Author: Land8: Landscape Architects Network

Community leaders bound together and take on the initiative to turn an old unused industrial site into a thriving public park. Along the banks of the Bronx River, there once was a concrete-mixing plant that operated for more than 40 years. By the mid-1980s, the plant had closed. In the late 1990s, the fate of the site was to be determined at a public auction. Fortunately, visionary community groups, leaders, and partnerships came together to make sure that the site became a public park. With concrete molds everywhere, old factory-like structures occupying much of the real estate, two to three feet of concrete covering the site, and 32,000 tons of soil contaminated with petroleum, it might have been difficult to embrace the land’s potential. But community groups did not give up. A group that would later become the Bronx River Alliance, the Hunts Point Economic Development Corp., community boards, elected officials, Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, and other groups showed their support through grassroots efforts to clean, protect, and improve the site that would become Concrete Plant Park.

“Good park design is a shared vision, not a singular one” In 2005, $10 million in funding was secured to begin brownfield remediation and design implementation. Jim Mituzas, a senior landscape architect with the New York City Parks Department, conducted countless scope meetings with community members to gain input and hear their vision for this space. Mituzas reiterated his belief that “good park design is a shared vision, not a singular one.” The community was looking for this linear park to be used as an educational laboratory, a quiet contemplation space, a destination for creative and unstructured play, and a record of the neighborhood’s past and history. This park meets the needs of a wide variety of users, balances the community’s wishes while mitigating environmental impacts, and provides spaces for both active and passive recreation. Building on history Mituzas explained that the decision was made to keep the concrete plant structures in place for many reasons. One was that the structures were preserved and highlighted with a mellow terracotta color to show the industrial past as a symbol for the neighborhood and the community. Another goal of the project was adaptive reuse. Design challenges Throughout the design and construction of Concrete Plant Park, the team was challenged with limiting the amount of materials brought on site. The material pallet was dictated by the local history and what was available on site. Sand, gravel, and concrete blocks found on site were incorporated in the design to divert landfill waste and minimize materials brought on site. The 1,900 linear feet of waterfront in Concrete Plant Park provides visitors with a unique opportunity to connect with the river visually and physically. Students at the nearby Fannie Lou High School in the Bronx frequently utilize the site as a learning laboratory to test water quality and monitor the river. “Do your homework before you get shovels in the ground.” One of the major lessons learned by the design team, according to Mituzas, was to “do your homework before you get shovels in the ground.” Landscape architects need to research the area, investigate the site, test all aspects of the existing conditions, and take all of that into consideration during the design phase. Thorough research may help avoid costly mistakes. It is interesting to note that Concrete Plant Park weathered Super Storm Sandy without major damage because it was the product of good landscape architecture. Designers created a flood plain and minimized hardscape abutments upstream from Concrete Plant Park to protect properties downstream. This park is one piece of a larger network of trails and public open space along the Bronx River. As missing links are acquired and developed, it will be exciting to see the neighborhood and community continue to embrace the Bronx River and create a healthy place to live, work, and play. This project has since thrived and been embraced by neighborhoods, community groups, and visitors because it is a prime example of collaborative design. The vision for the park was not shaped by one individual or group, but was rather a joint effort by all stakeholders. See also: Industrial Site Transforms into Beautiful Landscape Top 10 Reused Industrial Landscapes Article written by Rachel Lynn Kruse

Designer Amir Schlezinger creates a stylish garden at Regent’s Park. When I first arrived to look at the space, the living room had just been extended into the garden by the client, creating an opportunity to connect the two spaces and adding a roof terrace on top. The site was a dark dumping yard, with large surrounding trees overhanging, sloping topography and an ugly fence all around. As the interior was in place when I first visited, I was able to take inspiration from a few key elements that led to quite an instinctive response. The first idea was to recreate the shape of the indoor fireplace with 2 benches featuring a void. The benches are a focal point from the living space and offer ambient lighting. The second feature is the granite waterfall, which is offset to the right side of the garden flowing into two pools. The client was fascinated with water landscapes so this was a key element of the brief. Design logic 

The surrounding trees created a subdued atmosphere – I wanted to reflect more light. I selected buff sandstone, which was cut at an unusual size of 900 x 300 mm. This shape further augments linearity within the space, moving the eye across the garden, which is otherwise fairly square. The internal walls would increase radiance with a mellow colour scheme in 4 shades from off-white to fawn, taupe and sable. White silver birch trunks, glass tiles in the water feature, yellow bamboo canes and reflective large foliage would all contribute to an improvement in the quality of luminosity. Planting It was important to provide screening from neighbouring properties so bamboo and palm trees provide evergreen seclusion, while a Strawberry tree and a Snow gum give further architectural evergreen accents. The seating is situated away from the house, giving further privacy with good views of the interior. Whilst the Snow gum Eucalyptus is planted at the top of a raised bed, a different but useful technique was used in the rest of the beds. To eliminate the need for tonnes of earth and to protect the existing fencing behind, the plants emerge from the base of the beds creating a striking light well effect which is valuable day and night. The square space required a few strategies to give a dynamic feel. Diagonal lines are insinuated between the water pool and the bench in the repetition of palm trees from right to left. The simplicity of the planting design therefore provides calm, functional screening and guides the eye across to narrate the space. This simple planting evolves into a lusher and more intricate planting design at the top left of the garden, where curved raised beds meander over three levels. As the garden is also viewed from the upper roof terrace, this contrasting layout offers a dramatic vista. Special features The L-shaped bench provides the main anchoring feature of the garden. Its linearity is contrasted with the upright canes of bamboo, while the yellow tones of both blend when the lighting is switched on, distinguished from the back fence which is painted in a deep aubergine colour. The foliage of a graceful multi-stem Eucalyptus frames the granite water feature, softening the geometry of the structure. The upper pool merges into a lower one creating a sequence of sound and reflection. The granite features two finishes to manipulate the flow of the water, alternating between a smooth honed finish and a textured flamed finish. The stones also increase in size towards the bottom, creating a sequence that stretches out the scale making the waterfall appear larger. To give further depth and dimension the smooth stones are recessed back creating a tactile facade. With the roof terrace enjoying a lot of sun the Mediterranean planting scheme features Olive trees, Agapanthus and Pittosporum. These blend in nicely with the palm trees in the garden – creating a type of South of France oasis favoured by the client. To compliment the bench design in the garden I created a new planter design for the roof terrace. The apertures in the planters mimic the openings in the benches – these allow a view through the master bedroom as one enters the room. The lighting scheme seeks to augment the architectural design of the garden and synchronise the interior with the outdoor space. The garden changes character at night when various zones are remote controlled to provide the required setting. When showing a multi-stemmed tree I usually prefer to up-light it to highlight its form and the texture of the trunks. When working with tall surrounding trees such as here I like to further enhance the space of the garden by projecting into the canopies. When possible, I try to create a moon-light effect by placing the light fittings inside the tree tops where possible. Outlook When the access, space and budget allow using specimen plants, a mature garden can be achieved almost instantly. Being at an end of terrace, it was possible to handle large heavy plants into the space. Having semi-mature plants meant that I could create fully-fledged vistas knowing the client is not likely to stay in the property beyond a few years. Surrounded by large street trees such as Tilia and Robinia the result was a secluded jungly garden, linking in scale to its surroundings, filled with reflection, night time illuminations and two signature architectural pieces that will remain part of the fabric of the residence. Recommended reading: The Contemporary Garden by Phaidon Private Paradise: Contemporary American Gardens  by Charlotte M. Frieze Size: 80 sq meters, roof terrace 20sqm, front garden 30sqm Completion: June 2007 Length of build: 4 weeks Cost: $100,000 Location:Regent’s Park, north London, England, UK. See these other designs by Amir: Stunning Contemporary Garden Design! Contemporary Japanese Garden in The English Countryside Floating Roof Garden on the River Thames Article written by Amir Schlezinger

LAN writer Lisa Tierney went to Bloom 2014 to find out what all the fuss was about. This past bank holiday weekend, Dublin’s Phoenix Park hosted the 8th Annual Bloom Festival. It brought huge crowds, and I was lucky enough to experience the elusive Irish summer during the day I attended. It housed beautiful planting schemes with a stunning display of Irish crafts alongside. It was an incredible gathering for plant enthusiasts and an interesting day out for families. The site was filled with show gardens, food, Irish craft stands, and family favorites, all balanced to create an ideal atmosphere.

The gardens were separated into four categories — concepts, large gardens, medium gardens, and small gardens. This gave different types of designers a chance to enter and gave the younger designers an opportunity to create show gardens to be displayed publicly. There was incredible creativity behind the gardens, and the crowds were introduced to comedic, futuristic, philanthropic, and even remedial garden designs, all within one site. Best in Category Winner The winner in the large garden category was Renault ZOE: City Life Garden, designed by Kevin Dennis. This scheme focused on the environment and the benefits plants have on people’s lives. This garden had a stunning palette of purples, rusts, and mid greens that resulted in a contemporary and urban planting scheme. Integrated into the design were a roof garden and green wall within the bright, small seating area. These touches highlighted the urban side of the garden — a reminder to use any space possible when faced with city limits. Within the planting beds were striking steel sculptures and water ponds that added a sense of reflectiveness and serenity once again juxtaposed against the urban lifestyle. I really enjoyed the aesthetics and concept behind this scheme; the planting was well thought out through strong edged paths with overlapping softer vegetation. Below: Renault ZOE: City Life Garden – RTE Bloom 2014 I was really impressed with the integration of plant lovers with the landscape designers and growers as the individual stands throughout the site provided information on anything you could want to know, whether it was Keelings’ Strawberry Way, a growing tunnel filled to the brim with berry plants and lilies, or the show garden’s individual stand workers interacting with the public and explaining ideas and concepts behind the various schemes. I felt the stands breached the gap between designer and public very well and aided interaction between the groups. After spending my day at Bloom, I know I will turn this into an annual visit, as the atmosphere and enthusiasm was unparalleled. As a student, it was impressive to see these gardens that were created with such passion and determination. This is an event that is not to be missed and is an important affair for novice gardeners and more practiced designers alike, giving inspiration to all. You may also be interested in: Top Ten Show Gardens: RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013 The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013 Article written by Lisa Tierney

TED has certainly been an inspirational platform for anybody looking for insights into how do we things, live and develop the world around us, delving into psychology, scientific breakthroughs, pioneering thinking and much much more. With so many topics covered TED was bound to touch on landscape architecture related topics, such as cities, biodiversity, social integration and world of design. We’ve filtered through the impressive, stimulating and always intriguing world of TED to bring you 9 Unmissable TED talks for Landscape Architects; of course we don’t expect you to watch all of these TED talks at once, so take our LAN 9 Day TED Challenge and watch one a day for the next 9 days; easy, entertaining and you may even be inspired! 1. Ron Finley: A guerilla gardener in South Central LA “the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys.” – Ron Finley Ron Finley plants vegetable gardens in South Central LA — in abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs. In this inspiring talk Ron gives us all a reality check and offers us a creative alternative to public interaction within the city landscape. Over 2 million views 2. Marla Spivak: Why Bees Are Disappearing Marla Spivak reveals four reasons for the colossal downturn of the world wide bee population, proposing it as a major problem that must be addressed for the health of us and the planet. Over 1,5 million views 3. The 4 commandments of cities The mayor of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes shares four big ideas about leading Rio— and all cities — into the future, including daring infrastructure upgrades and how to turn the city into a “Smart City”. Over 640K views 4. Erik Schlangen: A “self-healing” asphalt In this short talk Erik gives us a brief yet effective experiment that can lead to a whole generation of self healing roads, with a little help from a heating apparatus. If successful pot holes could become a thing of the past and countless amounts of resources could be redirected for better use. If innovative roads are your thing make sure you check out our hit article Will These Solar Roadways Change The World? Over 800k views 5.  Mitchell Joachim: Don’t build your home, grow it! Vibrant speaker, TED Fellow and urban designer Mitchell Joachim shares his vision for sustainable, organic architecture: eco-friendly abodes grown from plants, change the way we think about design. Over 900k views 6. Candy Chang: Before I Die I Want to… This is an emotional video which is sure to pull at your heart strings and by the end of it, you’re going to want to start a similar initiative in your neighborhood. Artist and TED Fellow Candy Chang took abandoned house, created a giant chalkboard on the side of it and posed the thought “Before I die I want to ___.” Her neighbors’ answers — surprising, poignant, funny. This is without doubt a talk we insist that you watch! Over 3.4 million views 7. Kent Larson: Brilliant designs to fit more people in every city With city overcrowding becoming a global problem Kent Larson asks the question “How can we fit more people into cities without overcrowding?” Kent goes on to show off folding cars, quick-change apartments and other innovations that could make the city of the future work a lot like a small village of the past. Over 800k views 8. Edi Rama: Take back your city with paint Could making a city beautiful lessen the possibility of crime and corruption? Edi Rama took this deceptively simple path as mayor of Tirana, Albania, where he instilled pride in his citizens by transforming public spaces with colorful designs. With projects that put the people first, Rama decreased crime — and showed his citizens they could have faith in their leaders.  Over 500k views 9. Pam Warhurst: How we can eat our landscapes Pam is certainly an entertaining speaker, very easy to listen to which is important as she has a powerful message to communicate. Asking the question “What should a community do with its unused land?” The obvious answer is simply to plant food! Pam tells the story of how she and a growing team of volunteers came together to turn plots of unused land into communal vegetable gardens, and to change how the community integrate food into their lives. Over 800k views That wraps up our 10 Unmissable TED talks for Landscape Architects, remember don’t try and watch them all at once, take our LAN 9 Day TED Challenge and watch one a day for the next 9 days. If you think there is a relevant TED talk that we’ve missed make sure to let us know! See also: 9 Unmissable Youtube Videos for Landscape Architects Article written by Scott D. Renwick

Landscape architecture is an amazing profession, covering the design, specification, and management of the built environment, as well as the analysis, preservation, and enhancement of the natural environment. Here we look at nine interesting facts about landscape architecture that you might not know. 1. Origin of Landscape Architecture Many people credit the likes of Capability Brown (1716-1783) and Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) as being the “godfathers” of landscape architecture. But it is in fact a little known Scotsman by the name of Gilbert Laing Meason who first coined the term “landscape architecture” in his little-known 1828 book “Landscape Architecture of the Great Painters of Italy”. Thankfully, this is now available on Google Books, for all to read.

2. Origin of the Word “Landscape” Landscape was originally a painting term in the 17th century from the Dutch word landschap from the middle Dutch landscap meaning “land” – region — and “scap” – ship or condition. In 1886, a more familiar interpretation of the German word landschaft came into common usage to denote a “tract of land with its distinguishing characteristics”. 3. The Country with the Most Landscape Architects From statistics that are available, the country with the most landscape architects per capita is Australia! It is estimated that there are currently approximately 3,000 landscape architects working in Australia – that’s 13.2 landscape architects per 100,000 population. This is despite the Australian Institute of Landscape Architecture stating that there is a current shortage of landscape designers. By comparison, in 2012, there were 20,100 landscape architects practicing in the United States (technically the most per country in the world), representing 6.4 landscape architects per 100,000 population. In the United Kingdom, there are currently 4,854 registered members of the Landscape Institute (Student, Licentiate, and Chartered). This represents approximately 7.7 landscape architects per 100,000 population. 4. The Country with the Most National Parks Australia is by far the country with the most designated national parks, with 658 parks covering a total area of 335,062 square kilometers (129,368 square miles)! While Canada has a greater area statutorily protected under national park status, with 377,000 square kilometers (144,560 square miles), this accounts for only 43 parks in total, making Canada the nation with the largest national parks. 5. The Best Place to Study Landscape Architecture in the United States Every year, Design Intelligence ranks design-based institutions that offer landscape architecture programs in North America. While the first place for post-graduate study might not be surprising (Harvard … yet again!), this year’s top spot for undergraduate study went to Pennsylvania State University (PSU). Over the last five years, PSU has been steadily improving its ranking to take the number one place, unlike Kansas State University, which this year saw a massive jump from being ranked number 11 last year to scoop second place for undergraduate study this year. 6. Where Landscape Architects Earn the Most The average yearly wage bracket for chartered members of the Landscape Institute in the U.K. is £30,000-£39,000 ($50,271-$65,352). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average wage of a landscape architect working in the U.S. is $64,180 a year. These figures are comparable to other professionals working in the built environment. But in China, where there is a major shortage of qualified landscape specialists, landscape architecture is one of the highest-paying professions, even eclipsing the earnings of architects. 7. The Fastest Growing Country for Landscape Architecture In 1996, the Chinese government canceled all landscape architecture programs running at universities. Only one remained, with about 182 students. In those days, landscape architecture was considered a sub-discipline of urban planning, and was treated as a “third-class” degree. Thankfully, in 2011, the government reclassified landscape architecture as a separate program and placed it in the category of first-class profession. The population of China is also urbanizing at an astronomical rate (from 27 percent of the population living in the urban environment in 1990 to 52 percent by the end of 2012). This fast pace of urban growth means landscape architects are at a premium. China was listed in our hit article 5 Countries Where Landscape Architecture is Booming. 8. Who Employs the Most Landscape Architects You might think that a large international, multidisciplinary practice is the largest employer of landscape architects in the world, but you would be wrong. In the U.K., the single largest employer of landscape architects is the charitable Groundworks Trust. The title of the largest employer of landscape architects in the world goes to the U.S. federal government, with the National Parks Service and U.S. Forest Service employing the most landscape architects in the world! 9. The World’s Most Viewed Landscape The Great Pyramids in Egypt? The Grand Canyon, perhaps? No. The title of the world’s most “viewed” landscape goes to a small field in northern California, photographed by Charles O’Rear in 1996. The image is called Bliss — but you might know it better as the desktop background for Windows. Some estimates place the number of people worldwide who have seen this landscape photograph as more than 1 billion! With such an amazingly diverse profession, it is no wonder that there are some surprising facts about landscape architecture. If you have any interesting facts about Landscape Architecture, why not share them with us? See also: 5 Amazing Facts About Green Walls That You Didn’t Know 8 Amazing Facts About Trees That You Didn’t Know Article written by Ashley Penn

It’s time for another one of our famous Sketchy Saturdays, where we round up all the sketches you send into us and select what we feel are the top 10. We always try to keep it as fair as possible however we are getting to a point now where we have some artists featuring regularly, really cementing their place in the Sketchy Saturday hall of fame! This week we had some really unique styles with a special contribution all the way from Brazil. Enjoy this week’s top 10! 10. by Maria Rochowiak, studying landscape architecture in Agricultural University of Kraków

” I was inspired by my neighbourhood. There is a big forest near by the river Wisła, where there are a lot of ponds. This place is called Nazieleńce and is a protected area. I like very much to take photos and do drawings or even paintings in this place.  In the four ground there is a big old tree with amazing branches next to forest road and pond. In the distance you can see the forest”. 9. by André Diogo da Silva “My inspiration was from a great artist, Stephen Wiltshire. I think he is a magnificent artist who overcomes the his autism every single day with his art. He is a great example of overcoming. The location of the drawing is in New York City, one of my favorite places to visit. I didn’t use any style specifically, I just made everything without grids or vanishing points. The materials used were HB, 2B, 4B e 6B, and Nankin”. You can check out André’s Instagram here. 8. by Negar Amini Sometimes a fast sketch is all that is needed to get your point across and this drawing by Negar does exactly that, quickly and effortlessly detailing a landscape that marries both modern design with natural elements, creating movement, style and an entire landscape concept. 7. by Joshua Rodriguez, student of the Landscape Architecture Program at Rutgers University, United States, New Jersey “After studying Japanese Gardens this past semester at Rutgers University of New Brunswick, they have become something really meaningful to me and they have become a major part of my design style. I also rendered it in a Japanese style being sure to use ink. The pagoda overlooks a pond that is surrounded by Japanese elements one would see in that style of garden”. 6. by Dhruva Bangalore With so much going on in this sketch the energy and life in the pond just jumps off the screen, one can certainly imagine, pond skaters, frogs and newts all having a busy day among the plants and beneath the blue sky, taking them all the way into the dusk of night. 5. by Coleene Rich contrasting colours meant this sketch pushed it’s way into our top 10. The strong use of colour makes an otherwise calm setting, daring and adventurous, an exotic getaway perhaps, a secret rendezvous, who knows the artists true intention. 4. by Alan Ramiro Manning, Senior Architecture Student at Woodbury University, Burbank, Ca, USA Alan is one of our regulars at Sketchy Saturday and has an unmistakable style that seems to be geared towards the spaces between spaces, the streets, the alleyways and the laneways, showing a deep appreciation for how things work and not just how they are. “The colors, the materials, the environment all came together to offer this intriguing space in Menton, France. Drawn to the lamp, the exposed wires, and the rusted drain pipe, this vignette delivers quite the transportation effect. Micron pen and Winsor & Newton watercolors used on cold press watercolor paper. My travel sketches can be followed through Instagram, @seethelines.” 3. by Magdalena Subocz, landscape engineer , Poland “This sketch shows the Greek Catholic Church in Wroclaw. Currently, I  participate in creating a guidebook advertising the city and the university, hence the decision to execute the sketches of important places. This Greek Catholic Church is one of several made ​​by me using watercolor technique. The Greek Catholic cathedral is located near Wroclaw University, near the Oder River. The Gothic church was built of red brick. This is regarded as one of the most important landmarks of the city. You can check out Magdalena’s blog here. 2. by Giovanna De Lisi, architect Italy “It’s a preliminary sketch for a private garden in Hamburg. the sketch was required to let the client understand the feeling of this “corridor” space (he was not able to understand that from the plan… ) enclosed on one side by the wall with the new material and, on the other side, by a wall made of wood”. 1. by Peter McQuillan Chartered Landscape Architect and artist- working in London  “The sketch was done just as a study for a project I’ve set myself – I’m looking to make some paintings to capture the idea of place and the experience of living in the city. So I’ve been looking around and sketching to try and see if I can capture something of the ‘feel’ of things. This is my local high street in London -sketch in watercolour – mostly was done standing on a street corner in everyones way. I’ve always liked this part of the street it’s a real hotchpotch of styles – and it reminds me of many other parts of the world”. – That’s it for this week’s Sketchy Saturday, we at LAN are so appreciative that you are helping to give the artists and their talent the coverage  and recognition it deserves, so much talent goes unnoticed and at LAN we aim to put a stop to that. Check out the Sketchy Saturday official Facebook album and see literally 1,000′s of incredible sketches! 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

SWA Group design Sands Bethwork at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA. We have seen how landscape design can create an oasis in the desert and how a temporal landscape installation can promote consciousness about the constant exploitation of the land. Landscape design can also be used in recovery. This type of project, such as the recovery of the Thames River, is responsible not only for the natural recovery of a land mass, river, or mountain, but also can be a catalyst to regenerate societies, economic markets, and social roles. Human activities can be harmful to the Earth; many times we have seen how places once occupied by factories or houses are abandoned and become sites without any living organism. The Sands Bethworks, a project consisting of a new casino, hotel, museum, and mixed-use retail, has been developed in Bethlehem, Pa. The project promoted the recovery of land that was considered a residual place and was affected by previous mineral-mining activity. As the mining economy dwindled, the industry left behind empty and abandoned buildings – as well as contaminants and toxins.

The primary goal of the 20-acre landscape project was the recovery of the natural vegetation and the zone and the conservation of the building as a reminder that every place can be returned to its original status. To do this, SWA Group used a lot of sustainable methods. Existing Problems and Design Solutions The contamination of the soil became the main problem to solve. SWA landscape architects and local authorities found out that the ground of the factory presented high levels of heavy metals and toxic compounds and a serious quantity of petroleum products. Despite the decreasing activity of the mineral industry, the amount of toxic elements were incrementing. The quantity of soil contaminated was around 375 tons, inside the factory site. Another factor to consider is the water pollution that any mineral activity causes. Both problems were considered by the SWA Group as an opportunity to change the conception of parks design. At the Sands Bethwork design project, SWA architects used bioswales that are supposed to intercept runoffs and storm water over 11 acres of land, functioning as natural water purifiers. Another great factor in the Sands Bethwork design is the vegetation’s green palette. After removing all of the contaminated soil from the site, the construction team found out that the soil was also contaminated with highs levels of alkalines, which can cause chlorosis in plants (a process in which leaves produce insufficient chlorophyll and the leaves have a pale or yellow color). Because of this, the selection of specific plants — such as shrubs, trees, and grasses — had to be part of the solution. The new vegetation consists of species that are alkaline-tolerant, such as evergreen plants, and species that can clean up soil through phytoextraction and phytodegradation, like birch and juniper. The importance of respecting the history of the site by maintaining its unique industrial setting was fully recognized by the development team. To unify both new and old site conditions, the design followed the lines of the trestle structures throughout the site, creating order based upon historical precedence. At the entrance of the site, a steel structure is located as a remnant of what was the major activity for almost 100 years in Pennsylvania. Finally, the illumination project is also focused on the factory building, creating a unique night image of what was considered a useless building. The landscape design combines sustainable methods used to recover runoffs and storm water, the plant vegetation palette, and the respectful aesthetic toward the building — all together a good representation of how form and function are always simple but correct. See also: Top 10 Reused Industrial Landscapes Article written by Luis Eduardo Guísar Benítez

The Rootstein Hopkins Parade Ground at Chelsea College of Art and Design Our modern cities desperately need great public spaces, which allow for large public gatherings; encourage people to meet, socializes, and participate in cultural life; and provide space for various public events. The Rootstein Hopkins Parade Ground at Chelsea College of Art and Design in London provides all this and more – a great design that enriches the area and creates a multifunctional, large space so badly needed in any city. Location The Rootstein Hopkins Parade Ground is a 3,500-square-meter square adjacent on three sides to the buildings of Chelsea College of Art and Design and also open onto Atterbury Street. It is special in many ways: It is situated right in the center of London, in the very heart of Westminster, and is very close to important sites, such as Tate Britain and River Thames.

Its location and size make it a perfect space for hosting events, exhibitions, and gatherings, from the final show of London Fashion Week in September 2009 to the Nokia Siemens Networks Roadshow. However, it could never achieve that sort of popularity if it weren’t for its very special design by Planet Earth. This outdoor space’s refurbishment was awarded the Commendation Award in Best Design Under One Hectare category at this year’s Landscape Institute Awards. The project was made possible thanks to the donation of £1.5 million from the Rootstein Hopkins Foundation. The Design Planet Earth designers focused on creating a space that would serve as an outdoor gallery, meeting place, and area suitable for various events. To allow for all those functions, they made it as flexible as possible. The furniture inside the square is kept to minimum, limited only to some simple benches and trees on the perimeter. The interior of the space is broken only by a small square lawn in the middle and recessed light strips adorning the otherwise gray granite paving. The Parade Ground also featured in our hit article Top 10 Imaginative Squares. The Lighting Scheme The LED lights are laid out on the basis of the Fibonacci Spiral, or Golden Spiral, and they change color, creating a very special atmosphere at night. In addition to the LEDs, there are four full-height lighting columns on each corner of the square. The space is fitted with power, water and anchor fixing points, which makes it even more suitable as an outdoor gallery or exhibition area. The Parade Ground also featured in our hit article Top 10 Imaginative Squares. The lighting in this project really shows how a space can be multi layered to the point of creating a whole new space and atmosphere whereby the Parade Ground literally transforms itself from an everyday square to a lit up and exciting hub of activity, showing the psychological impact a lighting scheme has on our minds and senses. Does it work? The design is simple and functional, even minimalist, yet — thanks to the colorful lines of the light strips – unique. Its functionality and its neighbourhood allow it to be used in multiple different ways, which makes it irreplaceable in a crowded, busy city such as London. It must be said, however, that the square looks much better in the evening, when the lights are on, than during the day, when the gray paving and the pale lines of the lights strips make it look a bit like a basketball court. During a rainy day, the space might feel a bit cold and unwelcoming, especially due to its lack of color and its vastness. The advantages of this square definitely outweigh its faults; it succeeds in making this area of London more alive and in engaging the citizens in cultural activities – therefore, it fulfils its goal. It is a great example of the outdoor space designed with functionality in mind. The designers resisted the temptation to add more elements to the interior of the square, which could enhance the aesthetics, but would certainly limit the functionality by cluttering this big, open space. They managed to create the perfect blank canvas for any event one might think of – and this is very rare and definitely deserving of praise! You may also be interested in: Lighting Solutions – World’s tiniest recessed LED luminaire – 1PUCK LP by MINIMIS Article written by Marta Ratajszczak

The Gingdao Plant Pavilion by Weddle Landscape Design The Plant Pavilion, inspired by the image of a falling leaf, is the main pavilion designed for the 2014 International Horticulture Exhibition in the coastal city Gingdao in northern China. It opened its doors on April 28. With its floor area of 12,800 square meters, it is the largest public glasshouse in Asia. It is the permanent centerpiece of the Expo, and after the event ends, it will become the focal point of a new Botanical Garden, the future key tourist attraction in the city. British landscape architecture practice Weddle Landscape Design is the responsible party for the design of the huge glasshouse. The firm is most known in the United Kingdom for the design of Sheffield Winter Garden, which attracts more than 2 million visitors each year. The Gingdao Plant Pavilion is five times bigger and is expected to welcome 15 million people during the six-month exhibition. The landscape practice was also asked to create the British Botanical Garden. To give a clear image of the scale of the project, the British garden will be five times bigger than all gardens that make up Chelsea Flower Show.

In the 2014 Horticulture Exhibition, one can enjoy plants from all over the world. The glasshouse displays 3,000 varieties, from bamboo to cactus, palms to tree ferns. The design concept for the pavilion is to showcase the conservation of plants from different temperate habitat zones, where native plants are threatened by city expansion. The visitor also can learn about the evolution of the plants over millions of years, about their uses, and about how human activities threaten some species with extinction. Additional attraction points are the Seaweed Tank and the Culture Bamboo House. The architectural concept by Shanghai Institute of Architectural Design and Research, based on the organic shape of a leaf, is attractive both outside and inside. It creates a vast space inside, with a glazed ceiling high enough for a 30-meter-tall tree to grow. Triple glazing is used to insulate the indoor environment from climatic extremes of cold and heat. The structure is naturally ventilated, since outdoor temperatures can fluctuate between 6 and 30 degrees centigrade. The teams worked closely together to create the sustainable low-energy glasshouse as a perfect environment for the plants to thrive. For Weddle Landscape Design principle Mike Bowell, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a structure with such dimensions and impact. “Some visitors to the Expo will be expert horticulturalists with a good understanding about worldwide plants, and many others will just be thrilled to see strange plants from Australia and South Africa alongside those from Chile and California,” he said. Visiting the expo is an exciting trip that brings the plant world to the people for an instant overview of the history of plants — a three-dimensional encyclopedia covering worldwide diversity. Clearly, one of the most interesting things about the glasshouse is its size and the impact that will leave with the visitor. Also see:  10 Incredible Projects For Students To Know About And Why! Article written by Slavyana Popcheva

Because of global warming and the possibility of energy shortages in the future due to increasing demand, the energy issue is a very important matter nowadays. It has taken on even greater significance since the Kyoto protocol in 1997, when many countries around the world committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We all know we consume a lot more energy than we should. However, countries rely on a high level of energy consumption to create social and economic development – it’s a tricky situation. That’s where efficient use of energy and renewable sources comes in. Technology available today offers a wide variety of eco-solutions: roads and other surfaces powered by solar energy are a very interesting example. Solar Roadways is a modular paving system of solar panels that can be installed on roads, parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, bike paths, playgrounds, etc. It pays for itself over its life span, reduces dependency on fossil fuels, is environmentally friendly and helps create more jobs, among many other benefits. Below: Meet the inventors of Solar Raodways So why aren’t the panels already installed on every road on the planet? Well, there are many barriers that make the use of renewable energy more difficult. The technology Solar Roadways is a very clever and efficient system that generates clean and cheap energy. The panels can also be used as heating elements to keep roadways snow and ice free and can power LEDs for road lines and signs. The technology also makes it possible for EVs to charge from parking lots and driveways. The glass surface is surprisingly resistant: It has been tested for traction, load, and impact in laboratories, exceeding all requirements. For instance, the panels can withstand an impressive 250,000 pounds (the weight of a heavy truck)! Below: A very funny promotional video for Solar freakin’ Roadways Solar Roadways was selected as finalist in the World Technology Award For Energy in 2013. It was also chosen by Google to be one of its Moonshots, chosen as a finalist in the IEEE Ace Awards in 2009 and 2010. It has also given presentations around the country including TEDx Sacramento, Google’s Solve for X at Google’s NYC Headquarters, NASA, Keynote Speaker for the International Parking Institute’s Conference and many others. Energy policy barriers We can’t talk about renewable energy and efficiency without mentioning a bit of energy policy. Don’t be put off by this economical and political talk — this is a very important subject we all have to be aware of (landscape architects included). We are becoming more efficient, and this is a worldwide trend, but many barriers still hold us back from a more sustainable future, unfortunately. Renewable energy still contributes very little to electricity generation, only about 18 percent of total global production. This scene will hopefully change in the near future as some technologies, such as Solar Roadways, reach the commercialization stage. It is very important to diversify energy sources; therefore, renewable technologies will be crucial in developing sustainable energy. The problem is, despite the huge potential in some countries, there are still economical, technological, and political obstacles, such as the attitude of decision-makers toward this matter and information gaps. Below: Taking the weight of common Farm yard tractor Renewables and energy efficiency The expansion of renewable energy would bring many benefits: It is plentiful, secure, sustainable, cheap, and non-polluting. Solar Roadways is a creative and efficient example. But the competitiveness of renewable sources relies heavily on policy initiatives. As landscape architects, we have to be aware of the importance of new renewable technologies, supporting them with an energy-efficient approach when designing toward a cleaner and more sustainable future. ———– Solar Roadways is in the midst of an Indiegogo crowdsourcing campaign to raise funding for the production of its solar panels. The campaign started on Earth Day (April 22) and ends May 31. You can donate and help the company reach its goal of $1,000,000 at: Solar Roadways Article written by Julia Lucchese Featured image: Print screen Youtube

Welcome to this week’s Sketchy Saturday, where each week people from all over the globe send in their creative handy work, ranging in style, technique and quality. Making our ongoing gallery one of the most diverse in the world. This week we showcase some real raw etchy techniques as well as the more pristine attempts at artistic representation, creating a fully rounded top 10 that is sure to inspire you into grabbing your sketch pad and creating some of your own works of art. Here is this week’s Top 10: 10. by Marta Simacsek, Master’s Degree in Architecture

“I am mesmerized by the progress of Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the last 2 decades. This drawing was made to study the unusual and curly forms of this sky scraper. I used Stabilo fine liner marker pens and fiber pens for this sketch, and a minimal final touch in Photoshop.”

 “This sketch was made in Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico. It is the Templo Mayor and it’s one of the several Mayan temples in the zone. It’s considered a medium size temple when compared with Tikal or Copan. It’s believed it had been built around 615 or 683. It’s very well preserved and a very unique example of a religious building in the Mayan culture”. 5. by Major in International Relations from Syracuse University 

The use of thick lines in this drawing really help us to grasp the atmosphere of an impressive, yet dirty and polluted city that still manages to be rich in character and a strong sense of place.  The murky waters, the dim yellow lights and the charcoal black shadows all come together to create an atmosphere that is unique to city living, while not desirable it still becomes a place we are drawn to, over and over again. 4. by Eugene Dizon Baul ( from Philippines )  Design Director in Shenzhen China ” In this sketch, we wanted to show the transition and the relationship of the hotel which is elevated by 3 meters, to the main landscape axis, the feature nodes going to the East and West axis and the mid- rises apartments on both sides. We were only given 1.5 weeks to finish the concept package. It took me 2 days to do my sketch concept. I did this on A2 tracing paper, pen and ink and markers”. 3. by Huy N. Nguyen, Master of Architecture Student “This is a sketch of landscape of University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA. Pencil still is my main material and method. With just black and white, bright and dark, I think pencil can create a magic with beautiful drawings. The place in the sketch is my favorites at the University of Notre Dame. Indiana is a very flat land so the hilly place like the one in the drawing is pretty rare. I just love hilly terrain, especially hilly grassland adorned with creek and trees. The combination of these factors brings you a feeling of endlessness but in the same time, a sense of private, “secret” spaces”. 2. by Dean Coker “One great way to enhance a landscape design is with careful selection and placement of potted plants. These three beauties were near my home in San Diego, California. I drew them using ordinary drafting pencils, primarily F and HB, on carefully selected tracing paper. Also, the tracing paper was mounted on a backing paper that had a particular texture and thickness I felt necessary to gain the ‘feeling’ of the scene. Also, I draw wearing jewelers glasses. My vision is fine, but to achieve this texture I find the magnification very helpful”. 1. by  Tung Xuan Dang,  Architect – ATEK Architects, Vietnam “This sketch was created 1 year ago, an exercise at my university on the subject of Bach Thao Garden, Hanoi, Vietnam. What I drew isn’t completely the same to the reality of it,I feel 30% of this picture reflects my imagination, with more colors, and mysterious trees that allow me to go to another world in my dreams. The sketch was done with Leningrad watercolors on galgo paper”. – Thanks for joining us for this week’s Sketchy Saturday, we do hope you enjoyed it and that it inspired you into creating some of your own artistic expressions. Check out the Sketchy Saturday official Facebook album and see literally 1,000’s of incredible sketches! 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