Blog

Winner of the INDEX: Award 2013, this life-saving “smart” highway can charge electric vehicles on the go. (Inhabitat)   LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE   Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates and BIG architects unveil their new designs for Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6. (Curbed NY) Speaking of MVVA, here’s a cool time-lapse of their team setting up a massive site model for ‘A Gathering Place for Tulsa.’ (Youtube)   ASLA’s Jared Green explains what we should expect from New York’s Queensway Park. (The Dirt)   In celebration of the upcoming school year, LAF compiles seven LPS Case Study Briefs on school and campus projects. (Landscape Architecture Foundation)   & RELATED   Talk about hidden depths. Scientists have discovered a massive canyon–twic...Read More

What defines a good public space? Human scale features at eye level, a variety of options, activity, choice, interest, accessibility and a link to context, amongst other things. The previous articles such as Top 10 Urban Plazas and Top 10 Squares of the World have focused on public spaces that have hold these elements. Yet, sometimes, despite good intentions, it can go very, horribly, wrong. Read on but be prepared to shake your head in dismay at some… 10. Pershing Square, Los Angeles, USA Despite the admirable use of colour to convey spontaneity and fun, Pershing Square is a fail.  The tell-tale sign is that no one actually uses the square, despite ample transport links and surrounding offices. Unavoidably the square represents the negative aspects and consequential downfall of the postmo...Read More

DUTCH LANDSCAPES: Artist Mishka Henner finds art in the pixelated patterns overlaid onto censored government sites in Google Earth. (Co.Design)   LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE   Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects takes on planting selection and design in their latest installment in the Green Team series. (Metropolis)   The PBS gardening program GardenSMART features expert horticulturalists from fantastic garden locations every week. Most recently, they visited Battery Park City to focus on topics like soil testing and high quality compost as well as Brooklyn Bridge Park, where they explored plants ideal for a salt marsh and how to start a wetland garden. (GardenSMART)   The 2013 Case Study Investigation (CSI) program came to a close on August 9 with a 1.5-hour information packed webinar. LAF re...Read More

Talk about a Sonic Bloom. Seattle’s psychedelic new solar-powered streetlights are 40-foot flowers that sing to passerbys. (Atlantic Cities) LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Penn State University’s MLA program achieves LAAB accreditation. (Stuckeman)   Competition alert! The James Rose Center for Landscape Architectural Research and Design launches Suburbia Transformed 3.0, a new residential landscape design competition with a focus on sustainability. (The Dirt)   Landscape architects pride themselves on the diversity of their skill sets–but why isn’t that diversity reflected in our demographic numbers? (OLIN)   Explore the work and process of landscape architect Mikyoung Kim in this video interview conducted by Alex Ulam. (Landscape Architecture Magazine)   & RELATED   T...Read More

Think your rain gutters are too passé? Three Dresden artists transform their neighborhood gutters into a multi-story musical instrument. (Grist)   LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE   Say hello to the next generation of landscape architects. This summer, middle schoolers in Georgia got a head start in the world of planning and landscape architecture in a week-long educational camp, ‘Designing Our World.’ (APA)   The landscapes of the 21st century are moving towards a new ecological paradigm, trading in neat lawns for wild and vibrant native seed. Samuel Geer explores the paradigm shift and how to keep the momentum going. (The Field)   The land of the midnight sun has a surprisingly robust public-private parks partnership in Anchorage. A symbiotic team of landscape architects, the Anchorage...Read More

Playscapes looks at the work of Jeppe Hein, a Danish artist famous for reimagining the bench as a social and play sculpture. (playscapes)   LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE   Hoerr Schaudt recaps six quick tips for designing a successful shade garden from Doug Hoerr’s recent article for Organic Gardening Magazine. (Hoerr Schaudt)   The AGILE Landscape Project develops the CHAIR>bench, a type of secure moveable site furniture embedded with sensors to collect data on how much the space is used and the patterns in which users reconfigure the furniture. (AGILE Landscape)   Designed by LandDesign landscape architects, Charlotte’s Romare Bearden Park is set to open over Labor Day as part of the city’s 2020 Vision Plan for downtown revitalization. (Arch Paper) Design Boom reminds us of...Read More

Welcome to Colorado, where natural and urban landscapes are your playground to explore. Denver, and Colorado for that matter, is a unique, naturally beautiful place. A 30 minute drive from downtown puts you in the foothills leading up to the Rockies in towns like Boulder, Golden, and half way to Colorado Springs to the south or Fort Collins to the north. Recreational opportunities abound and in many parts of the city too. One of the best things about the region is that Greater Denver brews the most beer per capita than anywhere else in the United States. So if you like beer while exploring natural and urban landscapes, go to Colorado! Something to whet your appetite While venturing through the city, one particular thing stood out, which were the perennial beds potted throughout downtown an...Read More

Sketch maniacs, masters, fans and admirers here is our fourth edition of Sketchy Saturday Top 10! Watch out because it’s becoming popular and the competition is global. We are looking for diverse techniques, well structured, executed emotion, particular beauty and sketches with a personal touch when ranking.  Take a look at the competition and don’t miss out on sending in yours! 10. by Michael Kulik – Master of Landscape Architecture Student, 3rd Year Clemson University ‘I drew this from a park bench in Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, Alaska. The Chester Creek trail terminates into the distance, out of which arises the Chugach Mountain Range. Pen, 3 Hrs.’ 9. by Morozova Lada – landscape architect from Moscow, Russia ‘A small pool with a waterfall is part of a private residence n...Read More

Did you know that the Mississippi River watershed is the fourth largest in the world? The National Atlas of the United States has created Streamer, an online exploration tool–it’s like Google Maps for creeks–that aims to help people learn more where their water goes. (Co.Design)   LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE   A psychedelic, interactive forest of lights takes over an empty factory in Eindhoven, Netherlands. (The Dirt)   Landscape Forms announces their partnership with Brazilian company Kojima, marking a milestone in the company’s global growth strategy. The partnership makes Brazil Landscape Forms’ first major market outside North America. (Landscape Forms)   Is the High Line coming to Queens, NY? WXY architecture + urban design and dlandstudio were recently select...Read More

  Recent architecture grad Hank Butitta converted an old school bus into a sleek and modern mobile home using wood recycled from an old gymnasium. And it’s gets even cooler: Hank his two buddies embarked on a 5,000 mile road trip across the U.S. on said bus. Check out their trip! (Colossal)   LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE   A leaked draft report by the IPCC says that they are 95-percent certain that climate change is caused by human activity. (The Dirt)   Donald Molnar, FASLA, writes a preview of the upcoming fourth edition to Anatomy of a Park, a series of lectures that seek to bridge the learning gap between landscape architects and park users. (The Field)   Landscape architects are increasingly given their due as major leaders in complex urban issues. Starting with Chris Reed’s Flu...Read More