Blog
Designing a Barcode Patterned Square: Täby Torg Square by Polyform Architects
Article by Gwgw Kalligiannaki Täby Torg Square by Polyform Architects in Täby, Sweden. In the 1960s, the City of Täby joined the Swedish “Million Programme” to help solve the housing problems in the city. The project’s goal was to build one million apartments in a short period of time and to provide a roof for all. Although the speedy rebuild was very successful, the town’s appearance was monotonous and lacked public space. Therefore, in the early 2000s, the Municipality of Täby decided it was time to resolve the issue and transform the public, urban life of their citizens. To do this, they selected the parking lot of the city’s main shopping center and converted it into a space to host public events and activities. Danish firm Polyform Architects was commissioned for the design of the New...Read More
What Roles Can Landscape Architecture Play for Physically Challenged People?
Article by Farah Afza Jurekh In this article we look at the fundamentals of universal design. Universal accessibility is widely considered by landscape architects. However, beyond functional elements such as crosswalks with sound cues, there are very few landscapes that are designed to engage the senses and provide benefits to the visually impaired. Landscape design principles offer an array of opportunities to the people who are visually impaired and physically challenged to ensure their ease in movement and comfort. Visually Impaired People When visually impaired people negotiate with the outside world, their hands and feet become their eyes. They use their feet to acquire surface information and fingers to recognize texture, form, and location. Additionally, the blind rely on other sens...Read More
Why Do Some Graduate Landscape Architects Have a Poor Understanding of Planting?
In this article we examine what knowledge young professionals lack about planting that every landscape architect should know. In the pursuit of a landscape architecture degree, students have the opportunity to acquire a wealth of knowledge on planting, but as with other subjects there are some students who take this issue more seriously than others. Very often creating planting plans is reduced to composing different spatial forms due to size, shape, or aesthetic qualities of vegetation. In theory, designers are always able to make a space more attractive to the user by applying appropriate plantings, mainly because most people enjoy colorful combinations of blooming flowers. However, ornamental plantings aren’t the only situation where plants can be used. Treating vegetation as a vital el...Read More
Latest News Landscape Architecture July Edition
10-July-2017 – Latest News Landscape Architecture July by Brett Lezon | Edition No. 2 out of 5 In this week’s Latest News in Landscape Architecture we highlight National Park and Recreation Month in the United States, feature a proposed astronomy park in Hanoi, and examine the world’s most biodiverse city. Additionally, we showcase a book about retrofitting the built environment with green infrastructure, and don’t forget our YouTube Tutorial of the Week! This week we share a resource on quirky technological advances for designers. 10 of the Best Stories in this week’s latest news in landscape architecture: 5 Super Cool Gadgets for Architects & Designers #3 (2017) Next Punch [YouTube Tutorial of the Week] Which is the World’s Most Biodiverse City? Moscow will Bring Back Gardens t...Read More
Innovative Business Always On The Cutting Edge Of What Other Companies Have Been Doing For A Few Years
Sure-loc Edging CEO Roger Blauwkamp says his groundbreaking company is always on the lookout for ideas that were bold and original back when other companies implemented them. HOLLAND, MI—Explaining how the company remains innovative in a fast-paced industry, executives from Sure-loc Edging told reporters Wednesday that the manufacturing firm consistently positions itself on the leading edge of what its competitors have been doing for the past few years. “The landscape is always changing, so we’re continually embracing revolutionary ideas that our rivals succeeded with in the past,” said Sure-loc sales manager Karl Nieboer, who credited this approach with keeping the groundbreaking company at the forefront of where the field was five or six years ago. “In this business, you have to constant...Read More
The Necessity of Advocacy: Amplifying the Intersection of Landscape Architecture and the Policies That Support the Profession
Democracy operates on engagement and relationships. To elevate the profile of landscape architecture, the public outreach of the profession’s government affairs must move beyond the virtue based rationalization and create arguments that resonate and connect. Without effective involvement, landscape architects risk substantial economic costs and lessen the overall impact of our work. McKinsey and Company notes that, “the business value at stake from government and regulatory intervention is huge: about 30 percent of earnings for companies in most industries.” That figures roughly $630M in potential impact to landscape architecture design services nationally, using figures from a 2015 NEA Report. From fighting regulation battles to continual challenges of marketplace jurisdiction and scope, ...Read More
Urban Parks: Designers’ Perspective – Part II
“Each neighborhood of the city appeared to be made of a different substance, each seemed to have a different air pressure, a different psychic weight: the bright lights and shuttered shops, the housing projects and luxury hotels, the fire escapes and city parks.” -Teju Cole *This article is part 2 of a 2 part article. You can find Part I here. How does proximity to the urban core affect an urban park? “It depends on how you are defining “urban park.” Those within a 10 minute walk are most likely to use a park. A park in an urban area need not be in the urban core to be successful, provided that it serves a decent population and caters to that population’s needs.” – Landoll “Your target demographics and stakeholders can vary greatly, whether it be a city of 10,000 or 500,000. Ar...Read More
Urban Parks: Designers’ Perspective – Part I
Lead Image: Maggie Daley Park | Image: Scott Shigley “You can neither lie to a neighborhood park, nor reason with it. ‘Artist’s conceptions’ and persuasive renderings can put pictures of life into proposed neighborhood parks or park malls, and verbal rationalizations can conjure up users who ought to appreciate them, but in real life only diverse surroundings have the practical power of inducing a natural, continuing flow of life and use.” – Jane Jacobs *This article is part 1 of a 2 part article. You can find Part II here. The urban park has become the object of fascination and desire of many cities across the nation and the world. Everyone wants their sleek version of the High Line. Outside onlookers fantasize of their chance to make a name for their city and reap...Read More
LA+ Takes on Landscape Identity in Their Spring Issue
LA+, published by ORO Editions, started out in the spring of 2015 as a unique, landscape-focused journal that deviated from the pack by not only bringing designers, but philosophers, artists, geographers, ecologists, planners, scientists, and others to the table for their take on a core theme in each issue. Since then, the folks over at the UPenn School of Design have covered the themes of Wild, Pleasure, Tyranny, and Simulation. Along with the individual theme, each issue ends up with its own unique tone and perspective. This season’s issue is Identity. The concept of identity shapes the very core of what we do as landscape architects. “Place-making” is often the seminal charge of clients and the means they use to create, reinforce, or change the identity of a place. This process pulls fr...Read More
Land8 Acquires Landscape Architects Network
Seizing an opportunity to broaden its reach and significantly grow its network, Land8 is announcing the acquisition of Landscape Architects Network (LAN), a prominent online resource dedicated to highlighting the work of landscape architects around the world and spreading the latest projects, events, and news that impacts the profession. Supported by its 1.5 million Facebook followers, LAN has widely promoted the profession and provided a valuable resource for both professionals and those interested in the work of landscape architects. Land8 and LAN will initially operate as two separate websites (land8.com and landarchs.com), with strategic planning underway to merge the content of the two sites into one powerful resource and social network. Land8 has experienced immense success during it...Read More
10 Reasons to Attend the ASLA 2017 Annual Meeting & EXPO
Each year, over 6,000 landscape architects gather for the largest assembly of landscape architecture professionals and students in the world: the ASLA 2017 Annual Meeting & EXPO. This year’s meeting will be held October 20-23 in Los Angeles. Here are 10 reasons why you should attend. 1. Learn outside the office (and earn credits, too) Offering over 130 courses, including education sessions, field sessions, workshops, and general sessions, attendees are able to earn up to 21 professional development hours (PDHs). With the theme of Common Ground, this year’s session topics are centered on how design is able to bring people of difference perspectives together to find common ground for positive change. Beginning with the opening general session, A Glimpse into the Future of Design, the con...Read More
How Different is the 2017 LARE?
“How Different is the 2017 LARE?” Webinar May 31, 2017 For any LARE (Landscape Architect Registration Examination) candidate, knowing what to study given limited preparation resources is key. In 2012 the exam changed so that hand drawing was no longer used, and design, grading, and drainage became computer based. New verbal and graphic questions in various formats were developed for the first time. This was a dramatic shift in the exam’s history, and by now we’ve mostly adapted to this new format, which remains unchanged for 2017 exam cycles. LARE Exam Format & Content Development Underlying the exam format is the content to be tested, which is evaluated by CLARB (Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards) every five to seven years through a “task analysis,” a ...Read More