How a Holistic Approach to Landscape Architecture Prevents Rainforest Damage

Article by Paula Uzarek We review a holistic approach to Landscape Architecture in The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, by Malik Lip & Associates Sdn Bhd, in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia Think of limestone hills climbing vertically above geothermal hot springs, fused with a pristine, verdant rainforest and natural caves. What connotations appear in your mind? I see a sanctuary, a relaxing environment where I can escape from the external world, perfect for looking for balance and peace within myself. If I turn my thoughts to landscape architecture design, I see the use of natural materials and tropical plants. This space is not imaginary: It is the exact location and general idea of the Banjaran Hotspring Retreat, a great example of design blending in with the environment. Holistic Approach to Lan...Read More

Article by Miriam Judith González Bolívar We look at how to reduce vehicular impact in the development of the Village Centre project, by Alles Wird Gut, in Innichen, Italy Converting streets into pedestrian zones has become very popular. With the necessity of being more sustainable while taking note that walking is elemental for mobility, it’s an alternative transportation model that helps with climate change and certainly has health benefits. Nowadays, with motorized evolution, these places have been invaded by vehicles, reducing spaces for recreation, service areas, commerce, etc. The influx of transportation has become one of the biggest enemies to the cities. But wouldn’t it be nice to take back pedestrian areas in our cities? A great place to start is in the hearts of our cities. Redu...Read More

The Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) has recently announced the winners of its National Awards of Excellence. 11 projects received a national award and one project, Lasdowne Park was selected for the Jury’s Award of Excellence, “given to one project per year which best demonstrates the CSLA’s vision of advancing the art, science and practice of landscape architecture.” Per the CSLA, winners were selected by a national jury of landscape architects. The principal criteria applied by the jurors were: Demonstration of a deep understanding of the craft of landscape architecture and attention to composition and detail Demonstration of excellence in leadership, project management, breadth of work, new directions or new technology o Innovation in concept, pro...Read More

When I was a student, I had the wonderful opportunity to take a school field trip to south Florida and tour some of it’s most iconic landscapes. We embarked with the intent of inspiring our young minds with the possibilities of unique and prolific tropical flora as well as the colors, sights, and sounds of South Beach. Though I was struck by the breadth of Fairchild Gardens and the charm of Lincoln Road, the most wonderful part of the trip was a private tour of a sprawling residential landscape by the designer who had actually led the project. I found myself in disbelief that the plants and rocks before me had actually be set there with intent. Everything looked so natural! My classmates and I were dumbfounded and many of us hoped (and still hope) that one day we would have the skill to cr...Read More

Article by Erisa Nesimi We take a look at 6 unique parks that have significantly contributed to their community. Stating that parks are important for our cities is not breaking news; the advantages of these spaces are generally well known and accepted. Ever since the Garden City movement in the 1900s, the importance of such green spaces has been considered in a significant way. Nevertheless, nowadays, it is not enough to simply make parks a part of our cities; it’s important how we do that. Parks have been shown to be elements that make the world a better place in which to live, but the question you might surely ask is, how? As a person living in a city where parks are generally not well designed, I can tell you that the impact of these environments can be huge. There are several reasons w...Read More

Article by Eleni Tsirintani 8 House and Landscape Design, by BIG | Bjarke Ingels Group, in Copenhagen, Denmark. The architects have designed a neighborhood in horizontal layers, like a built cake, as they put it in their presentation.  The distinct layers diversify and intersect according to the program and the functional demands. The massive scale of the intervention questions the boundaries between building and urban planning. The diversity of spatial experiences, the combination of functions and the great importance given to sustainability are only few of the project’s merits. 8 House: A Gordian Knot in Copenhagen The project is located in the outer edge of the city in the area of Orestad, in Copenhagen. It is the largest private development ever undertaken in Denmark. The complex accom...Read More

Article By Tahio Avila We take a look at 5 Projects That Make Incredible Use of Water Let’s get lost in the projects that landscape architects are developing more and more every day. It’s clear we are in the sustainable era, where every design we make should be eco-friendly and sustainable. Searching for projects that include the element of water, I realized that every one of them had something in common: the concept of sustainability. Over the past several years, landscape architects have been using water as an accessible resource, using it as a way of getting renewable energy or just designing projects that will help the community collect it. The projects in this article will help us understand why water shouldn’t be a single-use item. Many interesting projects have being developed in co...Read More

Article by Luis Guísar The historical war site, the Bluff, by OMGEVING, in Ypres, Palingbeekstraat, Belgium. OMGEVING architects were in charge of the landscape design for one of the most important battle zones of World War I, the Ypres Salient in Belgium. The design was conceived subtly, in order to respect the site’s history and its present conditions. It was not OMGEVING’s intent to send visitors down into war trenches or inside a bomb crater. What really mattered to the design team was to improve access for visitors so that visitors can see what the unique landscape framework in which the fighting took place looked like. Thus, the design leaders decided that the project would pay tribute to the site’s history by its own subtlety. Historical War Site To Understand the Present, We Must U...Read More

Article by by Elisa A.M.Varetti 10 SketchUp tutorials that will suddenly turn you into a SketchUp pro. Have you always wanted to know how to use SketchUp but never tried to because you thought it was too difficult? Have you always wanted to learn SketchUp’s deep secrets and become a master in this software? If your answers are yes, you need to read this article and discover 10 unmissable tutorials that will teach you, step by step, how to improve your knowledge and make you become a SketchUp Master. Be sure to pay attention to all of them and use them to develop you skills in your spare time as each one of them has something different to offer in terms of practical information. 1. Let’s Start WATCH >>> Just the Basics 1. Import Reference Image – SketchUp Tutorials For Landsc...Read More

Article by Nick Shannon Tagus Linear Park, by Topiaris Landscape Architecture, in Póvoa de Santa Iria, Portugal. Water is the most important resource on earth, and everything we do as landscape architects has an impact on water in one way or another. It is a major part of why cities are located where they are, and the interface between land and water is a dynamic zone where development often occurs. Man has altered the shore condition through building on floodplains or under sea level, causing damage in the long term. Today, we need to make waterfronts more resilient through new development and design while encouraging public access through public space. The field of landscape architecture can become a leader in this movement, and a lot of projects are addressing these issues. Topiaris Lan...Read More

Article by Terka Acton Public space renewal in Celje’s Old City Centre, by Darja Matjašec, Sergej Hiti, and Klara Sulič of Ljubljanski urbanistični zavod, d.d. (LUZ), Ljubljana, Slovenia. Cities must adapt if they are to survive. Faced with a shrinking, aging population in its city center, the municipality of Celje resolved to redesign and revive Celje’s open public spaces. For the most recent stage of this work, they engaged Darja Matjašec, Sergej Hiti, and Klara Sulič of LUZ. As landscape architects working in Slovenia, LUZ’s designers are experienced in negotiating the delicate balance between honoring the past and creating spaces for the future. This is something of a Slovenian speciality, as LAN’s Erin Tharp showed in How Velenje Promenada brought light and sunshine back to the city. ...Read More

Article by Lidija Šuster Following on in our world series we have selected 10 awesome projects that perfectly represent landscape architecture in China today. It is known world-wide that China is a very active country in all areas of life (civil engineering, martial arts, all sorts of industry, etc.), but what stands out the most is the landscape architecture. As a part of a “Got Talent” series, like USA’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent, we are now introducing you to the top 10 outstanding projects from China. Let’s take a closer look at them, because they’re showing us what sustainability, functionality, creativity, and environmental care really means. 10 Awesome Projects From The China 10. Zhengzhou Vanke Central Plaza, by Locus Associates, Zhengzhou Creating high-quality public spa...Read More