in 1943)

A great way to present the benefits of landscape architecture, its environmentally-friendly impact and the neat design principles that this direction in architecture presents is to introduce you to the Grand Ensemble Park, a new neighborhood area in Alfortville, France, which was planned on the basis of the design principles found in the Athens Charter.

The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

For the ones who don’t know, the Athens Charter is a document about urban planning that was created in 1943 by a Swiss architect called Le Corbusier, as a guide which scratched the surface of possibilities and set the cornerstones of landscape architecture. The great thing about the Grand Ensemble Park is not only the fact that this project mimics the Athens Charter and all of its guidelines and directions, but it actually includes all of the principles from the document put to practice in all the common areas. The neighborhood is therefore more organized when it comes to the public and private spaces and features an innovative design that sets the level higher when it comes to urban planning.
The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

From Private Living Spaces To Public Playground Areas

Landscape design is a thing that cannot be done overnight. In the Grand Ensemble Park, it actually took 2 full years of planning (from 2013 to 2015), whereas the execution of this project took one full year (from 2015 to 2016). However, the results definitely justify the years spent in planning, and give all residents of the Grand Ensemble Park and Alfortville a new hotspot in their city that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. The Grand Ensemble Park is basically a mixture of both private and public living spaces and playgrounds. Because of that mixture, it resembles a community that everyone can access and enjoy themselves in.

The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

The redefinition of residential spaces is fundamental in landscape design. The Grand Ensemble Park is set in a strong central public space and designed to be a neighborhood park which is spread on a 600m long and 20m wide axis, allowing room for the green spaces in the park that are surrounding the residential areas. The public facilities are located on both sides of the strong residential axis, which actually creates a link from one side of the park to the other.
The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

Including both urban and green spaces, this park focuses on bringing the very best for every age group, from toddlers to children and even teenagers. Although a large part of the unitary lawn is given to the people living in the neighborhood, the idea of living in a park and being a part of community where green spaces are the main focus is definitely an idea worth following.
The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

A Neighborhood with a Public- and Environmentally-Friendly Character

From a design perspective, all of the principles of urban planning and modern landscape architecture are kept in the Grand Ensemble Park in Alfortville. From the lines to the shapes and the materials used, Espace Libre made sure to focus on nothing but quality and give the community a twist of modernist architecture that still backs up some of the initial urban planning principles from the Athens Charter document. That can be best seen in the force lines of the design, as well as the shapes and materials that all reflect the image of the Swiss urban planning heritage but also deliver a modern architecture look to Grand Ensemble Park.

The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

Alfortville can now be proud of having a project that naturally leads to redefining the spaces and giving modern urban planning a completely new direction. Both inhabitants and visitors can enjoy the park and merge with the community within the Grand Ensemble Park or as residents, have a greener and more modern and environmentally-friendly home.
The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

Ambiguously open, all of the neighborhoods are organized to be in the center of the public space, packing in more than 300 homes. There is a large park surrounding them and a playground for kids of all ages (basketball courts benches, swings etc.). In the central part, there is even a toddlers’ playground. The green spaces include grass fields, trees, and nicely designed walkways that allow easy connection to each and every part of the park itself.
The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

A Final Word

The opportunity to live, play or just enjoy being in the park is what each and every family member wants in the 21st century and something that is quite limited by the ultra-developed, too-crowded and constantly busy city locations. In the end, we can say that the Grand Ensemble Park definitely creates a natural symphony in the heart of Alfortville and perfectly mimics all aspects of urban planning and landscape architecture, creating a safe and livable neighborhood. Which aspects of this project stand out for you? Let us know in the comment section.

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The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

The Grand Ensemble Park. Photo credit: Julien Falsimagne

Full Project Credits For The Grand Ensemble Park:

Project: “The Grand Ensemble Park” Designer: Espace Libre Size: approx. 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) Location: Alfortville, France Date of Construction: 2015 to 2016 Chef of the public planning bureau: Karim Amokrane Budget for the project: 2 million Euros Recommended Reading:

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