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La Kagu, designed by Japanese architects Kengo Kuma and Associates, in Tokyo, Japan. The La Kagu building designed by Japanese architects Kengo Kuma and Associates was a project that turned an old book warehouse into a multipurpose space with a lifestyle store and café. The original warehouse was maintained by the Shinchosha publishing company, which asked architect Kengo Kuma to restore the building. Kuma, a long-term resident of the neighborhood, understood the needs of renovating such an historical building. The company’s goal was to create a solid link between the present and the past. La Kagu Reusing Materials to Enhance the Design From the beginning, the project showed a unique respect for the site conditions by reusing the existing steel structure of the building, constructed in 196...Read More

Freundschaftsinsel Potsdam, POLA, in Potsdam, Germany. Sitting between the Alte Fahrt and Neue Fahrt waterways in Berlin is the Freundschaftsinsel, which translates to “Friendship Island”. Freundschaftsinsel is located in the historic center of Potsdam, where old castles, gardens, and parks are waiting to be explored. Friendship Island is a local favorite, and a beautiful place to spend an afternoon. It is home to many little parks and garden areas, one of which was a botanical center started by none other than Karl Forester, famous for his work with perennials and the namesake of Calamagrostis x acutiflora, or Feather Reed Grass. An open theater, a children’s play area, and a popular coffeehouse are also attractions within the island. Competition Time A competition was held to re-design a...Read More

After the success of our first article on How to Draw Like an Artist with These 7 YouTube Tutorials, we had to follow it up with a second, more advanced collection. The list below is a diverse mix of tutorials giving tips on drawing with graphic pencils, pens, and charcoal. This time, we chose more advanced videos, since most of you already have basic drawing skills. The focus of this article is on landscape drawings and detail drawings that are helpful for every landscape architect or student. Here are 10 videos to boost your motivation for improving your drawings: 1. How to Draw Easy but Good-looking Trees One of the must-have skills for landscape architects is drawing trees. Not only do we need to be able to quickly sketch a few green lines, but it is also important to include some of t...Read More

Wet meadow site and source of the river Norges, by Territories Landscape Architects, in Norges-la-Ville, France. Landscape architecture has the power to transform any outdoor space into something genuinely amazing, with the best qualities of the respective space being brought to the surface. The project in question here was commissioned by Norges-la-Villes, a delightful French village located near Dijon. The talented minds from Territories took on the project, managing to successfully bond the richness and depth of the village with the natural source of the river Norges. Even though the landscape in the area was beautiful, it was not accessible. Given the reduced accessibility, it should come as no surprise that the local population was not able to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. Apa...Read More

City Square Urban Park, by ONG & ONG, Singapore. Urban parks have an essential role in transforming and enriching our cities. They are indicators for the livability and sustainability of cities and play an important role as catalysts for community development and enhancement. City Square Urban Park was designed by ONG & ONG with the purpose to create a learning experience about ecology and the natural environment. Through this project, the landscape architects show a high level of creativity, excellence, and commitment. With their in-depth knowledge of the local context, culture, and regulation, they place importance on education as a key element in the philanthropic effort. Let’s find out the two most important benefits of an urban park for a neighborhood viewed through the lens o...Read More

On 1 August 2015 the complete Mariahilfer Strasse project was finished and opened to the public and we’ve got some great new photos to show it off.   The opportunity to redevelop an already popular urban thoroughfare into the longest stretch of shared space in Europe does not come along every day. An international design competition was held for design firms and companies of all areas to propose the future for the unique late 19th-century site, Mariahilfer Strasse in Vienna, Austria. Vienna, the acting capital of Austria, has roughly 2 million inhabitants and serves as the country’s most frequented city for tourism. Downtown Vienna is bursting with activity. Cafes and restaurants line the streets and the selection of department and specialty stores provide visitors and locals with an...Read More

Tianjin Cultural Park by Atelier Dreiseitl, in the city of Tianjin, China. What is culture? What does culture really help to do? Why is culture necessary? Culture is knowledge, personal experiences and notions are converted from simple learning to an element of our moral personality, spirituality, and aesthetic taste and become part of our consciousness and our world. The importance of cultural development, both for the individual and the collective, becomes obvious, so it was clearly the best choice for the Municipality of Tianjin to invest in the development of a cultural center in their downtown. China’s 5th Largest City The city of Tianjin is a megalopolis with a population of 13 million and is in continuous evolution. It is China’s 5th largest city, is deeply industrialized, and serve...Read More

SCG Headquarters by Landscape Architects of Bangkok (LAB), in Bangkok, Thailand. When one of the most powerful Thai companies passed 100 years in the cement industry, it celebrated by constructing a green building at its office campus. In fact, the new Headquarters has been distinguished with LEED Platinum certification for both for core and shell, showing its engagement with the environment and the future. However, in terms of design, the company now had a collection of existing buildings and this new one; none of which matched each other stylistically. How could the new and existing buildings work as a whole, while highlighting the cohabitation and the sustainable values they were involved? Likely, there is no better glue to bind these disparate elements than a well-developed landscape a...Read More

We look at the subject of the struggling landscape architecture student and see what hope there is for them to improve. Becoming a landscape architect is a demanding task that requires students to be involved at every stage of their studies to succeed. Whether you are a student now, or were years ago, it is likely that you are more than familiar with the specific routines and resources that are a great background to face this breathtaking profession. Once you have incorporated these subjects into your learning, it might seem to you that they have always been there. But the reality is that it takes time to perfect your skills and put them to practice in the most effective way. This process can be difficult and some students can appear to be left behind, even though a promising career in lan...Read More

ALL-IN-SQUARE by In-Tenta + daniela seminara All-In-Square urban elements, manufactured by the Spanish Company Urban Square are a design concept put forth by In-Tenta. In-Tenta submitted the concept for an urban elements design contest organized by Urban Square and O-Cults. This concept by In-Tenta integrates the latest technology with ecologically sound design of site furniture package comprised of four elements that can be fabricated and placed on site in a plaza or park. A unique paving pattern is also available and serves to unite the modular elements. The package also includes a microarchitecture structure designed to specifically match the rest of the site furnishings package and provide additional useable space. Furniture Elements: – Backless Bench – The backless bench i...Read More

Wilson Plaza, by  IN SITU, in Nice, French Riviera. In the centre of Nice, in a listed building, Wilson Plaza offers stunning rooftop villas, penthouses and an entire floor of modern commercial space, which are now all available for purchase. The Wilson Plaza combines historical roots, contemporary resorts and visionary urban planning. The exciting project, by Wilson Development, was created with a very clear goal in mind. “The idea is that of living in the sky, with the sunlight and the treetops, in the very heart of Nice, bringing together contemporary requirements with Nice’s historical roots,” said Laurent Salimpour, who runs Wilson Development with his uncle Joseph. Crystalline Glass Canopies The urban loft villas, sitting high above the treetops, feature generous terrace ‘conservator...Read More

We explore the idea that ultimately all public spaces, should be designed with children in mind.  Unless a playground is being designed or codes are being reviewed, most landscape architects don’t usually stop to think about how their spaces will be perceived and used by children. But maybe we should? After all, children are future adults and what they believe and do while they are growing up are inevitably the things that will shape the future for not only them but for landscape architecture and us as well. I became pregnant in my second semester of grad school while studying landscape architecture and after having my child and returning to school I suddenly found myself in opposition with many of my classmates and professors over my design choices. All of a sudden every space I saw sudde...Read More