Blog

Zorlu Center, by Carve & WATG Landscape Architects, Beşiktaş, Istanbul, Turkey. Designing a place where children can explore, grow and develop is not an easy thing to accomplish, as there are so many things to take into consideration, including the safety of the elements used. Zorlu Center is one of the prime examples that could be offered, being a playground where even imagination comes to play. This project was undertaken by the talented team of landscape architects from Carve (Amsterdam), in partnership with WATG Landscape Architects, the London branch. It was completed in 2014, as one of the largest playground developments in Istanbul, covering an area of 1600 m2. Carve is a renowned Dutch design and engineering studio, being especially known for the design of spaces for children a...Read More

Butterfly Bridge by Dietmar Feichtinger Architects, in Christianshavn Canal and Trangraven, Copenhagen, Denmark. The capital and most populated city of Denmark is Copenhagen, one of the oldest capitals in Europe and part of the most dynamic region too. In the 10th century, Copenhagen used to be a Viking fishing village surrounded by rivers. Its name in Danish reflects, in fact, its origin as a harbor and place of commerce. Copenhagen is located on the eastern edge of the island of Zealand and partly situated on the island of Amager, (these two are connected by five bridges) and on a number of natural and artificial islets between them. It is also part of the Øresund, commonly known as “The Sound” in English, which is the strait that separates Denmark from Sweden, specifically the Danish is...Read More

David H. Koch Plaza at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, by OLIN in New York City, New York, USA. Before I share the intricacies of the project with you, I would like to first share this quote by Jane Jacobs, as cited by Dennis McGlade, partner at OLIN, when commenting on his thoughts about the project: “The ballet of the good city sidewalk never repeats itself from place to place, and in any one place it is always replete with new improvisations.” This is a project that revolves around transformation and this quote is a gentle reminder that tells us of the inconsistent patterns between people and spaces. Why is it so relevant to this project? Well, the project is grandly sitting in Manhattan, New York- one of the most famous, busiest metropolitan cities of the world, in front of one of the ...Read More

This week’s Sketchy Saturday top 10. This week’s Sketchy Saturday top 10 brings with it a rich diversity of styles as well as artists as we reveal works from everything from professionals with a wealth of experience to students just starting out on their journey in design. And of course at LAN we’re so happy that we can join you on your journey no matter where you are. One thing that struck us about this week’s selection is that each style has its own strength and influence, from the minimalist approach to the highly illustrated approach, each has the ability to convey different aspects of the subject, and there is certainly not one style that suits all situations. Working to your strengths will always beat working on your weaknesses. Enjoy this week’s Sketchy Saturday top 10! ...Read More

With sustainable cities being one of the key terms in the 21st century, we take a closer look at the role that the landscape architect has to play in it all.  When we think of sustainability we think of living in a remote natural area with solar panels, on-site sewage treatment, a large vegetable garden and maybe even some livestock. Pretty sustainable hey? Maybe not. In fact, one of the leading causes of climate change is due to people seeking escaping the city in search of nature. By living on the outskirts of the city, we increase our carbon footprint through commuting and encroach further and further into the natural environment. Thus, in order to think sustainably we need to realise that our dense inner cities are not the problem, but, in fact, the solution! With this in mind, one wou...Read More

A book review of Representing Landscapes: Digital by Nadia Amoroso. Landscape architecture has benefitted a lot from advancements in technology, with digital media techniques allowing specialists from the field to show both their talent and imagination. ‘Representing Landscapes: Digital’ is the kind of book that you instantly fall in love with, presenting the digital media techniques used in the field of landscape architecture, from the point of view from different experts in the field. Edited by Nadia Amoroso (link to interview), a renowned name in the field of landscape architecture and with a foreword from James Corner, professor of Landscape Architecture, this book is useful for both students and specialists alike. In the foreword, Professor James Corner talks about the way this amazin...Read More

Good hand drawing skills are an excellent tool for any landscape architect to have. But here’s a little secret, you don’t have to be born with it, you can learn. On our way to becoming skilled artists, we have to learn lots of lessons and often fight inner voices that tell us to give up because we are “just not good enough”. However, we don’t have to master this challenging process on our own! On the one hand, there are countless beginners who struggle the same as we do; but on the other hand, there is this huge YouTube artist community trying to motivate and support us as we improve our drawing skills. These great Samaritans post thousands of free videos to help us continue practicing our drawings and give useful advice. In this article, I found and summed up the best seven vi...Read More

Capitol Singapore redevelopment, by Grant Associates, in Singapore. What would you do if you had $1.1 billion? I guess every one of us could come up with thousands of ideas and wishes to answer that question. When the government of Singapore faced this question, they decided to do something for the people of their capital city. They invested the money in the redevelopment of the Capitol, a very important and interesting heritage site in the city’s downtown civic district. According to Keith French, director at Grant Associates, the new design will have respect for the existing elements of the Capitol: “The Capitol landscape and public realm strategy have been developed with a respectful approach to the civic and heritage setting (with) consideration of the vistas and views through to the C...Read More

Solar City, by Atelier Dreiseitl, in Linz-Pichling, Austria. Debates on the subject of sustainability arose in the 1970s and reached their peak in the 1990s. Nevertheless, this debate remained on a theoretical level. Thus, a question emerged: How can sustainability be applied in practice? The Solar City project in Linz-Pichling, Austria, is an attempt to unite different perspectives – social, environmental, and economic — and has the goal of becoming a European example of sustainable urban development. Atelier Dreiseitl, the landscape designers, has the ambition to promote sustainable projects with a high aesthetic and social value. As one of the leading landscape architects of Germany, they are a specialist in ecological landscape design and water concepts. Solar City As in other ci...Read More

Sherbourne Common Park, by PFS Studio in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Creating a space that will be functional, innovative, beautiful, and artistic is not easy. Nor is merging the work of professionals from a variety of disciplines, such as architecture, landscape design, civil engineering, and public art. One project where all of this comes together is Sherbourne Common Park in Toronto. This waterfront park in Ontario represents a kind of living room or courtyard for its neighbors. It is a place that is both private and public, with a variety of amenities and something for everyone. It is the first park in Canada to incorporate a neighborhood storm-water management system, and also the first with LEED Gold certification. Sherbourne Common Park The main sections of the park are the open plaza...Read More

Walk of the Town, by T.R.O.P: terrains+open space in Bangkok, Thailand.  Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand, and it is inhabited by 6.5 million people. The population density of Bangkok is 6,450 people per square kilometer. Around 10 percent of the country’s population lives in Bangkok. According to a study, Bangkok has one of the highest motorization rates in Asia, with 388 cars and 220 motorcycles per 1,000 people. Emissions from cars and motorcycles affect the air quality in the city and increase the average temperature, which among other things makes the risk of flood higher. The Walk of the Town project was designed to address these issues. It is located in the Pathum Wan district of Bangkok, an important business district in the city. The project site is between two main station...Read More

Tanner Springs Park by Atelier Dreiseitl, by  Portland, Oregon, USA.  Located in the heart of the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon, Tanner Springs park is an oasis in the city providing an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. This 1-acre park, completed in 2010 by a team of landscape architects and consultants is a model of embracing local ecology and demonstrating sustainable practices. Three of the sides of the sunken park are lined with steps allowing a terraced, permeable edge for visitors to enter, exit, and sit. The east side of the park is lined with an art installation and a boardwalk spanning two blocks which connect Tanner Springs to Jamison Square. Tanner Springs Park The programming of the park is a mix of active and passive spaces layered on top of the functional ...Read More