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The Floating Gardens by Turenscape The term “floating gardens” usually brings to mind the famous Chinampas or the historical vegetable gardens planted by Aztec communities in the shallow lakes of Mexico that date back to two thousand years. But in 2004, an added value was brought forth to the term when world renowned Chinese landscape architecture firm Turenscape used it as a title for their Yongning River Park. The Mission: Aims and Challenges The design of this park was a response to a request made by Taizhou City, East Coast China to upgrade the park site along the riverside which was embanked with concrete as part of the local flood control policy. The task proved to be challenging, as the landscape architect sought an alternative and more ecological approach to flood contr...Read More

We swiftly move on to the second part of our series, this time looking at how to design for free running. If you missed the first part where we explored designing the landscape for calisthenics, let it inspire you! You may have seen a video of a seemingly crazy person looking as light as a feather while jumping and climbing on rooftops and over a series of walls, making you think that person may make an excellent burglar! Those runners aren’t burglars, but neither are they superheroes; they are athletes who have admirably dedicated their time to free running. What is Free Running? Free running was given its name by Sebastian Foucan, who, after learning parkour for many years, began treating the sport/activity as a way of life and philosophy. Free running is a non-competitive, physical disc...Read More

In recent years, global temperature has increased significantly and encouraging the use of outdoor spaces is becoming a challenge for landscape architects and urban planners. Planting trees to cool the urban environment is an effective strategy to provide comfortable open areas in hot countries; but urban greening is more than just an environmental concern, it is a social preoccupation too as inefficient open spaces can lead to exclusion and isolation. GONÇALO DE CARVALHO One of the most inspiring examples of how green areas contribute to upgrading the quality of the urban environment is Gonçalo de Carvalho, which is considered by many as “the most beautiful street in the world” (and we do not dare to disagree). It is indeed the most beautiful street in the world, not only beca...Read More

This week, we’ve got a new batch of sketchy, fresh out of the oven. I say that because they are deliciously detailed and drawn! We at LAN are constantly bedazzled by the talent of our readers and their amazing sketches! We think you’ll love our 14th edition of Sketchy Saturday. Check them out below! No. 10 by Ahmad Benbela Muzakal, Landscape Architect, Malaysia ‘This sketch was actually done during my school field trip to one of the lush green resorts, in Ulu Yam, Selangor, Malaysia when I was in 2nd year of the BA Landscape Architecture program. To be honest, I am not very good at sketching, but for this one, I was really inspired by our senior lecturer’s hand sketch which was very tidy and detailed, and this is among the first attempts of mine to sketch like him. I used a black ink...Read More

Richard Haag is one of the most important and influential Postwar landscape architects in the United States. To honor his legacy and to promote landscape architecture, The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) and the Washington Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $12,000 to fund the completion of a new Pioneers of American Landscape Design video oral history. You might remember their most recent series from last fall that highlighted the work and wisdom of landscape architect Laurie Olin. Launched by TCLF in 2003, the free Pioneers series documents, collects, and preserves first-hand information from pioneering landscape architects and educators. This year’s oral history on Richard Haag will mark the eleventh in the se...Read More

Earlier this week, those who missed out on this year’s LAbash in UW-Madison got a taste of the action-packed landscape architecture student conference in Stephanie’s recap. But for an even more visual experience, we’re bringing back a little gem of a film that captures the exciting beat of LAbash 2012 in Miami Beach. Commissioned by host school Florida International University, the film goes behind the scenes with student interviews and glimpses into workshops and socials. Keep reading to see the film as well as the video bids for the upcoming LAbash conferences! Ohio State University’s winning video bid for LAbash 2016 set to the tune of Disney’s Pocahontas’ Colors of the Wind:  And a glimpse into what’s to come for next year’s LAbash confer...Read More

Here’s some little light-hearted fun in the shape of the current “GIF Party” trend.  In no way are these statements meant to offend, but they are surely something all landscape architects can relate to at one point or another!     10. When CAD or Photoshop Crashes and you JUST saved your work 9. Not knowing the name of the plant when your friend asks “What’s that?!” 8. When someone calls what you do “landscaping” 7. When you get a nice new Sharpie or some other nice pen 6. When you get a plant name like “physocarpus opulifolius diabolo“ or “Leucospermum hypophyllocarpodendron” on a plant ID test 5. When you see something like this happen and you just think…              ↓↓              ↓↓              ↓↓              ↓↓              ↓↓              ↓↓   4. Getting ready for...Read More

Early this month, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) unveiled the much-anticipated program for its first-of-its-kind Forecast Festival of Landscape Architecture. The event, which will be held between October 16 and 18 in Brisbane, will fill the city’s cultural hub with stunning landscape designs and innovative materials. To offer a peek into the program launch, the AILA teamed up with Blueroom Productions to produce a short teaser for Forecast Festival 2014. Forecast Festival 2014 – Program Launch from Blueroom Productions on Vimeo. Inspired by last year’s dazzling success of the Trailfinders Australian Garden exhibit which won the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show, AILA is set to encourage the conversation between local and international specialists. T...Read More

Sure we have all seen sculptures in art galleries that can stand the test of time. They vary in sizes, materials and like all art; they represent a certain meaning… the imagination of the artist that he or she has brought to life. What about art that can move through the test of time? Kinetic art is a three-dimensional sculpture work that has motion and expands into the world of The Art and Science of Wind Propelled Sculptures. Like the examples you will see in a short while, they have the ability to move through forces of nature such as wind, solar power, gravity or magnetism. The word motion is the key word here. Movement is a part of our daily lives; We are in motion for most parts of our day that it becomes a series of actions that go unnoticed. “Just as one can compose colors or forms...Read More

Advancements in ecology and environmental studies have been particularly prevalent over the past few years. We recycle waste on a daily basis in the hopes of preventing past mistakes, because decades ago we did not understand the full extent of pollution. In the spirit of reusing waste, we have adapted contaminated sites to become useful once again through many means of cleansing and renovating the soil and surrounding structures. Here is a list containing some industrial landscapes that, helped along by Mother Nature and man, have become core to the surrounding communities, remembering the past while embracing the future. 10. Concrete Plant Park — Bronx, New York The Concrete Plant Park was once a concrete batch mix plant located on the southern side of the Bronx River, along the we...Read More

Autodesk InfraWorks is a relatively new program that provides an extremely powerful yet relatively simple 3D visualisation environment for importing and rendering extremely large datasets in real time. Previously known as Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler, its rebranding perhaps suggests Autodesk’s recognition of the ability of this software to play a much larger role in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry.  Large datasets are rendered in real time for presentation and analysis | Corkery Consulting Beginning with the data of existing site conditions, InfraWorks provides a live-rendered virtual environment for importing complex topographic data, high resolution aerial photography, GIS shapefiles, CAD drawings as well as a number of other data types, for synthesising ...Read More