6 Reasons Why Our Future Depends On Landscape Architecture

What does our future on planet earth hold for us?

It’s a question asked all to0 often, and one that isn’t easy to answer. The landscape provides the fundamental support system for life on earth. With the seven billion people and counting that populate planet earth; landscape architecture plays a climacteric role in the shaping of both rural and urban environments.

As landscape architects, both present and future, we are primed with the prowess needed to tackle the copious challenges that our planet faces, both present and future. Here are 6 reasons why our future depends on landscape architecture.

1. Food security

The health and sustainability of the global food system is under serious threat, being touted as the greatest problem in our existence. This is in large part due to the explosive world population growth in the past century from 1 billion to 7 billion people. Food is common ground within our communities and has the ability to bring people together. Landscape architects are the key to fostering cultural awareness of food practices towards more local, resilient food systems and designing for maximum food self sufficiency in the future.

2. Climate change

The unequivocal effects of climate change and global warming are beginning to reveal themselves the world over; affecting water systems, weather patterns and temperatures, as well as both animal and plant life. Landscape architects will continue to be pivotal in the mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The work of landscape architects will continue to not only minimise the existing damage our planet has succumb to; but also to fervently protect, enhance and regenerate lost or fragile ecosystems.

Tree avenue at Goncalo De Carvalho in Brazil. Credit: Adalberto Cavalcanti Adreani

3. Sustainable transportation and walkable environments

Cars; they paralyse city streets, damage the earth, and damage us. With dwindling oil supplies, public transportation and pedestrian prioritisation are the ways of the future. Proximity to quality public transport has been shown to enhance one’s quality of life. The landscape architecture profession possesses the know-how and creative knack to design rich the multitude of pedestrian experiences and pleasurable public transport systems that await us.

“BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group – SUK – Superkilen Park “. Source, licensed under CC 2.0

4. Mental health and active living

It is not groundbreaking news that access to quality urban parks and green spaces facilitate exercise related benefits. However, more recent studies allude to significant holistic benefits, including mental health. As city’s urban realms continue to grow, so to0 do inhabitants expectations for quality of life. Cities will inevitably face increasing pressure to provide urbanites with respite, with landscape architects being poised to capitalise upon this exciting nature-mental health link.

Colors used to great effect at the Crown Sky Garden; credit: Mikyoung Kim Design

5. Historic preservation and restoration

Landscapes of major historical and cultural significance are ubiquitous throughout the world. They reveal aspects of a country’s origins and cultural pursuits, reflect patterns of occupation over prolonged periods of time, as well as the unfolding relationship we humans have with the natural world. In time, many culturally shaped landscapes require preservation or the insertion of new infrastructure; landscape architects are tasked to do so, whilst meticulously maintaining the integrity of site.

Reused Historical Industrial Site. Photo credit: Malcolm Pinckney

6. Social integration

We live in an epoch that is increasing diverse and multicultural. Today, however, the majority of urban dwellers are fixated more on the cornucopia of technologies and mindless social media platforms that surround them than on spending time cultivating social relationships. Landscape architecture is an efficacious tool that will continue to facilitate meaningful social interaction through the creation of vibrant and welcoming public destinations.

Bryant Park, successfully hosting crowds of people on a daily basis. Photo credit: Cristina Muraca, shutterstock.com

The landscape architecture profession will no doubt lead the way in addressing the issues above, but we must also recognise that many necessitate effective multidisciplinary collaboration. I believe these issues to be the most pertinent in today’s age, and I hope I have imparted some otherwise unknown knowledge upon readers. If you have anything to add, please comment!

5 Top 3D Modeling Software Programs for Landscape Architects

For a number of years, the landscape architecture profession has seen a rapid increase in the adoption of three-dimensional modeling to aid the creative process and express design intent. As a result, this increase has fueled a surge in the slew of 3D modeling software programs on the market, with the majority bearing a hefty price tag. Whether you’re a penniless newbie or a seasoned professional, choosing a new and foreign piece of software can often prove bemusing. Here are five programs to consider, both gratis and costly.

3D Modeling Software

1. Blender

Ultimately aimed toward the 3D artist market, Blender makes the list because it presents a free, open source application for learning the art and craft of the 3D modeling world. The latest version of Blender features a slick interface comprised of three windows, and can be completely customized to your liking.

The layout may seem daunting to curious newcomers, so the software aptly includes a well-structured manual and the Blender website contains copious step-by-step tutorials. Being an open source project, Blender benefits from user-based development, resulting in continuous improvements and bug fixes. Possessing a versatile interface and all the tools needed for 3D modeling, animation, and rendering, Blender is perfect for those not wanting to open their wallets.

2. SketchUp Make

WATCH: Make Ideas Real with SketchUp

This little gem also eschews the trend of exorbitantly priced 3D modeling software and presents a free, easy-to-use alternative. SketchUp is a fast, flexible, and fun application that allows you to create, view, and modify 3D ideas quickly and easily. Users can even integrate with Google Earth, posting their latest creations for the world to see. Despite its ease of use, SketchUp isn’t scant on functionality, and includes the usual collection of drawing and filling tools you would expect. Being free, SketchUp does lack some of the advanced features many of its heavyweight rivals possess. But with its no-frills interface, simple logic, and abundance of helpful hints and guides, it’s the perfect tool for beginner and intermediate designers alike.

3. AutoDesSys Bonzai3d

The guys at AutoDesSys have taken a fresh approach to 3D modeling with Bonsai3d, intending to provide rapid conceptual modeling in a similar vein to SketchUp. The two are, however, rather different in their approach and the breadth of their toolsets. Bonsai3d has a collection of specific tools, whereas SketchUp tends to stick to a few general ones.

Credit: Evan Troxel, Method Digital Training, http://getmethod.com

Bonsai3d fuses NURBS (Non-uniform rational B-spline) curves with polygon modeling, offering greater flexibility and precision when working. Another great feature is Bonsai3d’s embedded instructional videos, allowing you private self-tutelage. Exchanging ideas and problem solving is even made easy through its dedicated 24/7 online forum. For just under $500 USD, this small and intuitive piece of software has extensive capabilities.

4. Nemetscheck Vectorworks Landmark

This robust and easy-to-use software is the only major stand-alone program designed for use in landscape architecture. Vectorworks assumes you want to work with both 2D drawing and 3D modeling, integrating both into a versatile, seamless product. This allows you to simply switch between plan and 3D view in seconds, and eliminates the need for AutoCAD altogether! The software comes packed with superb site detail libraries and industry-specific tools such as the parking tool, allowing you to quickly lay out a parking area complete with cutouts for plant medians.

WATCH: Nemetschek Vectorworks

Landmark even has its very own plant database, containing names and botanical information, and can be fully customized by adding your own data. The guys at Vectorworks realize that they aren’t the industry standard, so have made it possible to import/export data from a wide variety of other programs, such as SketchUp, 3ds Max, and AutoCAD. Vectorworks Landmark is a dedicated program designed for our profession, giving you the ability to create accurate plans and spectacular presentations. Coming in at $2,195 USD, it’s rather dear, but a worthy investment.

Related Articles:

• Top 10 Hints & Tips For SketchUp
• 10 AutoCAD Hacks for Beginners!
• Computer Aided Software for Landscape Architects: The Essential Guide

5. Autodesk 3ds Max

Considered a major player within the 3D modeling community, 3ds Max is capable of delivering a powerful rendering experience. The software offers polygon, subdivision, and NURBS modeling, resulting in the creation of smooth surfaces with supreme accuracy. Fully customizable interfaces help streamline work space and enhance productivity, while a multitude of editing tools allow precise model manipulation. A relatively new addition to 3ds Max is the population feature – giving you the ability to add people to a scene to give it life, ideal for landscape architecture modeling.

A huge advantage of using 3ds Max is its support of AutoCAD pattern files, making it possible to create animated and visually interesting CAD illustrations. Mastering 3ds Max presents a steep learning curve due its cutting-edge features, and can be intimidating to beginners. As with all Autodesk products, online tutorials are available to help you tackle any problem you may encounter. Predominately geared toward professional environments, Autodesk 3ds Max is one of the best options for your three-dimensional needs, hence its astronomical price – ranging from $3,500 to $4,000 USD.

WATCH: 3D Architecture Animation – demo reel 2008

Of the plethora of 3D modeling software out there today, these five programs are among the best for use in landscape architecture. Whatever your choice, take the time to learn the program inside out. In this day and age, it’s a valuable skill to have.

A Baía de Luanda e o seu projecto de requalificação e dinamização da Marginal, promovido pela Sociedade Baía de Luanda, foi o vencedor do Prémio Nacional de Arquitectura Paisagista 2013, na categoria obra de integração paisagística.

A Baía de Luanda e o seu projecto de requalificação e dinamização da Marginal, promovido pela Sociedade Baía de Luanda, foi o vencedor do Prémio Nacional de Arquitectura Paisagista 2013, na categoria obra de integração paisagística.

Os ateliers Costa Lopes.arq de Angola e Território, Paisagem, Arquitectura, de Portugal, que projectaram e realizaram este projecto foram assim os grandes vencedores deste prémio que foi entregue à arquitecta paisagista Margarida Quelhas em representação da equipa angolana e portuguesa, durante o evento 9ª Urba Verde – Fórum das Cidades Sustentáveis.

Três quilómetros de extensão

Neste projecto da Baía de Luanda, ao longo de 3 km de extensão foram executados trabalhos de dragagem e limpeza das águas da baía de Luanda, reabilitadas as redes de infra-estruturas e construído um aterro que permitiu aumentar e melhorar a capacidade da rede viária e disponibilidade de estacionamento, ampliando a área destinada ao recreio e lazer.

Segundo o atelier português, o projecto tirou partido desta nova área mais vasta entre a via e o mar, propôs a criação de um parque linear, com uma distribuição equilibrada de programação lúdica ao longo de toda a sua extensão. Alguns pontos de concentração constituem-se como pólos de atracção e reagem a situações urbanas especiais de ancoragem com a cidade, ligados por elementos contínuos, que permitem uma imagem unitária de todo o espaço.

Passeio arborizado junto à via e um passeio marginal

O parque linear é constituído por áreas ajardinadas entrecortadas por zonas pavimentadas, parques infantis, estações de um percurso de manutenção e campos de “street basket”. Criou-se um passeio arborizado junto à via e um passeio marginal contínuo ao longo da baía, acompanhado de uma ciclovia que “corre” sobre uma caleira técnica.

Pretendeu-se assim devolver a Luanda um dos seus espaços públicos fundamentais tanto para a vida urbana como para a imagem da Cidade.

Gardens and Landscapes of Portugal

Gardens and Landscapes of Portugal journal addresses itself to readers worldwide interested in getting to know and knowing more about Portuguese gardens and Landscapes, and aims to be renowned as an important media to publish scholarly work at an international level.

 The journal’s mainstream is the history, conception, reception and preservation of gardens and landscapes of Portugal, both focused at a national scale but also at an international scale with all the possible relations between Portuguese gardens and landscapes with the rest of the world.

http://www.chaia.uevora.pt/

http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/

http://cham.fcsh.unl.pt/

http://www.unl.pt/guia/2012/fcsh/c-4302

http://www.fcsh.unl.pt/media/galeria/videos-mestrados/jardins-e-paisagem

http://jardinspaisagem.blogspot.pt/

http://www.gardenvisit.com

http://www.gardenhistorysociety.org

http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org

http://www.parcsafabriques.org

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1ERT6Wdri5w

http://www.historiadelartemalaga.es/jose_miguel_morales/historia_del_jardin/?page_id=116

http://www.kew.org/

http://www.botanicus.org/

http://www.illustratedgarden.org/mobot/rarebooks/

http://catena.bgc.bard.edu/historical_doc.htm

http://catena.bgc.bard.edu/bibliography.htm

http://whc.unesco.org/en/newproperties/

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/175

 

Since 2000, U.S. law requires the group to release a report every four years. The last report was issued in 2009. No reports were done under the administration of George W. Bush. To put U.S. emissions in context, the U.S. accounts for around 20 percent of total global emissions. U.S. carbon emissions are actually down to a 20 year low, in large part due to the transition away from coal to natural gas. Despite the positive trends domestically, global emissions just keep increasing, with this past year the worst on record.

Interestingly, the authors admit that some effects of climate change could have positive benefits — such as longer growing seasons — but the vast majority of changes will be “disruptive to society,” because institutions and infrastructure have been designed for the “relatively stable climate of the past, not the changing one of the present and future.” Furthermore, natural ecosystems that we all rely on will be put under enormous stress.

The report confirms what many of us have noticed: that temperatures are getting hotter, year by year. “U.S. average temperature has increased by about 1.5°F since 1895; more than 80 percent of this 21 increase has occurred since 1980.” This past year was the hottest on record. And in 2011, a deadly heatwave swept across the U.S., with temperatures pushing 110F.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t like there will be much relief. After reading the report, The Guardian wrote that “future generations of Americans can expect to spend 25 days a year sweltering in temperatures above 100F (38C).” The report goes on to say overall temperatures will also rise, “with the next few decades projected to see another 2°F 26 to 4°F of warming in most areas.” There will also be less relief at night, as night-time temperatures also increase.

The health of many American is expected be affected. “Climate change will influence human health in many ways; some existing health threats will intensify, and new health threats will emerge. Some of the key drivers of health impacts include: increasingly frequent and intense extreme heat, which causes heat-related illnesses and deaths and over time, worsens drought and wildfire risks, and intensifies air pollution; increasingly frequent extreme precipitation and associated flooding that can lead to injuries and increases in marine and freshwater-borne disease; and rising sea levels that intensify coastal flooding and storm surge.”

The elderly, children, poor, and sick are particularly vulnerable. Still other populations are vulnerable simply because of where they are located. People in floodplains, coastal zones and some urban areas are threatened, along with those in the arid Southwest. The report seems to say climate change then has major implications for the health care system: “maintaining a robust public health infrastructure will be critical to managing the potential health impacts.”

Changes will have economic implications. As an example, industries that rely heavily on water, like agriculture, will have to make do with less of it: “Surface and groundwater supplies in many regions are already stressed by increasing demand for water as well as declining runoff and groundwater recharge. In many regions, climate change increases the likelihood of water shortages and competition for water among agricultural, municipal, and environmental uses.” Extreme heat is also expected to impact crops and livestock.

Infrastructure, particularly aging systems in coastal cities, will be hard-hit, given they are expected to be taxed by nature more often. As the report authors point out with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, infrastructure damage is already happening and the repairs are expensive. “Sea level rise and storm surges, in combination with the pattern of heavy development in coastal areas, are already resulting in damage to infrastructure such as roads, buildings, ports, and energy facilities.” As a result, landscape architects and others have been calling for increased use of green infrastructure systems to boost resiliency.

Nature herself will also change with the climate. “Climate change-driven perturbations to ecosystems that have direct human impacts include reduced water supply and quality, the loss of iconic species and landscapes, distorted rhythms of nature, and the potential for extreme events to eliminate the capacity of ecosystems to provide benefits.”

Climate change, along with human-imposed changes to landscapes and ecosystems, also makes those ecosystems even more vulnerable to “damage from extreme events while at the same time reducing their natural capacity to modulate the impacts of such events.”

The natural infrastructure systems we rely on, “salt marshes, reefs, mangrove forests, and barrier islands,” to defend coastal ecosystems and infrastructure, including roads and buildings,” are being further weakened by “coastal development, erosion, and sea level rise.”

Furthermore, extreme weather events can also degrade the effectiveness of wetlands, whether natural or man-made. “Floodplain wetlands, although greatly reduced from their historical extent, absorb floodwaters and reduce the effects of high flows on river-margin lands. Extreme weather events that produce sudden increases in water flow, often carrying debris and pollutants, can decrease the natural capacity of ecosystems to process pollutants.”

The report authors call for communities to “proactively prepare for climate change” and begin aggressive adaptation planning programs. Smart adaptation, of course, will also work to mitigate carbon emissions. Think of urban forests that not only cool and clean the air, but also store carbon.

Perhaps President Obama will get the report’s message, too. Current efforts by the administration were described as “not close to sufficient.” Obama has said that climate change is one of his top three priorities for his next administration. The president may even host a bipartisan summit at the White House early in his new term to launch a “national climate action strategy.” Apparently, Democrats in Congress will also try to pick up climate change legislation but focus it on efforts to strengthen coastal communities against future “superstorms,” reports The Guardian.

Read the executive summary or see the whole report to see how your region will be affected.

 

 

 

Garden Bench By Daniel Pearlman

Designer Daniel Pearlman, Israel, is an alumni of Holon Institute of Technology, Schwabich Gemund,Hochchule Fur Gestalaltung. The designer is fascinated by the common and every day lifestyle objects. Here is a genius outdoor garden bench that consists of 4 seats and can easily be tilted in the preferred direction.

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1. Garden Path Design Ideas (Image 1 of 20)

Paths are practical – they take you from one part of the garden to another. But why not make it part of your design, too? Here, we show you some ideas for making your garden path a feature in its own right.

2. Use Grasses To Define A Pathway (Image 2 of 20)

Want a low maintenance path that will look good all year round? We love this idea – simply cut squares into your lawn, keeping the space at least as wide as a lawnmower, and plant decorative grasses into the squares. For neatness, finish each square with a lawn edging (from garden centres – lots of styles to choose from), and pick grasses that won’t grow too tall or bushy. Your local garden centre can advise.

3. Go For Gravel (Image 3 of 20)

If you want to gravel your garden – perhaps for maintenance reasons or because grass simply isn’t successful, you can still create a pathway that’s easy to care for by defining it with low-growing plants, grasses, pebbles and small boulders. Keep a rake handy to neaten the gravel, and choose plants that are drought-tolerant to cut down on the work you’ll have to do.

4. Please Your Senses (Image 4 of 20)

It makes sense to edge a path with plants that release a wonderful scent as you brush past, but it’s important to choose plants, such as these lavendars, that are colourful and that look good all year round, too. For added visual interest, why not alternate a lavendar with a rosemary bush – that way, the scents will be heightened, too.

5. Choose Contrast (Image 5 of 20)

Want to bring some interest into your garden? This idea is pretty cheap and easy to create – simply surround large black pebbles with white gravel for a stylish look that will really help show off your planting. For best effect, choose small, architectural plants, such as flax, to border your path, and look out for miniature ornamental grasses, such as black grass, too.

6. Ideal For Country Cottage Gardens (Image 6 of 20)

Got a classic country garden? This type of path will really suit – choose a light paving stone, and set the stones diagonally, leaving gaps between them. This is so much prettier than a formal, continuous path, although a little more work to keep neat. But then, in a country garden, who’s that tidy?

7. Angles Add Interest (Image 7 of 20)

In a garden that needs some eye-catching detailing, create a pathway that’s more design feature than a means to an end. Zig zags, snaking shapes or paths that run around flower beds all work well, especially if they paths themselves are bordered by edging in stone or wood, such as here, keeping the plants neat and in check. For extra interest, contrast the colour of the edging with the colour of the pebbles; for a more natural look, choose wooden edging and bark chippings to create your path.

8. Play With Scale (Image 8 of 20)

Giant round pebbles, set into coarse grass or even a camomile lawn, will give your garden a fun look. To make the most of the feature, set the pebbles into a snaking shape, rather than taking a straight, formal shape. Pebbles like these are available from garden and landscaping centres.

9. Got A Large Garden? (Image 9 of 20)

In a large garden that sees alot of traffic, and perhaps has little lawn space, it makes sense to choose a material that’s both hardwearing and smooth – and therefore incredibly low maintenance. If you do choose to create a path from concrete, asphalt, or from any similar material, bear in mind that though this will be durable, it’s not an eco-friendly choice and requires professional installation.

10. Looks Like A Riverbed (Image 10 of 20)

In a garden with a large water feature, why not create a path running up to the water feature that looks like a dry riverbed? It’s easy to create – you could simply set large boulders into the soil or into sand. Not the most practical to walk on, this is a path that’s more design feature than thoroughfare.

11. Half Lawn, Half Path (Image 11 of 20)

This pathway is ideal in a large garden, but you could equally use this design in a small garden – in fact, lining either side of a small garden with deep borders draws the eye to its far end, making it seem longer. Should you do this, it’s a great idea to place a feature at the far end of the garden – whether an architectural plant, a sculpture or even an arbour (try garden centres for all these buys).

12. Grow A Seasonal Path (Image 12 of 20)

It might be that in summer, this swathe of blue bulbs is a snaking path of grass. In spring, though, it’s a river of beautiful colour. To do this yourself, choose low-growing bulbs, such as bluebells, and border then with taller bulbs, such as daffodils or tulips.

13. Go Japanese (Image 13 of 20)

If yours is the type of garden that is admired from afar rather than down trodden by kids, you can afford to indulge in a pathway in coarse grey sand (from DIY stores and garden centres) that can be carefully raked into various designed. Ideal for a dry climate, or perhaps a covered area of a British garden, choose ornamental plants and neat grass to border it.

14. Crazy About Paving? (Image 14 of 20)

Crazy paving has got a bad reputation, and, if you ask us, it’s well deserved if it’s set into concrete. However, set it onto a concrete/sand mix, but grout the gaps with soil that you can plant with any number of low-growing plants, and it’s transformed into a practical, but good looking rustic style option. Leave the soil long enough and moss will no doubt grow on the soil, or you can plant camomile.

15. Sculpt A Path (Image 15 of 20)

We love the simplicity of this design – the path itself is incredibly practical, but the random graphic arrangement of the stone makes it almost a work of art seen from above. You could attempt this as a DIY job, but for best results, leave it to the pros.

16. Ideal For Sloping Sites (Image 16 of 20)

In sloping gardens, it makes sense to have terracing either side of your path. In this garden, the terraces have been left paved – making the garden easy to negociate in any weather. However, if the terraces were planted up, they would be easy to care for (it’s less work looking after a ‘flat’ garden border than one on a slope), and your eye would be drawn up the path in the middle.

17. Make Steps Wide (Image 17 of 20)

If you have a sloping garden, turning your pathway into a long set of steps will give it a smart look. These steps have been edged with railways sleepers – these serve a practical as well as a decorative purpose, holding back the soil above. However, wood can be slippery, so if you are going to copy this style, ensure the rest of your steps are made from a non-slip material. Also, creating your steps as wide and deep as possible will make them easier to negociate.

18. High Style, High Maintenance (Image 18 of 20)

Got a garden that’s minimalist in design? This garden has been given some added interest with the additional of small paving squares set into the lawn. It looks fabulous but you’ll need more than a hover mower to keep it in shape – regular trimming around the edge of each square will do the trick.

19. Make Your Own Avenue (Image 19 of 20)

Why not create a pathway with an avenue of trees. You’ll need to sow a grass that’s tolerant of shade, and you needn’t have a large garden to do this – smaller trees such as sculpted box will work. Before you plant any trees, check their growth and spread rate so that they are set at the right distance from each other.

20. Make A Path In Your Produce (Image 20 of 20)

Why not copy this idea and edge your pathway with fruit, veg or herbs? Fruit and veg is easy to grow, fabulous to eat and having a path between them makes harvesting easy. For a lazy alternative, swap the paving stones for wood chips, which you can pick up at DIY stores and garden centres.

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