Blog

Article by Giacomo Guzzon – Teardrop Park, by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc., in New York City, USA Teardrop Park offers a lot in a small package. It is a significant lesson in landscape design, successfully integrating issues of materiality, sustainability, spatial differentiation, programming, and circulation. Perhaps most importantly, it demonstrates how a thoughtful design can bring atmosphere, character, and life to even a small, flat, and featureless place. The successful solution of the challenges of the site makes this project an example of great contemporary landscape architecture. This 1.8-acre public park designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc. sits on an artificial plot of land that was created in the 1980s by filling in a portion of the Hudson River...Read More

Article by Ophelia Yuting Ji – We dive in and explore the attributes that make Copenhagen in Denmark the number one bike-friendly city. Many cities claim that they are bicycle-friendly, but often times what they actually mean is they have more bicycle lanes than the average. However, a bicycle-friendly city is not merely about that. It requires high-quality bicycle lanes and facilities, convenient renting locations and services, and high safety of riding bicycles on the streets, which can create a great atmosphere of healthy life modes and pull the relationship between citizens closer. Being advanced in all these aspects, Copenhagen is no doubt one of the most outstanding models. According to the data from Cycling Embassy of Denmark, over 255,000 people in Copenhagen commute by bike ...Read More

Article by Eni Çeka – A project review of the Villa in Monte Argentario, by Lazzarini Pickering, Tuscany, Italy. An inspirational display of stunning design and Italian charm. “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach…” – Henry David Thoreau Who wouldn’t want to live in a residence where the interior melts into the gardens of the outside world, diving into a voyage of spiritual discovery? This 32-hectare private estate in the Tuscan countryside is an exquisite example of the Italian landscape style. The intense dialogue of the villa with the natural surroundings makes this house truly unique. The landscape reflects beauty, tranquility and relaxation while allowing the ...Read More

In this article, we discuss some easy DIY home landscape ideas to help you turn your private outdoor space into your own private sanctuary.  If you are looking for a way to spruce up your space, there are some fun and easy DIY projects that you can pull off to add a warm and inviting atmosphere to your surroundings. You may want to do these projects for your own enjoyment or you may want to make your property more attractive to potential buyers. Either way, you will be pleased with the results and the great news is it won’t cost a fortune or take forever to accomplish. Here are a few DIY yard improvement ideas that you will love. DIY Home Landscaping Ideas 1. Use Mulch Or Rocks To Keep The Weeds Out Of Flower Beds And Borders Using mulch or rocks is a great way to ensure that you don...Read More

Article by Kamil Rawski – Malgrat de Mar by Territori24, in Malgrat de Mar, Spain, showing how collaboration with local residents can become the easy way to revitalize the neighborhood. The Barri del Castell neighbourhood is located in Malgrat de Mar – a seaside town in the province of Barcelona. It belongs to the Maresme region and approximately 18,500 people live there. The place where the project is located was built on former farmland and became an area of unplanned urban growth. The neighborhood’s needs have changed over past 25 years, which has been noted by the town council. Elements that distinguish Barri del Castell from the rest of the town are its origins, the economic and social status, and of course its topography. The district is situated near the town centre, between t...Read More

Article by Moreira Filho – We take a look at 10 of the best books for understanding green roofs, one of the hottest topics in the world of landscape architecture.  Designing a Green Roof System may be a big challenge for many professionals. For some it can work like a difficult level montage in their minds. For these reasons, landscape architects, researchers and writers have developed and written about methods to help professionals in developing projects and executing Green Roof Systems, and have made them available in books. These systems have lots of phases, and the professional must become inspired and understand all the steps required in their construction, unifying design with implementation. We selected some of these books with different sorts of subjects related to Green Roof...Read More

Adapting Practice: In order to survive we must adapt. Constantly in a state of flux, the practice of landscape architecture frequently changes and adapts from one condition to another. From transportation planning to water and stormwater management to park design and preservation, the sheer breadth of types of landscape architecture practices supports the notion that the profession has never fit into a box. The concept of hybrid practices, which came out of a need to address complex environmental and cultural issues, only partially addresses the problems we look to solve and the methodology we use to solve them. In biologic terms, landscape architectural allelic heterogeneity, alludes to a diversity of variations of practice that have the same relative process (inventory, analysis, iterati...Read More

We take a look at modern landscape design. Looking at how they inspire us and bring us to new horizons in landscape architects. From museums and parks to art installations and memorials, the best landscape architects in the world have proven that it is entirely possible to combine art and environmental custodianship. With climate change and all the environmental concerns the world is facing today, these modern landscape designs show us that we need not sacrifice beauty when we decide to go green. Modern Landscape Designs Below are 5 of the most modern landscape designs that you can check out: 1. National 9/11 Memorial, New York, USA After the horrors of 9/11, the world was never the same again. And what better way to honour the lives of those who were lost than with this beautifully design...Read More

We take a look at modern landscape ideas and tips. Looking at how they can impact the landscape designs around us to ake better places. In search of larger space and a breath of fresh air, people expand their living spaces outdoors with the use of patios. Patios have been a place of relaxation and entertainment for many families. This is the reason why its design should be carefully planned. If you need help in designing the landscape of your patio, you can take inspiration from the projects of Louie Santaguida, a real estate developer. You can also check out these tips for designing landscape: List Your Needs and Preferences You need to determine the purpose of the patio. Will it be a place for your morning cup of coffee or for a nice evening dinner? Do you have children who would want to...Read More

Article by Tahío Avila – Kaohsiung Station, by Mecanoo Architecten, in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan Kaohsiung is the second most populous city in Taiwan with almost 2.8 million inhabitants and it represents an important transportation, manufacturing and industrial centre of southern Taiwan. Being an industrial centre is a good start for a city to become an important core, with a good transportation system and connections from airports to subway stations, and Kaohsiung has the basis for it; the train station or high-speed railways have a connection straight to Taipei (in the northern area of the island) and it has a quite modern subway system; the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit, launched in 2008. This subway station is formed by 2 major lines and 38 stations; In 2014, the Dutch firm Mecanoo A...Read More

Though it’s exciting to think about the possibilities in a new role or at a new company, job searching is a challenge. It’s daunting to comb through job boards, looking for positions that match your skill set and companies that match your values. It’s exhausting packing your calendar with networking events, engaging in small talk to make connections. And, it’s tricky to present yourself to a potential employer on paper. How can you portray your unique personality in neatly organized paragraphs not exceeding one page? It’s possible. And, it’s not nearly as hard as you think.  Let’s start with a cover letter. Yes, you do need to write one, unless it is explicitly stated within the job posting that it’s not necessary. Failure to include a cover letter will likely automatically reject you from...Read More

Safer streets, cleaner air and water, healthier communities, and a more vibrant economy are all benefits derived from increasing a city’s street trees. As discussed in previous episodes, the importance of urban tree canopy cover is well documented. However, in this week’s episode of Remarkable Objects, “Is Tree Planting Equitable?”, we hear about the inequity of neighborhoods receiving these benefits. Episode 5 highlights the work of Shannon Lea Watkins, who explored the topic of tree canopy equity while earning her Ph.D. in Public Affairs from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington. In her dissertation “Trees, communities, and equity: Nonprofit tree planting and the coproduction of urban forests,” Shannon examined the role of communities and non-...Read More