Blog

All of us know Frederick Law Olmsted as the founder of landscape architecture–but what most don’t know are the fascinating details of his background and the roles that sheer luck and happenstance played in steering him towards developing a lasting legacy. His story and his works will be celebrated tonight in a documentary aired by the American broadcast television network Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Titled “Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America,” this much-anticipated film will follow his story from his early start in journalism to his work at Central Park and beyond.  From the description: “To Olmsted, a park was both a work of art and a necessity for urban life. Olmsted’s efforts to preserve nature created an “environmental ethic” decades before th...Read More

Climate and city are interdependent: The climate determines how the city is used by its inhabitants; in turn, the way the city is used by the inhabitants influences its climate. High temperatures demand cooling, cooling requires energy, energy emits pollution, and pollution leads to an increase in temperature. Sounds a bit confusing, we know, but can you see how everything is connected? There are, however, simple strategies to prevent overheating of cities, as well as to reduce urban carbon dioxide emissions. Stick to these easy-to-follow steps for healthier and more sustainable cities: 1. Implement urban parks and green areas When air flows through a vegetated area, the plants reduce temperature and increase humidity through a process called evapotranspiration. Due to differences in press...Read More

+ Pool by Play Lab: The floating pool that’s more than just a pool. Living in New York City is probably one of the most amazing urban experiences anyone could imagine. There are hundreds of thousands of artificial places for people and plenty of natural river water surrounding them. Wouldn’t it be great if the Hudson River were swimmable? Why can’t it be possible? The design firms PlayLab and Family think it’s time to see the water around the city with new eyes and add one more exciting experience to its attractions: a very special floating pool. As New Yorkers and designers, Dong-Ping Wong (from Family) and Archie Lee Coates IV and Jeffrey Franklin (from PlayLab) asked themselves some questions during a really hot summer in 2010. Swimming in New York City’s n...Read More

Artist Andres Amador shows us the art of letting go through his awesome displays of temporary land art.  Andres Amador is a man who adds new layers of meaning to the artistic and creative process. The San Francisco-based Earthscape artist creates magical artwork on the sandy beaches of his home city, knowing full well that all of his efforts will begin to be wiped out within seconds of their creation. With the rake as his tool and the beach as his ready-made blank canvas, Amador moves his body in harmony to the lines he is carving. He drags the rake by his side, and the sound of the tide surging in and out is a constant reminder that time is ticking. Time and impermanence are constant themes in Amador’s artwork. His designs wash away almost as soon as they take form. In the end, a photogra...Read More

The Jellyfish House by Wiel Arets Architects Boasts Stunning cantilever pool. Pools are pleasant components that enrich buildings by offering leisure, physical activity, and a place to socialize. In this sophisticated beach house, designed by the European architecture firm Wiel Arets Architects and completed in 2013, the pool was created to work beyond conventional use. The proximity of the Mediterranean Sea, the amazing landscape view, and the abundance of sunlight in the Los Monteros region of Marbella, in the south of Spain, provided an inspirational environment to create this outdoor pool that excels in both design and construction techniques. Aiming to overcome the barrier formed by neighboring construction between the beach and the site, the architects came up with a design that prov...Read More

What does our future on planet earth hold for us? It’s a question asked all to0 often, and one that isn’t easy to answer. The landscape provides the fundamental support system for life on earth. With the seven billion people and counting that populate planet earth; landscape architecture plays a climacteric role in the shaping of both rural and urban environments. As landscape architects, both present and future, we are primed with the prowess needed to tackle the copious challenges that our planet faces, both present and future. Here are 6 reasons why our future depends on landscape architecture. 1. Food security The health and sustainability of the global food system is under serious threat, being touted as the greatest problem in our existence. This is in large part due to t...Read More

Sketchy Saturday is always one of our weekly highlights as we get to see how you see the world, and how you are using that perception to explore and discover your environment and your drawing talent. This week we featured some incredibly captivating sketches from the classical styles to the more surreal images of the imagination, showing that not all the landscapes we explore are physical,the most interesting of all may not only begin in the mind, but also reside there, until you are brave enough to put pen to paper and make it manifest. 10. Patrick O’Keeffe Patrick created an incredibly isolated experience, that is full of planting, people and energy, the artist really captured the movement of the space by accentuating the slope however with the lush semi mature trees, one may be dr...Read More

Urban agriculture is a conundrum for municipal planning agencies. The ‘Euclidean’ approach to zoning that has guided the growth of cities over the last century delineates incompatible land uses that, if not separated, could cause annoyances, health hazards and loss of real estate value. Zoning could, for example, prevent a factory from being placed in the middle of a residential neighborhood. This type of zoning has also dictated that agricultural activities be confined to specific areas, generally on the outskirts of cities, to prevent the unpleasant sights, sounds and smells that are associated with certain types of farming operations such as concentrated feed lots or chicken houses. Many people are shocked to discover just how restrictive zoning ordinances can be in regard to food produ...Read More

In many ways, urban growers have the odds stacked against them, especially when compared to rural farmers. Yet, there are increasingly more examples of successful urban farming. Much of this is due to the contributions of landscape architects, who have much to offer in guiding urban agriculture towards a strong civic institution. In this post today, however, we will identify the main challenges to urban agriculture and how to remedy them. Soil Contamination One of the first steps needed to assess a site’s potential for food production is to have a soil test conducted. Farmers do this to determine what sort of soil amendments are needed for a particular crop, but in an urban context, the first concern is whether or not the soil is safe for food production. Toxic metals that are taken up int...Read More

Food producing landscapes are more controversial than your typical landscape project. As mentioned in a previous post, urban gardens often trigger a sense of environmental stewardship from people, but successful design is key to public acceptance. Urban agriculture is an umbrella term for the many different contexts of food production that occur outside the typical context of rural farms — food gardens for residential properties, community gardens and market scale farms to name a few — each of which has very different user needs. However, a common set of principles can help guide the design process for any of them. Aesthetics 1)      Use hardscape features to create aesthetic definition. The clean lines of paths, patios, fences, raised beds, retaining walls, arbors, trellises and pergolas ...Read More