Blog

Congratulations to the Winners of the 2013 Iron Designs’ Challenge!  At the beginning of April, Iron Age Designs challenged you to design a winning site furnishing family consisting of a bollard, bench, and a bin.  From among the 77 design submissions, a group of the Top 10 Finalists were selected.  It is now with great excitement that we announce the winners of the 2013 Iron Age Designs’ Challenge.  And the winners are…   GRAND PRIZE Congratulations to our grand prize winner, John Newman, for the Xanthorrrhoea australis – inspired design.  He will be taking home a $1500 check and 3% commission on all sales for 10 years.  Yup, his design will go into production!  We will follow the process through production and look forward to seeing it in a plaza, park, or campus ...Read More

What often sets certain practices apart from others is a heavy dose of innovation and a strong element of fun. Studio Weave, an architecture practice based in London, has all that in abundance: fairy tales as design narratives, The Longest Bench, salt made from tears, trumpets instead of drainpipes … the list of creative designs and interventions goes on! Yet, each project is intrinsic to its environment, landscape, and brief, resulting in each project developing a story from the genius loci of its situation. Here we ask a few probing questions to find out what Studio Weave’s principles are and how the architects come to produce such interesting, and immersive designs. So, who are Studio Weave? We are an architecture practice based in Hackney, east London, and our work encompasses a divers...Read More

Ever go on a site visit and wish you could get an aerial shot of the property?  You may have climbed a ladder, or a tree, or perhaps even found a neighboring roof in hopes of getting a better vantage point. (Ya, I know you’re out there!)  Then, when that did not work out as planned, you turn to google earth only to get a grainy screenshot.  Well, perhaps next time you should bring a kite.  Check out these amazing Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) images that were all taken safely from ground level, using a kite.     Splashpad – Germantown, Maryland    Butser Farm, Hampshire, UK Bicycle Bridge, Kyoto, Japan Champ de blé à Fontenailles, France Parking Lot, Richmond Tefarerii, Leeward Islands Rice Terraces, Sideman, Bali Venice Beach, California Iguazu Falls, Paraguay, Brazil Balloon ...Read More

Landscape architects, designers, horticulturists, professionals, students and anyone who appreciates the exquisiteness of the outdoors, the Moscow Festival of Gardens and Flowers is an event you don’t want to miss! Inspired by the 100 Jubilee of the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show held annually in May in the UK, the festival in Moscow is on its way to becoming its friendly competition. Organized for a second consecutive year by the GPLI (Guild of Professionals in Landscape Industry) in Russia, the venue is the largest annual event in landscape architecture in the country, attracting more than 70,000 visitors, including some of the top professionals from Europe and the USA. Located in the heart of the Russian metropolis in the historical Gorki Park, the 2.2 hectares of green oasis invite vi...Read More

Remember the first time you walked through a forest?  Do you recall the sounds, the light, the shadows, and the wonder you experienced?  The latest installation by Marshmallow Laser Feast, Musical Laser Forest, was created to awaken “feelings of curiousity and wonderment,” encourage exploration and playfulness.  The installation is an interactive musical instrument commissioned for the STRP Biennale in Eindhoven.  The ‘Forest’ is made up of a series of over 150 rods covering nearly 4800 square feet (450 square meters) of warehouse space.  At the end of each rod is a laser beam that can be played when the rod is tapped or strummed.   Adding the human element is an important factor for all of their projects to bring out the, “emotional, human side to the tech,&#...Read More

We are excited to announce the Top 10 finalists for the 2013 Iron Age Design’s Challenge. Thank you to everyone that voted for your favorite designs.  With 77 outstanding design submissions for Iron Age’s “next family of site furnishings…” we definitely needed your help selecting the finalists!  And a BIG thank you to all the designers that submitted a design.  We were thrilled by the response and impressed with your designs entries. Along with your vote, we took into consideration overall design and concept, relationship between each element, and construct-ability.   We will announce the winners on Friday, May 10th, so stay tuned.  For now, enjoy viewing your Top 10 Finalists… in alphabetical order.   TOP 10 Formato Marla Cirino and Anwar Morales   Life...Read More

It’s an exciting time to be a designer or developer, and a growing number of new touch-screen tools to make the work more fun are being released every day. It’s like being a kid in a candy store! Given the rapid pace of technological change, individuals with careers deeply immersed in the visualization of design concepts increasingly have the freedom and necessary tools to explore all the new possibilities that tablets, software, and apps have to offer. Which is why we’re asking the question “Is Drawing Dead?” what will become of the hand skills that have formed the basis of our profession, with everything and everybody geared to towards fast and accurate results. Digital Graphics Pros: 1) Accuracy Needless to say, software programs can translate practical mea...Read More

Summer is the season where nature ultimately displays itself courtesy of the palatable solar rays which consistently shine on flowers and other plants revealing their natural colour. Since gardens exquisitely thrive in such conditions, it is advisable to have your garden at its best during this time. It is the most ideal season to flaunt a colourful and thoughtfully designed garden. Your garden also needs to be gorgeous and well-organized because you family may be spending most of the summer outdoor time in it. It would otherwise be quite embarrassing hosting a summer barbeque in an untidy and dull garden. Fortunately, you do not have to hire professionals to design and organize your garden. You can efficaciously improve it through simple and worthwhile DIY projects. Here are some simple i...Read More

Voting is now open for the Iron Age Designs’ Challenge! Thank you to all of you talented designers for entering the 2013 Iron Age Designs’ Challenge!  We received 77 amazing design submissions for Iron Age’s “next family of site furnishings…” and we need your help selecting the finalists!   We will be selecting ten finalists based on your votes, so head over to the contest page and vote for your Top 10 designs.  You can vote for each design once per day until the end of the voting period, Friday, May 3rd.   Along with your vote, we will be taking into consideration overall design and concept, relationship between each element, and construct-ability.  We will be announcing the Top 10 finalists on Monday, May 6th, so  stay tuned…  and let the best de...Read More

You may be seeking that dream job but it’s not as easy as we sometimes think.  Actually, looking for a job can turn into a job itself! What it takes nowadays to beat the competition and “sell” yourself depends on the company you are willing to work for. If you are targeting global multi-disciplinary companies, which seem unreachable as they have already set very high standards, you need a hint or the chance to take a look into their recruitment team’s kitchen. Here is a closer look at AECOM – a global company making our outdoor environments a masterpiece. We hope this interview brings you a step closer to who they are and what they are looking for in their future employees. As a global company receiving numerous applications daily, you have created a platform for applicants to upload their...Read More

The winners’ of the 2013-14 Rome Prize were announced last week at the Arthur & Janet C. Ross Rome Prize Ceremony held at the Metropolitan Club in New York City. Recipients of the 2013-2014 Rome Prizes are provided with a fellowship that includes a stipend, a study or studio, and room and board for a period of six months to two years in Rome, Italy. Among those selected was Land8 member, Bradley Cantrell, Director and Associate Professor, Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture, Louisiana State University.  He is also the author of Digital Drawing for Landscape Architecture and Modeling the Environment.  Leave a comment on his profile, here. Here is a list of winners in Landscape Architecture and related disciplines: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Garden Club of America Rome Prize Bradle...Read More

When most people think of Italy, their first thoughts are of the Colosseum, the Vatican, or Venice’s Grand Canal. Not many imagine a colorful, imaginative, unique sculpture garden tucked away in Tuscany. My first impression upon arriving was just WOW! This was not like the typical gardens I had been visiting all summer. I was engulfed with bright colors, intricate mosaic work, and enormous sculptures. The winding paths kept me intrigued as to what might be around the next corner. I was in Niki de Saint Phalle’s dream! The Giardino dei Tarocchi (Tarot Card Garden) is about 2 hours north of Rome. Being based on Tarot Cards, this isn’t your typical Italian garden. The designer, Niki de Saint Phalle started the layout and design of the garden in 1978 and opened it to the public in ...Read More