Blog

SCD – Studying Landscape Architecture – Landscape architecture is slowly gathering the status that the profession of architecture has achieved around the world. And with more and more universities and colleges offering landscape architecture courses, we want to see what landscape architecture offers that is so special. What is its context? What is the educational perspective on it? Senior College Dun Laoghaire – College of Further Education in Dublin, Ireland, offers a great and complex course on Landscape Design. Landscape Tutor Barry Lupton was kind enough to give us some very important insights. So why should someone study and become a landscape architect? “Landscape architects articulate the interface between the human species and the rest of the planet. From displaying a m...Read More

In recent years one topic gains more and more popularity – agriculture in big cities and how it relates to landscape architecture. Today it is considered to play a critically important role in sustainable development and it covers all components of sustainability: economy, society and environment. Urban agriculture can be seen from very different perspectives and can take on very different forms. These include; community , collective , roof and private gardens; organic farming and farms serving local markets or even broader regional and national scales. It is increasingly recognised for its benefits to urban society. In time of crises and urbanization, we should ask ourselves if we can challenge what we take for granted, what we think is obvious and embrace a more creative point of v...Read More

Tree Gardens: Architecture and the Forest, written by Gina Crandell, is a sweeping exploration of projects that changed the way we think about trees in the landscape. Beginning with the wooded defense embankments of Renaissance Lucca, Italy and reaching to the powerful Memorial Forest of New York’s 9/11 Memorial, Tree Gardens examines not only the experience of each garden, but also the hidden story of care and nurturing that they have endured. The gardens of the book tell a story of an artistic statement whose success is measured not by the fashion of the day, but by the ever changing effects of time. Tree Gardens outlines 15 projects that exemplify the idea that trees and their arrangements can become the architecture of a garden. Crandell explores the different impetuses for the g...Read More

In the center of Dublin, on top of an old chocolate factory sits Ireland’s first urban farm. It is an oasis in progress, with a small brood of hens happily pecking through composting vegetables, high above Dublin city on a rooftop littered with various tiered planters entirely handmade. Most objects within the premise are up-cycled or recycled from pallets and various other materials that the group have scavenged. Inside their eco-sanctuary are various methods of farming from their fish-tank aquaponics to their vast compost bins. Urban farming is the practice of sustainable development and sustainable food by producing food within the city limits, using recycled materials and being as ecological as possible. I met with eco- enthusiast Paddy O’Kearney, who talked me through the process of s...Read More

Gardenia Fair is traditionally held on the grounds of Poznan International Fair during the end of February, just before the horticulture industry comes to life in the spring. It replaced the National Horticulture Exhibition which took place in the autumn as a part of Polagra Fair Gardenia 2013 was the 7th edition organized in its current format. It has been growing steadily over the years – this spring it hosted over 500 exhibitors in 6 pavilions, occupying a total area of 32,000 square meters. This year Gardenia was run in conjunction with Animal Market (zoological fair), Rybomania (fishing fair) and Special Days which displays decorations for occasions such as Easter, Christmas and weddings. As always, a large proportion of the exhibits were taken up by various machines such as tra...Read More

Ecobuild is an event exhibition showcase for developers, companies, organisations and trusts involved in the construction, design, environment, planning and education sectors who have a strong focus on sustainability. Ecobuild took place this year from March 5th to 7th at the Excel Arena on London’s docklands.  It has become the premier event in the UK for sustainable products and the construction industry, even rivaling those on mainland Europe. So what’s the point of Ecobuild? It’s a visitor exhibition where companies can showcase new sustainable, environmentally friendly products;  It’s an event where organisations can launch new guidance documents and research papers on industry and environment; It is a Mecca for talks, workshops, lectures and seminars on the environment, urbanism, con...Read More

Every place is unique. Every region has its own set of qualities which sets it aside from other regions across the United States. In project #2 we were required to look at and distill the qualities found in our region; the South Eastern United States. We were to then take this information and create a regional garden located on the grounds of the Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum. I decided to question the program of creating a garden and see if it was possible to create an overall atmosphere within the existing gardens that would align it to the regional qualities. Would it be possible to create a large scale garden? I decided to give it a try. Through the process I asked myself multiple questions which teased out the qualities that one would use in designing a small scale garden ...Read More

With an impending publication and a constantly evolving practice, Bernard Trainor has a  slew of interesting works in the pipeline. Bernard’s diverse background involves practicing in Australia and Great Britain, subsequently starting his own practice in San Francisco, California. His interest in the California landscape aesthetic continues to inspire others and create thought-provoking spaces.  More after the jump… How did you discover the profession of landscape architecture? I really started as an apprentice gardener with my hands in the soil – this was extremely hard work and not particularly glamorous but it has made me aware of the climate, sites, and soils. What works and what does not has different consequences regarding my effort with a spade in my hands so this ...Read More

Attendees at this year’s Eurasian Amusement Parks And Attractions Expo enjoyed a fun thrill ride of new products and leisure time possibilities. The event, held Feb. 12-14 in Moscow, showcased the latest in amusement park and entertainment equipment, water parks, game rooms, playgrounds, and summer theme parks. While not as big as some of the other major trade shows (in Berlin, London, and Orlando, Fla.), it offered European buyers a chance to explore what the industry’s best manufacturers and vendors have to offer. “Despite the fact that the show is not as big as in Orlando and London, its strong advantage is the fact that the visitors come here purposely – for the sake of the products, innovations, and fun,” said Andrew Rogonov, head of sales for GK Konstruktivnoe Biuro Tekhnologii. “Rig...Read More

With the threat of food security looming, experts expect “food” to become an ever-increasing part of our landscape; yet it’s already here! Albeit perhaps on a different scale than Vertical Farms or Productive Landscapes, foraging has opened many peoples’ eyes to just how productive and intricate our landscapes can be. In a previous article, I shared an overview of what foraging is, as well as some things to be excited about and aware of. That article focused on rural foraging. Here, we’ll take a look at something that is perhaps a bit closer to home for many of us – urban foraging. Although connected, it is not to be confused with freeganing or “Dumpster diving”,  where people opt out of the capitalist-economic system by trying to avoid buying as much as possible. Popular with the Local Fo...Read More