The Best Way to Say Happy Birthday to a Landscape Architect

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

Comturey-Keller green roof, by ZinCo and Thomas Steinmann, in Mainau Island, Germany. Even though green roofs have existed in architecture for centuries, their proliferation is a rather new trend in today’s world. More and more innovative solutions in green roof systems are being found, from succulent rooftops to full-scale gardens placed on top of buildings. Looking at all of these fantastic designs, we may think it is almost impossible to come up with a project that will surprise thousands of potential users. But let’s have a look at the Comturey-Keller green roof in Germany. Located on one of Germany’s biggest islands — Mainau Island — Comturey-Keller has had something unusual to offer its users since 2014. Originally a medieval fortress, the Comturey Tower has been redesign...Read More

The Blue Island, by Island Chen, in Matsu, Taiwan. Every year, thousands of people are drawn to the beaches of Taiwan to witness the glowing and sparkling water at night. What many don’t realize is that this beautiful spectacle is causing some serious damage to the environment. Island Chen, a recent graduate of the MA in Industrial Design from Central Saint Martins College, is trying to solve this problem by creating an installation that will not only act as an educational tool, but also maintain the tourist attraction. The county of Matsu is the smallest in Taiwan and also one of the most underdeveloped. This, coupled with its isolated location, has restricted its potential for economic development. However, since 2012, bioluminescent algae — called Dinoflagellates — has...Read More

Espace Bienvenüe: Paris Est. Scientific and Technical Pole by Jean-Philippe Pargade Architecte in Marne-la-Vallée, France. Paris Est. Scientific and Technical Pole came about in the spirit of creating a more sustainable urban civilization. The minds behind this project sought to achieve a unique blend of innovation and sustainable practice that would best benefit the local region while still maintaining an extraordinary aesthetic standard. The project is located in Cité Descartes within Marne-la-Vallée, which is just a 20-minute ride away from Paris and a central building block for the future development and re-imagining of eastern Paris. Marne-la-Vallée has a current population of about 280,000 residents, with the potential to hold up to 500,000. With the selling point being the maximum u...Read More

Park Groot Schijn, Maxwan architects + urbanists, in Antwerp, Belgium. The Park Groot Schijn is an excellent example of how collaborations between local residents and designers can yield beneficial results for everyone involved. A group of designers including Maxwan, Karres & Brands, and Ten Ten worked with residents of both Antwerp and the District of Deurne to create a masterplan that encompasses a wide range of activities and programs that benefit both the people using the space and the environment. The first phase to be built, a 6.5-hectare park, is centered among highways and two small rivers that help to define the space and also helped to determine its overall shape and design. When Maxwan and Ten Ten first visited the phase one site they found it was home to large native woodla...Read More

This infographic was originally posted on www.icebike.org.  Having published numerous articles on LAN in regards to the significant development of sustainable infrastructure in Copenhagen including bicycle tracks, it was only a matter of time before we were contacted to share an infographic on the topic. Below is an outline of the facts and figures that are contributing to Copenhagen becoming the ultimate bicycle friendly city. – Cykelslangen is part of Copenhagen’s vision to become the best cycling city in the world by the end of 2015. According to the VisitCopenhagen website, “Copenhagen’s ambitious goal for 2015 is that 50 percent of all who work in Copenhagen will commute by bike, according to the City of Copenhagen’s environmental plan, ECO-METROPOLE OUR VISION 2015, which toget...Read More

ENEL Pavilion, by Piuarch, in EXPO 2015, Milan, Italy. Can you imagine a forest composed not only of green trees but also of LED-illuminated vectors? Wouldn’t that be splendid? What if such a forest exists? Who wouldn’t wish to go there and be absorbed in the fascination of that daring design combination? To witness the encounter between natural and artificial? Although this collision may seem to have a dramatic and frightful ring, the truth is quite different. Because behind that innovative design we are going to tell you about stands a great idea — and an even greater cause. It is an influential aesthetic effect, and a feast for all your senses. If you are thirsty for something futuristic, inspiring, and ingenious, you have come to the right place. Light up your day by joining us o...Read More

The Coast, by Tierra Design, Sentosa, Singapore. In the heart of Singapore, it is often difficult to find a space secluded from the hustle and bustle of the city. For the last few years, landscape architecture in Singapore has concentrated on creating tranquil and luxurious private spaces — and residents of The Coast have paid a high price for just that. Situated in a residential enclave of Sentosa Island Cove, The Coast is a large apartment building — the only residential building with access to panoramic views of the South China Sea. The design is focused on creating a holistic integration of the built environment, combining architecture, landscape, and interior design. While the building itself is much like any other apartment building in Singapore, the outdoor complex makes...Read More