In the spring of 2015, tension and unrest erupted in Baltimore, bringing the issues of racism and inequality to the center of national media attention. Since then, these disparities have only become more prevalent as the voices of unrest grow louder – including in Ferguson, MO, Charleston, SC, and Charlottesville, VA to name only a few. These events have been a call to action for many, leaving many to consider how they can bring about change in our social system. While such issues may at first seem to be beyond the reach of design professionals, Richard Jones, President of Baltimore-based design firm Mahan Rykiel Associates (MRA), believes that it is necessary for the profession to address inequality so that we may better meet the needs of those we serve. During his presentation at Land8x8...Read More
At a time when environmental crises are becoming more prevalent and the health industries are acknowledging the critical role the environment plays on human health, designers are stepping up to explore how landscape architectural interventions can address health issues. The profession of landscape architecture is poised to tackle the issues of both human and environmental health, states Jorge “Coco” Alarcon of Peru at Land8x8 Lightning Talks. Promoting health in the fields of architecture and landscape architecture, Coco shared how he has leveraged his design background to improve the health of impoverished communities. Holding a Master’s of Landscape Architecture degree and working for the University of Washington, Coco’s research focuses on the relationships between green spaces an...Read More
In 2017, 112 million Americans listened to a podcast and 42 million listen to a podcast on a weekly basis. This amounts to 15% of the total US population, which is five times more than weekly visits made to the movies. “When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something NEW.” – Dalai Lama The reason why podcasts are so popular is because most of us want to learn new things and broaden our knowledge base. They are the 21st century’s offline radio. Podcasts can be a great tool for landscape architects to keep track of current trends and topics, feed new vocabulary to your brain, or give you a deeper perspective of the world. Next time you are doing research for a project you should take 30 minutes out of your day, possibl...Read More
As anyone who has sat for the LARE exam knows, at the top of the screen of every question is a tab that says, “Comments.” The first time I saw this, during the exam, I was intrigued. After all, CLARB’s LARE intro videos show examples of the exam interface, which show only the screen tab called, “Exhibits” for graphic questions on Sections 3 and 4. No mention is made anywhere about a tab called “Comments,” including during the tutorial given in the exam room prior to launching the LARE. “Would CLARB offer words of encouragement in this Comments tab?”, I wondered during the first few minutes of my exam. After the adrenaline rush of the exam’s first few minutes wore off, I did click on one of the Comments tabs, only to discover a blank window in which to type. Who will read this, ...Read More
There is something so serene about being in a forest. Whether it’s the peaceful silence or beautiful surroundings, being immersed in nature has actually been proven to affect you both physically and emotionally. However, while the forest is an environment often preferred by humans, it displays little resemblance to the loud and crowded cities in which most of us choose to live. With an increase in global urbanization, there is a need to adapt the urban environment, bringing aspects of the forest into our cities. During her presentation at Land8x8 Lightning Talks, Jana VanderGoot, architect and founding partner at VanderGoot Ezban Studio, explores how we can create cities that mimic the benefits of the forest. Forests have the ability to capture carbon, moderate temperature, purify water, a...Read More
In the Fall of 2017, the third annual Vectorworks Design Summit took place in Baltimore. The event, hosted near its headquarters in Columbia, MD, showcased the lineup of programs the company offers to the design world, including Landmark, their landscape-oriented platform. Similar to last year’s conference in Chicago, Land8 was there to bring you the latest from the software company as well as our take on the impact to landscape architects. This is Part III of our continuing coverage of the Vectorworks Design Summit 2017: Vectorworks Design Summit: Celebrating BIM for Landscape What’s New in Vectorworks 2018 Interview with Adam Greenspan of PWP Landscape Architecture ABOUT PWP LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Adam Greenspan, a design partner at PWP Landscape Architecture, has been the lead designer ...Read More
Despite their ability to treat stormwater, cleanse air, and improve mental health, plants are too often an afterthought in urban design projects. What is often considered decoration or “parsley around the roast,” as famed landscape architect Thomas Church describes it, may actually have the potential to address the challenges of urbanization. That’s what Thomas Rainer asserted at Land8x8 Lightning Talks, announcing “I think it’s time to re-evaluate how the profession of landscape architecture approaches planting design.” A leading voice in ecological landscape design, Rainer is among the cohort of practitioners who are turning away from conventional horticultural practices, which encourage arranging plants as individual art pieces, and drawing inspiration from the way plants grow in nature...Read More
By its nature, design evolves, responding to both context and conscious. Reflecting on the prestige and tumult of 2017 (there’s too many to list), has me wondering what the next iteration of landscape architecture will be. What’s on the horizon? What are the groundswell moments that will continue to gain momentum, and what are the emerging challenges that we must confront? From the continued ripples of the LAF Declaration to finding legislative footholds to the powerful Black in Design conference, 2017 was the year that landscape architects awoke to find value in participation beyond practice as well as placing continued emphasis on of the role of place in justice, economics, and environmental stability. In no particular order, here are 5 topics that are permeating the profession of landsc...Read More
This September, the third annual Vectorworks Design Summit took place in Baltimore. The event, hosted near its headquarters in Columbia, MD, showcased the lineup of programs the company offers to the design world, including Landmark, their landscape-oriented platform. Similar to last year’s conference in Chicago, Land8 was there to bring you the latest from the software company as well as our take on the impact to landscape architects. This is Part II of our continuing coverage of the Vectorworks Design Summit 2017: Vectorworks Design Summit: Celebrating BIM for Landscape What’s New in Vectorworks 2018 Interview with Adam Greenspan of PWP Landscape Architecture HISTORY OF LANDMARK Back in the day, the capabilities that are now part of the Landmark program began as just a series of pl...Read More
As the host of America Adapts – The Climate Change Podcast, I have the honor of talking to some of the world’s leading experts in climate adaptation planning. Drought, sea level rise, extreme storm events – you name it, climate change is likely to make these problems worse. How is society going to adapt to these massive changes? Well, landscape architects think they may have some answers. I was fortunate to participate in the American Society of Landscape Architects Annual Meeting & EXPO in Los Angeles in mid-October and heard many of their stories. Listen to the podcast above sponsored by Anova Furnishings. Here’s a question: What does climate change have in common with bagels? I’ll explain. One of the more curious, and surprising, things I learned at ASLA 2017 is how in t...Read More
“Why just make something, when you can create something that matters?” That’s the firm slogan that Stephanie Pankiewicz, Partner at LandDesign, considers throughout every project, and especially as she has had the opportunity to completely transform Tysons, VA. Currently known for its office parks, shopping malls, and traffic congestion, the future vision for Tysons is that of a high-density city — with walkable streets, an iconic skyline, and quality public spaces. With 14 active projects in Tysons, LandDesign is uniquely positioned to lead the city’s transformation, create something that MATTERS to the community, and set precedent for edge cities around the globe. However, communicating these large-scale changes to the many stakeholders, community members, and county officials has had it...Read More
This September, almost 500 design industry professionals descended on the inner harbor of Baltimore for the third annual Vectorworks Design Summit. The event, hosted near its headquarters in Columbia, MD, showcased the lineup of programs they offer to the design world, including Landmark their landscape-oriented platform. Attendance was a mix of landscape architects, architects, IT tech types, and entertainment professionals. Similar to last year’s conference in Chicago, Land8 was there to bring you the latest from the software company as well as our take on the impact to landscape architects. This article is the first of a 3 part series bringing you the sights and sounds from the 2017 Vectorworks Design Summit: Vectorworks Design Summit: Celebrating BIM for Landscape Vectorworks 2018 Over...Read More