Spain’s Got Talent – 10 Examples of Spanish Landscape Architecture

Article by Radenka Kolarov – Following on in our world series we have selected 10 awesome projects that perfectly represents Spanish landscape architecture today. Spain is one of the world’s oldest cultures with a rich heritage that has influenced entire continents. Spain has tons to offer, from chorizos and matadors to flamenco dancing and Spanish guitars. It is the birthplace of the Spanish language, Pablo Picasso and Miguel Cervantes, and attracts millions of visitors every year because of its fantastic architecture and Spanish landscape architecture too. From the innovative playgrounds and multifunctional parks to the amazing solutions for public squares, either you enjoy the blending with nature, or perhaps the very contrast with the environment, but there is no doubt that you w...Read More

Article by Moreira Filho – Eden Soestdijk, by Mecanoo Architecten, in Baarn, Netherlands Working in landscape architecture requires a variety of knowledge within many multidisciplinary areas of construction. A sum of visual arts, design, architecture, engineering, historical and cultural heritage preservation, laws, botanic, illumination, hydraulic, topography, geology, and others will define whether a project will gather enough elements to win any competition. Wow, being a landscape architect it is not an easy task. A multidisciplinary team composed by Mecanoo Architecten, Kossmann.dejong and Royal HaskoningDHV developed a project for the Soestdijk Estate, transforming it into Eden Soestdijk, in Baarn, Netherlands, in a competition organized by the Dutch government. In fact, this pr...Read More

Article by Emily Sinclair – Dragon Lake Bridge Park, by AECOM, in Bengbu, Anhui Province, China The Dragon Lake Bridge Park, designed by AECOM designers Lee Yi and Lian Tao, in Bengbu, Anhui Province, China, is bringing the city back to its roots as a waterfront city. Bengbu is a mid-sized city in the Anhui Province of China with a population of nearly one million people. The Dragon Lake Bridge park lies in the centre of the city along one of the major lakes. The park, full of walkways and bridges, meanders along the bank of Dragon Lake, leaving many places for vistas and terraces to bring new views of the city and the water to those enjoying the park. Designed with gentle slopes and open pavilions, the waterfront has become a central destination for city-goers to enjoy at any time of day ...Read More

In this article, we look at how architecture can possibly combat air pollution and look at what the results of such solutions look like.  For decades scientists, urban planners and multiple other disciplines have been looking for ways to reduce air pollution in cities. Lately we’ve seen smarter cars, more bicycle paths, innovative transportation methods, and a surplus of propaganda promoting the benefits of walking whenever possible. While all of these incentives have become part of the strategy to reduce smog in larger cities, architects may have found a better solution. Can Architecture Combat Air Pollution? The Manuel Gea Gonzalwz Hospital in Mexico City fights pollution by having a veil like structure coated with titanium dioxide which helps break down pollutants like nitrogen ox...Read More

Article by Eleni Tsirintani – Zuidwestoever, by Guido Hermans: Stadsruimte, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands There are many ways to intervene into the landscape. It can be modified, reconstructed, handled, or simply maintained. The latter is also an intervention. Zuidwestoever design introduces all of the above in a single design gesture to create a new place for the citizens of Amsterdam where they can walk, sit, organize events or simply be next to the water. A new arrangement along the lakeside redefines the interaction with water, facilitates a number of new activities, and allows the citizens to enjoy a contemporary and high-quality public space. A set of linear wooden benches, specially designed and constructed for the site, articulate the new plan. Lines that bend, fold or unravel alon...Read More

Landscape Architects Network Features a Company Profile of Brummell Landscape Architects. Brummell is among the leading landscape architecture firms in Germany. It is known for its national and international projects, not to mention its style and innovation. Some of the services offered in Brummell’s diverse portfolio include — but are not limited to — water gardens, waterscapes, water management, gardening, bio-engineering, urban concepts, hotel resorts, and roof gardens. What started as a simple vision to make places greener and more user-friendly has led to an entire network of landscape architects known collectively as Brummell, working on numerous projects both inside and outside of Germany. Brummell is the design team behind many successful urban parks and squares in Germ...Read More

We live in a precarious time. Unprecedented some might say, where every day we have no idea which way our government is moving. Even the lifelong politicians (as well as the newbies) are confused by this uncertainty and lack of direction. I can’t recall a time where there was such uneasiness with our policies, funding, and dysfunction of both major political parties. All three branches of our government are in disarray, and who knows when chaos is going to erupt. I’m a baby boomer. That of a generation following World War II, with immigrant parents that came to this country for education and found themselves exiled here as China turned into a Communist country in 1949. There was no going back for them. I grew up with my formative years seeing our cities burn, and the white flight to the su...Read More

Article by Win Phyo – In this article, we take a closer look at landscape architecture today and investigate just what is wrong with this profession. In current times, we cannot deny that landscape architecture is indeed a growing profession. In 2011, the National Endowment for the Arts, NEC, predicted future job prospects for several artistic occupations through to 2018 within the U.S. and landscape architecture came out with one of the highest projected growth rates of 20%. Since 1863, when Fredrick Law Olmsted adopted the title “landscape architect,” the profession has digressed into several areas of expertise from landscape planning, to management, to design, which can be further divided into areas of conservation, science, the arts, and many other applications. So much so that l...Read More

Article by Gwgw Kalligiannaki – Little Bay Cove, by McGregor Coxall, in Little Bay, Sydney, Australia. Designed with the principles of “urban ecology”, the Little Bay Cove is an excellent example in which “the experience of the landscape has been carefully considered to support a diversity of spaces that provide a range of amenity”, as McGregor Coxall says of his project. His proposal is based on a grid, where housing typologies are placed. A water-sensitive design basis is incorporated into the central ecological corridor and public park, but also the streets themselves. Little Bay Cove Coxall’s design is based on reuse of the site’s materials and local plants, to ensure absolute sensitivity towards the local topography. As landscape architects analyze, plan, design, manage, and nur...Read More

Article by Irmak Bilir – Expo Antalya 2016 by Artı Architecture Engineering Consulting, in Antalya, Turkey. It’s sure thing that a botanic expo must give a significant point to flowers, and at the same time, if an exposition’s philosophy is “A Green Life for Future Generations”, it is a must to include “Children” in its theme. Botanic EXPO Antalya 2016, which is designed by Artı Architecture Engineering Consulting, bears the theme “Flowers and Children” with its slogan, Cultivating the Future. The sub-themes of the exposition are history, biodiversity, sustainability and green cities. Antalya is located on the south side of Turkey and it is a coastal city on the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world’s most popular tourist dest...Read More

Article by Amrita Slatch – Land Art Park Buitenschot, by H+N+S Landscape Architects, in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands When you land at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, you might not notice the 80-acre, diamond-shaped green space right next to one of the runways. But that’s OK. That is not the purpose of this green space. Instead, it is meant to solve one of the most basic issues faced by residential areas near airports: ground noise. The idea to deflect low-frequency noise caused by aircraft taking off from one of the busiest airports in the world is an amazing attempt at using the nature of plants to absorb sound. It’s a project that doesn’t just aim to beautify the open space with landscaping, but to technically mold the space to solve a much bigger problem. Let’s learn how H+N+S Landsca...Read More

Article by Anja Graner – LeMessi Labirinto di Jesolo, by Flavia Pastò, landscape architect, in Jesolo, Venice, Italy. In 2015, a unique and innovative attraction was initiated in Jesolo, a metropolitan town in Venice, Italy. It was LeMESSI, the corn maze, which attracted visitors of all ages and nationalities to test themselves on 6 kilometers of trails. The designers upped the ante in 2016, creating five different mazes with increasing levels of difficulty over an area of 50,000 square meters. The maze played an unusual role of connecting open air entertainment with the dynamic of local agriculture. Natural rhythms met the seasonality of the corn plant, whose cultivation is widespread in this region. Visitors and locals were able to experience a sustainable and affordable playground...Read More