10 Great Places to Study Landscape Architecture in Europe

A brief guide to notable places to study landscape architecture in Europe. The history of landscape architecture has its roots in Europe, with historical greats such as Andrew Jackson Downing and Gilbert Laing Meason, so why not go to the place where the greats had their origins? Today, Europe is home to over a hundred schools that offer courses in landscape architecture and below are some of the best. In no particular order here are 10 great places to study landscape architecture in Europe: 10. The University of Sheffield (United Kingdom) – Department of Landscape One of the largest schools for landscape architecture, the department is home to approximately 200 undergraduate and 150 postgraduate students, all there to obtain an education that uses both science and art to teach large scale...Read More

St. Jacques Ecological Park by Atelier des Paysages- Bruel Delmar. The prize winning project St. Jacques ecological park, located at the bottom of a valley in Saint Jacques de La Lande, Ille et Villaine northwestern France, provides the residents of its surrounding neighborhoods with a vibrant journey amid its natural and agricultural past and present. The Team That Designed the Ecological Park   The park is an outcome of the collaborated efforts of the landscape architecture office Atelier des Paysages- Bruel Delmar, LM Communiquer for design and communication, and Michel Danais for environmental and ecological advice. The Parisian landscape architects and urbanists Anne Sylvie Bruel and Christophe Delmar who had created Atelier des Paysages back in 1989, aim through their designs to...Read More

Central Plaza in Chiang Rai by shma. The Central Plaza in Chiang Rai designed by shma is a landscape of contrasts. Since this is the first upscale shopping mall in Chiang Rai, Thailand, the landscape architects had an opportunity to set a precedent for future developments in Asia and beyond. The Central Plaza parkscape provides ample public space and gathering area for shoppers and visitors while integrating history, culture, and local identity. The Central Plaza a Place of Opposites Mountains vs. Plains The overall design concept for the landscape was inspired by the local mountainous landscape. The rolling mountains and contours of the land are replicated in the paving patterns of the plaza landscape. Undulating topography defines spaces and frames views of the mall entrance and surround...Read More

The Canadian Museum of Civilization Plaza, by Claude Cormier Associates, Catinuae, Quebec, Canada.  The Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, takes its form from the expansive topography of the nation itself, with one end referring to the Canadian shield, the other evoking glaciers, and, in between, an esplanade mimicking the vast expanses of the prairies. The museum, known as the Canadian Museum of Civilization when it opened in 1989, was designed by architect Douglas Cardinal. His drawings for the project sought to emphasize the Canadian landscape, with a pavilion representing glaciers on one end and, on the other, the earth’s crust exposed at the surface in the region called the Canadian Shield. Although this museum is a major tourist attraction in Canada, with 1.3 million vis...Read More

Northala Fields, by Peter Fink and Igor Marko, London, UK.  This large park opened in 2008 as part of an ambitious plan for Northolt and Greenford Country Park in West London. The plan called for creating high-quality outdoor spaces along highway A40. There is a word to describe the surroundings before Northala Fields: pollution. That pollution manifested itself in terms of noise, visual impact, and poor air quality. Artist Peter Fink and architect Igor Marko took on the challenge of exploring economical solutions for sustainable design. Here’s how they made a difference and created an enjoyable place along the highway. Redesigning the Connections of the Landscape One of the main questions was about how the park would create connections and barriers to its surroundings and why. The park tu...Read More

Typically designers need no convincing that sustainable design is necessary to protect the earth’s health, its resources, and its ecosystems.  Sustainable design is becoming an increasingly comfortable topic in the public and corporate sectors too, regardless of whether the motivation for that shift is well-intentioned or simply a PR strategy.  In residential design though, it is difficult to ask clients to foot the bill for something they do not value.  How can landscape architects approach residential design in a way that encourages sustainable design practices when our clients’ values do not match our own? A number of practical methods can help us approach sustainable design in the residential sector.  Many of them require us to capitalize on the benefits of sustainable design beyond th...Read More

The Evergreen Brick Works by Claude Comier Associates, Toronto, Canada. Also known as Don Valley Brick Works Park because of its location in the Don River valley, this old brick works factory and quarry has been restored and re-naturalized to provide Torontonians with a high-quality and revered park and community environmental center. During the 100-plus years in which it operated as a brick works, materials quarried from the site went into numerous buildings constructed in Toronto and further afield. When raw materials ran out in 1984, the brick works closed, leaving behind a large industrial footprint — 16 industrial buildings, a damaged river floodplain ecosystem, and contaminated soil. During the early 1990s, the site was used for illegal raves and urban exploring. Graffiti took ...Read More

A Brief and Visual Guide to Historical Landscape Architecture. Although Scot Gilbert Laing Meason first used the term landscape architecture in 1828, humans have of course shaped the landscape around them since the inception of civilization. Over the centuries, mankind’s interaction with the land and the designing of it has led to the creation of a plethora of societies, cultures, and landscape technologies. Of the countless historical landscapes that dot the world today, I have chosen 15 to discuss — some well known and, hopefully, some that will be new to you. Historical Landscape Architecture 1. Patio de los Naranjos Located within the Mosque of Córdoba (or Mezquita de Córdoba, as it is known in Spanish), southern Spain, the Patio de los Naranjos is thought to be one of the oldest...Read More

The Commonground by Land Collective. The Commonground project in Indianapolis stands as more than just a gateway to a hospital or a threshold to a medical complex, but as a model for constructive collaborative design. Landscape Architects at Land Collective were just one of many active members of a team of architects, engineers, lighting designers and others who came together to make this project a reality. This programmed plaza at the Eskenazi Health Hospital is a new destination in downtown Indianapolis for everyone in Marion county whether they are actively receiving Eskenazi’s services or not. This model and concept of a garden for all became the central driving vision of the common ground plaza. The designers had a vision to create a space for everyone to gather, contemplate, relax an...Read More

Sun City Takarazuka by SWA. Many countries are dealing with the increasing demand for adequate housing caused by the fast growth of the population over the age of 60. Governmental and private companies around the world have been producing residential buildings for this part of the population, integrating health care and accommodation services. This scenario is changing the idea that people have about how would be the ideal place to live when they reach the old age. Instead of isolated country houses, community buildings are proving to be a more practical way of living that provides different kinds of services but most of them are still far from being the people’s dream homes mainly due to their resemblance to health care institutions. To transform these places into welcoming homes, archite...Read More