Author: Land8: Landscape Architects Network

The ChonGae Canal Redevelopment Project by Mikyoung Kim Design. An area of 2.25 acres at the very beginning of a seven-mile green corridor has gone through a major transformation in a commercial district of central Seoul, Korea. The ChonGae canal was restored as part of a campaign by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to revitalize local waterways. Before the intervention, the canal was highly polluted, hidden away from everyone’s view, and forgotten by the community; today, the stream once again flows openly through the heart of the city to be admired and included as a valuable feature in the urban context and creating a pedestrian haven.

The Chongae Canal Proposal

  The ChonGae Canal restoration project was the winning design of an international competition that aimed to highlight the reunification of North and South Korea. Mikyoung Kim Design was responsible for the chosen proposal, which involved the use of local stones (sourced from the eight provinces of both North and South Korea) to create an urban stone garden. Donation of the stones was a political effort to unify the nation in this metaphorical act.

From a vehicular to a pedestrian focused zone For 40 years, the stream had been filled in, covered with pavement, and buried under infrastructures. It was in such poor condition that it even became a symbol of poverty to the city. The intervention by Mikyoung Kim required the demolition of nearly four miles of elevated highways, bringing down these barriers that divided the city. The stones donated were layered to create a sloped plaza guided by the water levels from hour to hour throughout the year. The outcome is a beautiful platform along the canal designed to lead people through this historic river, allowing users to engage directly with it. Reversing Heat Island Effect The restoration brought great benefits for the local environment. Besides improving the water quality, the revitalized canal also mitigates heat island effect (summer temperatures along the stream are five degrees cooler compared to the surroundings), prevents flooding (which used to be a major concern during Monsoon season), reduces air pollution (which is around 36 percent lower near the canal), and increases significantly the local biodiversity (including fish, birds, insects, and plants). Water, a symbolic experience If we look through the symbolic meanings of water, we will realize how appropriate it is in such a context. Renewal and transformation are often associated with water, as are purity and fertility. Water is the source of life; its gentle flow invites us to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n and celebrate nature, offering a perfect setting to bring together the community in this beautiful public space. Related Articles:

• Turenscape Design Outstanding River Park
• Green Revival Brings Life Back to River Park
• Community Turn Abandoned Industrial Site into Public Park

A social-political-environmental project What once was a polluted waterway is today a valuable urban open space in a city in need of public landscape. This gathering area is often used for celebrating important events, such as the traditional New Year’s festival, fashion shows, and music concerts.

 Its success can be measured by its popularity: The canal has received since its opening in 2005 more than 10 million visitors, plus additional thousands attracted by the public parks located along the stream. Economic Explosion The restoration also has stimulated local economic growth: It is estimated that it has added between $2.9 billion and $20 billion to the local economy, as well as creating — directly and indirectly — 300,000 new jobs. Even the coins tossed in the canal by visitors are collected and donated to charity! Soothing political issues, offering environmental benefits, and improving the population’s quality of life were the result of skillful planning. It makes one see the huge responsibility we have in our hands when we design the landscape, for its impact within a city can be of massive scale. This amazing redevelopment is, for sure, a project for us all to be inspired by. Recommended Reading: 

• Landscape Restoration Handbook, Second Edition by Donald Harker
• Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design by Charles Montgomery

Article written by Julia Lucchese Return to Homepage

We give you the low down on extensive green roofs, outlining what’s involved and why you should create them. Extensive green roofs are a form of Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) that can provide many ecological, economic, biodiversity, and aesthetic advantages over traditional tile, metal, or felt roofs. In this essential guide, we take you through everything you need to know about extensive green roofs.

Intensive or Extensive? An extensive green roof is a vegetated roof that does not require an additional watering system. Typically, this limits the range of plants that can be accommodated to herbaceous perennials and succulents. Intensive green roofs, on the other hand, can accommodate larger species, such as woody perennials, but require greater engineering and are often more expensive to install and maintain.

Benefits of Extensive Green Roofs

In her excellent article Permeable Paving: The Essential Guide, Marta Ratajszcak highlighted the need for storm water to effectively drain through the soil to avoid localized flooding. Another way to prevent flooding through SUDS is to prevent some of the water from reaching the ground or drainage system. According to the Green Roof Centre, extensive green roofs are able to store up to 80 percent of summer storm water and between 10 percent and 35 percent of winter rain that falls on the roof. This water is stored within the plants and substrate on the roof, thus mitigating the effects of storms.

Extensive green roofs turn a potentially dead and barren hardscape into a verdant oasis of vegetation within the city. In addition to the biodiversity benefit of incorporating vegetation into a previously unplanted area, local wildlife is provided with shelter, foraging, and nesting habitat. As Oana Anghelache points out in her article Why Should You Have Grass on a Roof, a green roof can insulate both sound and heat. The additional layers of drainage material, substrate, and planting used in extensive green roofs have an insulating effect on the building to which they are applied. This in turn saves on heating and cooling costs. The aesthetic benefits of extensive green roofs can add to the value of properties. With the principles of biophilic design being increasingly popular in urban design, the need for incorporating more natural stimuli into the urban grain is becoming a priority. Properties that achieve ecological benefits while providing attractive green views can attract a commercial premium. Fire, Health and Safety Arguably, the Germans are the world leaders in specifying extensive green roofs. The German FFL Standards (Forschungsgesellschaft Landschaftsentwicklung Landschaftsbau) set out criteria for the specification and installation of green roofs, which include recommendations such as leaving a 0.5 meter vegetation-free zone around walls to act as a fire break. This is vitally important, as the green roof could potentially dry out in summer and become a fire hazard. The fire break stops the fire from easily spreading from one area of a building to another via the green roof. Another concern is the angle of the roof. While it is possible to turn an existing flat roof of less than 2 degrees into a verdant green roof, such a shallow fall can present difficulties for drainage. On the other hand, roofs with an angle greater than 10 degrees present health and safety issues for installation and maintenance. For these reasons, a landscape architect will usually defer to a specialist when dealing with roofs outside of these parameters. When specifying green roofs, it is important to consider weight. A simple extensive green roof can weigh anywhere between 60 to 150 kg/m2 (13.0 to 30.0 lb/sq.ft) when wet. One also needs to consider the occasional load bearing of maintenance workers accessing the roof. It is therefore vital to seek the proper advice of a structural engineer. WATCH: Greenroofs 101 from Greenroofs.com

Typical Extensive Green Roof Construction

A typical extensive green roof is made up of various layers of materials. Usually, these include: • An insulating layer • A waterproof membrane • A drainage layer • A filter fabric • Gravel • Another filter layer • Substrate/growing medium • Plants Not all layers are needed in every roof. For example, if the roof is insulated immediately below the roof deck, then the insulation can be left out. Therefore, it is important to liaise carefully with the architect when specifying green roofs.

Types of Extensive Green Roof

There are three main types of extensive green roof that the architect or landscape architect can employ. They each have their advantages and disadvantages. Sedum Mat/Seed The simplest and cheapest method of installing an existing or proposed roof is the Sedum green roof. Being succulent plants, Sedums require only the minimal build-up of substrate growing medium and are relatively easy to maintain. Sedum mats can even be rolled out much like turf to instantly green an extensive green roof. For their weight, sedums can carry a lot of water, making them an ideal choice to use for storm water mitigation.

Biodiverse Wild-Flower Meadow For a biodiverse extensive green roof, specialist wildflower mixes can be sown. This option offers unparalleled biodiversity, while also providing an important nectar and habitat source for local wildlife. When specifying or using wildflowers, it is important to check which species are indigenous to the local area to get the maximum biodiversity benefit. Pictorial Meadow One of my personal favorites is the pictorial meadow. This utilizes native and non-native wildflowers to create a long-lasting and beautiful floral display that adds value to any development. Possibly the world’s greatest authority on both pictorial meadows and extensive green roofs is Professor Nigel Dunnett. Check out his awesome book Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls, co-written with Noel Kingsbury. WATCH: Silent but powerful; a time lapse of an Extensive Green Roof Installation Whether its a biodiverse green roof for local wildlife and ecological enhancement or a simple sedum mat extensive green roof, it is important to keep in mind the load-baring capacity of the existing or proposed building for which you are specifying the green roof. The benefits of enhanced biodiversity, SUDS, and aesthetics should convince you that it is well worth designing a green roof for your next development proposal. If you are still unsure, why not check out Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls, available here. Article written by Ashley Penn Return to Homepage

Winning PLAYscape officially opens in Cape Town, South Africa Which city is the most fun? London, NYC, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Moscow, Cape Town? To answer this question Building Trust international asked professional and student architects and designers from cities around the World to propose ideas which encouraged public interaction and turned redundant city spaces into fun creative places. A multidisciplinary team from the City of Cape Town were announced as the Professional winners in a design competition that has turned a neglected forgotten underpass into an interactive playscape. The competition had over 500 registered entrants and a jury including representatives from Building Trust International, Project for Public Spaces, BMW Guggenheim Lab, Landscape Architects Network, 3Space, Neon Stash and academics and professionals from the fields of architecture and landscape design.

The Winning Entry The design competition asked for a PLAYscape proposal that created community involvement and could turn an unused space into a place for public interaction and creativity. The winning design: Cape Town Mill St skatepark re-uses a space transforming an under used and blighted underpass into a community led skate park. In the year that Cape Town is World Design Capital, the cities first central skatepark opened on Saturday 2nd August to crowds of eager Cape Town residents who waited for their turn to try out their new innovative skatepark. An Opportunity to bypass the Law Skateboarding is strictly forbidden in public spaces in Cape Town, therefore the skatepark is an incredible opportunity for enthusiastic skaters, bladers and bikers to make use of the new space to practise their skills together. It is hoped that this will be the first of many innovative open spaces in the city. Insights from the people involved David Cole founding partner of Building Trust international said,“The project has the potential to become a flagship in regenerating other areas both in Cape Town and other cities. We hope this is the first of many skateparks in Cape Town!” “The aim was to make an unsafe space safer, to give it a positive use instead of a negative one,” explains Alderman Belinda Walker, Mayoral Committee Member in Cape Town. “The official opening ceremony was a huge success. Politicians were very impressed by the number of people that came. The skaters ages ranged from 3-40 with a wide diversity in culture, religion and race.” Shuaib Philander of 20SK8. The winning entry from the Student category entered by a team from Lusiada University of Lisbon received a cash prize for their design which made use of not only a redundant space but also recycled materials. WATCH: Cape Town Skatepark under a bridge opens The aim of the competition was to show how creatively we can make cities fun places with opportunities for interaction and play. The competition sought out fun and exciting new ways to get people to interact with the city on a different level. Regeneration of cities should not just be about increasing value and foot fall but should capture people’s imaginations making them want to get involved and experiment with new things. Press Release from Building Trust International. Return to Homepage

Polish Street Artist NeSpoon Decorates Neglected Urban Spaces with Lace. For many, the term “street art” still has something of a seedy connotation, conjuring up images of the graffiti tagging and vandalism that occurs in many urban neighbourhoods. However, modern street artists are challenging these notions, and today street art has become an incredibly diverse and unique art form, gaining increased recognition and legitimacy from both the public and authorities. NeSpoon, a Polish street artist based in Warsaw, is one of these modern street artists who are changing the public perception of graffiti and street art. Using her artwork as a tool, NeSpoon transforms and beautifies neglected urban spaces in cities around the world.

Ranging from painting to sculpture, from ceramics to textiles, NeSpoon’s body of work is both unique and diverse. By incorporating the recurring theme of lacework patterns, her understated and delicate work hardly fits into the typical, gritty imagery people tend to associate with graffiti and street art. NeSpoon’s use of traditional techniques, materials and motifs is contrasted with its urban, frequently concrete-dominated setting, creating a memorable impression. However, despite this seeming opposition of these elements, rarely does her work feel in conflict with its setting. Being highly connected to site context, NeSpoon makes her choices about material and techniques very deliberately. Depending on the piece, her works might integrate seamlessly into their environment, or create such contrast that they become impossible to overlook. There is something fun, playful and unexpected about NeSpoon’s work. From her techniques, to her materials, to the implementation, perhaps its most defining element is this element of unexpectedness present throughout her work. Just being a woman so involved street art, typically thought to be dominated by urban male youths, defies expectations. The delicate femininity and understated nature of her art also contrasts traditional graffiti’s bright colors and bold shapes. Even the forms themselves, the softness organic and intricate forms of lace against the harsh, often imposing nature of the concrete create contrast. NeSpoon’s describes her own intent as being to beautify neglected places, referring to her own work as jewelry for public spaces. She states “jewelry makes people look pretty, my public jewelry has the same goal, make public spaces look better.” Beyond its inherent beauty, the prominent use of crochet and lace motifs throughout NeSpoon’s work is perhaps in reference to Poland’s rich history and tradition of art and craft. The art of lacemaking is an ancient craft, originating in the Middle Ages, and which remains an important part of European heritage and culture, with lace and embroidery present throughout national costumes and folk art. These motifs, when combined with the modern street art movement, create a unique style that combines elements of past and present Poland. NeSpoon’s particular focus on enhancing neglected public spaces, which are frequently plagued by tagging and other forms of vandalism, emphasizes the importance of the ways in which these spaces shape day-to-day life. Whether intentional or not, the contrast of her organic, lace-inspired art with the sterile and stagnant concrete that often dominates such places draws attention to these underused and under loved public spaces and generates discussion about the ways that they are used and maintained. There is also a political element to Nespoon’s work. In an objection to consumerist society and to the commodification of public spaces, NeSpoon has converted many advertisements and billboards in public spaces into works of art. This action calls into question the role of advertisement in public space while generating both consciousness and criticism of the rise of capitalist consumerism in Europe. Although most of NeSpoon’s work is done without permission from local authorities, many would hesitate to call her work vandalism, due to its fundamental beauty and visual appeal. This differentiation raises important questions about when street art transcends the label of vandalism, and becomes art in itself, enhancing and contributing to the quality of the public realm. As well as this, it begs the question of who owns, and thus who has the right to modify public spaces. With many appreciators around the world, both on and offline, it seems that NeSpoon has been able to achieve her goal of beautifying neglected spaces. Her work has also helped to generate discussion about the treatment of neglected spaces in cities and improving the reputation and public perception of street art. By blurring the lines between vandalism and art, NeSpoon, along with other modern street artists, are changing perceptions and notions about street art. Street art engages people in public spaces and frequently raises important questions about ownership and the role of public space in daily life, all while creating beauty in the city. Article written by Michelle Biggs Return to Homepage

Cool Pavements: Keeping our cities bearable. Temperatures in cities are rising at a fast pace due to the replacement of natural vegetated areas with artificial waterproofed surfaces. Compared to rural areas, cities have larger swaths of paved surfaces that store more heat – this is one of the causes of the so-called “heat island effect”. One way to solve this problem is to use smart materials known as “cool pavements”. Cool pavement technology can counter the heat island effect and contribute to healthier, more comfortable urban environments. Keep reading to find out how! What is the Urban Heat Island Effect?

Urban heat island effect raises temperatures in cities, leading to an increased energy demand for cooling buildings and damaging the population’s health. Its main cause is the replacement of natural surfaces (grass, bare soil, groundcovers) with materials that store solar radiation (concrete, black asphalt). These materials decrease thermal loss due to their energy-storing properties. The replacement of these conventional pavements with cool ones can decrease the surface temperature and help mitigate the heat island effect. WATCH: NASA | Urban Heat Islands How Can Cool Pavements Help Mitigate Heat Island Effect? Many successful mitigation strategies have been proposed to fight the urban heat island, and the use of cool pavements is one of the most important. Cool pavements present a high reflectivity of solar radiation and high thermal emissivity. The materials store a lot less heat compared to conventional versions. Cool pavements have a higher thermal performance due to their increased reflectivity and increased permeability. What Properties Influence the Material’s Thermal Performance? 1. Albedo: This is related to how much of the solar radiation is either absorbed or reflected by the material. Generally speaking, the reflectivity is determined by the color and roughness of the material: smooth, flat surfaces in light colors can be a lot cooler than rough, dark-colored surfaces. 2. Thermal emittance: This is related to how easily the material can release absorbed energy. The faster the material’s capacity to lose heat, the cooler it will be. WATCH: Cool Pavement Changed Cities (HD) 3. Heat convection: This is related to heat transfer by convection from the pavement’s surface to the ambient air and vice versa. It is determined by the material’s properties, as well the temperature difference between the air and the pavement. 4. Permeability: This is related to the capacity of the material to drain or even store water. When the temperature of the material increases, the moisture content evaporates, cooling the surface.

What Are the Commercial Options Available?

Cool pavements can be found as conventional asphalt (mixed with aggregates) or as concrete pavements that have higher solar reflectance. Some types of cool asphalt and concrete have added pigments and are offered in a large range of attractive colors. There are also porous asphalt, rubberized asphalt, resin-based pavements and block pavers, besides the more obvious options such as vegetated permeable pavements (grass pavers, concrete grids, and so on).

Interesting … I Want to Know more About Smart Pavements! We are glad to hear that! As landscape architects, being aware of the impact of our material choices in the urban climate is of huge importance, because it has a direct effect on the population’s health and quality of life. We have other amazing articles worth reading if you want to broaden your knowledge on smart pavements: • Permeable Pavements: Evaporation of water helps to reduce the surface temperature of the pavements and contributes to mitigating urban heat island effect while reducing the risk of flooding. Read more Here! • Photovoltaic Pavements: New technologies for photovoltaic panels allow for walking and even driving. Read more Here! • Pavegen (Kinetic Energy): Generate free and clean energy from footsteps with this interesting device. Read more Here! • Starpath: Check out how paths can be powered by ultraviolet light to create an amazing “starry” effect. Read more Here! Recommended Reading: Heat Islands: Understanding and Mitigating Heat in Urban Areas by Lisa Gartland Article written by Julia Lucchese Return to Homepage

A new bridge for Mont Saint Michel; designed by Dietmar Feichtinger Architects. Anyone who has looked for a touristic destination that gathers unique characteristics probably knows Mont Saint Michel, in Normandy, France. This mini medieval town, combining historical architecture and unusual construction technique has been one of the most visited places in France. Being located in a bay with the highest tides in Europe has contributed to its image of a fantastic boat floating on the sea, with the presence of the one thousand year-old abbey on its top. The lure of this place, declared Unesco World Heritage site in 1979, is being threatened, however, because the island, known for centuries as the “wonder of the western world”, is being transformed into a peninsula.

Although this process intensified in the last decades of the twentieth century with other interventions near the area, it is believed that the construction of a causeway to connect the Mount to the mainland, at the end of the nineteenth century, is one of the main factors behind this change. As the construction constituted a barrier to the movement of the sea, the silt brought by tides accumulated throughout the bay, spoiling the beauty of the landscape. Restoration Plan and Renovations  A plan to restore the bay was approved two decades ago and, as part of this, a new bridge is being constructed to enable people to keep accessing comfortably this incomparable place while lessening their interference in the environment. A Bridge 1,813 Metres in Length The new bridge’s design was the winner of a competition in 2002 that aimed to find a connecting pathway to meet the touristic demand and its sustainability in Mont Saint Michel Bay. Designed by the Vienna and Paris basedDietmar Feichtinger Architects, the new access will be 1,813 metres in length, compound by a new causeway and a bridge. It encompasses a walkway, already opened on the last July 22nd, and vehicles lanes which will be inaugurated in the next November, when drivers should leave their cars at the parking lots and opt to walk up to the Mount or use a shuttle service to the platform located at its bottom. Environmentally Sensitive Design  Banning private vehicles was not the only eco-friendly solution included in the new access. Actually the design is targeting to interfere minimally with the sea movement, avoiding interruptions in its natural flow. Thus, instead of a solid construction like the 135 year-old causeway, the design team adopted a mixed structure compound by a causeway and a bridge, whose concrete floor is made by prefabricated pieces, supported by two sequence of pillars, each of them 12 metres high. The repetition of supporting elements and their height near water surface accentuates the design’s horizontality, enabling transparency to the construction and its continuity to the landscape. Although the real results will only appear after the completion of the bridge and total removal of the old causeway, the most anticipated consequence is that the silt, which is attaching the Mount to the mainland, will be washed away by seawater, allowing the bay to return to its natural state. The Reason Behind Curving The Bridge Another important feature of the new bridge is its curved shape to replace the former straight access. The preference for a design based on a route that follows first eastwards to after bend back in the Mount’s direction created an organic intervention, matching to water flow and providing a broader perspective for visitors to contemplate the bay’s landscape. The height of the bridge’s supporting elements is also strategic: the 12 metres high structure will be completely covered by water for a few hours once a year when the tides reach 14 metres, bringing back the scene featuring Mont-Saint-Michel as a wonder between the sea and sky. A Project That Blends in With its Environment  With this new access, the architects showed that a deeper analysis on how the building structure will interfere in the environment is necessary to avoid consequences such as those brought by the old causeway. By creating a solution oriented design that combines functionality, style and harmony with Nature,Dietmar Feichtinger Architects showed coherence with their goals of “treating every project as a new one fitting into a specific location. This involves seeking a new solution every time, endeavoring to be highly contemporary and above all avoiding stylistic precepts. This can mean blending into the landscape like the causeway bridge at the Mont Saint Michel Bay”.  In a place so special like this, their sensitiveness led to the conclusion that the best design is the one that merges gently into its magic. Recommended Reading: Design with Nature by Ian L. McHarg Article written by Tania Gianone Return to Homepage Featured image: Mont Saint Michel’s bridge. Photo credit: Mathias Neveling

The Rocker that makes the most of where you sit! The multidisciplinary SOFT Rockers project, which has been developed by KVA Matx, Boston, under the coordination of Sheila Kennedy and Junqmin Nam, started in 2011 with the installation of innovative rocking lounge chairs at Killian Court, in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They were originally created by MIT students led by Professor Sheila Kennedy for MIT’s Festival of Arts, Science and Technology, featuring organic shapes that embellished the landscape and invited people to rest and reenergise with their rocking movement. This way of cooling down may sound not new but what about resting on these comfortable rockers while charging your mobile devices? And using your balance to optimize the generation of electricity, being part of a design that integrates technology and Nature?

Garden Lounge Chairs as Electricity Generators Having our cell phones run out of battery can spoil our outdoor staying since they provide several functions that facilitate either our physical activity or leisure time while keeping us updated on news and personal or professional tasks. To recharge them we are forced to go back indoors where electrical power sources are available. SOFT Rockers came to fill this gap between technology and outdoor leisure by integrating a harvesting energy system in the furniture, consisting of flexible solar panels, embedded into the rockers’ external surface, which transform luminous energy into electricity. Energy Storage The energy is stored in a 12 Ampere-hour battery that enables people to charge or run their cell phones, tablets and other devices through three USB outlets. In addition, the battery provides power for the rockers’ lighting, making possible their use for social gatherings in the evening. Parametric Modelling, What’s That? The ingenious system that constitutes SOFT Rockers was developed with the use of parametric design software. By relating the geometry of the rockers to the variables of environment and occupancy, it was possible to create furniture that adapt to their different values. Benefits of Parametric Design This method of design makes possible the mass-customization of the rockers since they can be adjusted to the sun inclination as well as to the latitude of the place they are installed. And the most interesting part is the interaction between the body weight and the rocker through a mechanism that is sensitive to the way the person orients the rocker to the sun. A rotating base allows the person that is sitting to adjust the rocker’s position until obtaining total shade inside. Then, the person can check on a small dash board if his/her body’s power of balancing is contributing to optimize the solar energy harvesting. Although there are several machines that transform our bodies’ movement into other forms of energy, it is rare to find examples that use our weight and a restful movement as the SOFT Rockers. As the central part of the design, we can interact with a 35 W solar tracking system and the real time energy harvesting registration that gives us feedback while we are rocking, forming an inventive loop encompassing the user, the rocker, the technology and the environment. The Fabrication Process The continuous surface that configures the leaf-like rocker’s shape was possible due to the use of a lightweight KUKA robotic arm to execute precise cuts in the soft wood panels. This method, developed by Christoph Schindler, removes part of their material while keeping the internal structure and the external surface, transforming an original rigid material into a flexible one. After being cut, the pieces have teethed internal surfaces that can be interlocked and joined with glue, resulting in a new panels, suitable to be bent. They are, then, vacuum-sealed in bags and, after the glue dries, they are taken out for application of veneer in both external surfaces to avoid breakage and improve their aesthetic appearance. The Design as a Synthesis of Different Functions All of the innovations brought by SOFT Rockers would be already sufficient to classify them as surprising creations but what makes them examples of excellent design is their capacity of uniting qualities considered antagonists so far. They are made to rest and, at the same time, uses our weight to improve their performance; they are considered outdoor furniture while offering some of the indoor environment’s structure; they can charge devices to keep us remotely connected and also promote social meetings; they brought back a way of relaxing proper of old times at rural residences while incorporating technological solutions. WATCH: The Cool Solar Powered Soft Rocker (Warning: Cheesy Music Alert) And, finally, they are made of wood but are flexible not only by their curves and rotating base but also by their responsive system that allows them to be adaptable to different environments. SOFT Rocker Team: Sheila KENNEDY, MIT Professor of the Practice of Architecture, Principal KVA MATx James BAYLESS, UC MArch 2014, KVA Intern Kaitlyn BOGENSCHUTZ, UC BS Arch 2013, KVA Intern Wardah Inam, MIT PhD Candidate 2015, Electrical Engineering Jungmin NAM, GSD MArch 2009, KVA Designer Shevy ROCKCASTLE, MIT SMarchS 2011 Phil SEATON, MIT MArch 2012 Matt TRIMBLE, MIT MArch 2008, RADLAB Adnon ZOLIJ, MIT BS 2010, Electrical Engineer Vicor, Inc. Article written by Tania Gianone Return to Homepage

The Landscape Architecture buzz terms that leave us all nodding and smiling along in utter confusion. The importance of an expansive landscape lexicon should not be understated. As landscape architects, I believe the way in which we communicate with words is equally as important and persuasive as communicating graphically, be it with clients, colleagues or classmates. With such a myriad of landscape architectural concepts and terminologies used in our design dialect, it is imperative to know both what these terminologies are and what they actually mean. Think of it as an academic investment that grows with time – here are 5 landscape architecture buzz words and what they mean. 1. Blue Urbanism In a nutshell blue urbanism is about designing for ocean awareness. It is an emerging set of ideas and perspectives on the visual and spatial relationships between our cities and oceans. The offshore effects of urban life have until recently been difficult to quantify and visualise, however the proliferation of edifices around our shorelines and the untold tonnes of garbage dumped in our oceans has been rapidly changing this.

It is important to remember that much of our environmental health and survival is dependant upon the earth’s waters; food production, oxygen production, energy, carbon sequestration… The list goes on. So if you don’t already, start imagining yourself not only as a citizen of a green planet, but a blue one too. 2. Urban Void Urban voids are ill-defined, latent city spaces that possess an absence of use and disrupt urban fabric. Terrain vagues, as they became known, were initially observed by photographers in the 1960s – 70s, their photographs conveying the beauty of these abandoned and derelict urban sites. It was in the 1990s when Barcelonan urbanist, Ignasi De Sola-Morales, first alerted people to the significance of these residual landscapes. He suggested that they are fundamental to the evocative potential of the city; their special qualities and inherent indeterminacy should be understood and designed in such a manner to retain their free and subversive nature. Such time-laden landscapes are often at the threshold between private and public space, devoid of permeability and social realm. Scale can also change the dynamics of terrain vagues. For example, a slum or low socio-economic neighbourhood may act as a shared space with ample internal permeability and public realm for its inhabitants, but upon zooming out to a smaller scale it may become a ghetto, a social and physical barrier to surrounding areas.  3. Tactical Urbanism Tactical urbanism uses temporary, pop-up, guerrilla, ad-hoc and DIY interventions for creative placemaking within the public realm. It is often cheap, quick and tactical (hence the name) and aims to catalyse both vibrancy and change. The contemporary title of tactical urbanism may be relatively new, but the movement is not. Human settlement and its development have naturally included agendas aimed at increasing urban liveability; take Les Bouquinistes in Paris, France for example. In the 16th century the banks of the Siene witnessed an emergence of unsanctioned booksellers hawking the latest bestsellers to passers-by. Banned in 1649, but not to be deterred, Les Bouquinistes proved so popular that the city had to eventually allow their presence. These pop-up shops are no different to tactical insertions we witness today. Street scale is often an ideal starting point to facilitate change and improvement in the liveability urban environments, however it is also important to consider that tactical urbanism has the potential to exclude the development of quality public realm. See Also: Connecting People & Places: The Power of Tactical Urbanism & Placemaking 4. Green Infrastructure Green infrastructure has emerged as a planning and design concept that applies landscape ecology principles to urban environments with an emphasis on connectivity. This connectivity is principally structured through an interspersed network of hydrology systems that link relict green spaces with towns and cities built infrastructure in order to provide ecosystem services. It is useful to consider green infrastructure in terms of assets and functions. Assets are the features acting as connectors: parks, woodlands, riparian corridors, street trees and so on. Functions are the roles these assets perform within the environment, with many possessing multifunctionality. It is when this integrated approach to land use is effectively planned, designed and managed that can deliver a wide range of services for inhabitants, from cleaner air and water, through to smaller scale flood control an sustainable transport links. 5. Landscape Urbanism The concept of landscape urbanism has been subject to a significant growth emergence; from an academic movement in the 1990s to now what is an increasingly influential set of ideas about landscapes role in the contemporary city. As a body of knowledge landscape urbanism altercates that as opposed to architecture, landscape can better define our urban forms and experiences.  The key attributes of landscape urbanism; its ability to deal with urban fabrics scales, complexities and natural and infrastructural systems flexibly, infer that this now established framework represents a cogent alternative mode of thinking about the contemporary city. Practitioners and amateurs alike should strive to be both curious and therefore autodidactic when is comes to the disciplines concepts, theories and terminologies. In reality, taking matters into your own hands is the only way to learn once you complete your studies and begin professional practice. The aforementioned concepts are but a handful of many; regardless, I hope I have educated or enlightened. Pick up a copy of The Landscape Urbanism Reader by Charles Waldheim Article written by Paul McATomney Return to Homepage

This week’s Sketchy Saturday top 10 Welcome to another fantastic edition of Sketchy Saturday, where we have taken everything you have sent us in, filtered through them and picked what we believe to be the top 10. This week we had our first ever Sketchy Saturday video entry which is well worth a watch. This is presentation format that we would love to see more of as it allows another dimension to the presentation of the sketch. I think you’ll agree all the entries offer something different, with a diverse blend of styles and approaches that illustrate the artist’s imagination and perception. 10. by Rigan Satria A. Putra, ST Master of Architecture Design student, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Indonesia

“Rotterdam International Credit and Trading Association building which used to be better known as Internatio building or Tjipta Niaga office. it was designed by AIA architecture consultants and was built at 1927-1931. This building is one of the biggest trading buildings around the red bridge and is located in Hereenstrat dan Willemsplein junction Surabaya”. 9. by Helene Hölzl, Landscape Architect “This sketch has been made to try out drawing techniques at my work with students. I started with a raw computer model of the building which I printed and drew over by hand. Than I coloured it with water colour. The last was made in the computer. The pool is dedicated to all my students and to a friend of mine which needs urgent holidays.” 8. by Amaury Martins Neto, landscape architect/ agronomist engineer , São Paulo – Brasil “I made this drawing to show how the reception garden will look like when it gets finished for my clients in São Paulo. The space includes a garden of native vegetation, pebbles to give texture and a water feature to give relaxing atmosphere to the users! The drawing was made on A3 paper, inked lines with multiple sizes of black ink pen, and rendered with copic markers and post production in photoshop”. 7. by Rehai Aytek Akçakaya, Landscape Architect “In the first meeting with our (modern peyzaj) customers, we show them concept projects. We create the concept projects with hand drawings. These may be 3D and Plan Sketches. This is a Residential area project. We designed paths, a children’s playground , sports area , recreation areas and swimming pools in this project. All of the landscape area will be built on an underground car park. Because of this, we have very little soil height. Inside the garden you can see some roman style columns and fountains. Located in Istanbul, Beylikdüzü – TURKEY” 6. by Marcin Wodniczak, landscape Architect from Poland

That’s this week’s Sketchy Saturday  top 10, congratulations to all of you who featured, it really is a challenging task, with so much awesome talent out there. Check out the Sketchy Saturday official Facebook album and see literally 1,000′s of incredible sketches! Follow all the winning entries on our dedicated Sketchy Saturday Pinterest page. If you want to take part send your entries into us at office@landarchs.com Recommended reading: Sketching from the Imagination: An Insight into Creative Drawing by 3DTotal Article written by Scott D. Renwick Return to Homepage

 “The Disconnect” – Crater Lake by 24° Studio In today’s frantic and technology driven society, it is all too easy to become engulfed in social media. Although these virtual spheres present opportunities for people to instantly get in touch and share life experiences, in reality, nothing beats an old fashioned face-to-face conversation.  Let’s face it, do we really need to see an image of the latest delicacy our pseudo-friends cooked for dinner? With their temporary installation project ‘Crater Lake’, Japanese architectural firm 24° Studio have attempted to promote the lost art of social interaction to somewhat alleviate the societal disconnect brought about by social media. This hybrid, public playscape, urban intervention, and sculpture landscape installation sustains social interaction by providing an environment where people are able to meet and absorb the beauty of the surrounding landscape with a 360° panoramic vista.

What was the inspiration? The design draws inspiration from the strong social ties forged by the local community of Kobe, the location of the installation, after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995 devastated the area and its natural surroundings. Although it shouldn’t take a natural disaster for people to socialize once again! The Structure The form of this urban intervention is what first catches the viewer’s eye – its smooth and undulating surfaces coalesce into a visually compelling appearance. The complexity of its continuous and rhythmic exterior shouldn’t go unnoticed. The frame, constructed of wood for its natural qualities and structural capacity, is in fact made up of 20 pre-assembled radial parts. Each part consists of a series of free-form ribs composed in segments with horizontal support and cross bracing for rigidity.   The gentle slope the frame creates provides a variety of open and unconstrained settings allowing people of multiple generations to socialize through engagement with the structure. Form follows function Whether it serves as a playspace, for sun shading/sun bathing, for breeze protection, or simply as a communal space used for the dying art of conversation. Although ultimately directed towards adults, it presents an enticing invitation to cavort for kids. Every surface of this playable sculpture can be utilized, with space for climbing, sliding, hiding, performance, quiet play, and flexibility – the user can even reorganize the seating! Landscape installations of this nature are under recognized as an artistic medium. ‘Crater Lake’ is an exceptional example of a landscape installation with a contemporary twist, but also stands as a monument to what playgrounds can become when viewed as forms of public art. Importance of this landscape installation In 2013, living in such a fast paced and immersive digital reality has left the majority of people glued to their iPhones as though they are their ‘get out of jail free’ cards, letting social media cheat them out of wholesome life experiences day after day. Ergonomic spaces such as ‘Crater Lake’ provide opportunities for people to let go of this social disconnect and engage with one another in a fun and playful setting. Although only temporary, I vote permanency. Who knows, if these start popping up around the world, you might even be free to ‘check in’ at one all too soon – just so the world knows you are still capable of social interaction without the use of the World Wide Web! Recommended Reading:

• Landscape Installation Art by Ifengspace
• Land and Environmental Art by Jeffrey Kastner

Article written by Paul McAtomney Return to Homepage

LAN writer Cameron Rodman pays a visit to Citygarden. Coming to St. Louis, I expected to be overwhelmingly impressed by the Gateway Arch and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial grounds. The American monument and National Expansion Memorial have stood the test of time representing the history of America. I was excited to learn more about my country’s history and gain some knowledge of how westward expansion advanced. Instead, upon my visit, I found that the new jewel in St. Louis is Citygarden, a 2.9 acre urban park. Opened in 2009, Citygarden is the newest addition to the city’s “Gateway Mall” which starts at the Mississippi River and Gateway Arch then travels west 16 blocks up into the city. The park, which was designed by Virginia-based Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, was a joint effort between the City of St. Louis and the Gateway Foundation.

Embracing Free Play As the afternoon heat rises and work ends for the day, people begin filling the park slowly. Families come to the park with their children to play on and in the fountains which were originally designed to be aesthetic features. While other cities have grown accustomed to preventing community members from swimming in urban park fountains, the park authorities have embraced this cultural playfulness as a defining trait and accommodated the people with the appropriate staff. You won’t find the word “no” posted throughout the park’s grounds either. The fountains have become pools to the swarms of children who descend on the park each day. People play in the pools and the whimsical LED- lit splash pad day and night. The programmed lighting display in the splash pad each night is a fantastic sight to those out enjoying the nightlife. A Vibrant Community and Eye Catching Sculptures The community really makes a strong showing, socializing with one another along the granite and local yellow limestone benches, strolling hand-in-hand on the main walk, or by enjoying the numerous sculptures which populate the entire park. The sculptures throughout the park are an avant-garde display which brings humor and levity to the urban environment. Decapitated heads, giant white rabbits, metal sumo wrestlers, giant horses, and real-time video feeds which are displayed on a giant screen all add interest and provide people with opportunities for discussion and photo ops with those they care about. Meaningful Design The design and execution of the design, which is equally as impressive, provide visitors with a variety of textures, colors, scents, and more. Unrestricted by a tight civic budget, the landscape architects produced a design which cuts no corners. The park’s layout and elements serve as a reflection of the region’s geography. A high stone wall, known as ‘The River Bluffs,’ represent the city’s identity as the ‘Mound City’. ‘The Floodplain’, which is located between curving limestone walls on the north side of the park and a long curving granite seat wall on the south side, represents the bluffs of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Related Articles:

• Connecting People & Places: The Power of Tactical Urbanism & Placemaking
• Creating Incredibly Diverse Public Spaces

Curving decomposed granite pathways hugged with lush plantings cut circuitous routes through the site which calls to memory the oxbows in the waterways of the Mississippi River. Approximately 75% of the plantings are native species pointing visitors to the regional ecology which many urban visitors rarely experience in their day to day lives. The Rabbit Situation Over the past years the park staff has tried to solve an ongoing problem of urban rabbit populations which are located throughout the park. Of their 50+ original plant species installed, almost 20 were completely wiped out due to the rabbits’ voracious appetites for leafy greens. Currently, the park is conducting trial plots throughout the site’s rain gardens with hopes of finding species which aren’t as appealing to the local wildlife. The addition of the park has increased the economic vitality of this portion of downtown. Hotel rentals jumped over 15% in the immediate vicinity over the past four years and restaurants have begun to move closer to the park. The more impressive result is not necessarily found in these numbers however. Now, the people of the city have a place where they can take their families and avoid fighting through crowds of tourists at the Gateway Arch. They have a place that they can call their own. It is their front yard. Article written by Cameron Rodman Return to Homepage

Rain Gardens: Embracing the Environment to Create Thoughtful Spaces. You probably know from our previous article “Permeable Paving: The Essential Guide” that it is possible to allow water to infiltrate paths and roads with the use of permeable paving. But have you ever heard of the possibility of imitating natural forest infiltration within your own garden?

What is a Rain Garden?

The rain garden, as its name suggests, is a group of planting arrangements that make use of rainwater. The rain garden is usually small and can be incorporated into pretty much any outdoor design. While rain gardens are most commonly found in residential yards, they can also be planted in parking lots and parks. They can even function by themselves as small independent gardens.

What differentiates this planting design from others is that it includes a shallow constructed depression planted with deep-rooted plants and grasses. Why Would I Need to Have One? Rain gardens are vivid mélanges of plants of different colors and shapes. But their benefits are not merely aesthetical; they also provide ecological and economic advantages.

• Rain gardens serve as an inexpensive method of reducing stormwater runoff volume and improving stormwater quality as they effectively absorb and reduce pollutants.
• They function like the natural absorption of rainwater in a forest or meadow, often absorbing 30 percent to 40 percent more runoff than a typical garden lawn.
• They endure the extreme moisture and concentration of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus present in stormwater runoff.
• These planting arrangements also contribute to facilitating the infiltration of clean water, therefore conserving it and recharging groundwater.
• Birds and butterflies are provided with an ideal habitat, which in its turn reduces mosquitoes and pests.

What Sort of Plants Should Be Used? In order to attain the desired outcome, one must pay attention to selecting the appropriate plants. Rain gardens work as a balance of properly engineered soils, available space, a well-studied budget, and the right type of vegetation.

The kind of plants to be selected naturally depends on the climate of the area. There are, however, criteria that apply to all cases:

• It is best if the plants used are native. A good investigation of the available local vegetation is thus needed. But native plants are not the only option, as other non-invasive species also can be planted.
• Most rain gardens are generally planted with trees, woody shrubs, or herbaceous perennials. Annuals also can be an option.
• When choosing the rain garden plants, the priority is not the seasonal aesthetics, color, or texture, but creating a garden that needs little maintenance.
• The plants should be tolerant to drought and temporary ponding of rainwater. They must also naturally have deep roots and be able to survive the stress of heavy rainfall, pollutants, and nutrient excess.

How Does a Rain Garden Work and How to Install it?

The rain garden serves its purpose by capturing rainwater from the roof or ground surfaces and allowing it to soak gradually into the ground. By doing so, the garden filters contaminants and conserves clean water, which would have been otherwise wasted in the sewer system or flooded in the streets.

In order to successfully build the rain garden, the first step is to find a suitable location. In residential areas, it is recommended that a rain garden be placed a minimum of three meters away from the house so that it doesn’t damage the foundation. It is also best if it is located in full or partial sun and distributed into smaller rain gardens, rather than having a single large one. In order for the rain garden to function well, it is important to ensure that it receives enough water during a rainstorm. For that, it should be located in a low spot; otherwise, measuring the drainage area is needed. Before digging the garden, the design must be well planned on paper first with the proper shape, boundaries, mulching material, and plants selected. WATCH: Rain Garden at Elk Grove The next step would be, after checking the underground utilities, to remove any existing grass and dig about 10 to 20 centimeters deep, prepare a mix of soil and compost, and plant the garden as planned (a reservoir can be added to the ground for faster infiltration). Adding a layer of mulch to the rain garden is crucial for better erosion control and moisture maintenance. WATCH: An overview on building rain gardens Learning about rain gardens has given me with one more reason to think that plants are the finest magicians of the environment we live in. So when designing a garden — or any open space –make sure to keep that in mind and make the best of their powers. Recommended Reading:

• Rain Gardens: Managing Water Sustainably in the Garden and Designed Landscape by Andy Clayden
• Rain Gardens: Sustainable Landscaping for a Beautiful Yard and a Healthy World  by Lynn M. Steiner

Article by Dalia Zein Return to Homepage Featured image: Public Domain CC 1.0, source