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As a follow up to commonly asked questions about the drawing equipment I use in my landscape sketches, I’ve rounded up a list of some of my commonly used tools. These days, many art supplies are quite expensive. Luckily, however, I don’t use many expensive tools. For beginners, I strongly suggest starting with simple tools because they are easy to use and more affordable. In addition, starting out with the bare bone tools makes it easier to see how line quality can then be improved with higher quality equipment.  RELATED STORY: Interview with Urban Sketcher Chunling Wu I usually use color pencils/watercolor color pencils for design rendering and watercolor for urban sketching. I encourage you to try different media and mixed media because doing so can help you find your personal preference...Read More

What makes a landscape architecture firm truly amazing? Is it awards or recognitions? Is it a special design method? Or is it just pure talent? The following is a list of landscape architecture firms known not only for their numerous awards and recognitions, but also for the unique twist they incorporate into their designs and for the joy people experience when they visit their projects. In alphabetical order, they are: 1. AECOM Considered a mega-multidisciplinary firm, AECOM employs everyone from engineers and architects to planners and landscape architects — and this is in addition to numerous other brands the company markets. AECOM has offices all over the world, and landscape architecture projects include multi-acre corporate landscapes, small urban parks, resorts, downtowns, and...Read More

Your sketches have a very unique, fun style to them. How did this develop? My visual sense is undoubtedly shaped by the magazines and comics I read as a kid. I’d try to emulate the drawing styles of Mort Drucker, Ronald Searle, Paul Hogarth and others, so there’s some of that there. Also, the demands of my professional work as an urban designer has trained me over time to draw very quickly, so the speed of the strokes and the natural “left-handed lean” that results from my working fast probably translates into a more loose, fun style. La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona What inspires your work? I travel a lot (43 countries so far); I’m inspired by the architecture, lively plazas and the buzz of positive energy I feel when I’m walking in great cities. Best of all is the people watching; as a desi...Read More

There was a time, not too long ago, when the quality of urban landscapes was determined by what they looked like and what it was like to be in them. Their ecological and human health benefits were well known, but these were seen mainly as positive by-products of what was more important: improving the quality of life for people living in cities by providing them with access to nature, or at least some semblance of it. The desire for urban parks was rooted in a simple, yet deep appreciation for the beauty of landscape. These days, however, even as the urban landscape has a higher profile than ever before–thanks in part to grand new parks in cities such as New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and Los Angeles–it seems less and less acceptable to evaluate such places merely on their aesthe...Read More

Rhinoceros (Rhino for short) is a standalone 3D modelling program that provides a flexible and versatile modelling environment for a variety of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry professionals, from architects to industrial designers; including landscape architects! Its interoperability, multidisciplinary toolsets, relatively low learning curve (compared to other high-end 3D modellers/renderers) and modest price tag make it quite an attractive option for those looking to incorporate 3D modelling within their design, documentation and presentation workflows. BIM-enabling modelling as well as technical drawings all within Rhino What makes Rhino’s modelling capabilities so robust is its use of NURBS geometry. What are NURBS you ask? NURBS NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-S...Read More

Green wall at Cecil Street designed by Tierra Design + POD How do you turn a boring office building into a green paradise? The designers from Tierra Design + POD transformed this previously “naked” space into a stunning vertical garden that enhances the building’s features and provides the perfect ambience for a workplace – combining landscape architecture, engineering, and interior design skills. The Building This office building on Cecil Street in Singapore’s Central Business District had three stories added to its already existing 10, which had a big impact on the overall architectural proportions. The extended height resulted in a boring and far-too-long atrium not in accordance with human scale, creating a distant and uncomfortable environment. No other element can be more effective a...Read More

Mark Thomas Architects design Kirstenbosch’s tree canopy walkway. Kirstenbosch’s Tree Canopy Walkway was inaugurated in May 2014 to celebrate the centenary of the National Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa. The Botanical Garden was created in 1913 and is part of the 528-hectare state area, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site due to the large variety of animal species sheltered by the forest on the east side of Table Mountain. The place, already famous for its biodiversity and natural beauty, has the centenary walkway as a new attraction, not only for its innovative design, but also because it provides different perspectives to experience the garden. Planned since 2012 and built from 2013 to 2014, the “Bloomslang” – which means tree snake — was designed by Cape Town-...Read More

Top graduate Joe Clancy shares his top book recommendations for your fourth year of landscape architecture. Continuing on from our first, second and third articles, here are 10 books that helped me through my fourth year of Landscape Architecture. Prices quoted are from Amazon. However, shop around, as they aren’t cheap. Of course, check your University’s library first. In case you missed any of our lists make sure to click on the links at the end of this article. 10. Wetland Design (Robert L. France) Covering the creation, restoration, enhancement and construction of designed wetlands, this work provides a practical guide for wetland design on a local, site-specific scale, and reviews the impact of wetland design projects on the environment. More than 150 key principles and practice...Read More

You’ve probably heard about Parklets: the simple but ingenious concept of transforming parking spaces along the street into publicly accessible recreational areas. Initially inspired by Rebar art and design studio’s one-day parklet installation created in San Francisco nine years ago, this innovative and hugely successful approach to public space management has been emulated across the globe and has now reached Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo. A series of temporary parklets were introduced into São Paulo’s public realm during Environment Week last year. The initiative received wide-spread media coverage and was embraced by citizens, sparking a demand for more pedestrian friendly spaces throughout the city.  The city listened to the public chorus and in April of thi...Read More

Top graduate Joe Clancy shares his top book recommendations for your third year of landscape architecture. Continuing on from our first and second articles, here are 10 books that helped me through my third year of Landscape Architecture. Prices quoted are from Amazon. However, shop around, as they aren’t cheap. Of course, check your University’s library first. Keep an eye out for my follow up articles on book lists for 4th year. 10. Guerrilla Gardening: A Manualfesto (David Tracey) The term “guerrilla” may bring to mind a small band of armed soldiers, moving in the dead of night on a stealth mission. In the case of guerrilla gardening, the soldiers are planters, the weapons are shovels, and the mission is to transform an abandoned lot into a thing of beauty. Once an environmentalist’s non...Read More

Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir designed by Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes. The Passerelle (footbridge) Simone de Beauvoir is the 37th bridge in Paris and it is one of the four bridges in Paris dedicated to pedestrians. Elegantly and cleverly floating over River Seine with its undulating shape, it is unique and interesting enough to provide comfort for any kind of break or exploration. It connects Quai François Mauriac with Quai de Bercy, giving easy access to the Parc de Bercy on the right bank of the Seine and to the piazza of the François Mitterrand site of the French national library or BNF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) on the left bank. The Design Designed by Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes, the footbridge is named after France’s great woman philosopher, known for her feminist bel...Read More