Blog

Friends, I have written a survey based on my interest in how landscape architects view their careers and their profession in light of the economic downturn. I am looking for your experiences and feelings. I am seeking a maximum number of survey responses to improve the data collected. You are welcome to share this survey with any contacts or colleagues. Results of the survey will be analyzed and published over the coming months. Please follow the link and let me know if you have any questions. The survey should take between 5 and 15 minutes to complete. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=R3s0YM8QnguWAhWVVFVSxg_3d_3d Thank you and please contact me with any questions, Greg Tuzzolo greg@tuzzolo.com

As a student of Landscape Architecture at UCLA Extension I have learned about the profession from subject matter experts. These skilled professionals have revealed their passion about the industry by sharing their experiences ranging from the more technical side of grading and drainage, irrigation and tree analysis, to the design aspect of master plans, resort planning, residential designs, temporary art installations, parks and public spaces. As I have studied with each of these masters of the profession I have embraced their enthusiasm and have wanted to experience the same level of passion thinking that in order to do so I must become an expert in the same subject. As a result, through the course of learning my thoughts about where I might find the most fulfillment has changed depending...Read More

Design Under Sky {Image via New Scientist} On April 18th 2009, the New Scientist published an article on a remarkable project developed by researchers at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, and the World Bank. The authors combined a series of maps to create a new map of connectedness showing the most interconnected and remote places on earth. The maps are based on a model which calculated how long it would take to travel to the nearest city of 50,000 or more people by land or water. The model combines information on terrain and access to road, rail and river networks. It also considers how factors such as altitude, steepness of terrain and hold-ups like border crossings slow travel. {Image via New Scientist} Plotted onto a map, the results throw up surpri...Read More

How often, when introduced to a stranger as a Landscape Architecture student, do we receive the following query; “I have been in need of advice about my backyard, can you come over this weekend and give me some ideas?” Obviously, there’s nothing inherently offensive about such a proposition (unless of course the stranger assumes that we would do so on our own time – free of charge.) The conflict here is not one of title and ego, but a confused perception amongst the general public of the fundamental differences in practical knowledge between the “small picture” private realm of Landscape Design, and the “big picture” public realm of Landscape Architecture This is not meant to classify one or the other art forms as having any more inherent value than the other, but merely to point out...Read More

Native Minnesotan Noah Billig is currently completing a Ph.D. in Planning, Design, and the Built Environment from Clemson University‘s program in Istanbul — while he is living in Vienna. I asked him why he’s moved abroad, and why he would pursue a rare “built environment” Ph.D. What drew you to move and study overseas? The draw overseas was really an agreement with my wife. She is a high school counselor and for a long time wanted to try the overseas international school circuit. In February, 2006, she signed up for a hiring fair in Iowa and by the end of the weekend we had signed on for two years in Istanbul. My decision to study overseas came later that spring. I was trying to make contacts with landscape architecture and planning people in Istanbul. I saw t...Read More

San Francisco-based designer Joanna Borek-Clement has envisioned these neuron cell-inspired, Sky-Terra skyscrapers to cope with the growing need for green urban space in Tokyo. The towers rise up to 1,600 ft above the street level and expand out until they reach the flat top plaza layer. These plazas offer many options and configurations, from public parks, greenbelts, playing fields, jogging paths, amphitheaters, pools, and bath houses. Via Inhabitat I have to admit that I was drawn to the concept of building a sustainable cloud city. But what about the pedestrian experience? Where is the connection to the street and the natural environment? And how can one get a sense of place? This idea is repeating a historical mistake. Take Le Corbusier for example. “The desire to increase the a...Read More

In last month’s tutorial on Advanced Blending we took a look at the Blend If section in the Layer Style dialogue box. We discussed the difference between the two sliders in that section. These are: This Layer: Controls the current or active layer and how it blends with what is below it and, Underlying Layer: Controls the layer below the active layer and how it blends with the active layer In the previous tutorial we focused on the top section labeled “This Layer:” This month, as Part 2 of the series on Advanced Blending, we will now look at the lower section labeled “Underlying Layer” and see how this can be used. I’m going to start with two images. One is of a steaming coffee cup and another of a girl dancing on a desk at work. Something I often like to...Read More

AN INTERVIEW WITH ELLEN FETZER Ellen Fetzer is a dynamic player on the international landscape architecture community scene. In this interview, we talk about how she found the profession, her road trip across Romania, and how she plans to reshape the structure of the traditional university system. What is your background with regard to Landscape Architecture? I studied landscape architecture at the University of Kassel. Kassel is located in the centre of Germany and is known for hosting the documenta – a principal art exhibition taking place every fife years. Studying landscape architecture in Kassel is inspiring because of the integration with architecture and urban planning and the strong studio-based teaching. I enjoyed it a lot! How did you find the profession? What lead you to L...Read More

Education is one of the most important things in my life, and I believe that an individual should never stop going to school, adapting their ideas and beliefs, and ultimately becoming as knowledgeable as possible. The relationship between people, and the spaces and environments that surround them have always been of upmost interest to me. There are so many different ideas and technologies that are constantly being invented, adapted and readapted, which provides an individual like me endless opportunities to express myself in unique ways, while pleasing others at the same time. For me, Landscape Architecture, and Environmental Design are not only forms of science, but of art as well. Office spaces, homes and buildings of all sorts are needed for everyday life in modern society, and are the ...Read More

Congratulations to West 8 for winning the Almere Hout Noord competition. The competition entry for Almere Hout Noord West 8 prepared for housing corporation Ymere was unanimously chosen by the municipal assembly of Almere as the winning design. Promoting small-scale networks of the different residents, the design for the new development of Almere Hout Noord envisions a socially sustainable residential and office neighborhood. While a partnership between Ymere and the local government will be responsible for the development, the management and exploitation of the new neighborhood, residents will be encouraged to join and bring about different initiatives. Alderman Adri Duivesteijn of Almere stated: “We are convinced by the quality of the plans and like the idea that the corporation – especi...Read More

‘Mermaid’ is a private development-project designed by JDS Architects which aims to establish a large dolphinarium and wellness-center, together with hotel and holiday-apartments. The goal is to make ‘Mermaid’ the frame in which sea, air and light converge to stimulate the experience of health and wellness. With dolphins as the primary attraction, ‘Mermaid’ will offer a unique experience for the new ‘health tourists’ with focus on life quality, time, personal development and plenty of space for the individual. To achieve this goal, ‘Mermaid’ has four main functions; dolphinarium in the caves beneath the hills, wellness-center within the smallest hill, holiday-apartments in the medium hill and hotel in the largest hill; a unique co...Read More

I’ve been working on getting ready for my spring LARE review classes. I’ve put together some new overheads for the most recent section C vignettes I’ve developed. C19s parking problem has been fixed, and there’s a few minor fixes here and there. I’ve also developed a brand new vignette based on one from the December 08 exam. It’s a passive solar condo cluster with parking, stream setbacks and height limitations. All trees are sacred here. I’ve also been organizing/codifying some general principles that apply to getting built items organized correctly on a site. The process has got me brushed up on the material for tomorrow. On the E front, I’m heavily modifying an old vignette to change the parameters of how an athletic field is graded. The p...Read More