10 AutoCAD Tips Every Entry-Level Landscape Architect Should Know

Chimecco Chime Bridge by Mark Nixon. The beauty of sound, movement and vision blend together in architect, artist and designer Marc Nixon’s interactive instrument and kinetic sculpture- ’Chimecco’. His creation is an installment of bell chimes that resonate a sweet melody. These giant and playful wind chimes hang below a bridge that is surrounded entirely by woodland. Passersby will experience a musical discovery as a harmonious sound escapes the chimes depending on the wind conditions. The London designer, wanted a presence of secrecy yet exposure within the elements of this kinetic sculpture. Chimecco Chime Bridge “Chimecco hides silently beneath the bridge in the forest until activated by human movements or the wind causing it to sing, dance and play with the senses.” – Mark Nixon...Read More

It’s Friday and you know what that means–another fantastic landscape architecture video! Developed by Room60, the same video production studio that created the popular ‘I want to be a landscape architect’ film, The Olympic Park: Landscape Legacy is an excellent glimpse into the history, design, and making of this great landscape architecture achievement.   From the description: “The 2012 Olympic Park in Stratford, London is a sustainable and contemporary urban park of international significance. This short film consists of interviews with some of the key players of the design and build of the Park, capturing the role landscape architecture had to play in it’s delivery. This film was commissioned by the Landscape Institute; an Olympic Learning Legacy Part...Read More

David Woo/Dallas Morning News Staff Photographer Tomorrow, November 22, a celebration of epic proportions will take place in Dallas. Oddly, the city is celebrating the life, legacy, and leadership of John F. Kennedy on the 50th Anniversary of his assassination. A date some wish would be forgotten; but many visitors, including 100s of press, from around the globe will be here to mark the occasion. As a Dallasite, I grew up hearing of the burden and shame the citizens carried because JFK was killed in our blossoming city. And from a young age I visited all the sites near Dealey Plaza, the site of the assassination: the ‘Grassy Knoll’, the Sixth Floor Museum at the Texas School Book Depository, and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza. Most conversations in these spaces revolved around conspira...Read More

What happens when landscape meets work of art? Art takes the scale of landscape and the results may be very exciting and unexpected. Discover the most extraordinary pieces of land art that challenge the imagination and engage a more creative and courageous approach when designing the next project. 10. Singing ringing tree This singing sculpture is set in a windy landscape near Lancashire, England, and when the wind blows it produces music. 9. Windstalk This conceptual project combines art, landscape, energy issues, and … romance. More than 1,200 55-meter-high stalks are lit up by an LED array, creating a dreamy star-like night scene. The stalks are organized in a logarithmic spiral resembling the center of a sunflower. The power of the project lies in the fact that it works as a wind turbi...Read More

You go to university to learn. Everybody knows that. As a student, increasing your level of intellect week after week is a rewarding feeling. This due to the aptitude of your lecturers and the knowledge they impart to you. Be that as it may, there are numerous bits of invaluable know-how that aren’t in your curriculum. Here are 7 things you must know to succeed as a student. 7. Keep up to date with the industry Be aware of what’s going on in the world of landscape architecture. Things like projects, news, trends, research, opinions, or topics of concern – the list goes on. Landscape architecture is an industry that’s continually evolving and growing, with so many exciting facets to explore and be well informed about. Keep browsing websites like this! 6. Start networ...Read More

Forget TV, this is one landscape architecture video series you won’t want to miss. This week, The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) just launched their video series highlighting the accomplishments of American landscape architect and National Medal of Arts winner Laurie Olin. With a career spanning over forty years on high-profile projects from Bryant Park to The Getty Center, Olin is one of the most influential and best-known landscape architects practicing today. Read on for some of our favorite video picks from the series!   Filmed as the tenth installment to TCLF’s online Pioneers of American Landscape Design Oral History, Olin Oral History consists of 29 illuminating segments offering eye-opening glimpses into Olin’s life, influences, and philosophy. Shot over the...Read More

This article is about the unsung side of landscape, which does not always translate into a glamour shot or critical praise. This isn’t about starchitect archiporn, its about all those smaller interventions that when added up makes the real city, which people inhabit. It is in these interventions where we look to the landscape for something more than aesthetic design. It is where we the people seek something in return. We all know that in many ways society — especially affluent society– is prone to being unwell. I don’t have to tell you about diet, substance abuse, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, mental illness, and social isolation, because chances are if you subscribe to LAN you probably know these facts. The big question is, what do we do about it? The Urban Land Instit...Read More

When it comes to water, flood prevention is one part of a much bigger picture for landscape architects – and that’s championing water sensitive urban design (WSUD). Landscape architects elsewhere in the world may know WSUD by different monikers, such as low-impact development (LID) or sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS). Regardless of the name, we at the Landscape Institute believe that attractive, liveable landscapes go hand in hand with smart water management. While many Land8 members may be most familiar with our commissioned animations like I Want to be a Landscape Architect and Water Sensitive Urban Design, the Landscape Institute is also involved in many other initiatives to encourage people to rethink our relationship with water. As the Royal Chartered Institute for landscape ...Read More

Welcome to the 6th edition of Sketchy Saturday, sponsored by Sprout Pencil, a pencil that grows! This week we had a particularly hard time making our selection and choosing the winner not only because all the drawings you sent us were awesome, but also because we have a reward for the best sketch! The winner will receive a lovely gift from Sprout Pencil! Nevertheless, here it is – a brand new selection of our readers’ drawings. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did! 10. Scott Simbler “This sketch was created on a rainy day sitting at a coffee shop on the east side of the river bank in the city of Bordeaux. I tried to capture the depth in which the colossal bridge links the two sides of the city with the beautiful skyline in the distance.” 9. Lindsey Tabor “Th...Read More