Blog

Sketchup for Site Design: A Guide to Modeling Site Plans, Terrain, and Architecture is the follow-up to Daniel Tal’s 2009 edition of the same name. Since then, the environment of Sketchup hasn’t changed dramatically, but being purchased by Trimble from Google has spurred more development support and a host of new features. Ruby Scripts are now referred to as “extensions” and Tal has changed what was called “sandbox architecture” to “digital elevation modeling.” These subtle differences mean that the old version is still applicable regarding workflow, but that the new version corrects for all the incremental changes over the last seven years. The reason that this book is very relevant to landscape architects is that it has a larger focus on th...Read More

Article by Erin Tharp LAN writer of the year 2015/16 Erin Tharp, takes a look at some creative ways how to use trees in various landscape designs. Almost every successful landscape installation has one thing in common: trees. Trees are found in traditional landscapes and in ultra-modern landscapes alike. And even though the feel of the spaces may differ, the trees bring them back to nature and remind us that even the most desolate places can support life. So how do you go about becoming an expert in placing trees in your designs? Take a look at the following 10 projects that show 10 uses for trees in the landscape and prove that every space can be made better by using trees. How to Use Trees 1. Trees as Art Visitors to the Tree Museum in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland, are greeted by a colle...Read More

Article by Irmak Bilir Anchor Park by SLA/Stig L. Andersson, Malmö, Sweden. Anchor Park is located in the middle of a new urban neigborhood built at the former industrial estate and port area of Västra Hamnen in Sweden’s coastal city of Malmö. The park has a patchwork character and uses the water in a way we haven’t often seen: The water is intentionally collected in reliefs! In the spring of 1999, the City of Malmö invited SLA to build Anchor Park for the new district of Västra Hamnen, as a part of the international housing exposition BO01, held in Malmö in 2001. With Anchor Park, SLA gained a nomination for the European Mies van der Rohe Award in 2003. The park serves as an attractive urban space for everyone, not only for the area’s residents. Anchor Park The 29,000-square-meter, ...Read More

Article by Domenico Pistone We examine the term gentrification and take a closer look at what it means to Landscape Architects. It’s a word that now, more and more often, we meet while browsing articles on large cities undergoing transformation. It pops up notoriously around the topic of workers’ quarters; when reading a post on urban regeneration; whilst looking for examples of great world cities like San Francisco, Berlin, New York, or Rome; it is a word that seems far too complex to be understood easily. So, What the Hell is Gentrification? Gentrification Definition: “The buying and renovation of houses and stores in deteriorated urban neighborhoods by upper- or middle-income families or individuals, thus improving property values but often displacing low-income famili...Read More

Article by Elisa García Nieto University of California San Francisco Regional Medical Center, by SWA, Fresno, California (USA) When working on a new project, landscape architects have to find suitable clues in their background and in the environment to define the best design strategy. We tend to think that contexts that do not impose a great number of conditions and limitations are more favorable to face. But there are vital challenges to overcome when sites seem not to have a clear identity of their own or references around them. The University of California San Francisco Medical Center is part of an ambitious plan consisting of multiple phases of development in a three-acre, empty area that had been divided into four regular regions, with a roundabout in the middle. The starting point wa...Read More

Company culture is a hotter-than-ever term. A business needs it. Recruiters flaunt it. Employees desire it. But what is corporate or company culture, truly?  Why is it trending now? Most importantly, why should you care about it when you’re looking for a job? You may have heard of organizational culture during a high school or college business class. It’s a complicated recipe of a definition, and we will use that metaphor to help us add a few ingredients for the final dish. A traditional definition of culture is the beliefs and behaviors that determine how people interact with each other. It’s the norms and customs that mold ways of thinking and methodologies for a certain group of people. It’s patterns and characteristics. It’s attitudes and shared values.  When we apply culture specifica...Read More

Article by Erin Tharp We cross disciplines and look at the iconic Steve Jobs to see what concepts cross over from the world of Apple to Landscape Architecture. Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, was known for many things, including his love of technology and his innovative designs. Both of these traits can also be found in most aspiring landscape architects, so the question is; what could Steve Jobs teach landscape architects about design? Here are seven lessons from Steve Jobs to make us all better landscape architects. 1. His Use of Color Jobs knew that to create a product that would stand out from its competitors he had to create a look that would make it literally stand out. He is credited with choosing the five fruit-inspired colors for the iMac, which boosted sales by 24% and allowed p...Read More

Article by Brooklyn Williams We take a look at the considerations that need to be taken into account with backyard designs. We take a great deal of pride and enjoyment from our homes, but the structure itself has some constraints. There are those pesky walls, floors, and roof to deal with, after all. We have the flexibility to do a lot of other amazing things outside the home. Unfortunately, too many people miss the opportunity to build amazing backyard designs. Whether they think they are constrained by money, time, or space, they’re probably wrong. If you have backed off of your aspirations to elevate your backyard to legendary status, revisit your ideas and see if there may be some way to take it beyond simple grass and shade trees. Backyard Designs Let There Be Light A mantra of ...Read More

Article by Elisa A.M.Varetti Musealização da Área Arqueológica para a Pç Nova Do Castelo de S.Jorge, by Global Arquitectura Paisagista and JLGS Arquitectos, Lisbon, Portugal. Have you ever stopped to wonder about the historic evolution of your own town? Most people think landscape architects only deals with green materials, parks, and gardens, but they can do a lot more! For example, they can work with archaeological areas and bring out what people have forgotten; their history and their tradition. Making people aware of what they have lost is a tough job but it clearly defines an important role for landscape architecture showing how it can interact with other sectors. And that’s exactly what happened when landscape architect João Gomes da Silva of Global Arquitectura Piasagista worked wit...Read More

Article by Elisa A.M.Varetti Discover 10 excellent Landscape Architecture portfolios and grab some tips to make yours the best. Does making one change to your professional or student portfolio prompt you to want to change it completely? You simply can’t help it. You would like to transform it with new graphics, new text, new everything! You start thinking about it and suddenly realize you need inspiration and ideas — examples to follow, tips and suggestions to borrow to make your new portfolio REALLY amazing. Here are 10 excellent examples to help you make your portfolio the best one you have ever had. Landscape Architecture Portfolios 1. Enhance your Academic Portfolio In this video, the author shows how a neat graphic, a few well-described projects, and a leit-motif repeating itsel...Read More

Article by Paul McAtomney Following up on our world series, we have selected 10 awesome projects that perfectly represent landscape architecture in Canada today. With Canada having cities such as Vancouver, Toronto, and Calgary consistently scoring top marks in global liveability rankings, it is no wonder that the country also possesses a plethora of exemplary works of landscape architecture that are as diverse and varied as the country’s geography. Today, we take a look at 10 consummate projects that are excellent examples of landscape architecture in contemporary Canada. Landscape Architecture in Canada 1. Sherbourne Common Park, by PFS Studio, Toronto, Ontario Sherbourne Common is a new urban park located on Toronto’s waterfront. This hybrid park-infrastructure folds in water treatment ...Read More