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Roller Coaster by Interval Architects, Beijing, China. Take an empty little courtyard in front of a school, a place where nothing interesting happens, and dream of a curved, elegant structure that can create a place to play, sit, walk, and talk … maybe you are sitting on a little roller coaster! Situated in Beijing, China, the roller coaster project was designed by Interval Architects, an international design practice founded in 2010. What the Client Wanted and What The Client Got The client’s first idea was to put a monumental sculpture in the middle of the square to represent the school. But that idea was not functional or useful. So Interval Architects decided to transform this empty square by putting in a contemporary open structure — a wooden ribbon representing the image ...Read More

Studying for the L.A.R.E. by LAN writer Erin Tharp who has recently passed the L.A.R.E.  For future landscape architects, seeking initial licensure can seem like a daunting task, but by adhering to the following advise, at least the Landscape Architecture Registration Exam (L.A.R.E.) won’t seem so scary. But, before the studying begins, be sure to start a council record with the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) and check with the state administering the exam, most have graduation and work requirements before one is allowed to sit for the L.A.R.E. So, you’ve met all of the requirements and now you’re ready to take the test, or are you? The L.A.R.E. consists of four computerized sections, and according to CLARB’s website is “designed to determine whether applica...Read More

Rio Madrid by West 8. There is something special about urban revitalization projects: they not only restore the physical environment but also confidence and hope on urban dwellers. Madrid Rio, with its generous green spaces, is a great example of a refreshing project that we, city inhabitants, are so in need of in a time of uncontrolled urbanization. What once was an intrusive motorway is today an amazing six-miles-long urban park that connects people and districts, showing us that it is possible to empower people through design. The Design Located in the heart of Madrid, in Spain, Madrid Rio comprises a total area of 80.000 m² and demanded an investment cost of 280 million Euros. The master plan was designed by West 8 in collaboration with MRIO Arquitectos, led by Ginés Garrido Colomero. ...Read More

This week’s Sketchy Saturday top 10. Welcome to this week’s edition of Sketchy Saturday; this week’s sketches are breathtaking, with some Sketchy Saturday regulars dipping into their portfolio and wowing us with their talent as well as some first timers throwing their hat into the ring, bidding to be featured on our international and ever growing world stage. Sketchy Saturday is a melting pot of talent made up from contributions from around the globe, including professionals, students, and sketching enthusiasts; making the top 10 very tricky to judge. 10. by Nayeli Pérez Contreras from México, architecture student “This is a perspective of two vanishing points based on Mexican landscape architecture. It is a water purifying factory from the 19th century, remodeled by one of the...Read More

Swiss skate park, by Zuk Club.  Zuk Club is a Moscow-based collective of artists working in mixed media who explore different artistic styles. Their interests have expanded and flowed into design, monumental, and contemporary art. They experiment through graffiti art and canvassing hard surfaces, such as walls, abandoned houses, old warehouses, and other urban structures. One of their remarkable projects is the intervention of a Swiss skate park. A city that incorporates artwork into its street view is a city that establishes a dialogue between artists who have a passion for city life and the viewers who live there. Graffiti draws upon the urban landscape as a canvas to communicate with both citizens and the material structure of a city. Sadly, urban art is sometimes perceived as vandalism...Read More

Piazza Nember by Valeri Zoia and Stradevarie Architects, Jesolo, Italy. Look at the path. It leads the user to a social nodal space. The Piazza Nember in Jesolo, Italy, by Valeri Zoia and Stradivarie Architects, is a well-designed space for social activities with its pathways of contrasting colors, and play areas that allow children and adults alike to experience the joy of play and meeting new friends. Location The town lies north of Venice, between Eraclea and Cavallino-Treporti. Jesolo gives its name to a lagoon of 22 square kilometers (8.5 square miles) on the Adriatic Sea, between the rivers Sile and Piave. The urbanized area lies on an island of sorts, bordered by the Piave on the east, the Sile on the west, and an artificial canal called Cavetta. The city’s economy is mostly b...Read More

10 reasons why you Are not getting hired as a landscape architect. Before you decide not to read this article because its title sounds too pessimistic, consider going ahead anyway — it is here to help you improve your chances of finding your way in the attractive but competitive field of landscape architecture. If you recognize that you are making any of the following mistakes, there is still time to change your ways and land your dream job. 10 Reasons Why You Are Not Getting Hired:   1. Lack of Balance Between Academic and Practical Production The marketplace has plenty of dedicated students who have failed to get good positions. The main reason is that they stayed so focused on their academics that they forgot to connect with “real world” production. Although you need to conce...Read More

Mandela Park, by Karres en Brands Landscape, Almere, The Netherlands. Almere in The Netherlands is the perfect example of a low-density city constructed from zero. Architects had a great opportunity here to demonstrate to the world how innovative and contemporary design works. Mandela Park, which opened in 2011, was designed by Karres en Brands Landscape and planned by OMA as part of the master plan for the next stage in the development of Almere. This plan focuses on the location of future business areas. Designing the Urban Rooftop   As you can imagine, creating a new business center means ensuring easy availability and providing for new parking needs in the area. In this case, four-layered underground parking garages provide service to three massive towers. But in Mandela Park, des...Read More

Landscape and urban design for bats and biodiversity by Kelly Gunnell with contributions from Gary Grant and Dr Carol Williams. While designing landscapes, we often focus only on making the space beautiful, and when it comes to making it also practical, we only think about human users of the designed space. We often forget that our work has immense influence over the environment and the organisms that live in it. Some of the animals are more dependent on the specific conditions than others; bats certainly belong to the first group. The comprehensive handbook on Landscape and urban design for bats and biodiversity by Kelly Gunnell, published by the Bat Conservation Trust, helps all the people responsible for designing our landscapes to make sure they are arranged according to the needs of t...Read More

A brief guide to notable places to study landscape architecture in Europe. The history of landscape architecture has its roots in Europe, with historical greats such as Andrew Jackson Downing and Gilbert Laing Meason, so why not go to the place where the greats had their origins? Today, Europe is home to over a hundred schools that offer courses in landscape architecture and below are some of the best. In no particular order here are 10 great places to study landscape architecture in Europe: 10. The University of Sheffield (United Kingdom) – Department of Landscape One of the largest schools for landscape architecture, the department is home to approximately 200 undergraduate and 150 postgraduate students, all there to obtain an education that uses both science and art to teach large scale...Read More

St. Jacques Ecological Park by Atelier des Paysages- Bruel Delmar. The prize winning project St. Jacques ecological park, located at the bottom of a valley in Saint Jacques de La Lande, Ille et Villaine northwestern France, provides the residents of its surrounding neighborhoods with a vibrant journey amid its natural and agricultural past and present. The Team That Designed the Ecological Park   The park is an outcome of the collaborated efforts of the landscape architecture office Atelier des Paysages- Bruel Delmar, LM Communiquer for design and communication, and Michel Danais for environmental and ecological advice. The Parisian landscape architects and urbanists Anne Sylvie Bruel and Christophe Delmar who had created Atelier des Paysages back in 1989, aim through their designs to...Read More

Central Plaza in Chiang Rai by shma. The Central Plaza in Chiang Rai designed by shma is a landscape of contrasts. Since this is the first upscale shopping mall in Chiang Rai, Thailand, the landscape architects had an opportunity to set a precedent for future developments in Asia and beyond. The Central Plaza parkscape provides ample public space and gathering area for shoppers and visitors while integrating history, culture, and local identity. The Central Plaza a Place of Opposites Mountains vs. Plains The overall design concept for the landscape was inspired by the local mountainous landscape. The rolling mountains and contours of the land are replicated in the paving patterns of the plaza landscape. Undulating topography defines spaces and frames views of the mall entrance and surround...Read More