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stpmj’s First Prize Winning Entry, DRIFT “DRIFT proposes a triangular arrangement of eight foot diameter balloons that create a dynamic canopy over bourbon tastings, educational spaces for children and other groups. Jurors praised the project for its unexpected playfulness and relationship to historic river imagery. The design was interpreted by the panel of jurors as a type of inverted raft with romantic allusions to the journeys of Huckleberry Finn as well as the flatboats that once populated Louisville’s wharf in great numbers. — Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft blog” On October 15, 2014, Louisville will host the Centennial Festival of Riverboats to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Belle of Louisville.  During the summer of 2013, the Waterfront Development Corporation announc...Read More

HOSPER propose stunning entry for Moscow Park Russia competition. In 2013, International Architectural Competition Park “Russia” chose HOSPER landscape architecture and urban design firm’s design as the second place finalist, and moved onto Stage II of the competition. HOSPER designed the project with a team including Niek Roozen (landscape architect), Cepezed (architecture) and Witteveen+Bos (engineering and consulting). The contest asked designers to create a final concept and financial model of the Park that would “convincingly demonstrate the natural, ethnic, historical and cultural diversity and richness of the Russian Federation and reflect the identity of its constituent regions in the context of their shared culture and history.” Contestants were asked to create proposals that “cov...Read More

Homelessness is a social problem that affects cities the world over. The image above depicts two very different ways of dealing with the issue. To the left: London. To the right: Vancouver. You’ve probably already heard about the “anti-homeless” spikes that caused public outcry in London a few weeks ago. The stainless steel spikes were installed outside a luxury block of flats to deter rough sleepers from taking shelter in the doorway. The installation caused a chorus of disapproval and widespread condemnation, with Twitter users claiming the spikes treated the homeless like vermin. The bed of spikes has since been removed, after an online petition reached over 100,000 signatures and the Mayor Boris Johnson branded the spikes as “ugly, self-defeating and stupid̶...Read More

This week we’ll look at some techniques that can help you draw faster. But first, let’s ask ourselves why do we want to draw faster? In ideal circumstances, we can take as much time as we need to complete a really detailed drawing. On many occasions, however, we don’t have enough time to draw and it’s important to be able to squeeze as much information onto a drawing as possible in the time span we have available. That’s when you need to draw fast. Before we start, you need to remember an important fact: there is no such thing as a bad sketch, no matter how fast it’s drawn or how accurate it is. A sketch is always a graphic recording of our thoughts at a certain time in certain circumstances. Even if it’s just a fast scribble. When we don’t h...Read More

Photoshop skills for advanced users. Photoshop has become one of the bread and butter tools for the landscape architect. Over the past several years, Photoshop has advanced in amazing ways and expanded the creative potential for designers in every profession. Landscape architects can keep their designs as simple and suggestive as they would like — or they can push the limits of human perception through photomanipulation. An apparent love for creating engaging and emotion-laden imagery has found a resurgence through montage-styled perspectives and otherworldly lighting and atmospheric effects. So to this end, we have collected 10 of the best “how-to” videos on the internet that show you how to move beyond the basics of Photoshop representation and advance your abilities to artisticall...Read More

Your first meeting with a potential client is usually the one which determines whether you get the job. In the short time available you need to convince them that you are a right person to design their space – be it a garden, a park or a public square. To succeed, you have to develop certain skills besides your design abilities; a lot of empathy and a bit of applied psychology will take you a long way! You must convince your potential customer that the service you provide is going to be of the highest quality. Developing a personal relationship with them is of the greatest importance, especially when it comes to designing private gardens. The following guidelines, once applied will help you gain your customer’s trust and earn you the job you desire! 1. Ask detailed questions Th...Read More

Permeable pavements are a great tool for alleviating stormwater issues.  Proper design—like with most landscape technologies—is key to their success.  Yet as these installations age, they clog and no longer perform as designed.  If infiltration cannot be restored through normal means, the pavement must be totally reconstructed.  Does this issue mean that landscape architects been over-eager in using permeable pavement as a solution for stormwater management? Debris like leaf litter can build up annually and reduce the infiltration rates of pervious paving. Image credit: BigBlockBobber, pixabay.com Routine Maintenance Landscape architects have long understood the need to maintain permeable pavements to sustain performance levels and have been talking about maintenance routines almost since ...Read More

Welcome to another dazzling display of sketchy talent from around the globe. Your work never fails to excite us and clearly our readership too as last week’s Sketchy Saturday was our most popular yet. In this week’s top 10 we start of with a doodle sketched at the breakfast table, which is a great example of how you can literally sketch anywhere and express your creative talent. I guarantee when this sketch by Antony (no. 10 Below) was being done that he had no idea that it would be seen by 1,000’s of people world wide, inspiring others and encouraging many more to sketch for themselves. This is what drives Sketchy Saturday, showcasing moments of creativity in order to inspire others.  Keep on scrolling and check out all 10 of this week’s Sketchy Saturday. 10. Anton...Read More

When most people think about the 9/11 Memorial design, it’s the two giant waterfalls that first come to mind. But landscape architects know that the space would not be nearly as impactful without those iconic rows of gridded Swamp White Oak trees. Located atop one of the largest and “most sustainable” rooftop gardens in the world, these trees are laid out in a Modernist style to function as architectural elements that not only provide structure, but also provide a living reminder of the passage of time. While it’s nothing new to include trees as symbols of rebirth and renewal in memorial design, growing and moving such a massive number of trees into one of the densest cities in America is a remarkable feat. Filmmaker Scott Elliot hopes to capture the seven-year design and...Read More

Our first collection of Youtube videos for landscape architects was such a major hit, that we had to follow it up with part 2. We did our best to compose a list with a rich diversity while keeping it relevant to outdoor design, delivering to you a list with a bit of comedy, some questionable music choices and some really ground breaking, innovative ideas that are sure to alter the way you think about public space. I hope you find the time to make it through all 9, they’re worth every minute, engaging literally millions of viewers worldwide. 1.Allgood Trio Sesame steps Disabled access is something designers of public space all need to be concerned about, and often it ends up changing the course of the overall design with the primary goal of achieving functionality for all those using ...Read More

Zhongshan Shipyard Park designed by Turenscape As cities grow and space becomes tight, urban planners and architects are taking a bigger interest in how, when and which spaces can be redesigned in order to take advantage of the existing land. The main intention is not to keep cities from growing, but to design a better environment inside them. Recovering urban space requires integrating the project within its context. Integration occurs at different levels – social, urban, and architectural — but most importantly at the cultural level. The influence and success of a project depends on how it interacts with the people who live there. With this consideration, designers transforming a site into a new space must recognize the connection that exists between the site and the people. One su...Read More