6 Reasons Why You’d Want to Visit Parco Portello in Milan ASAP

Parco Portello, by LAND Milano srl, in the Portello District, Milan, Lombardia Region, Italy. To design a public space is always an interesting challenge for a landscape architect. There are many problems to solve, not least of all maintenance. Managing to get people populating it is the best possible way to prevent the place from bad behaviors. But what should one do to get this result? Providing a public park with playgrounds, water features and climbing bars can help in the situation but that’s not all. What makes the difference between a popular place and a deserted one is the designer’s abililty in telling a story. The project of Parco Portello in the Portello Distric of Milan, Italy, designed by Landscape Designer Charles Jencks and Landscape Architect Andreas Kipar, boss of LAND Mil...Read More

Hjorthagen Entrance Square, by Nivå Landskapsarkitektur AB, in Stockholm, Sweden. Spaces of movement such as streets, sidewalks, bridges, train stations and entrance squares are often put in a category of secondary relevance by us, in contrast to the spaces of lingering around, for example parks, squares and gardens etc. They are almost never a destination point; they are rather places that we use as transit to reach our targeted location. Hence, to a landscape architect, designing spaces of transition requires him or her to embody the movement itself, like a dancer or an athlete studies every move of their choreography, and to be able to transform this simple moving experience of the pedestrian to more than just a transition. Hjorthagen Entrance Square Hjorthagen square represents a succe...Read More

Laurel Way by Whipple Russel Architects, in Beverly Hills, California (U.S.A.)  Collective imagination goes into overdrive when looking at such an iconic and well-known city as Beverly Hills. Most people know about its ostentatious properties and palm-fringed avenues, but today we will stay far from such commonplaces to introduce you to a project of a different standard. From the outside, Laurel Way Residence is a contemporary three-story house which greets Los Angeles from the top of an exuberant green terraced hill. Each internal environment of Laurel Way had to be a “jewel box; an individually conceived, precisely functional, and dramatic sensory experience” in words of the design team. This description is tempting, but not enough. Why does this project stand out, even in its luxury con...Read More

A Fireplace for Children, by Haugen Zohar Arkitekter, in Skjermveien Kindergarten, Trondheim, Norway. Landscape architecture is usually associated with grand scale. Landscape design signifies decisions that may have implications on an urban or even territorial level. However, there are small landscape projects or rather, installations, which function like gentle gestures to enhance outdoor, spatial experience. A small cabin in the town of Trondheim in Norway belongs to this type of project. The structure serves as a sheltered fireplace for children. It complements the playground equipment that already exists on the site. It is used for playing, storytelling and enjoying being near the fire. A Fireplace for Children The design team, Haugen-Zohar Arkitekter, has managed to combine in this sm...Read More

We explore the reasons why cities should daylight rivers. Every city in the world has hidden secrets which lie beneath its tarmac, concrete or buildings. In many cities, these secrets come in one powerful form: underground rivers and streams. Some cities have recognised the potential to lift the lid off these watercourses and “Daylight” them. The results have been astonishing and have benefitted the natural, urban as well as the social environments. With this in mind, we thought we would highlight 10 reasons why more cities should do the same. Daylight Rivers 1. Reduce Flooding Many streams and rivers in cities have been forced to go underground in an attempt to remove stormwater as quickly as possible from the urban environment. This, however, often results in a flash flood during heavy r...Read More

We take a trip down memory lane and honor some of the most influential landscape architects in the history of the profession.  Gone, but not forgotten: This is the legacy of 10 influential landscape architects, who have made their mark on history both physically (in their lasting designs) and spiritually (in their influence on the profession). Listed in chronological order, behold LAN’s top 10 most influential Landscape Architects of all time. 1. André Le Nôtre (1613-1700) As the son and grandson of gardeners of the French court, André Le Nôtre learned about art and architecture from his early childhood on. He grew up to become gardener to the king’s brother and other French lords, and his first gardens sowed the seeds of his unique and thorough landscape architecture perspective. Hi...Read More

We take a look at the question “Is Drawing a Natural Talent?” and help to understand what lies beyond the artist and their abilities. When it comes to drawing as a form of art, there are many facts and suggestions dealing with the power of this form of communication and also many books and tutorials, where every day we can see examples of excellent drawings and drawing techniques. Whether they are done with pencils, pen, ink, fiber-tip pens, chalk, charcoal, crayons, pastels, digital drawing or a combination of all these techniques, we look at them with much enthusiasm and admiration. Some of the drawings look so real that we can not even tell whether they are pictures or drawings. For those who are not sure how to overcome the overwhelming choices between all these drawing tec...Read More

This week’s Sketchy Saturday Top 10. Sketchy Saturday brings with it another whirlwind of talent and styles as we get set to announce this week’s top 10. Covering the globe, over a range of skill levels, it truly is a hard job to determine who gets that coveted top spot. But low and behold someone always manages to elevate to the top spot, sometimes our choice is obvious, sometimes it is debatable. Have a look at our choice for number spot this week and let us know if you think we got it right. Enjoy this week’s Sketchy Saturday top 10! 10. by Susan Isawi “I drew this sketch when I was in Porto, I was inspired by the elements that were different. All heights and styles where different, but at the same time in harmony between them. It is a black and white pen drawing, that perha...Read More

The Watchet Pavilion, a 3 Day Workshop by LT Studio and Invisible Studio, in Watchet, Somerset. It took Marc Dix of LT Studio Landscape Architects, Piers Taylor of Invisible Studio, and a team of 50 community volunteers just three days to build a pleasure garden pavilion to be enjoyed by everyone in the community. This project represents a unique opportunity to create a perfect public space for the community and an ideal tourist attraction to enjoy for years to come. The three-day long workshop has harnesses the energy from this committed team of local community members who weren’t afraid to come together and to build their own space from scratch. They have reclaimed the wasteland- a derelict former Victorian pleasure garden- and turned it into something useful. This project, shows what ca...Read More

Ford Motor Assembly Plant, by Copley Wolff Design Group, in Somerville, Massachusetts.  The reuse of existing infrastructure appears very often in contemporary architectural design. Experts are asked to preserve and at the same time modify buildings and landscape sites in order to serve contemporary needs. The balance between evoking the memory and creating a functional and inspiring project is always difficult. Ford Motor Assembly Plant in Somerville, Massachusetts, is an example of how to make a successful transition from a production unit complex to a contemporary, vibrant neighborhood. The plant had been closed since 1958 due to the economic recession. It reopened in 2006 as a 24-hour, mixed-use district, with residential, retail, office, cinema, restaurant, hotel, and recreational ope...Read More