When Going on Holiday is One Step out the Front Door

Article by Rose Buchanan – Total reading time 3 minutes Cyan, by ONG & ONG Pte Ltd, Bukit Timah, Singapore It’s not often that you see a residential development dominated by outdoor recreational space. In fact, most developments squash as many tiny living spaces as possible onto one property to “maximize” their return. This is not true of Cyan, a prime residential development located in Bukit Timah in Singapore. Cyan’s two 24-story towers cover just 18 percent of the total land area, leaving the rest of the site open for landscaping. What’s more, this landscaping does not simply consist of rolling lawns and occasional plantings, but boasts fully programmed spaces that create a magical, resort-like setting within the city center. With a gym, children’s play areas, spa facilities, ...Read More

Article by Nour Adel – Total reading time 3 minutes Jubilee Plaza, by Ubu Design, in University of Southampton “Space to walk is also space to think, and I think that’s one thing landscapes give us: places to think longer, more uninterrupted thoughts or thoughts to a rhythm other than the staccato of navigating the city.”― Rebecca Solnit, Storming the Gates of Paradise: Landscapes for Politics Who would not love a spacious outdoor plaza at their college, where they have a space for relaxing, socializing, and brainstorming? You guessed it; Nobody. The learning process has been changing throughout the years and students need spaces where they can sit back, relax, and unleash their creativity without being confined in a lecture hall. Jubilee Plaza Ubu Design has been commissioned ...Read More

Article by Eleonora Fiorin – Total reading time 4 minutes Pavilion for the Nature Concert Hall, by Architecture office DJA (Didzis Jaunzems Architecture), in Gauja National Park, Sigulda, Latvia. Sometimes, architecture breaks its boundaries and combines its identity with other human expressions to reach a higher level of communication with our sensibilities. This is the case with the Nature Concert Hall pavilion in Sigulda, Latvia. As we inquire into this construction, we will face something more: an idea revealed in an atmosphere, an experience realized only because of people believing in it, that goes beyond simple architecture. It has something to teach us. Nature Concert Hall 2005 is a non-profit organization whose aim is to create occasions, interactive events, and shows to hel...Read More

Article by Eni Çeka – Total reading time 5 minutes Vlotwatering Bridge, by NEXT Architects, Monster, Netherlands The Vlotwatering Bridge is a unique eco-friendly bridge that connects the residents of the Dutch town of Monster with the Poelzone, a recreational area located in the Westland region of South Holland. The 70-meter “Batbridge” was designed by NEXT Architects, a design office based in Amsterdam and Beijing and the construction was finished last October. The bridge improves the ecological value of its environment by providing an attractive roosting space for the local bat colony, who feed off the river insects. The architects were able to successfully merge the bat’s needs with a curvilinear path conducive for walks and bicycle rides. The serpentine structure is not only func...Read More

Article by Paula Uzarek – Total reading time 5 minutes Red Rouge, by 100architects, in Shanghai, China Do computer games influence landscape architecture; the art of arrangement of elements in a given space? When talking about inspiration, they sure do. It is also known that certain kind of games have an impact on our brain activity as they stimulate the processing of spatial elements. But what connects Tetris with public space design, and with the world of design itself? When looking at Red Rouge in Shanghai, it is striking that the simple, geometrical shapes of polyominoes from a popular tile-matching puzzle game can create an array of seating, tables, and walls in Bar Rouge terrace. This, Shanghai’s most privileged balcony, with a stunning view of the Pudong area, is enriched with...Read More

Article by Aybige Tek IBS Headquarters Phase 1, by Samoo Architects and Engineers, in Daejeon, KOREA. How does one create office spaces with a global sense of creativity within a fabulous landscape for people who are interested in science? Samoo Architects & Engineers, global design competition winner for the IBS Science Institute in Korea, absolutely nailed this. Their project for IBS Headquarters Phase 1 has brought to life a hub filled with study, research, and culture. The theme of the competition was “Cloud World”, which describes being a cloud of resources for scientists. The designers took the theme literally, creating building elevations that look like clouds with different blue color tones. IBS Headquarters Phase 1 Breathing Life into a Space for Science The site has a lot of ...Read More

Article by By Erin Tharp. Ming Mongkol Green Park,  Landscape Architects 49 Limited, in Mittraphap highway, Thap Kwang, Kaeng Khoi, Saraburi, Thailand Cleaning up and repurposing unused sites has become a major trend in landscape architecture over the last decade. Most of these sites are former brown sites that require some sort of remediation, but Ming Mongkal Green Park actually started out as a deteriorated orchard. Located on 22 rai on the Mittraphap highway near Thap Kwang, Khang Khol, Saraburi, in Thailand, the park is a Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative (CSR) by owner Siam City Cement. The owner contracted with Landscape Architects 49 Limited, which set out to create a place for environmental education and preservation awareness. Ming Mongkol Green Park They also wanted thi...Read More

Article by Rosa di Gregorio Urban regeneration strategies are a very broad and complex topic with endless variations. In this article, we address the issue of urban regeneration applied to residential neighborhoods, in regard to their degradation and marginalization. In talking about urban regeneration, the degraded public space can represent a specimen “to design laboratory”, capable of allowing investigations and experiences aiming to establish a new quality of life in housing, spaces, relationships, environments, and social interactions. The regeneration process of public residential areas can find its solution through a new way to approach open spaces. Today, many of these open spaces can be found in areas that have been abandoned or are incomplete, degraded, or unsafe. Reg...Read More

Article by Terka Acton Garden of Remembrance, Marburg, Germany, by scape Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany There is an open space in Marburg’s otherwise built-up city grid, a space that marks a significant absence. A synagogue designed by architect Wilhelm Spahr stood here from its completion in 1897 until its destruction on “Kristallnacht” — Nov. 9, 1938. From that point forward, the Nazi regime escalated the persecution of the Jews in Germany and Austria. Many synagogues were destroyed, along with the communities that built them. All but annihilated in the first half of the 20th century, Marburg’s Jewish community has since begun to rebuild itself, and its members have been determined to turn what had long been a gap in the urban fabric into a space that would be bot...Read More

Article by Win Phyo – Total reading time 5 minutes We take a look at 10 of the best platforms for online portfolios Dear students…we know this might be perhaps one of the most important times of the year for you. Whether you are at the beginning or the end of your student life, you will most likely be trying to get hired for a summer placement, your first job or maybe even on your way to saying bye-bye to University and starting your professional life. It can be an exciting and daunting experience. The job-hunting market can be competitive and you have to know how to put forward your best assets for a potential employer to notice you. Whilst you are busy finishing up your final projects, we aim to help you out with this as much as possible. Your portfolio plays a huge part in this pr...Read More

Article by Taylor Stapleton – Total reading time 4 minutes Indautxu Square, by JAAM sociedad de arquitectura, Biscay, Spain. When thinking of any European city, it is hard to imagine one without a city square. Urban squares are the essence of the European city. Often a symbol of the community’s identity, these squares serve important social functions, acting as gathering places, places of relaxation, or even just as pathways for people to pass through. When they work well, they can be the soul of a city. But when they are designed poorly, they become a place people avoid. Indautxu Square was the result of an ideas competition on how to use what was an under-utilized and closed-off space. Divided by a road, the area was depressed and largely ignored. Situated on top of an underground ...Read More