Ultimate Luxury Living at Wilson Plaza in Nice, French Riviera

Wilson Plaza, by  IN SITU, in Nice, French Riviera. In the centre of Nice, in a listed building, Wilson Plaza offers stunning rooftop villas, penthouses and an entire floor of modern commercial space, which are now all available for purchase. The Wilson Plaza combines historical roots, contemporary resorts and visionary urban planning. The exciting project, by Wilson Development, was created with a very clear goal in mind. “The idea is that of living in the sky, with the sunlight and the treetops, in the very heart of Nice, bringing together contemporary requirements with Nice’s historical roots,” said Laurent Salimpour, who runs Wilson Development with his uncle Joseph. Crystalline Glass Canopies The urban loft villas, sitting high above the treetops, feature generous terrace ‘conservator...Read More

We explore the idea that ultimately all public spaces, should be designed with children in mind.  Unless a playground is being designed or codes are being reviewed, most landscape architects don’t usually stop to think about how their spaces will be perceived and used by children. But maybe we should? After all, children are future adults and what they believe and do while they are growing up are inevitably the things that will shape the future for not only them but for landscape architecture and us as well. I became pregnant in my second semester of grad school while studying landscape architecture and after having my child and returning to school I suddenly found myself in opposition with many of my classmates and professors over my design choices. All of a sudden every space I saw sudde...Read More

As technology and infrastructure improved, rivers became less and less important and more  and more forgotten about. We look at 10 cities reconnecting with their rivers.  We are living in an era in which for the first time since the industrial revolution we are witnessing a complete shift in the way the relationship between the city and nature is represented in our cities. Architects, planners, landscape designers, artist, politicians and society are getting together to find ways to reintegrate nature into the cities through their often forgotten rivers. Some are pushing away infrastructure or rediscovering abandoned industrial riverside heritage to reintroduce nature and increase the quality of life of the surrounding areas. Other are taking it to a completely new level – thinking of a re...Read More

We will explore the potential opportunities for rivers to be used as a transportation route, as well as some concerns that may arise. As our population is exploding, urban areas are experiencing a dramatic increase in demand for affordable housing, transportation infrastructure, and job opportunities. As landscape architects, we have the opportunity to partake in the conversations of how to deal with this demand, and how to solve some of these problems. We will focus on the issues of transportation, a topic where we have the opportunity to design and facilitate new ways to get around cities. One exciting mode of transportation that has the potential to be used is rivers. Can they provide useful transportation routes in the 21st century? Importance of Water Around the world, most major citi...Read More

We look at attractive methods to hide your AC unit. If you live in a place where the summers are hot, there’s a good chance you have an air conditioner in your yard. Although an air conditioner can be a godsend when it comes to keeping you cool and comfortable inside, it can be a real eyesore outside. Don’t let your AC unit spoil the look of your otherwise perfectly styled backyard. Using clever landscaping architecture, you can effectively hide that unsightly air conditioning unit without compromising its ability to keep things cool inside. Before you start piling plants on and around your AC unit, remember that it does need space to breathe if it is going to work properly. Your AC not only blows cool air into your house, it also vents warm air out. Before you build any sort of covering f...Read More

The Infinite Bridge, by Gjøde & Povlsgaard Arkitekter in Aarhus, Denmark. In 2015 the duo of Gjøde & Povlsgaard Arkitekter debuted their sensational Infinite Bridge which lets us experience the impossible. As if walking on water, we are being given the opportunity to encounter our surroundings from a whole new perspective- not to be experienced anywhere else in the world. The Infinite Bridge was built and exhibited as a part of the annual international biennale- “Sculpture by the Sea 2015”, which takes place in the coastal and picturesque Danish city of Aarhus. The Infinite Bridge The architects have chosen the bridge to be circular as to allow its users to encounter the surrounding landscape from limitless angles and orientations. This feature creates a sensation of experiencing t...Read More

If you don’t specialize in something, you play the risk of being highly replaceable and achieving standard results. Carving out a niche for yourself is one way to avoid this happening. Have you ever had any doubts that landscape architecture may not be your calling? Perhaps everyone’s had such uncertainties at some point of their studies. After all, to become a landscape architect, one must sacrifice a great deal of time, resources and efforts. It is perfectly normal to speculate on the question, “Did I choose the right career for myself?” And what if five years at the university have passed unnoticeably, and you find yourself at the crossroads because you don’t have a clue which way to go. If you have come to the conclusion that being a landscape architect isn’t your dream job, what...Read More

We were contacted by LAN fan Ignacio J. Raffa, who wanted to get the landscape architect and fiancée in his life a thoughtful gift for her birthday. His fiancée, Evelyn is a 22 years old 2nd year Landscape Architecture student at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina and she is currently  doing a language course in Germany. Ignacio, a software engineer from Argentina jumped to the occasion and decided to purchase a LAN VIP Subscription in her name. So from fiancé Ignacio and all of us at LAN, we’d like to wish Evelyn a very special happy birthday and we hope she gets all the inspiration she needs from all the wonderful projects and ideas that we share here on LAN. Below you can see some of Evelyn’s student work:  If you wish to purchase a gift subscription for someone you c...Read More

Museum of Nature, by Ilkka Halso, set in the distant future on Earth. A rollercoaster track loops over an idyllic riverscape, creating a clear reflection in the water as it dances off into the distance like a great serpent; a single tree lies in the middle of a paved square encircled by benches in an enclosed room with light piercing through a single hole, as though the tree was the main attraction; a cinematic room faces not a large digital screen but a pristine waterfall scenery, untouched, bright and idyllic in comparison to the dark auditorium. Through the combination of landscape photography and computerized 3D models, the photographic series of Museum of Nature only suggests idyllic scenery at the first glance. Through careful observation do we realise that the nature we know and can...Read More

Sandgrund Park, by Thorbjörn Andersson, in Karlstad, Sweden. “Water is the driving force of all nature.” Never has this statement by Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) rung truer for us than in recognizing the sheer impact Thorbjörn Andersson Landscape Architects have made on one dramatic landscape in a place that is suspended between land and water. Sandgrund Park in Karlstad, Sweden, is situated on a sandy peninsula that flows into the Klar River. The driving force behind the different aspects of the park is one’s physical closeness to water — and ultimately to its meditatively calm to raging aspects. The park exemplifies a project that takes full advantage of the abundance of opportunities created by the location and creatively plays on the magical attraction we have with one of the st...Read More

We will explore some of the reasons why you think you suck at hand drawing and how to change that. Landscape architecture requires a broad set of skills to understand a site and to propose a design. Among the most important of these skills is hand drawing. Being able to sketch an idea or a landscape gives you the ability to understand it at a deeper level in a relatively quick time. It is also one of the best ways to have a conversation with a client. Learning how to draw isn’t as hard as it seems, and now is the best time to learn. We all want to be good at hand drawing, but what are the things that block us from doing so? 10. You Don’t Think You Can More than often, our minds are our biggest roadblock and we don’t even realize it. Drawing is all about attitude and confidence. If you thin...Read More