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Pirrama Park, by ASPECT Studios, in Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont, Sydney, Australia. Very often, when people come across the word combination of “residential development” they unavoidably associate it with something invasive, unnatural, or even disrespectful. Although in many cases such responses are reasonable, the truth is that every coin has two sides. Or, in other words, we live in a century where sleeping under the stars can be romantic for a night, but it can’t be a constant way of living. Yes, people need residential buildings and neighborhoods in which to live. Pirrama Park But let’s refer that matter to one of the most densely populated suburbs in Australia. An inner-city suburb with a density of 11,618 square kilometers would certainly prefer a public park instead of another new residenti...Read More

8 Apps for Landscape Architects and designers to make your life easier.  Smartphone apps have changed our lives, making it easy to find inspiration, share information, and make calculations on the fly. Here’s a collection of apps that are especially useful to landscape architects and designers. Download them and leave behind that pile of calculators, notebooks, colored pencils, and sketchpads. Apps for Landscape Architects and designers: iScape and iScape Light iScape is an app that lets you share your vision with others. Take a photo of a property and add new landscaping elements right over the photo. It’s a perfect tool for communicating with clients and workers. This one app alone could help your new iPhone earn its keep. The full app sells for $9.99, and for professional us...Read More

Bishan Park- Kallang River Restoration Poject by Atelier Dreiseitl, in Singapore. Bishan Park, with more than 3 million visitors annually, has a local significance in Singapore similar to that of Central Park in New York City. At the heart of the park is a dynamic natural ecosystem of an important river that flows at a length of 3.2km through the park that once fell victim to the country’s rigid flood control infrastructure system of the sixties. For Singapore, engineering of the past left a legacy of concrete along with physical barriers that divided local communities, created a lack of biodiversity and deprived the citizens of a recreational space with fresh water. The new life brought about by the project brings residents of Singapore closer to water and encourage the busy city go-gette...Read More

Lucky Coin by 100architects, in Hong Kong, China.  Is it possible on a limited urban site to create a multifunctional space, which provides not only various activities, but also represents a symbol of local culture? Lucky Coin, designed by 100Architects -studio, which focuses on street architecture and urban interventions, gives some intriguing answers. Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. A massive increase in population and a limited urban territory require the land use to be planned especially carefully. The Lucky Coin is located on the south coast of Kowloon, from which the dramatic sky line of Hong Kong Island can be appreciated. The site is situated close to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Hong Kong Museum of Arts. Lucky...Read More

Promenade Samuel-De Champlain by Consortium Daoust Lestage inc. + Williams Asselin Ackaoui + Option aménagement, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Quebec City government thought long and hard about the perfect gift to give to the city’s citizens to mark its 400th anniversary. After much debate, the majority of those involved decided a new park would make the perfect gift. This new park, The Promenade Samuel-De Champlain, became the first step in the city’s mandate to restore the St. Lawrence River by 2008. It was built along one of the sector’s degraded riverbanks, as an example of the city’s involvement in their mandate. Located in the borough of Sainte-Foy-Sillery-Cap-Rouge, between the dock and the coast of Cageux Sillery, the promenade is about 2.5 kilometers long, with 200,000 squar...Read More

We take a look at 6 famous green architects that have left a green mark on our built enviornment.  The principles of sustainable architecture have been around forever. The Roman aqueducts were innovative in distributing renewable water throughout the city and ancient Greeks positioned their structures to capture the sun’s rays for heat. Frank Lloyd Wright is the most widely recognized sustainable architect, shaping the way architects design green today. He designed structures to blend in with their surroundings in organic ways. Famous Green Architects Here are six famous green architects from our time that are following in his footsteps. 1. Jean Nouvel This French architect has won several major awards for architectural design, such as the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2008 and the ...Read More

Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, Germany, by Atelier Dreiseitl.  It sometimes seems that our contemporary planning is an unholy game of piling as much structure as possible in one spot. The urban spaces about which we brag are often merely the densest piles of bricks, stones or mortar with raised planting beds and seating being converted to mere showpieces. But, where in these heaps and stacks of masonry are the slightest considerations to restore ecological balance? Are the people for whom these are designed refreshed, inspired, and stimulated by their urban environment? Hardly, too often will be the answer for our times. Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, Germany designed by Atelier Dreiseitl is an award winning waterscape project where it combine sustainable water consumption and recreational areas in su...Read More

Terrazas Reforma 412, by dlc Architects, Mexico City, Mexico. The largest metropolitan area in the western hemisphere – in short: Mexico City – has grown many skyscrapers during past years. However, one special building called Tower Reforma Diana needs to be mentioned particularly. It was completed in 2013 and comes up with multiple, surprisingly stunning rooftop gardens that feature a marvellous use of composite wood and surfaces covered with greenery. Due to very specific requirements and three different height restrictions this avant-garde complex is formed out of three different cuboid bodies that appear to be moved from their original place. Within the conceptual each of those elements provides minimum one garden-terrace on top, which are: “created to be human” and designed to “live a...Read More

“It is an intense, focused experience that you are really after. That is where the growth is, that is where the fun is, and that is where the reward is. The sketch then becomes a record of that in-depth experience.” Richard Scott is a passionate champion of the sketch. He believes in the philosophy behind sketching, the process and the practice, the experience, and the resulting confidence gained by honing one’s sketching skills. In his book, Sketching from Square One… to Trafalgar Square, published by Sierra Madre Press, Scott provides a step-by-step process by which anyone, at any skill level can begin, improve, and refine his or her own sketching skills. I recommend reading Sketching from Square One… to Trafalgar Square the first time through as if you were reading a novel. ...Read More

Hyllie Plaza, by Thorbjörn Andersson with Sweco architects, Malmo, Sweden Hyllie is situated on the outskirts of Sweden’s third-largest city, Malmö. Because of the new bridge linking it with Copenhagen, some say Malmo is also the second-largest town in Denmark. In recent years, Malmö has taken advantage of the new connection with Denmark’s capital and has started to develop the infrastructure even further. Hyllie Plaza, a city square developed along the new expanded infrastructure, is designed as a minimalist urban beech forest. But how can this emblematic tree thrive in a concrete plaza? No fewer than 28 trees have been planted in 12 slits cut into granite and concrete. Hyllie Plaza First of all, what the designer aimed to create through this project was identity. In Skåne ...Read More

Umeå Campus Park, by Thorbjörn Andersson with Sweco architects, Umeå, Sweden. Umeå Campus is the focal center of Umeå University in Sweden. The majority of the university’s courses and programs are held in the buildings and facilities of this 23,000-square-meter campus near the coast, approximately 300 kilometers south of the Polar Circle. Umeå University was founded in 1965 and is Sweden’s fifth-oldest university. The campus has about 35,000 international and multicultural students, teachers, and researchers from all over the world. The Design Team  The architects of this project were Thorbjörn Andersson and Sweco Architects (design team: Staffan Sundström, Emma Pettersson, and Mikael Johansson). The design is oriented toward a sustainable society where the people can interact, work...Read More