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Does landscape architecture need to die so that we can see the birth of a complete profession? Now more than ever, landscape architecture is both highly visible and influential. Many circles now see the discipline as usurping architecture in terms of its ability to catalyze urban form. This cultural shift — fostered largely by a growing public awareness of the benefits of a quality urban realm, a reading of the city as landscape, and an admittance among design professions that landscape architects are today most appropriate to respond to this condition — brings forth questions about the future of the profession. But what if landscape architecture was to be no more? I speculate a different future — one that witnesses the marriage of landscape architect and architect into a...Read More

Etele Square, by Ujirany / New Directions, in Budapest, Hungary. Waiting for a train and it’s delayed again. Sitting in the waiting hall, counting the seconds, and suddenly finding yourself in awe of the market art on the seats. Or perhaps you’re just sitting there counting the tiles on the floor. The wait seems to be never-ending, and you’re feeling as if the boredom couldn’t get any worse. Sound familiar? Then you are probably a commuter and, just like me, you have seen plenty of waiting halls in your life. They are all pretty much the same: tall and noisy, with gray walls and chairs that are rather uninviting. As a commuter myself, waiting for buses, trains, or trams has become a monotonous and sometimes unbelievably boring routine, more or less due to the places where I have to wait. B...Read More

Baan San Ngam, a low-rise condominium project by Shma, in Hua Hin, Thailand. A subtle yet inspiring landscape design concept, Baan San Ngam appears as a fluent project that creates a vibrant natural environment, rich on experiences, harmonious, and respectful of Mother Nature. Situated in the Prachuabkirikhan province of Thailand and facing the seascape, the 20,753-square-meter site is known for its mangroves, which provide a natural wildlife habitat that frames the mountain scene in the background. The design of this mesmerizing project optimizes the interplay among six different ecological elements: Sea, dunes, swamp, swale, mound, and forest. It is a combination that gives visitors a variety of experiences as they step up or down into different levels, distinguished by various textures ...Read More

Dania Park, by Thorbjörn Andersson and Sweco Architects, in Malmö, Sweden. Water is an excellent source of inspiration for the field of landscape architecture and the present project does not make an exception from this rule. This waterfront park was opened in 2001, bearing the trademark signature of Thorbjörn Andersson and having quite the perfect location – the edge of the Öresund strait, dividing the countries of Sweden and Denmark. Whenever we read about a new landscape architecture project, it is practically impossible not to be impressed with the amazing transformation that has occurred along the way. This situation is even more valid when it comes to Dania Park, as the area chosen for this project was part of the former Western Harbour, an industrial sector located on the Malmö coas...Read More

The Art of Creating a Legend AutoCAD Tutorial from our resident AutoCAD expert UrbanLISP. Creating a design is a process. It is highly recommended that you create a backup of your AutoCAD drawings every time you make a significant change in the design. This will allow you to revert back to a previous version in case the latest changes don’t seem to work out that well. At the end of the process, you shouldn’t be surprised to have up to 30 backups of your file. Needless to say, you will have spent a lot of time and effort. If you drew it properly, you know the meaning of every layer, block, and line. But then it is time to present it. And guess what? The people to whom you present the plan don’t know it as well as you do. They need a legend! Drawing in any CAD program requires consistency, a...Read More

Zorlu Center, by DS Architecture – Landscape, Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul is a dynamic city in a world of diversity. In light of continuous development, new innovative projects have to deal with the difficulty of harmonization and integration in old structures. In a city between two continents, Zorlu Center unites the historical Old City atmosphere with a futuristic flair of four towers through landscape design. Located in Levent, a business and urban milieu in Istanbul, the private investment project shows a multifaceted use and the variegated benefits of the landscape elements designed by DS Architecture – Landscape. Furthermore, in a context where the controversial issue of shopping malls and public life is becoming more criticized, Zorlu Center tries a new interpretation of this topic b...Read More

Lowes Corporate Headquarters, by HGOR and LandDesign, in Mooresville, North Carolina. Television commercials and advertisements for the Lowes home improvement centers are an everyday occurrence, but have you ever thought about what the company’s corporate offices look like? Just as their motto “never stop improving” says, they are applying that forward-thinking philosophy to the entire business, from local stores to the main headquarters. The Lowes Corporate Headquarters is located in Mooresville, North Carolina, and has proven to be an environmentally sustainable take on a corporate setting. When we think of the word “corporate”, it may induce visions of cubicles, cold parking structures, and gray surroundings, but Lowes has kicked that image to the curb in a unique way. Lowes Corporate H...Read More

This week’s Sketchy Saturday top 10. Sketchy Saturday never fails to impress us. But what particularly impressed us this week was the descriptions people wrote. They had passion in their words, which matched the passion on display in their images. Passion is the vital ingredient when it comes to success. You can study all you want, you can work for as long as you want and as hard as you want, but without a foundation of passion to guide you, you’ll never be great at what you do. You may become a well respected professional, but you will lack the passion and, therefore, the drive, dedication and commitment to stand out from the crowd. Each one of these sketches is passion manifested for the whole world to see. Enjoy this week’s Sketchy Saturday top 10! 10. by William Corbin Newton, by...Read More

Rocafort House, by Ramon Esteve Studio, in Rocafort,Valencia, Spain. The Rocafort House is a residential building located in Lorquí, Murcia, in eastern Spain. The area, some 12 kilometers from Valencia, is a haven of summer homes and irrigated crops. Rocafort House was designed by Ramon Esteve Studio, a group of architects and designers working toward one goal: creating – in their words — “places where you want to live”. I once read a quote from Mies Van der Rohe that said: “Less is more”. That is very evident in this house. Ramon Esteve Studio strives for elegance without going overboard. Using clean lines, the designers make a connection between elements we might not think would mesh. But they do, and nature and structure become one without colliding into one another. Rocafort Hous...Read More

Watford Parade, by BDP, in Watford, Hertfordshire, England. Landscape architects are unique artists, in the sense that they take their creativity to a whole new level, using nature as their most important source of inspiration. Watford Parade is both a successful and ambitious project of landscape architecture, demonstrating that landscape design can be perceived as a form of art. The project was commissioned by the Watford Borough Council and the Hertfordshire County Council, being completed in 2014. With a construction cost of £4.3 million and a site of approximately 15000 m2, the project was successfully brought to light by the talented team from BDP. Watford Parade The true power of landscape architecture lies in taking an area that has lost its charm and bring it back, in a manner tha...Read More

Your infographic guide on the 10 best houseplants to improve indoor air quality. According to studies by NASA, certain houseplants filter out harmful compounds in our homes – all linked to acute conditions and chronic disease. Based on NASA’S results, we have explored the top 10 house plants that are the most effective for removing air pollutants. Best Houseplants to Improve Indoor Air Quality 10 best houseplants to improve indoor air quality [Infographic] by the team at Barratt Homes. 3 More Top Articles on LAN: 10 of the Most Common Mistakes People Make in Planting Design and How to Avoid Them Interested But Not Confident? – Know How to be Good at Hand Drawings Top 10 YouTube Tutorials for Technical Drawing Recommended Reading: The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual: Essenti...Read More

Seljord and the Legends, by Feste Landscape, Seljord, Norway. As a landscape architect, creating a space that allows others to experience the culture of a landscape can be difficult. In trying to portray a culture through design, things can get a little hokey or dull. Allowing those unfamiliar with that culture to understand and enjoy the site is also a challenge. This project, however, is seemingly effortless in its portrayal of stories into tangible creation. Feste Landscape’s thought-provoking project, Seljord and the Legends, shows how important cultural heritage is to experiencing a landscape in its entirety. The project is comprised of four art installations at different locations around Seljord Lake, close to the centre of Seljord, Norway. A walking path around the lake connects eac...Read More