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The official launch of the LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) Rating System was on April 29, 2010. The US Green Building Council (USGBC) is the first national organization to regulate neighborhood design by focusing on smart growth and eco-friendly building principles. The LEED for Neighborhood Development Certification awards a stamp of approval for developmental design and location choices that meet the high standards of sustainable development and environmental responsibility in urban building practices. USGBC has partnered with the Congress for New Urbanism and the Natural Resources Defense Council to launch the LEED-ND Rating System, which aims to reduce the negative environmental impacts associated with urban sprawl. Urban sprawl is the spreading outwards of a city and its s...Read More

With the current push for more stringent, eco-friendly, building standard practices being supported by the federal government and abroad, the need for LEED training is now expanding globally. An agreement was signed between the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and China’s Green Building Council (CBGC) on April 6, 2010 that signifies the dawn of a new era between these two powerful green building organizations. The agreement officially acknowledges that the two parties will begin to collaborate together to promote the reduction of carbon emissions and support eco-friendly building practices worldwide. The demand for LEED Accredited Professionals in the building workforce is becoming even greater with the recent collaboration between these two parties. China’s Green B...Read More

Dirt is one material that, while rarely fully exposed, is often a base material that other elements are placed over. Many times these elements will have gaps between them where there is exposed dirt, whether it be in a mulch-less planting bed, or in areas like a dense forest as we have here. You cold also combine the dirt with another layer of material, like a scattered moss or leaf-litter, to add some depth and realism. I have used this in 3D models before with good results, but in a 2D rendering it can add slightly more detail than is useful, creating a cluttered look that makes the drawing a little harder to read. The first process for making dirt is essentially identical to how you make turf. However, the images I selected for this tutorial have some major imperfections that will allow...Read More

As it is with many things, my technique for turf, and the similar techniques I use for other materials, were born of other needs. Namely, I hated the way my turf looked in 3D renderings. You could use a created texture, but it never looked organic. You could use a photo, but you got TERRIBLE tiling effects. You could do a slight color overlay to soften the impact of the tiling, but the color was always off, and you would lose to much of the internal texture. I tried all of these, before scouring through tutorial sites and stumbled on the idea of using two separate textures, with a masking layer to blend the two. This is used commonly in 3D models when you have to put a non-square image onto a model. Say you have a beer… sorry I got distracted there for a second. So, you have a bottle...Read More

When starting a digital rendering, just like with a hand rendering, the first step is always to create the lines you are going to render within. Generally people use lines directly taken from AutoCAD for digital renderings as these are the “cleanest” lines, and allow for some shortcuts such as exporting each area as its own file. This method, which I have used often, involves turning every layer off except 2 – one framing the layout window, and one with a single rendered material (turf, pool edging, brick patio, etc.) You repeat this with every material, then bring them into Photoshop, and create a single drawing with the different areas as layers. The advantage is that you then can use the magic wand to select even the most complex shape in a single click, regardless of ...Read More

The UK Landscape Award is looking for the best landscape in the UK. The Award helps to implement the European Landscape Convention (ELC) in the UK. The Convention is the first international convention to focus specifically on landscape, and is dedicated exclusively to the protection, management and planning of all landscapes in Europe. The ELC became binding from 1 March 2007. The convention highlights the need to recognise landscape in law, to develop landscape policies dedicated to the protection, management and creation of landscapes, and to establish procedures for the participation of the general public and other stakeholders in the creation and implementation of landscape policies. It also encourages the integration of landscape into all relevant areas of policy, including cultural, ...Read More

Anyone heading to New York City between now and June 27th, 2010 may want to check out Architecture of Dance – New Coreography and Music Festival. There are seven new ballets with commissioned scores by the New York City Ballet in collaboration with world-renowned architect, Santiago Calatrava. Here’s some copy from their website: “One of the world’s preeminent architects, the sweeping lines and graceful movement of Spanish-born Santiago Calatrava’s structures “don’t sit on the ground; they dance above it.” Long an admirer of Calatrava, Peter Martins thought that he would be the perfect collaborator for a season of innovative new work. But it wasn’t until their first meeting that Martins’ realized the scope of Calatrava’s talent: equal parts prolific painter, sculptor, arc...Read More

After about a week and a half of fine tuning techniques, taking tens of photos for reference use, and taking hundreds of screen shots, my relaunch of Tutorial Tuesday is imminent. This time, I am adding a twist to the formula. Last year, I came up with the idea of doing the tutorials based on a single project, and walking you through my process. This started with my SketchUp models. Unfortunately, soon after I began making the project model, intended to be a base for a new website, I decided to go in a different direction. However, starting next week, you will get a step by step walk-through of how I went from this: to THIS: As always, I am looking for feedback not only on my method of tutorials, but also the content and end results of my methods. I am making these tutorials so people will...Read More

Image: Mosier Creek, OR The editors of Natural Home Magazine have compiled a comprehensive list of what they agree to be the best examples of green neighborhood designs. While the buildings in these developments tend to be quite energy efficient, landscape designers and planners also had a huge part in the ultimate success of how they all work seamlessly together. The list is riddled with expansive pedestrian and bike paths, community veggie gardens, and eco-conscious stormwater systems and natural habitat restoration programs. The majority of these neighborhoods have become certified in either a LEED rating system or a under a number of local green building programs. While LEED may have focused its efforts on greening building systems in its first decade or so, the USGBC has grown to enco...Read More

This entry is a revisited version of my account of studying for and passing the former section D. I have now passed all five sections under the previous format. I began constructing my study regiment by looking for scraps of advice. I was just as interested in collecting exam approaches as I was in collecting the raw data. The plan was to compare myself to the writer and determine suitability. I didn’t find much on individual approaches so I decided to detail my experience upon successful completion. The exam format has changed but I believe the techniques remains valid.   In keeping with the point of this entry I should give up a little something about myself. I do not have a degree in landscape architecture. I was fortunate enough to pass each section on the first round. I include this f...Read More

I wanted to share this stop motion animation below created by the artist, Rob Carter. He made it entirely from images printed on paper, and charts the growth of one of the fast growing cities in the United States – Charlotte, North Carolina. The video also touches on an extreme issue of water shortages that many expanding U.S. cities face today. Metropolis by Rob Carter – Last 3 minutes from Rob Carter on Vimeo.   I originally found this via UrbanTick that they found via Brand Avenue – two blogs worth subscribing to.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going, right? That’s how my partner and I are looking at it these days with the economy being as it may. We’re at the point of waiting on a ton of projects to drop, so it is a great time to reassess all aspects of our lives and business. While we sat down to put together a nice long list of our priorities, I thought I’d put together another list that could apply to just about anybody in the land8lounge world. Hopefully this list of free or nearly free options keep you inspired to start something new, and perhaps propel you or your business to exciting uncharted waters: 1. Join, or even start, a Green Drinks chapter (it’s free and they’re sprouting up everywhere): www.greendrinks.org 2. Volunteer for Earth Day this month...Read More