Five Recommended Reads for the Summer

It’s summer and that can mean a slowing down of creative interchanges in the classroom or at local professional events. Sometimes Dallas and other cities across the US seem to be in a kind of lull with the summer heat and the lessened activity compared to spring and fall. A stack of lighter books on hand will help keep that creative spark alive into the fall. While these are not novels for summer beach reading, the following five books will keep your designer mind sharp and your curiosity intrigued. In August, another set of five recommendations will finish out the summer. The Inspired Landscape: Twenty-One Leading Landscape Architects Explore the Creative Process by Susan Cohen This book comprises case studies of creative inspiration behind a project for twenty-one renowned landscape arch...Read More

Most people’s interaction with maps is on their phone these days and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. However, the landscape architect knows that mapping is one of the keys to both speculative design and its representation. A map “merges spatial precision and cultural imagination.” With data being increasingly ubiquitous, the transformation of maps into artistic visualizations has increasingly become a greater part of the design process. At the same time, data can be a crutch that eliminates “speculation and agency, while supporting a methodology that looks for projects to emerge out of an illusory objectivity.” Cartographic Grounds: Projecting the Landscape Imaginary  explores the varied methods of geographic representation and the intricacies ...Read More

Article by Erisa Nesimi In this article we explore green roof benefits, looking at 20 reasons why you should have a green roof. If I am to define green roofs, I would like to describe them as: ‘tools to reinvent our cities’. Also known by the term “living roofs”, they stand for a counteraction to the fast urbanization of our cities. As a result of urbanization and technology, we are left with cities which are often non- enjoyable environments. Sometimes considered as a pile of concrete (concrete jungles), we have the duty to come up with ways to make our cities great again. Why green roofs? What are their benefits? I’m quite sure that a lot of you out there are very tired of hearing such a cliché phrase again and again; “we should have more green roofs”. Nevertheless, is this just a buzzwo...Read More

Article by Carlos Cortés Why is designing with varying levels a challenge for the user and the landscape architect? – 10 10 projects that show us how to design with varying levels. Playing with the varying levels of a landscape invites users to experience and discover what each point of the site has to offer. It promotes a more conscious visit of the place through its vistas, spots, and of course the overall big picture. Nonetheless, for designers and landscape architects, it’s a challenge to know when and how to play with levels. This is because every project is unique and responds to different conditions. Let’s take a look at 10 projects that show us amazing ways to design with varying levels. 10. Where the River Runs, by Penda, inside the 10th China International Garden Expo, Wuha...Read More

Article by Moreira Filho Leyteire Courtyard Project, “Opération Campus” at Victorie Campus of Bordeaux University, France, by Debarre Duplantiers Associés Architects, Landscape Architects and Urban Designers. An iron gate opens at Bordeaux University, inviting entrance, offering pieces of green and benches for sitting. Inside the campus, you may notice how important and special this place is: islands of heat – so commons nowadays – are relieved by the freshness of this courtyard. Leyteire Courtyard takes place at “Opération Campus” at Victorie Campus of Bordeaux University, France, in a big block among Leyteire, Broca, Candale and Gintrac streets, in front of Victorie’s Square. This picturesque plaza in the historical Bordeaux downtown deserves a design like Debarre Duplantiers...Read More

Article by Erisa Nesimi We explore 10 projects that were made successful by their focus on being people-oriented designs. Design is a discipline that, regardless of its subject, is closely related to people, because they are at the end of the chain. Designs that listen to the end users are being implemented in projects all over the world and have been very successful. I strongly think that they are the key to better living conditions and healthier lives. Therefore, I want to share with you some great examples of landscape designs that focus on people’s needs, raising awareness on social sustainability. As Jan Gehl, an important figure in urban design, has stated: “Only architecture that considers human scale and interactions is successful architecture.” People-Oriented Designs Here are 10 ...Read More

“When people think about what influences elected officials, nine times out of ten their first thought is money… Clearly, skepticism reigns supreme when it comes to our views of how to influence a policymaker.” – Stephanie Vance, “Citizens in Action” Despite being “for the people, by the people,” our representative democracy can seem distant. It can appear inaccessible and elitist, particularly when sensationalized by the “yellow journalism” of contemporary news media. Lobbying, and by extension advocacy, further brings to mind a hidden element of governance. Because of that, they are both practically four letter words. While this presidential election cycle has brought to the forefront the concept of politicians being “bought” by powerful lobbies, simply viewing government as a trade...Read More

Article by Farah Afza Jurekh We explore 10 awesome YouTube tutorials to master hand drawing.  Hand drawings are simply the visual translation of the thoughts of our creative minds. In architecture, hand drawing is one of the most powerful and essential tools. The sketches and drawings of architects should be able to speak, obviously metaphorically; it means that they should be able to communicate with our clients. It must be a medium to express and convey our thoughts and ideas. Now, if you are a beginner, I will suggest that you read this wonderful article; The Complete Beginners Guide to Improving Your Hand Drawing by my colleague Carlos Cortés. For those who have already read this helpful article, assuming that you are now a pro in hand drawing, you need to give your masterpiece life wh...Read More

Article by Rose Buchanan We take a closer look at 10 projects that show how Turenscape is Leading the way in ecological design. The name Turenscape is derived from two Chinese words: “Tu” (meaning “land”) and “Ren” (meaning “people”), combined with the English word “scape” to create a word that indicates the harmony between land and people. It is this philosophy that drives the creativity behind the multidisciplinary firm and allows them to create landscapes that are both ecologically ground-breaking and culturally significant. Turenscape is undoubtedly a favourite of Landscape Architects Network and so we thought it fitting to feature 10 of their ecologically powerful projects. Turenscape is Leading the Way 1. Floating Gardens at the Yonging River Park, Taizhou Turenscape approached the d...Read More

Article by Irene Crowo Nielsen Hart’s Mill Surrounds, ASPECT Studios, Port Adelaide, SA, Australia. It is no secret that children (and adults, for that matter) are attracted to bright colors. Did you, for example, know that yellow is the color people most associate with amusement, optimism, gentleness and spontaneity? That is also a description that fits the Hart’s Mill Surrounds, by ASPECT studios in Port Adelaide, perfectly, and what it quickly has come to represent. But it was not always like this, in fact the historic area around the Hart’s Mill used to be an abandoned, unused, impermeable, contaminated piece of asphalt with weeds growing from the cracks. So how did ASPECT Studios manage to turn this piece of asphalt jungle into an energetic community hub and integrate cultural heritag...Read More

We investigate which landscape design software should be on your radar if you want to use the best program out there.  Are you a techy person, interested in using design software? Want to stay on top of the landscape architecture game? Here at LAN (Landscape Architects Network), we have offered several articles that dive deeply into this subject: Ashley Penn has given us the essential guide to a range of landscape design software options to suit any budget and writer Paul McAtomney has also given the low-down on some of the top 3D modeling software. The following list is of the top landscape design software programs that you should definitely be using or at least trying out throughout your student life and professional career. We will take you through the best options, used by some of the ...Read More