Blog

We look at ways to make the urban landscape a productive landscape through the concept of edible planting schemes. Traditionally, the urban landscape has existed as an isolated, hardened core that relies heavily on the surrounding farmlands for fresh produce. As cities began to grow, they started to encroach on fertile, productive land, placing greater strain on the environment to support large populations. The result is the need to start growing food within the urban landscape, allowing people to have greater personal food security while providing more nutritional organic options. With this in mind, we look at 9 ways to incorporate edible planting into the urban landscape, looking at options from small-scale residential to large urban spaces. Edible Planting 1. Vertical gardens Vertical g...Read More

Coyoacán Corporate Campus, by DLC, in Mexico City, Mexico. DLC is an interdisciplinary studio that describes their approach as following both the principles of aesthetics and of environmental design to create spaces that, according to owners Maria Domínguez and Rafael López, “blur the edges between design, architecture, and landscape.” This approach can be seen in one of their latest projects, the Coyoacán Corporate Campus, completed in 2013 and located in one of Mexico City’s oldest neighborhoods. Unlike some of the more modern areas of Mexico City, the neighborhood of Coyoacán, located in the Federal District, is characterized by its old world charm and low-rise buildings, which the design team sought to emulate through their thoughtful design. Coyoacán 1622, a corporate building, is u...Read More

 Ansières Residential Park by Espace Libre Paysage et urbanisme, Paris, France What is the common thing between urban fabric, college and high school? Nothing, perhaps. But that “nothing” seems to be the missing link which needs to establish the connection between those unrelated elements. As you can guess, the best way to create this bond is certainly landscape design, and the best color for filling that gap – green. This is exactly the case we’re going to explore: A square surrounded by different institutions in the French commune of Ansières-sur-Seine, which needed to be redeveloped. This is where the exceptional work of Espace Libre Paysage et urbanisme landscape firm flourished. Espace Libre To get to the heart of the Ansières Residential Park project, first we need to examine the ide...Read More

Public Realm for NOMA Site, by Mecanoo, in Manchester, United Kingdom. NOMA represents a 20-acre regeneration of Manchester’s urban land which is owned by The Co-operative Group and Hermes Real Estate. This area is not only for living but also for the work, creativity, recreation and entertainment. Receiving the award for the highest-ever BREEAM rating of 95.32 %. It creates a new image for the city center of Manchester with a complete reconstruction and mixed-purpose neighborhood. Public Realm for NOMA Site The site is located on the northern fringe of Manchester’s city center, bounded by Angel Street to the north, Rochdale Road to the east, and Miller Street to the south. This public space around the Co-operative Group’s new headquarters on Angel Square – one of the world’s most su...Read More

We take a closer look at who finished on top in the 2015 TALA Awards. A few weeks ago, Landscape Architects Network announced the finalists in Thailand’s 2015 TALA Professional Awards competition, and now we are excited to announce the six projects to win Awards of Excellence. These projects were recognized at an awards ceremony March 21. 2015 TALA Awards In no particular order, they are: 1. General Design — Residential Complex: Parkland Srinakarin, Bangkok, by Landscape Architects 49 Limited The design for this project was inspired by the notion of transforming the natural form into something playful, artful, and functional. Landforms and changes in topography were utilized to subdivide the spaces to accommodate individual uses and to provide privacy when needed, while plants were u...Read More

We take a closer look at Green Walls with key examples from green wall company Cultiwall. Green walls are becoming increasingly popular in modern architecture and landscape architecture. .Green walls — from the simplest ones built from climbers to the most exquisite and technologically advanced — are known for their aesthetic value, creation of ecosystems, and positive influence on a building’s heat efficiency. They also have a profound positive impact on air quality, especially in regard to humidity and dust content, both indoors and outdoors. There are many different types and systems of green walls, from the very simple to the increasingly technologically advanced. The simplest green wall usually consists of some sort of durable, lightweight support structure and climb...Read More

LAN Tutorial: How to Place Large Quantities of Trees in a Master Plan Instantly with AutoCAD expert Rob Koningen. Placing a tree in a design for a garden is an entirely different task then placing trees in a design for a master plan of a few hectares. For a garden design, you pick the positions carefully; for a master plan, you may just need sheer quantity, roughly placed. And when that deadline is approaching, you may need to place them quickly. In this article, you will learn two ways to place trees — and place them fast. How to Place Large Quantities of Trees Sweep Your Mouse It is recommended to use blocks for trees. The UrbanLISP Trail command allows you to place blocks with a free hand. Once the command is activated, you need to pick the block you prefer and click a point in th...Read More

Roofpark Vierhavenstrip, by Buro Sant en Co with the municipality of Rotterdam, in Rotterdam, Netherlands. How can you combine and reunite indoor and outdoor urbanity? Have you ever wondered why the public space around shopping centers lacks urbanity and design? Well, in the majority of cases, the whole design of public spaces is brought indoors, so that the gap and in the spatial experience between inside and outside becomes greater in a negative way. The spaces outside the buildings remain without any creative design or the feeling of urbanity, which means safety and diversity in activities is not a given. To deal with this phenomena, Buro Sant en Co together with the municipality of Rotterdam created the project “Roofpark Vierhavenstrip” retail (indoor) with a spacious public roof park ...Read More

University Park Essen, by Scape Landscape Architects, in Essen, Germany. University Park, designed by Scapes Landscape Architects, is an open space adjacent to the University of Duisburg-Essen, lying within easy reach of the campus, the city center, and Limbecker Square shopping mall. Not long ago, it was an urban wasteland. How could a disused railway site near the heart of Essen be transformed into a usable public space? This was the question the landscape architects had to answer when designing the park. The chosen design retains much of the existing layout and reflects the history of the site. The choice of material and the shape of the physical elements were inspired by the site’s history as a residential quarter for Krupps foundry workers. Three phases of the park have been completed...Read More

Fengming Mountain Park, by Martha Schwartz Partners, in Chongqing, China. Fengming Mountain Park is the kind of project that was meant to draw attention to the nearby development structures, but managed to attract visitors with its unique elements. Located in the Shapingba District of Chongqing, Fengming Mountain Park covers a surface of 16 hectares and bears the signature trademark of Martha Schwartz Partners, being commissioned by Vanke. The talented team has managed to take a space that was bleak and transform it into a genuinely dynamic urban experience, with amazing splashes of color. The project was completed in 2013 and it represented a definite success for the professional team of landscape architects. Fengming Mountain Park What Was the Original Idea Behind Fengming Mountain Park?...Read More

Place de la Fontaine Chaude designed by OKRA in collaboration with OTC Engineering, AAPP Architects, in Dax, France.  At a time in which the global water supply is running out, it is hard to believe there are millions of liters of water flowing from a fountain in a city’s downtown. Dax is a small city established by the Romans in the 1st century AD, located in the southwest of France, and well known since Roman times for its thermal waters. The legend of the “Legionnaires’ Dog” illustrates the discovery of Dax’s waters’ healing abilities and the birth of hydrotherapy. According to the legend, a legionnaire stationed in Dax left his dog, crippled from rheumatism, in the river before leaving for battle. After he returned, he found his dog rejuvenated by the thermal mu...Read More

“A Changing Neighborhood”, designed by Espace Libre, Mantes-la-Jolie, France. The urban neighborhood of Val Fourré, located in Mantes-la-Jolie, France, has undergone an amazing transformation, going from bleak to awe-inspiring. The project was completed in 2014 and it covers an area of 56,500 square meters. Escape Libre was the firm responsible for the successful project, commissioned by HLM Interprofessionelle Région Paris. This is the kind of project that demonstrates how much it is possible to change a neighborhood; starting from inspiration and adding talent, one can ensure urban renewal at its finest. Nature is brought back to being the source of everything that is alive and beautiful, blending in with the rest of the urban landscape.  “A Changing Neighborhood” What Was It...Read More