Blog
Part 1: An Advanced Course in PC Hardware – $1,000 Performance PC with Style
A while back, I started a series on how to build your own PC based on my experience building my own rig. I’m going to pick that up again, but as my build is a year and a half old at this point, I’ll look at what I would build today, and what I could get off the shelf for the same price. As I already have my gaming/graphics rig, I’ll be looking at what I would build for my wife, who is also a Landscape Designer/Planner. This means there are a few key differences in what I’ll be getting. For my machine, I bought one of the largest towers I could find to get the best cooling, and expansion potential, possible. Amy doesn’t want a box that is 22″x22″x9″ sitting on her desk, so I will be looking a bit more compact. She also doesn’t do as...Read More
Do you know a Hobbit?: Kelly Neville Interview
Yes folks it has been a long time, but here is the second feature in our series of “Do You Know a Hobbit” interviews. To recap, we aim to interview all the designers and builders behind our three chosen projects which best reflected the design of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Hobbit houses and embodied the philosophy behind a simple, eco-dwelling of nature. Archer and Buchanan’s Pennsylvania project was the most similar to the film’s representation of a Hobbit house, but Kelly Neville’s Cambridgeshire straw bale hexagon was chosen because it exemplified the natural and ecological principles of such a house. Kelly found inspiration for this house in nature, built it with natural materials, as much as possible, and used only his two hands, an old tractor, and the help of his wife, Masako. The design for ...Read More
Interviewing an Intern’s Employer
Last post, we met Rebecca Sunter, graduate student and summer intern. Luckily, I was also able to talk to Chris Pattillo of PGAdesign in Oakland, CA which was one of the firms Rebecca worked for this summer. Chris graciously spent her lunch hour with me so I could pass along another Interview with an Employer to you! Full disclosure: I work at PGAdesign, too. As many of you know, I’ve done three posts to date where I talk with design firm executives. Each of them is in the position of doing the hiring and portfolio review for their respective firms. I take notes, type them up, and once they’re approved or modified by the person interviewed, I post the results here for you. It is through this process, that as much as possible, these are their words. Q: What are you looking for in your hirin...Read More
The Rhône Riverbank
Lyon is now famous among French landscape architects for The Rhône Riverbank redevelopment. Since 2007, a new walkway has replaced the long and dreary car parks, and is inspiring many cities throughout France to do the same with their own rivers. Designed in different height sequences, the varied landscapes allow nature to re-enter the city. The riverbank has multiple uses and is always crowded. The project managed to recreate the link between the inhabitants and the river, using the existing quay, levee and 19th promenade. ‘Bretillod’ is a word which means ‘damp environment subject to flooding and silting up’. This unpredictable landscape began the walkway. This is its wildest part, with sand banks and islands inhabited by many creatures including beavers. Sometime later, th...Read More
Umbrella Sky: Summer Installation in Águeda, Portugal
Suspended in mid-air, these umbrellas hang over the streets in Águeda, Portugal casting a mix of colorful hues down on the promenade. The photos were captured by Patricia Almeida with iPhone and, I am assuming, a handy-dandy Hipstamatic lens. Here is how the photographer describes the installation: “In July in Águeda (a Portuguese town) some streets are decorated with colorful umbrellas. I felt like a kid, amazed by all that color!” Wonderful, isn’t it? Check out the conversation on Facebook. Here are a few shots taken with a regular ol’camera. Still very cool… Via Feel Desain, Juxtapose, and MyModernMet
Member Spotlight: POK
This is the first interview in our member spotlight series and we are kicking things off with an interview with Pocco Kobkongsanti. (You can call him Pok for short.) Pok has been a member since the early days of Land8 and I have had the privilege of getting to know him via a handful of emails and exchanges on the site. He has posted over 1600 photos to 82 projects ranging from resorts and residential communities to sculptures and sustainable products. Along with being a design phenom, he is extremely humble which makes it even easier to admire his work. It is with great pleasure to give Pok the spotlight… What is your background? I am Chinese-Thai. I was born in Thailand but both of my parents are Chinese. Drawing has always been my passion. Starting at the age of 3, I just pick...Read More
Guerrilla Project: The Edible Bus Stop
The Edible Bus Stop : Community Gardens from Neglected Sites The Edible Bus Stop transforms neglected sites across London’s bus network into valuable community growing spaces. Originating as a guerilla garden project adjacent to a bus stop in South London, we transform once-forgotten spaces into thriving neighbourhood hubs that are celebrated by local residents and users of the bus route. The Edible Bus Stop germinated from the need for green space within our cities and urban communities. We understand that a brutal landscape makes for a brutal outlook. Therefore, we explore high-end aesthetics at lower-end budgets to create garden designs that promote harmonious community growing spaces, demonstrating that good food and good design is not socially exclusive. Our objective is to crea...Read More
Wisteria Tunnel at the Kawachi Fuji Gardens
Wisteria Tunnel is located at the Kawachi Fuji Gardensin Kitakyushu, Japan. Flowering wisteria blooms hang to create rows bursting with color overhead and dappled shadows below. You will have to imagine the fragrance. Pedestrians find comfort from the sun in the dappled shade inside the tunnel and stop to appreciate the interesting shadow patterns on the pathway floor. This is another section of the garden that looks good above and below. The posts and grid pattern form the structure hold up the massive web of wisteria and create an expansive room. I hope you enjoyed the stroll! Please leave comments below and feel free to pin, tweet, and share on facebook. Thanks! Via Jeannie Jeannie and udivitelno
Take a Stroll in the ‘Tunnel of Love’
Located near the town of Kleven, in the dense forests of eastern Ukraine, this natural tunnel has been formed over many years by a passing train. The 3 kilometer (1.86 mile) line is actually a private railway that delivers wood to a local fibreboard factory three times a day. Locals call it the “Tunnel of Love” and find the luscious green pathway perfect for a romantic stroll, photography, and to make a wish together – local tradition says that if a couple is sincere in their love, then there wish will come true. The real charm occurs in Spring when the deciduous trees lining the railway leaf out to form a brilliant green canopy. The leafy enclosed arch over the track bursts into a bright green show of arboreous glory. Aside from all the romantic goop, this is a magnifi...Read More
WINNERS Announced: Land8 SketchUp Sweepstakes
We are happy to announce the winners of the Land8 SketchUp Sweepstakes! Congratulations to our grand prize winner, Kylie Nave! Kylie and a friend will each enjoy a 1.5 hour personal SketchUp training sessions with expert Daniel Tal. All prizes are courtesy of our sponsor, One2One by FormFonts. Grand Prize Winner: Kylie Nave 2nd Prize Winner: James Benedetti Thank to everyone that participated. Look for more sweepstakes and contests coming soon… Thanks again! About One2One by FormFonts FormFonts is the leader in 3D Models offering thousands of high quality architectural, entourage models and textures on a subscription basis. One2One is a new service that offers personal training for Google SketchUp™ users. Whether you want to learn the basics or advanced terrain modeling, Daniel ...Read More
Neal’s Yard: Colorful London Icon
The goal of a Landscape Architect is to create memorable spaces. Neal’s Yard is a playful space that is easy to remember. Named after its 17th century developer, Thomas Neale, Neal’s Yard is an iconic London alley located in Covent Garden between Shorts Gardens and Monmouth Street. The alley opens up to a a triangular-shaped courtyard surrounded by colorful, health food cafes and organic retailers such as Neal’s Yard Salad Bar, Neal’s Yard Dairy and Neal’s Yard Remedies. Photo via The space is also activated by local events like the 10,000 Balloon release. (Hopefully those were bio-degradable.)
National Mall Design Competition Union Square
Gustafson Guthrie Nichol and Davis Brody Bond are Winners of the National Mall Design Competition for Union Square in Washington, DC Seattle-based landscape architects Gustafson Guthrie Nichol (GGN) and New York-based architects Davis Brody Bond (DBB) have been selected as winners of the National Mall Design Competition for Union Square. The competition, organized by the Trust for the National Mall, was a three-stage process through which a jury of eight esteemed professionals selected a design team for each of the three re-design sites of the National Mall. The winners were judged on the flexibility, sustainability, and creativity of their design and how well it reflects the established vision and design influences of this historic setting. The project team, led by Kathryn Gustafson and R...Read More