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Harmonizing Nature and Design: Acoustic Landscape Architecture for a Sustainable Future
“The earth has music for those who listen.” — William Shakespeare In our fast-paced, urbanized world, where the constant hum of city life often drowns out the subtle symphony of nature, finding ways to integrate human and natural environments is increasingly crucial. Businesses are catching on – ForestLive.com, SoundsRight.earth, WeBelongHere.world, and suggest an untapped niche for the field of Landscape Architecture. Soundscape Ecology stands tall in the pursuit of radical synergy between human-made and nature-grown environments, incorporating music and acoustic design principles into landscape architecture. This innovative practice promises to enhance urban spaces, improve human well-being, and support ecological health by mitigating an increasing divide between human activities a...Read More
Land8 Launches App for Landscape Architects!
Land8 is excited to announce the launch of our new app, “Land8 Lounge,” named to honor the original Land8 community. The Land8 Lounge app is designed to be the ultimate virtual hub for landscape architects to connect, collaborate, and share ideas. This app will eventually replace the “Forum” on the Land8 website, offering a more dynamic and interactive experience as technology changes. With the Land8 Lounge app, landscape architects can: Build a profile: Create and customize your professional profile. Join groups: Participate in public groups or request a private group from Land8. Explore Land8 features: Access all the resources available on the Land8 website. View upcoming events: Stay informed about industry events and webinars. Ask and answer questions: Engage wi...Read More
Transit Oriented Districts: Urban Design Experience
Transit Oriented Districts have been helping reinvigorate towns and cities across the United States and Canada. Beyond the limiting definition of Transit Oriented Development (TOD), Transit Oriented Districts (TODts), are typically defined as the whole area within half a mile of a transit station and are seen as desirable choices for development in metropolitan areas to accommodate the concerns surrounding population growth. TODts are typically characterized by higher development density and a varied mix of land uses, offering sustainable development options to counteract some of the negative effects of urban sprawl, declining urban cores, and congestion sparked by rising populations and mobility. They contain a diverse mix of uses such as housing, employment, institutions, shops, restaura...Read More
Why Real-World Experience for Students Is Needed
Cultivating the next generation of successful landscape architects means offering the opportunity to hone important skills that are not always taught in the classroom. This needs to be done before students leave the classroom because the learning curve that takes place in the first few years as a landscape architect job is steep. It quickly becomes apparent that there is a large gap between the theoretical approach taught in the classroom and the actual practice of applying it to real project work. Working for communities and with clients means understanding construction budgets, managing time constraints, navigating material limitations, and many more challenges, all the while trying to create meaningful and impactful work. As seasoned landscape architects, we need to take the time to inv...Read More
Reimagining Abandoned Airfields Through Adaptive Reuse
By Anhad Viswanath, Associate ASLA This post discusses “Reed City’s Exhilarating Thrust,” a design concept I crafted while a student at Michigan State University that illustrates the wonder and excitement that the race circuit brings. The design includes a four-mile racetrack with elevated inclines over an existing road, housing, and spaces for residents and visitors to socialize and enjoy the races. Pedestrian bridges, trail connections, and a bus transit hub create multimodal connectivity. Globally, many airports face an uncertain future, and some are at the brink of closure. In the United States, there are 20,000 functional airports (private, commercial, and military), and 1,000 more that are abandoned, on-hold, or underused. This represents both a significant issue moving forward, and ...Read More
The Curation of Practice [Video]
At the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami, Simone Stark offered insights into the multifaceted nature of the profession and the vital role of authenticity and personal experience in shaping effective landscape architecture. Simone began her presentation by emphasizing the importance of authenticity in practice. “It begins with authenticity of self,” she stated. For Simone, the curatorial process of landscape architecture is rooted in the genuine display of one’s personal experiences, skills, and passions. This approach has defined her career, from founding and maintaining her own design-build studio since 2011 to leading the landscape architecture division at Strang Design since 2020, and teaching as an adjunct professor in the graduate program at Florida International Univ...Read More
Design, Art, and the Natural World: Thinking and Being Through Making [Video]
During the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami, landscape architect Roberto Rovira, professor at FIU and principal at Studio Roberto Rovira, shared his profound passion for the natural world, reflecting on the vibrant landscapes and ecosystems of South Florida. Roberto commenced his talk by highlighting the unique beauty of South Florida’s landscapes, which may lack mountains but boast stunning skies and an irrepressible natural world teeming with life. He shared an inspiring image of a royal poinciana tree outside his studio window, symbolizing the resilience and vitality of nature. Throughout his presentation, Roberto emphasized the transformative power of landscape architecture, showcasing various projects that merge design, art, and environmental stewardship. One notable project inv...Read More
Escaping the Echo Chamber: The Power of Diverse Perspectives [Video]
At the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami, Nicole Plunkett, a landscape architect and partner at Cotleur & Hearing, spoke about the importance of diverse perspectives and breaking out of our comfort zones. She is also the founder of Future Landscape Architects of America (FLAA), a non-profit focused on educating K-12 students about the career field of landscape architecture. Nicole’s presentation centered around her personal experience with a pub trivia team. What started as a casual activity turned into a valuable lesson on the benefits of surrounding oneself with a diverse group of individuals. The team comprised professionals from various fields including interior design, software development, law, healthcare, and engineering, among others. This diversity enriched their knowledge base...Read More
Beyond the Certification: Weaving Ecosystem Services Into Every Landscape [Video]
At the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami, Patricia Matamoros, Reslience & Adaptation Lead at Savino & Miller Design Studio, challenges the notion that sustainability and resilience should be niche concepts in landscape architecture. She emphasizes that ecosystem services should be at the core of every project undertaken by landscape architects, rather than being considered a subcategory. Patricia advocates for a shift in design approach towards understanding the symbiotic relationship between resilience and ecosystem services. She argues that this shift invites exploration of the hidden benefits that all landscape architecture projects can provide. To achieve this, she highlights the Sustainable Sites Initiative as a framework enabling the implementation of nature-based solutions al...Read More
Generative AI for Landscape Architecture [Video]
At the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami, Rocio Martinez, a landscape architect and visual artist, delved into the innovative realm of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and its profound implications for the field of landscape architecture. The presentation unfolded with Rocio sharing her initial experiment with artificial intelligence, showcasing a comparison between her original artwork and a replica generated using generative AI. This demonstration underscored the capacity of AI to mimic and reinterpret artistic concepts, offering intriguing possibilities for creative exploration within the field. Rocio explained the concept of generative AI, emphasizing its reliance on vast datasets encompassing images, videos, and music. However, she highlighted the potential issue of copyright in...Read More
Data + Design [Video]
At the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami, Devon King delivered a presentation on the integration of data and design in landscape architecture, emphasizing the importance of workflow, collaboration, and utilizing various software tools. As a landscape architect at EDSA in Fort Lauderdale, Devon shares insights into how data-informed design processes are transforming the industry. The presentation begins with Devon expressing excitement about discussing data-informed design, workflow, and tools utilized in landscape architecture. She highlights the goal of utilizing software without dead ends, exemplified by the transition from Rhino to Revit for documentation purposes. Devon discusses the utilization of data for visualization, analysis, and collaboration, showcasing projects where various so...Read More
Leading the Way: The Power and Potential of Landscape Architecture [Video]
Alex Fenech, a landscape architect with Hitchcock Design Group, delivered a compelling talk during the Land8x8 Lightning Talks in Miami. In his presentation, Alex emphasized the significance of leadership in the field of landscape architecture and aimed to inspire individuals at various stages of their careers, from students to seasoned professionals. Alex began the talk by defining leadership as the ability to influence and guide decisions, groups of people, and initiatives. He expressed his passion for leadership within the landscape architecture profession and aimed to encourage and empower the audience to embark on their leadership journey. Using quotes as a narrative thread throughout the presentation, Alex drew inspiration from Walt Disney, highlighting the transformative power of le...Read More