5 Patio Features for Dynamic Outdoor Rooms

Meeting Bowls, by mmmm… ,Times Square, New York City, USA. Sometimes we only need to think simple to make the best pop-ups! This was certainly the case for Times Square’s temporary transformation back in August 2011, when Times Square Alliance and the Consulate General of Spain in New York City agreed to manage a space to calm the non-stop hustle and bustle of Times Square. The finished product was a new public art installation of urban furnishing called the Meeting Bowls. The project was designed by Madrid-based mmmm…, a collective of four Spanish designers (Alberto Alarcón, Emilio Alarcón, Ciro Márquez, and Eva Salmeron), with the aim of giving the public another vision of what the most crowded street in New York City could look like with just a simple design that is more than eye ...Read More

Lonsdale Street, by Taylor Cullity Lethlean Landscape and Urban Design and BKK Architects, in Melbourne, Australia. Modern cities with interesting architecture and good infrastructure still have problems with green spaces. We have noticed that public squares are sometimes underdone or misused. It happens everywhere, but what is the first step to change this situation? First and foremost we should study excellent urban projects. Doing this enables us to take a fresh look at the matter or even find inspiration. On the other hand, we are able to find solutions to urban problems, such as heavy vehicular traffic. Development of motorized transport has had a major impact on the shape of cities. Wide pavements are being replaced with parking and roads. However, when public squares focus on pedest...Read More

Osum River in Berat Landscape Design- Design Competition – by Felixx. Architecture could be considered an imposing task. Human intervention inevitably changes the dynamics of a landscape. But what if the dynamics could become part of the project? What if design manages to complete the landscape instead of transforming it? The competition entry of the Dutch architectural firm Felixx for Osum River in Berat, Albania, is an exemplary project in that sense. The competition was held by the City of Berat and mandated by the Office of the Prime Minister. It was a ‘research by design’ international competition to propose the landscape development design for Osum Island in Berat and to explore ways of resilience using the island as a test site. The competition was completed in March 2015. Osu...Read More

Van Campenvaart, by Carve, The Hague, Netherlands. We live in a world filled with diversity. As adults, the more we test out unfamiliar places, the more we are exposed to all the differences that make up our world. This is also true for children. Play is a big part of children’s lives: In every child, there is a natural explorer willing to investigate new territories, which (let’s face it) exist practically everywhere. When a child plays, he gets to test out the capacities of his body as he explores the material world around him. This is also where children begin to navigate around the complexities of social interactions. For children with disabilities, their chance to play can often be limited by physical barriers and social exclusions. As sad as this sounds, we also live in a world that ...Read More

St Johannesplan & The Konsthall Square, by White Arkitekter, in Malmö, Sweden. The coastal city of Malmö, located just a short train ride from the Danish capital of Copenhagen, is one of the most diverse and fastest growing cities in Sweden. The population includes a huge proportion of immigrants and young people, as well as thousands who commute to and from nearby Copenhagen for work and school each day. Its diversity, combined with its unusual location, makes Malmö one of Scandinavia’s most unique and vibrant cities. St Johannesplan & The Konsthall Square Moving 37,000 People a Day Located outside of the main downtown district, Triangeln was a relatively quiet area until recently. With the completion of the new City Tunnel train connecting Malmö’s central station to Copenhagen vi...Read More

We take a look at 10 of the world’s best examples of  seaside regeneration projects. Edge, limit, border, extremity. All of these words signify the transition from one state to another — a differentiation of conditions, a change of form, a possible ending or beginning. The line between sea and land could not bear more meaning and significance. But what happens when one is asked to treat that line? To change it, re-shape it, or transform it according to human needs and desires? Here are 10 exceptional projects that unravel along the sea; penetrate it, break it, or bend it; and reveal what working on the edge means in landscape architecture. Seaside Regeneration Projects 1. Copacabana Beach Promenade, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by Burle Marx — A Top Classic Omitting the work o...Read More

Memorial to Victims of Violence, by Gaeta-Springall Arquitectos, Mexico City, Mexico. The power and importance of storytelling is a largely unrecognized force in landscape architecture. But it can be used to bring people together, learn about each other, and exchange experiences. Not all stories are easy to tell, however, and stories about violence might be some of the most unpleasant. Why would someone want to hear or tell stories about violence? How can such stories be told? Violence is one of the most important issues facing Mexico City, where it plays a role in Mexican society and in the daily life of the city’s people. Violence in the city has to be processed and discussed. Gaeta-Springall Arquitectos chose to address this theme by telling a story through a successful landscape design...Read More

Martin Luther King Park, by Atelier Jacqueline Osty & associés., in Paris, France. One of the most important things in landscape architecture design is making a clear assessment that can be accessible in the future. The method to get a successful result is to divide a proposal into parts in order to develop it stage by stage, providing a visualized target. Once the proposal is phased in years, it is easier for us to estimate the future situation as precisely as possible. Here is an excellent example that tells us how to process a project in phases and what we should take into account when designing in this way. Martin Luther King Park Martin Luther King Park is located in the Clichy Batignolles area of Paris, which was chosen to host the Olympic Village as part of the city’s bid for th...Read More

The Key Sathorn-Ratchapreuk Bangkok, by XSiTE Design, in Bangkok, Thailand. Living in Bangkok´s luxury residential condominiums at The Key Sathorn-Ratchapreuk seems absolutely tempting: great apartments equipped with the latest amenities, great views, and facilities available to help you switch off after work. How could that list of strengths be even more attractive? By including an elegant, open landscape designed for the neighbors to enjoy. Providing a relaxing green space is important, given the fact that the complex includes about 800 homes in four massive buildings. One of the most consistent design teams in Thailand took on the challenge. XSiTE Design Studio, with expertise in developing high-quality gardens, proposed contemporary and unadorned community areas at the ground level tha...Read More

Hill Square, by Buro Sant en Co Landscape Architecture, Tilburg, The Netherlands. Tilburg is a thriving Dutch city with an extremely diverse population, including almost one-quarter of foreign descent, as well as being home to many students. Historically speaking, the Hill has long been one of the most important public squares in the city, serving as a landmark and gathering area for locals. However, over the years, the square has been slowly becoming less and less relevant, as a rapidly changing population dynamic has transformed the needs of residents. Ultimately, this diverse and evolving community needed a new space, one that still offered the functions of a traditional public square, but which also could address some new needs. Hill Square A Refreshing Change: The Oasis in the City Du...Read More