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The Pulse Park, by Cebra, Kildebjerg Ry, Denmark. Kildebjerg Ry, Denmark, is an attractive area for living because of its natural environment, which encourages residents to practice all kinds of sports activities. Ry, where the residential development Kildebjerg Ry is located, is part of the Skanderborg municipality in Jutland, the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe to form the mainland part of Denmark. The town, with a population of only 5,731, is located in central Denmark along the Guden River and surrounded by a spectacular chain of lakes. When the community expressed its wish to develop a system of leisure and sport activities, Cebra Architecture, a Danish design practice founded in 2001 and based in Aarhus, was asked to design the concept of a community activity project. The ...Read More

Learn how to Google beyond the basics with these Google Hacks and enhance your ability to perform as a landscape architect.   The Google search engine has become ubiquitous in modern life. As much as 77% of all internet searches are performed using Google, with Statista placing last months figures at 1.17 Billion worldwide Google users! No doubt Google is a powerful search engine, but do you use it to its full potential? Here I share with you some of the Google hacks I’ve learned over the years that have helped me, in my work as a landscape architect. Google Hacks 1. Calculating and converting This is a really simple and easy Google hack for landscape architects. If you want to quantify the amount of mulch you will need for any given area, simply type the equation into Google. For ex...Read More

Utilising an outdoor space or garden can be an excellent solution to a number of problems. Garden sheds are versatile outdoor equipment that are specifically designed to deliver beauty, durability, and strength. Whether you want to indulge in a new gardening hobby or store your old tools, consider these three factors before you buy a shed. The finest material and the highest quality Wooden sheds are the most common and traditional, but the exact type of wood will make a difference to a shed’s upkeep and longevity. Cedar wood sheds are the most resistant to rot, but you could buy a pine one for half the price, so think carefully about your budget. In contrast, purchasing a plastic or metal version will remove the problem of rot entirely. However, metal sheds are susceptible to condensation,...Read More

Zeytouneh Square, by Gustafson Porter, in Beirut, Lebanon. Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, is an ancient city that predates even recorded history. In the 1960s, it was considered one of the world’s most vibrant and diverse cities — a center for arts, culture, and tourism. But in 1975, Lebanon was plunged into a civil war that devastated the nation, tearing communities apart, both literally and figuratively. This civil war came to an end in 1990, but the country is still piecing together communities ruined by a war whose aftermath continues to resonate in daily life. Zeytouneh Square Rebuilding Beirut’s infrastructure and identity with public space Today, Beirut is a city at a crossroads. The destruction of the capital was immeasurable. With so much of the city’s physical infrastructure de...Read More

Mesa City Center, The Wind Dancer — Colwell Shelor + West 8 + Weddle Gilmore, Mesa, Arizona, USA. I bet that if you aren’t American, you have never heard of the city of Mesa, right? And why should you, even though it’s the third-largest city in the state of Arizona. It is an American city similar to many others. Spread over 133 square miles (344.5 square kilometers), Mesa is part of the large metropolitan area of Phoenix. It is a typical American suburb surrounded by highways, with no significant landmark to distinguish its identity from the rest. So what is Mesa doing to get our attention? Well, city officials have decided to create what they don’t have – a landmark to give the city a new identity and a public space that will increase the quality of life for its citizens, invite div...Read More

Channel Center Park and Iron Street Park, by Halvorson Design Partnership, Boston, Massachusetts. Relatively small it may be, but Boston as a city is still growing and building new neighborhoods such as Channel Center. The city’s seaport district, commonly known as the Innovation District, has been transforming in the recent years to make the area more vibrant with new businesses and residential areas. With a mixture of new office buildings and over 200 residential units, Channel Center is one of the mixed-use projects that are the first to develop its multiple parcels. Amongst the initial implementations, a pocket park named Iron Street Park and a large neighborhood park, Channel Center Park have begun to grace Boston with their innovative and community-spirited designs. Channel Center Pa...Read More

This week’s Sketchy Saturday top 10. Whoa, it’s great to be back, with the might Sketchy Saturday. We expect 2015 to be our most popular Sketchy Saturday ever. The first edition of the top 10 does not disappoint as we feature everything from the raw drawing talent to the more polished finished artwork. Each one special in its own unique way. Offering us something different to be appreciated every time.  What I really loved about this week’s featured top 10 was the depth of thought that some of the artists went into.  Nothing quite gives work meaning than the deep thinking that supports it, helping to manifest beauty and intrigue. Enjoy this week’s Sketchy Saturday top 10! 10. by B. Bernik, student of the 5th year in Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana, Slovenia. “My moti...Read More

The Elastic Perspective, by Next Architects, Carnisselande, Netherlands. A project rich in meaning, form, and experience, the Elastic Perspective by Next Architects is rather a rare finding in the Carnisselande, Rotterdam suburbs of the Netherlands. The giant circular staircase marks the end of a tram stop and takes visitors up to a height that provides a continuous view of the surroundings, including the skyline of Rotterdam. Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands, and Carnisselande looks out to its mother town. It is this attraction/repulsion relationship between the two diverse places that stimulated Next Architects’ inspiration for the staircase design. The Elastic Perspective The Mobius ring inspires the form of the design. The Mobius ring — or the Mobius strip,...Read More

Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns, by Victor Dover and John Massengale. Published by Wiley, 2014. 401 pages. At the heart of every successful city design is successful street design. And by that, it is not meant that the city is home to a variety of interstates and highways moving people to and fro. It means that the city is home to livable streets that people want to experience, not just drive on. The book Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns, by Victor Dover and John Massengale, along with a number of guest essayists, seeks to reveal the secrets behind what makes a great street and thus a great city. Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns The book is an easy read filled with beautiful pictures and examples of successful street design. The aut...Read More

Waterfront Landscape Park of Aiyi River, by BLVD International, in Yinchuan, Ningxia Region, China. China is currently experiencing the world’s biggest boom in landscape architecture. Investing billions of dollars in environmental projects and public spaces, China is not only transforming its landscape, but its global image, as well. Waterfront areas are key to China’s redevelopment. Historically, water has been important as a tool for the country’s agricultural and industrial development. Rerouted for irrigation, reclaimed as agricultural land, and heavily polluted by industry, the conditions of China’s waterways have reached a critical state. As a result, China is making huge efforts to remediate, protect, and transform its relationship with water. Aiyi River Landscape Park: Yinchuan’s N...Read More

The Klyde Warren Park, Dallas, Texas, USA, by the Office of James Burnett – OJB The Dallas community has taken a bold step by deciding to construct a park over the existing Woodall Rogers Freeway in a busy area of the city. As a result of this initiative, the city’s Klyde Warren Park offers a new perspective on urban revitalization, showing that it does not need to be restricted to sites left behind with economic decline. It is a process that can also create new spaces that coexist with current users while enabling new functions. Klyde Warren Park Embraced by the citizens and adapted to existing elements An important characteristic of the park’s design was the fact that it has been idealized by the citizens despite having a large scale, which is usually associated with government initiativ...Read More