Urban Chickens Build - 5

Sort of a conceptual jump cut in the process, as two weekends of rain hampered plans to make progress on the Chicken Cube... but a big push this weekend (and a loaner of the wonderful compound miter saw that I am now officially) has yielded a vision close to complete. Not too many pics of the steps, as it was a race to finish. Here's the result, sans a few final touch-ups and details. And alas, it is chicken ready.





The cedar siding is beautiful - and it's now official that I am not allowed near a can of stain ever again. We're going to finish the bottom screening and plant the ecoroof this weekend, as well as installing the gutter and final hardware... Then we look for some (hopefully affulent and homeless) fowl to occupy this unit, because unless anyone knows of a certain breed that lays golden eggs, the payback time for this return-on-investment with current egg prices - 42 years. :)

Local Flavor: OSC Revealed

Last week I posted about this local project, and the process in general. The end of the Phase I feasibility study for the Oregon Sustainability Center revealed a very integrated and transparent process culminating in a potential example of cutting edge Veg.itecture in Portland - albeit in need of some visual refinement. I usually turn to my favorite local, Brian Libby, and his great blog Portland Architecture, for the latest insight.


:: image via Portland Architecture

His initial thoughts: "Pictured above is a rendering of the Sustainability Center as it might look once constructed. It would be unfair to judge a building so innovative and so green on its exterior aesthetics. At the same time, it is written in the summary, "The Living Building Challenge is unique, among programs that encourage and evaluate accomplishments in sustainable design, in that it mandates beauty as well as aggressive goals for energy, water and waste systems." It certainly seems like the team has met the aggressive goals. Have they met the beauty mandate? That's a harder goal because it's of course in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I am not crazy about the look of the roof. But of course the design could continue to evolve."

The executive summary has been published, and Libby mentions some highlights here. Now to see if Portland can actually make this thing a reality.

Growing the Shrinking City

Following up on the proposed plans for the 'shrinking' city of Detroit, I was excited to see this link from City Farmer News announcing plans for Hantz Farms, set to be the 'World's Largest Urban Farm' using a patchwork of vacant lands on the lower east side. John Hantz, CEO of Hantz Farms explains: "Detroit could be the nation’s leading example of urban farming and become a destination for fresh, local and natural foods and become a major part of the green movement,” said Hantz, a Detroit resident. “Hantz Farms will transform this area into a viable, beautiful and sustainable area that will serve the community, increase the tax base, create jobs and greatly improve the quality of life in an area that has experienced a severe decline in population.”


:: image via City Farmer News

The first phase of the project will plant 70 acres of vegetables and could be operational within six months. The farm will be operated by a Detroit resident, Matt Allen, who explains the potential: "The combination of land consolidation, blight removal, conservation of city services and the beautification of the city itself are just some of the byproducts that will come from our commitment to urban farming,” Allen said. “We’re very excited to be able to make strides in helping to make Detroit a progressive, world-class leader in providing fresh, locally grown food that’s safe and purely Detroit.”


:: image via Hantz Farms

I'm so curious to see the actual proposal for the farm, as we definitely explored some of the challenges and issues during the SDAT last fall in doing this. Not easy, but also not hard, given the pattern of development and multiple benefits that can be had from this scale and type of land use. It's great to see the Detroit-driven initiative taking hold and beginning to realize the potential - as I've mentioned, the opportunity for Detroit to redefine urbanism for the 21st Century is there, and it looks like it's starting to take root.


:: image via Hantz Farms

Read more about this proposal at the Hantz Farms website.

DailyLand: Almere Hout Noord

Almere Hout Noord Competition
West 8 ; Mecanoo Architecten
> info via Land8Lounge; World Landscape Architect

"...a socially sustainable residential and office neighborhood, promoting small-scale networks of the different residents."






:: images via Land8Lounge

World Map of Shrinking Cities

Showing that the idea of shrinking cities is not a localized, unique, or recent phenonomenon, a great video spotted via synchronicity from shrinking cities.

World Map of Shrinking Cities from 1kilo on Vimeo.

Seeing Daylight

The idea of daylighting streams is compelling as an urban intervention - unearthing the natural drainage from the buried pipes and. A new project from Seattle offers a unique vision of the potential in action. Some background: "A large, paved lot once devoted to overflow mall traffic and RV parking has been replaced with a landscaped, open space that allows the beginnings of Thornton Creek to flow above ground for the first time in decades. Before, a large underground pipe diverted the water to an outfall several blocks away. This project now lets water in the creek's south fork flow as it should above ground and nourish its new stream bed before exiting under Fifth Avenue Northeast into the existing creek."




:: image via The Seattle Times

The design, adjacent to Thornton Place, was completed for Seatle Public Utilities and the great Seattle firm SvR Design which has a history of innovative work in the region. For more, check out Lisa Town's coverage on inspiration wall for some additional views and details of the project - including this site plan.


:: Site Plan - image via inspiration wall

This reminds me of another innovative project in done by GreenWorks, (fyi, the firm I work for) at the Headwaters at Tryon Creek which daylighted a stretch of urban stream in Southwest Portland - the first project of its kind in the area. I will post some details of this project soon. For parting, a multi-media resource via the Seattle Times is this video showing the Thornton Creek project details in full, living color. This one is pretty inspirational.

DailyLand: Pinar del Perruquet Park

Pinar del Perruquet Park
Tarragona, Spain 2008
Artek Arquitectura






:: images via Vulgare

Take to the Streets

I just passed a milestone of sorts... topping out at 500 posts (not to mention a few on the new Veg.itecture blog...). Seems like just yesterday I was starting this humble outlet for collecting thoughts - fighting with time to blog amidst time to work and occupying all of grey area in between. Often times, unknown to most readers, is the mirroring effect of my work and the topics of the posts on this blog so in this case, we'll call it a rest stop on a long road-trip. This is true the past weeks or so, as I've been working on an interview for a green main street project, and thus had streets, and what makes them great and green - on the brain.


:: image via Good Magazine

So a collection of some of the transportation related inspirations I've collected recently, with a slim thread of connectivity (hehe) between them. First off, the visionary who seems to be able to understand the place and potential of streets in our urban fabric, Jan Gehl - with a great quote spotted via People and Place. "He credits his vision of the livable city to his wife - he claims that when he married, years ago, his psychiatrist wife demanded, “Why are architects not interested in people?" I have a simpler response... because landscape architects are :)


:: image via People and Place

"So Gehl became interested in people. “Being sweet to people is really sweet to the economy,” he says. (Hear that, Toronto City Council?) But how to be “sweet” to a city’s inhabitants? According to Gehl, a sweet city is lively, attractive, safe, sustainable, and healthy. And we already know how to do this: limit cars, encourage bicycling, and create better outdoor public spaces so that people can walk on the streets of our city."

Gehl has made palatable the idea of the Dutch Woonerf - which has definitely been adopted by streets advocates as a viable alternative - with a few good US examples... tough to fit the Escalade down these, or more likely convice the local DOT that this is actually safer that the typical section.


:: image via Land+Living


:: image via Urban Greenery

Speaking of sections - one of the best resources on streets, even back when I was in college, is the visually simple yet telling volumes 'Great Streets' by Allan Jacobs. While I will always love the volume - there is a new digital resource from the Charrette Center featuring examples of Street Sections. In this case, and example from the "Via S. Romano Ferrara, Emiglia Romagna Italy - Pedestrian street in central historical district". Cool, and thanks to People and Place for the heads up on this one.




:: images via Street Sections

Jetson Green offers the visual and checklist of great streets (or should I say Livable ones) via Good Magazine. While this ring of cliche in the spirit of PPS public space elements, I guess here's all you need:

1. Allow street vendors
2. Provide pedestrian street lamps
3. Install curb extensions at crosswalks
4. Create dedicated bus lanes
   
5. Create dedicated bike lanes
   
6. Install raised, textured crosswalks
7. Adjust street lights to give lead to pedestrians
8. Install bollards at intersections
9. Nurture street trees and plantings
   
10. Use speeds bumps where necessary

:: image via Jetson Green

Zooming in a layer of detail, we often forget the illustrative potential of the plain black to gray street surfacing - a fine tabula rasa that is both functional and open to interpretation. A range from the serious to the dubious was found - including an elegant Crosswalk Memorial (via Urbanism) and a ridiculous albeit functional paving-repair-as-guerilla-advertising-by-dead-chicken-dude (via The Infrastructurist)


:: image via Urbanism.org


:: image via The Infrastructurist

And I guess if we can't make green and make great the streets - the alternative is to green your form of transportation, like David Gallaugher did with this grass-lined wheel... looks more appealing than a Prius to me.


:: image via Urban Greenery

DailyLand: Imperial War Museum North Exterior

Imperial War Museum North Exterior
Manchester, UK
Topotek 1
> more via Bustler


:: image via Bustler

From the description: "The camouflage patterns used by the military are an abstraction of landscapes of combat. These patterns represent a visual average of the natural environment: the muted green, brown, and ocher hues of typical camouflage are a graphic summary of wild and cultivated places. We wish to confront the global scale of war represented by the building with the local scale where battles are fought. War does not only re-configure lines on a world map, but changes everyday landscapes.

We have selected four themes that represent the British landscape: stone, fields, water, and forest. Like the camouflage pattern, these landscapes are condensed into their essential character, and reconfigured in a system of gently tilting planes. This system provides a soft, horizontal, and continuous base for the museum; subtle shifts in elevation and angle accommodate a variety of programs in a relatively small area. The landscape forms a collage of dignified spaces for reflection, gathering, and play that complements the gravity of the museum’s content.”

:: images via Bustler

Plant Power

We often discuss the types of ways vegetation can be of benefit to humans - for instance phytoremediation. A few posts that loosely collect into a narrative regarding some unique opportunities to engage plants in our social and environmental structures in inventive ways. The benefits are myriad and wonderful. Read on.

Crime Prevention
Via Treehugger: "Suginami, a district of Tokyo, Japan experienced over 1,700 break-ins in 2002. By 2008 this had dropped by about 80%, down to a mere 390 thefts. This dramatic change is attributed, in part, to Operation Flower, according to a Reuters report."


:: image via Treehugger

"The project, one element of a larger crime prevention scheme, came about after a neighbourhood watch team discovered that flower-lined streets had fewer burglaries. Kiyotaka Ohyagi, a Suginami City official, said “By planting flowers facing the street, more people will be keeping an eye out while taking care of the flowers or watering them." Flower seeds were planted on side streets and in front of residents homes. The idea being that locals would take interest in tending the growth of their flowers and spend more time being observant of their surroundings. Thieves were apparently put off by such alert residents."

Forest Fire Prevention
Via Pruned, the opportunity to utilize series of sensors on trees for 'Arborveillance' provides some interesting opportunities, for one to "Harvest the metabolic energy of trees to power a maintenance-free, mesh-networked sensing system to predict and detect forest wildfires."




:: images via Pruned

Read the rest of the post for more opportunities to use this technology for homeland security, communication, entertainment, and more.

Air Pollution Prevention
Via Treehugger, a plan to decentralize air pollution monitoring using the existing infrastructure of street trees: "What if we could have air pollution monitors on every street of every city without having to install any costly new high-tech equipment? This is exactly what Barbara Maher her team at the University of Lancaster in the UK have discovered by studying the leaves of urban trees"


:: image via Treehugger

Carbon Sequestration
One we've seen often, but a good graph showing how much trees contribute in the realm of landscape materials (via Treehugger). "According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates, in 2006 urban trees accounted for nearly all (90 percent) of the carbon sequestration attributed to the combination of urban tree growing, plus land-filled yard trimmings and food scraps." Read a related story about Climate Change using nitrogen fertilization here.


:: image via Treehugger

Vector Control
In this case, we're talking Malaria. A post from Treehugger entitled 'Computer Model Shows How Landscape Architecture Can Fight Malaria' explains how complex computer modeling (and on-the-ground implementation) of landscape manipulation can influence breeding areas for mosquitos: "The computer model analyzes the impacts of different methods for controlling the spread of malaria, and they have found that carefully considering environmental factors can be an important strategy for controlling the disease. Eliminating low spots where pools of water form during the rainy season, or applying locally grown plants that limit the growth of mosquitoes can have significant impact on the spread of the disease." Read more via MIT News.


:: image via Treehugger

Water Conservation
Treehugger reports on a scheme to have high-tech sensors attached to plants to monitor and request water when needed. Ok, perhaps not a specifically useful one in the case of say... a house plant, but the ramifications for 'smart' plants and crops on a scale that can operate and adjust irrigation to customize watering in the most sustainable manner is intriguing.


:: image via Treehugger

Another reason to make sure we value and protect this amazing resource...

Local Flavor: Oregon Sustainability Center

Based in Portland, Oregon I sometimes forget the fact that what we consider everyday is often innovative in the larger global scale. My blog reaches beyond to interject many global ideas into our local work, but also to place what we are doing within a larger ecological design concept. One project worth noting is the current work being completed for the Oregon Sustainability Center, which aims to be the pinnacle of green architecture and a catalyst for sustainable planning and business locally.

:: image via Oregon Sustainability Center

The design team consists of uber-green local developer Gerding-Edlen, along with a interesting dual team approach using local firms GBD Architects and SERA Architects along with a cadre of local consultants rounding out the team. A quick glance at the blog offers some views of the current state of the project: "Yet its early designs, each a unique exploration into the extremes of form and function, reveal that by working within parameters that maximize highly efficient harvesting and use of energy and water, a living building on an urban scale can, in fact, be possible."




:: images via Oregon Sustainability Center


:: image via Portland Architecture

There are definitely inspirations of Ken Yeang's bioclimatic skyscrapers here in the early renderings for sure, a combination of the verdant and functional that provides functional and aesthetic form to the building - essential in a Living Building proposal on this scale. While the process has yielded some of the expected cliche ridden text about the guiding principles such as 'Integrate natural systems to benefit all species' and 'Make less do more' in easy to digest nuggest that have pretty much made a career for Bill McDonough, this is pretty much inevitable, especially for a project aiming for such a high level of transparency. The designers want to present a vision but not paint anyone in a corner at this point, so broad principles that can be interpreted widely are usually the product. It's interesting to see the sketchy process of a building and site, versus the more dressed up and refined presentation graphics that typically emerge after weeks of work.

:: images via Portland Architecture

Read also the coverage from the great local resource Portland Architecture, on the OSC status. If successful it will become a model for sustainable development that will showcase Portland's potential for innovation. It will be interesting to follow the progress to see if budgets and creativity will ... and see if they can pull it off. I'll post on it periodically as it comes together.

The Incredible Shrinking City

In response to a recent post on Detroit, David Jurca from the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC) directed me to the very cool Shrinking Cities Institute at Kent State University which "...seeks to examine more sustainable approaches to development and explore the idea of planned shrinkage as an alternative to the quest for continuous growth."


It seems appropriate, as Cleveland shares a lot of similarity with Detroit as a post-industrial city trying to grapple with the idea of controlled shrinking as a reality, and dare I say... an opportunity. One great resource I need to check out is a downloadable report entitled 'Re-Imagining Cleveland: Vacant Land Re-Use Pattern Book'. Some info: "The pattern book is a companion to the Re-Imagining Cleveland plan and recommendations for vacant land reuse that were adopted by the Cleveland City Planning Commission in December 2008. This book is intended to provide inspiration, guidance and resources for community groups and individuals who want to create productive benefit from vacant land in their neighborhood and begin to restore Cleveland's ecosystem."


:: image via Shrinking Cities Institute

I'm definitely going to check out the site and report in more detail, as it satisfies my continual fascination with the Shrinking Cities phenomenon. A couple of other resources worth exploring is the Berkeley Shrinking Cities Group and Project Shrinking Cities. Finally, another interesting endeavor that we've been looking at in Portland (and have done some undisclosed installations around town), is their idea for the Pop-Up City - "Temporary events and installations that occupy vacant buildings and activate vacant land in ways that shine a spotlight on some of Cleveland's spectacular but underutilized properties."


:: image via CUDC

A River Runs Through It...

A kind reader named Chris Keller alerted me to a very cool project in California called Kaweah Falls. From his email: "We just finished a house renovation at the base of the Sequoia National Park in central California that I thought might interest you. A river flows underneath our dining room. Literally, you can watch fish swim through the glass bottomed floor of the bar."






:: images via Team Diana

Here's a YouTube video of the project worth checking out:



Check out more pics on the Flickr page from this site and some links to some press coverage from Three Rivers Real Estate... turns out you can pick this one up for just a hair under $2,000,000...

2009 MoPo Runner-Up of the Year... Sweet!

I wrote, no, begged... in fact, pleaded one year ago to be considered for the MoPo 2008 listings after reading the listing of the veritable who's who of the architecture-blog world. I am pleased to see that L+U has made the list (I'm not below groveling :) for this years Eikongraphia's MoPo 2009 - a listing of the "...twenty-five most popular blogs on architecture worldwide." * It's very, very good company.

1. BLDGBLOG
2. Archidose
3. City of Sound
4. Architecture.mnp
5. Pruned
6. Architechnophilia
7. Tropolism
8. Architectural Videos
9. Mirage Studio 7
10. Super Colossal
11. Subtopia
12. Landscape+Urbanism
13. Sit down man, you’re a bloody tragedy
14. Architecture Chicago Plus
15. Lebbeus Woods
16. Strange Harvest
17. Life Without Buildings
18. Eye Candy
19. Design with Intent
20. Earth Architecture
21. Anarchitecture
22. Hugh Pearman
23. Brand Avenue
24. a456
25. The Arch

How does L+U stack up the winner...? Well, we all have a long way to go to meet the high standards set by Geoff Manaugh and the fabulous BLDGBLOG (and he's not even working at Dwell anymore so beware!)... "BLDGBLOG reigns the architecture blogosphere. Between 2007 and 2008 the total number of visitors tripled from one to three million, since last year that number has again dubbled to a total of almost six million. Which rookie can challenge that? Landscape+Urbanism has entered the MoPo at the twelfth place and is thereby the runner-up of the year. But with less than a thousand subscribers to its rss-feed, it is a long way to the more than 11,000 subscribers of BLDGBLOG. Even the blog in second place, Archidose, features less than a third of that." (underline emphasis mine)

* More about the ratings: "A weblog is included in the MoPo 2009 when it’s an English blog on architecture written by a single writer. The popularity of the blog is measured by the number of subscribers (Google Reader + Bloglines) and the number of hits in Google (Google + Google Images)."

It's reminded me that I need to update some sidebar blogs - as I've been remiss in doing so. Read the entire post here to see the previous years ratings - and well, I guess all I can say is thanks everyone for looking, reading, linking, and inspiring!

Urban Chickens Build - 4

For the newly dubbed 'Chicken Cube', it's ecoroof time (at least the structural components sans plants and soil). Here's a quick summary of Sunday's flurry of activities:


:: 3/4" plywood frame + cedar siderails


:: fitting the metal soil retention edging


:: some counterflashing with pond liner


:: dry-fitting the liner on edges


:: mechanically fastening on outside edging


:: finishing the box with cedar


:: after some fine-tuning - a perfect fit


:: still need to trim the fabric a bit , but close to done




:: roofline from opposite side


:: and some finish work on some doors - windows to come

Next weekend looks like planting, siding, windows and paint/stain - with an aim of chicken habitable by end of weekend/next week. Stay tuned. Read here for the previous posts on coop building, including design, week 1, week 2, and week 3 builds...

Detroit: Urbanist Opportunity

An interesting post via the Sustainable Cities Collective from Kaid Benfield asks the provocative question "Is Detroit (the city) a lost cause environmentally? Altogether?" and again makes me wonder why it is that Detroit seems to always get framed in thoughts of negativity, versus thinking of it as a potential opportunity to redefine the way we think of urban areas. Too often this is the vision - framed in outmigration and decay.


:: image via Sustainable Cities Collective

It is more rare (and refreshing) to see thinking and solutions about positive steps. The first part of the post discusses a post from CoolTown Studios about the Vision for Detroit offers some solid advice about economic redevelopment and investment in public space - from CoolTown Studios:

"1. Build on current solutions such as Detroit’s urban placemaking bright spot, Campus Martius, which has itself attracted $450 million in investment, 300 condos and high tech companies.
2. Follow New York City’s Department of Transportation lead (how ironic, when you think about it) and invest in reinventing Detroit’s urban fabric towards one that actually appeals to people. See image above of the transformation of Manhattan’s Broadway Boulevard.
3. Find a Bart Blatstein and develop a culturally unique destination, like his piazza in Philadelphia surrounded by new condos, offices and local businesses."

While I can't quite figure out everyone's gushing praise for the Philadelphia Piazza as the model (more on this later), I think the idea of significnat public spaces is great. Another link discusses Campus Martius Park a step in the right direction in terms of usable public space that provided incentives for surrounding development. But a single park may catalyze a district, but does not create regeneration on the scale of a city. A consistent series of steps that build on and exploit the existing opportunities (and new ones that come up) will cumulatively impact, in a positive way, the City of Detroit.


:: image via Cooltownstudios

The post goes on to discuss the project from the AIA Sustainable Design Action Team visit and report from Detroit - which I was a part of last fall, and have posted regularly since then (see here, here, here, here, and here) in regards to Detroit and some of the work they are doing. Since that visit, Detroit has been on my mind - remembering both the sadness of decay, as well as the wonderful work happening on all levels. Benfield links to a story on Rooflines, an online publication of the National Housing Institute - of which SDAT leader Alan Mallach has been a researcher for many years.

From the Rooflines post: "By defining the future built-up area of Detroit proper as a series of small urban villages, the planners are talking about a new definition of what a city is. In a place like Detroit, the urban form will exist in two types: the suburbs and the villages. Many people will continue to choose to move out to the suburbs to raise their families and seek their fortunes, while a smaller share will opt for cool city living. (“Cool cities” being the term Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm uses for cities that can attract creative people)"

There is a great link to a story of the SDAT in the Detroit Free Press entitled 'Urban villages in Detroit's future?' that offers some more discussion (and a new and purposely abstracted version of the node diagram we created in the process) that seems to keep popping up as the image to support the story. Interesting story: this diagram was, in my opinon, one of the most provocative and interesting things we produced for the charrette - and that's not only because it was the work of myself and planner Subrata Basu - but that it began to make sense that this would actually make sense and really work on the ground. It was also a hugely radical statement and was close to being nixed from the presentation and report.


:: image via Detroit Free Press

A quote to take home the point: ""In a way, think of it as a 21st-Century version of a traditional country pattern," Mallach said. "You have high-density development on one side of the street and cows on the other, quite literally." The team's recommendations, contained in a draft report by a committee of the American Institute of Architects, are the latest in a flurry of ideas for dealing with Detroit's growing vacancy. Detroit's population is less than half of its 1950s peak, and an estimated 40 square miles of the 139-square-mile city are empty. The committee suggests that Detroit could recreate itself as a 21st-Century version of the English countryside. "Isn't that basically what's happening? Even without any plans or strategies?" Mallach asked." But he added, "It's happening in a sloppy, destructive fashion where you get areas that are essentially abandoned, but they're not useable open space, they're not environmentally sound, so they're basically wasteland."

Not surprisingly, with this level of description, Benfield offers skepticism at this model: "Although intriguing in a utopian sort of way, that sounds like giving up on cities and downtowns altogether in favor of a much more fragmented landscape and pattern of living, resulting in probably even more driving and emissions."

Good point, and I admit Mallach's terminology in the article is even a bit too utopian-sounding for my taste (an English Countryside???) - and misses a good picture of what the solution strived for - a practical and realistic application. We discussed the parallels of the conceptual framework (wheel and radiating spokes - based on the existing Detroit urban form) during the process - but it was interesting to see how this emerged as the right solution. I have my issues with Mallach and the SDAT process we undertook (mostly the lack of visualization and specifics and total lack of desire to actually create anything more than words and charts) but the SDAT solution is not utopian at all, merely a practical recognition and acknowledgement that the idea of population density and the size of urban form is discongruent and needs serious attention.

There actually is a solid, dense core that is working and selected nodes of community around the peripheral edges. The nodes identified are the existing center's of vibrancy, and are not overlaid in some sort of Howard-esque Garden City without regard to context or community. These nodes self-sorted (probably due to socio-economic factors and transportation) and not selected at any particular interval. I think of it as a practical use of utopian ideals that reacted to context. The linking together of these nodes through multi-modal linkages will not cure the driving issues (trust me, we were reminded often of the fact that this is still a car-culture) - but will mitigate, due to choices, some of the auto-centric problems.


:: image via Wayne Bloggers

Shrinking cities are happening all over the world, and present a new opportunity for urban form. The secret is to avoid falling into the trap of the old paradigm and think way outside the box. In this case the box is the sprawling city limits of the city - which can either be viewed as half-empty of half-full (or in this case - full with a lot of opportunities for agriculture, open space, future development and anything else in between). Detroit is poised to be vision and urbanist opportunity to show what can be done - within government, institutions, and community - to quit bitching about the economy and wishing for it all to come back, and start doing something positive.

LAM Blog Love

The latest issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine featured an article by Daniel Jost, ASLA, that was nice enough to include our fair blog in it's pages: "The Dirt on Blogging: How can blogs change the way we communicate about landscape architecture?" offers examples and advice on how landscape architecture professionals can utilize this simple yet effective technology for information, dialogue, and marketing.


:: June 2009 Cover - image via LAM

The opening excerpt, via the LAM page: “I had always been anti-blog,” remembers Jason A. King, ASLA, of Portland, Oregon. Like many, he equated blogging with keeping an online journal; he didn’t think the medium had much to offer him professionally. But about two years ago, King’s opinion changed dramatically. He was working on a design competition and needed a way to manage all the ideas, images, and web links he was gathering through his research. He realized blogging would be the perfect way to organize himself while giving him a chance to share his research with others. Today, King’s Landscape+Urbanism Blog has readers around the world. In the past year, it has been viewed nearly 500,000 times."

But it is only one of the many landscape architecture-themed blogs that have sprouted up in recent years. There are blogs focusing on many different facets of the profession, from garden design to parks, from sustainability to playgrounds. Some of these blogs are managed by landscape architects, some are managed by professionals with related degrees, and some provide a unique opportunity to hear opinions from people outside the profession—to hear from the people we serve.

What benefits does blogging offer landscape architects?"

:: image via LAM

The story goes on to cover a range of blogs, including Christian Barnard Landscape Architecture, Design Under Sky, Studio G, Sprout - A Green Blog, Playscapes, Places and Spaces, and of course Landscape + Urbanism. While not the entire pantheon of landscape blogging by any means, a cross section - and an indication (as two years ago, there were but a few). A few of these show up on the sidebar of links for L+U - both some others don't for very particular reasons. I make it a point to only link to sites that are not aiming for being a portal to a specific landscape architecture firm - for the simple desire that I want to avoid any potential perception that I'm 'advertising' for anyone. My company that I work for started a blog, and this is absent as well for the same reason, as L+U (and the new Veg.itecture blog) is a singular work on myself and just meant as a resource, not a clearinghouse of all things landscape (there's some good ones of those emerging as well).

Thanks Daniel from LAM for including this site in the article. If you'd like a sneak preview of the full article, check out the new online version of LAM (and subscribe to the digital format) to see and read more. Here's a snapshot:

:: image via LAM online edition

And as it was, what seemed to me, a large omission to the article, Pruned - which has been the inspiration for a number of bloggers in the landscape realm and beyond - is celebrating an amazingly productive and thoughtful 5 year birthday. Congrats Alexander Trevi on the amazing work and inspiring longevity.

DailyLand: INNENHÖFE MAX BILL PLATZ

INNENHÖFE MAX BILL PLATZ

asp landschaftsarchitekten

> info via Vulgare

:: images via Vulgare

A paving pattern perhaps only Q*Bert could love...

:: image via Wikipedia

Cause & Effect

Early in my career, I had the great opportunity to work at a firm that specialized in park and recreation planning, which not only gave a fabulous perspective on municipal planning (and reinforced my love of both the large ad the small scale) as well as the inventive use of mapping to illustrate particular schema. A recent post on People and Place featured a map that drove this point home, in particular the cause and effect between parks and childhood obesity. For reference: "“Areas with fewer parks (lighter rather than darker green) have higher rates of childhood obesity (larger red circles)”


:: image via People and Place

Some info, via a link to a great story in the Economist, 'Mapping a better world'. A quote worth showing: "But mapping technology has matured into a tool for social justice. Whether it is to promote health, safety, fair politics or a cleaner environment, foundations, non-profit groups and individuals around the world are finding that maps can help them make their case far more intuitively and effectively than speeches, policy papers or press releases."

DailyLand: Sensational Park

Sensational Park - Nabito Architects

Frosinone, Italy

> info via Arch Daily, Inspiration Wall

"The five human senses are the main theme of the space in which materials and vegetation are related to them. The equipped green area and urban garden is due to be completed this month."

:: images via Arch Daily

DailyLand: Flowing Garden

Flowing Garden: Xi'an World Horticultural Expo
Plasma Studio
> more at Arch Daily, Bustler, SpaceInvading, Inhabitat




:: images via Arch Daily

Some description: "Although the buildings are experienced as individual elements, they are connected through the relationship they each have with the landscape. The buildings are specifically situated into the site at certain points to illustrate specific qualities of the dynamic landscape. One enters the site along the major axis of the gardens through the gate building which creates a public meeting space and frames views of the gardens. The exhibition center seems to extend past the landscape to showcase the lake and the views of the South Hill. The greenhouse, at the peak of the hill, connects various landscape features due to its central location."




:: images via Bustler

Meadow Spotted Runing Amok in NYC: Film @ 11

I'm a big fan of the Onion, so loved the semi-hyperbolic headlines reporting this, okay, I'll say it, 'cute' installation NYC showing a snippet of meadow captured for the viewing: "Coupling urban restoration and indigenous plants, Julie Farris and Sarah Wayland-Smith, both landscape designers, were commissioned by the Public Art Fund to design and construct ‘A Clearing in the Streets,’ a 15-foot wide, plywood structure containing the beginnings of a meadow. The temporary installation, meant to invite passers-by to appreciate and watch the “re-insertion” of nature back into the city, offers a glimpse into NYC’s native landscape."




:: images via Inhabitat

Oh, false alarm... the meadow has been pounded into submission by New Yorkers stampeding to actual manufactured nature atop the High Line. Crisis averted. Nothing to see here. Move along...




:: images via Inhabitat

DailyLand: Secret Landscape Garden

An interesting visual exploration of space in this competition entry. I'm interested in what readers think about the success of this story/illustration (with a book illustrator) in telling this particular tale. Personally, aside from the plan graphic, I'm not feeling it and find it distracting from the overall concept, but that's the beauty of expression - it's all in the interpretation.

Secret Landscape Garden Studio Weave, MESH Partnership
Blackburn Town Center
> Read the full story and see all of the images at Bustler


:: image via Bustler

An excerpt: "The landscape doesn’t profess to be a slice of natural countryside but grows out from the urban fabric taking in rationalized traffic and accommodating level changes and desire lines, all the while delicately framing views of Blackburn landmarks side by side with new follies. We designed the landscape by exploring the adventure of a boy who finds a mirror on the floor of the shopping centre. The mirror is based on the “Claude Glass,” an 18th century pocket mirror used by artists and tourists to capture picturesque views. In the mirror, the boy sees a secret landscape garden where the trees are enjoying their own versions of various playground games."






:: all images via Bustler

Urban Chickens Build - 3

A crappy weather weekend, but some major progress today...

:: the roof framing goes in

:: the front plate is where the removable ecoroof will attach

:: plywood goes on (window to the right, egg hatch capture door to the left) - giant shrubbery attacking the roof is from my overzealous pruning of the lilac

:: the entire side wall has a hinged opening for cleaning/access


:: ready for ecoroof, windows, doors & siding

DailyLand: Crack Garden

Crack Garden CMG Landscape Architecture

> See and read more at Pruned and Inhabitat

> 2009 ASLA Honor Award Winner - Residential Design

:: image via Pruned

:: image via Inhabitat

Text excerpt from ASLA: "The Crack Garden is an exploration of the identity of site and the clarity of intervention. Pre-existing places have an inherent identity that is based on their history, materiality, and activities. The design is conceived as an intervention that functions as a lens, altering perception of a place rather than completely remaking it. The intervention can reveal the physical and material qualities of the place, and/or become a catalyst to incite new program activities. In the case of The Crack Garden, completely remaking the garden was highly unlikely because of the tiny budget. By fully embracing a strategy of design as intervention, the garden relies on its previous identity as much as it does on the changes that were imposed. "

Amphibious Architecture

Somewhat related to the concept of global climate change that will potentially innudate significant portions of urban areas (or maybe just a way to deal with growing land prices) the idea of inhabiting floating barges or houseboats is both new and old. I first heard the term amphibious architecture in reference to Dutch developments that float from shorelines to extend living areas beyond terra firma.


:: Dutch Amphibious Architecture - image via Speigel Online

A range of ideas around this has been covered before (such as the Garden Barges of London), as well as some inventive ways of looking at amphibious solutions. One covered here before is Das Schwimmhausboot, a mod- looking houseboat featured again recently on Treehugger.


:: image via Treehugger

Another interesting example via Treehugger is Waterpod "...a floating eco-habitat that recalls the work of Buckminster Fuller, Andrea Zittel, and Constant Nieuwenhuis." It is designed to be a completely self-sustaining community" Read more at this NY Times article on the project as well.


:: image via Treehugger


:: image via City Farmer News

Another method for this idea is the more artistic, such as this post from Inhabitat that features 'Junk Rafts'. "Brooklyn-based street artist, SWOON is in the midst of launching her third fleet of “junk rafts” — crafted from construction site cast-offs and recycled scraps, these eclectic floats are a cross between a stage-ship and art-raft. These ships are envisioned, by SWOON, as a manifestation of “bits of land broken off and headed to sea.”




:: images via Inhabitat

Finally, to ground the idea, there is a long historical precedent for this, as shown in a post from Strange Harvest about the Floating Church of the Redeemer, Philadelphia, 1847. I all comes full circle.


:: image via Strange Harvest

Freshkills Park Video

An email from Bijan Rezvani from thirteen/wnet in NYC offers a short video as part of 'The City Concealed' series. The installment of Freshkills Park Project - outlining the innovative work of Field Operations and team in transforming the former world's largest landfill into this long-term process to create an amazing large park.

The City Concealed: Freshkills Park Project from Thirteen.org on Vimeo.

Yard Sharing

An article in today's Oregonian has a bevy of local resources for one of the cooler trends of the urban agricultural movement, garden sharing, "... a trend that appears to be spreading roots across the metro area as apartment dwellers and landowners, strangers and neighbors unite to grow their food at a time when seed sales are up and the economy down. Here's how it works: Everyone contributes what they can, whether it's land or labor, money or skill, and everyone shares in the bounty."


:: image via OregonLive

The resources are amazing, including some of the following for those to check out locally or emulate in other places:

:: Portland Yard Sharing
:: The Dirt
:: City Garden Farms
:: Portland Fruit Tree Project
:: VeggieTrader
:: Portland Area CSA Coalition
:: Portland Community Gardens

One resource absent from this list was featured previously on L+U, Your Backyard Farmer, which uses land and provides gardening services of local lands in a similar fashion, for those who have space and want some bounty. Another national network mentioned is Hyperlocavore, a network for Yard Sharing around the country.

Good stuff... anyone know of some other local resources, give a shout.

DailyLand: Taekwondo Park

I'm going to reimplement, now that there's some space with the Veg.itectural sidebar, the idea of DailyLand... as it's something that I think has been lacking in the L+U content. These will be simple posts on an almost daily basis with a link to more information from outside and a couple of pics. The aim is to feature some of the preponderance of great work being produced, and the great sites out there covering these amazing projects, well... pretty much daily.

Taekwondo Park Master Plan Weiss/Manfredi
> See and read more at Bustler




:: images via Bustler

Biophilic v. Technophilic Solutions

As part of an ongoing mapping project of green building and sites being conducted through a group of local architectural and environmental groups, a small side-committee of Oregon ASLA members is looking at dissecting the idea of sustainable sites. To this end, we are using the Sustainable Sites Initiative (as well as some other systems) as guidelines to provide a metric for which sites get on the map. More on that project soon as it fleshes out, but a recent discussion uncovered an interesting conceptual polarity of biophilic solutions vs. technophilic solutions in our quest for sustainability (thanks Anneliese for describing this idea in these great terms, it definitely stuck with me).


:: Victoria amazonicus - image via PlantWerkz

This distinction is particularly important, both in how we approach problems and how we think about the solutions. Are these simply machinic analogs using the operations that nature provides us frame in our human ingeniuity? Or, are they more natural biomimicry-based evolutions of thought that utilizes natures innate processes to achieve our ends in a simpler and cheaper way. Are we thinking of function without consequences, are are we looking at things holistically in terms of both their contribution to humanity, and their ecological value as well?


:: Stagnant canal - image via Vulgare


:: Duckweed, bad... for biofuel, good? - image via Treehugger


:: Machinic system of the 'Floating Garden' - image via The Design Blog

The bigger question is how to we look beyond the function, to include something that include cultural, habitat, and other multi-functional landscape benefits - a range of ecosystem services. One recent post by Pruned (with a fancy new look) featuring the excellent Sidwell Friends School in Washington DC - which features one of the best integrated design solutions between building and site that offers biophilic and educational benefits - along with just enough technology to make it work. It's a living & functioning landscape that doesn't forget that it's a landscape and not a machine. Read the entire case study at Pruned, it's a great summation of a great project.


:: image via Pruned

Trevi sums up the project in typically hyper-efficient prose: "At Sidwell, we get a hint of an alternative system for stormwater management: hyperlocal, lo-fi, modular (i.e., implementations at multiple sites would be needed to bring about an appreciable effect on urban hydrology), soft and comparatively cheap."

Another recent post from Pruned (along with a shout-out to my new Veg.itecture blog) connected to the blog 'Water in the Sustainable Environment' by one of the Sidwell consultants, Natural Systems International.




:: images via Pruned

This project reminded me of one of the great presenters at the Soak It Up conference last April, Dave Maciolek, Principal Engineer from Worrell Water Technologies - who does great work in the biophilic amenity of living machines. A recent project on Treehugger featured another of their great project. Some info: "In the EcoCentre, home to the Romano Law Group which calls its green office space the Living Building, the “aquatecture” uses environmental features like an 8,000 gallon cistern to collect rainwater on a green roof and 150-square-foot fountain in the lobby that’s a “turbo-charged” wastewater treatment system, transforming grey water and saving the structure 200,000 gallons of water annually."


:: image via Treehugger

Another resource that I heard about recently was Whole Water Systems, a company working with 'decentralized, sustainable water treatment' and bridging the bio- and techno- with living systems as well. Here's a link to one of their recent presentations at the Living Futures 'un'conference here in Portland showing off some of their work in the field. I'm just starting the visuals and hope to be working with them on a project that should be emerging soon, so more to come on this.

Tree Art Revisited

I did a series of posts back a year or so related to tree art - as I find these explorations terribly interesting to provoke understanding or look at different ways on perhaps one of the ubiquitous and overlooked workers in our urban landscapes. Here's a selection of some newer additions to this eco-artform.


:: Mosstika by Edina Todiki - image via Inhabitat


:: Under the Tree of Life (artist unknown) - image via WAN


:: What is a tree? (artist unknown) - image via People and Place

:: Rolling Woods (Bo Melin) - image via Vulgare

The last one I had to dig a little to get into. At first I thought it was one of those technophilic explanatory pieces that simulated the ecosystem services from a tree in an abstracted mechanistic form. A bit more digging expanded the idea, and it's a pretty cool one, worth a bit of dialogue. Via Treehugger, the 'Idea of a Tree' from Katharina Mischer and Thomas Traxler for a "...a machine that "starts producing when the sun rises and stops when the sun settles down. After sunset, the finished object can be ‘harvested’."

:: image via Treehugger

This minimalist contraption deserves a full explanation - as it is quite fascinating in idea and simplicity. " tree is a product of its specific time and place. It reacts and develops according to its surrounding and constantly records various environmental impacts in its growth process. Each single tree tells its own story of development. The goal of 'the idea of a tree'- project was to bring the recording qualities of a tree and its dependence on natural cycles into products. It slowly grows the object, by pulling threads through a colouring device, a glue basin and finally winding them around a mould. The length/height of the resulting object depends on the sun/hours of the day. The thickness of the layer and the colour is depending on the amount of sun-energy. (more sun = thicker layer and paler colour; less sun=thinner layer and darker colour)."

:: images via Treehugger

Some info on the outcomes: "The 'bench tioat' is one outcome of the 'the idea of a tree' project, which uses solar energy to translate the luminosity of the sun into one object a day. The bench is a souvenir of its day and place of creation. The thickness of the layer and its colour intesity refer directly to the sun. Dark and thin parts result from little sun, bright and thick areas result from lots of sun."

:: images via Treehugger

Mapping Green

An interesting post from Treehugger points out the power of 'maps' as inventive ways to capture the complexity of ecological systems and provides education and support for ideas. An article mentioned (via core77) in Communication Arts entitled 'Mapping Power' references this idea in detail (and worth a careful read).


:: image via Treehugger

One example that the post mentions (seen above) is the systems mapping for the The High Line, a signature trademark of Field Operations: "The creative use of mapping that Friends of the High Line used to help turn existing infrastructure into a green oasis shows that making the goals of green efforts visual has as great an impact as the more negative images we're used to seeing, such as showing the very disturbing impacts of climate change, or driving home numbers that are too big for people to really comprehend without an image."

Additionally, from the article: "...the image artfully evokes the evolution of flora and fauna over the course of four years. The graphic is an example of the power of design to fire the imagination—and in the process cultivate political power and support. The Friends of the High Line have paid careful attention to their graphic materials from the start, using compelling visuals to project their vision vividly and ultimately to pry loose the millions of dollars of public and private financing necessary to make this fantastic idea happen."


:: image via Communication Arts

This is pretty standard operation for designers, communicating massive amounts of information, and distilling it, via maps and evocative graphic renderings to sell projects. The complexity of information (ala Edward Tufte) using complex symbols and graphic design principles not often implemented in the past for landscape architecture graphics (which seemed stuck in a visual rut for a long time), but seen often in landscape urbanist proposals and competition entries... and has changed the way we communicate.

Another example mentioned, which is close to my heart is the Green Map (I did the original Portland version back from 1998-2002), brainchild of the fabulous Wendy Brawer, an icon-based system for education and empowerment. Via the CA article, a quote from Brawer: "This Map encourages people to explore and understand our city-helping expand our community of environmental stewards who understand the interconnections between the natural and built environments. It can help build a network of links among people of different ages and backgrounds by highlighting places that are important to our common future. It promotes and fosters replication of successful projects. Moreover, it challenges the assumption that this intensely urban setting has little redeeming ecological value.”


:: image via Communication Arts

The blurring of lines between traditional mapping, graphic design, symbology, and planning methods offers many new options for communicating of ideas that will be more useful as the availability of information and the complexity of design ideas expand. As John Emerson writes in the article: "There’s no doubt that visual media has the power to influence an audience, but visual media can also be used to visualize power itself. Visualizing power is a way of interpreting and understanding it. And this understanding can become a basis for challenging it. Design can be used to describe and locate power, to pressure those who hold power, and ultimately to facilitate and generate power by bringing people together. So why do so few designers take advantage of this persuasive power?"
Something for us all to ponder... plus they all look pretty cool as well - an artform in their own right.

Veg.itecture Spin-Off

It's fun to see something that seemed relatively nascent a few years back grow into a full-fledged phenomenon. The growth of vegetated architecture projects and the number of sites covering this topic has literally exploded of late, and I was fearful that the entire Landscape+Urbanism blog would be eclipsed and framed by Veg.itecture rather than a more rounded view of issues related to landscape architecture and landscape urbanism.

In a move driven mostly by maintaining my sanity with L+U (because, as always, this is about me), I've launched a new blog entitled, simply 'Veg.itecture'.



The idea, simply enough will be to carve out some terrain specific to the Vegetated Architecture and allow for a singular focus on the concept in a different venue. As of right now, I have saved around 150 projects that just have no room amidst the admittedly broad scope of L+U. This site will continue to feature certain projects, and there will be cross posts with some interesting overlaps, but the majority of the overtly vegitectural will reside on the new site. This will complement the book deal that will be inevitable as well as...

I also included a link in the sidebar for easy access... the site will evolve over the next few weeks - so add it to your RSS feeds and readers, and I do hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing.

Urban Chickens Build - 2

A summation of days 2 & 3 of the experiment in urban chickens... with the final form framed out and the interior in place, ready for roof framing and plywood, and eventually ecoroof and siding. Should be habitable by this weekend...


:: 2 walls down...


:: and 3...


:: and four...


:: framing the interior


:: exterior view of laying boxes for easy access to eggs


:: ...and the interior with safety rail and access step

The form has also given the structure a suitable name, now known as the 'Chicken Cube' (trademark pending... :). Fitting, no?




:: the sun, and the chicken cube emerges

Avian Rooftops

I'm getting the feeling that Veg.itecture has turned a corner in both representation and concept. Aside from the mere amount of 'green' proposals being churned out in the guise of environmental and productive landscapes, the concepts continually provide more expansive ideas in theoretical underpinnings. This could be good, as it transitions beyond mere decorative or illustrative hijinx to real solutions or could spawn a plethora of new methods of upping the ante with rhetoric while still idling in the eventual execution. The recent designs (via World Architecture News) for the Biornis Aesthetope in NYC, by one of the better named firms BAM (Ballistic Architecture Machine) conjures up the duality of this proposal - perhaps tacking on the ideas illustrated in last years musings of PHREE Urbanism.


:: image via WAN

From WAN, the project contains a: "Structural latticework sculpted as a “meadow and tree” transforms a 70,000 sq ft rooftop covered with vents and ductwork into a park accessible only to birds and insects." Some further information on structure: "An undulating surface of structural mesh is filled with a matrix of material “plugs” including 85% organic soil, water pools, gravel, perforated metal, and glass. Infill materials are positioned according to structural loading conditions and the need to create a “refueling station” attractive to birds."


:: image via WAN

And some reason to believe this is more than just a pretty picture, as there is some sound science behind the idea. "By consulting Ornithologists at Harvard and Cornell Universities, BAM was able to research nutritional and spatial requirements for an avian meadow. Ornithologists selected target species from birds migrating along the Atlantic Coast Flyway. Offering shelter and structural complexity, the tree structure creates ideal nesting conditions for 12 species including diurnal raptors, songbirds, and owls."


:: image via WAN

The proof, however, will be to build it, and see if they will come (or flock rather) to this site...

High Line Goes Public

In one of the most exciting bits of news lately, Section 1 of the L+U favorite High Line will open to the public next week. This on the heels some travel press from across the pond, and the announcement of a large gift from some local celebs.. couldn't be better timing, as today's post reveals the flurry of vegetal activity up on this fabulous elevated park space.


:: image via High Line Blog

In anticipation of the event, Sundance Channel has a series of digital shorts on the project... here's a sneak peek at one with James Corner and Piet Oudolf, but definitely check out the entire collection here to see some designers and celebrities riffing on this linear marvel. [Note 06.06.09 - I pulled the Corner/Oudolf video because it never seemed to want to load from the embedded viewer... they all seem to work on the Sundance site though, so check it out there].

Urban Chickens Build - 1

After a lovely weekend day spent rounding up materials for the Experiment in Urban Chickens, I spent Monday putting together the foundation, floor and starting to frame out the walls... some pics.

:: my trusty helper Ginger inspecting the building pad

:: finished and level base to keep the chickens off the ground

:: the coop will break down into pieces for moving, t-plate to attach them together

:: the floor plate goes on, ready for framing

:: racing against an impeding thunderstorm, the first wall goes up

Re:Vision Dallas = Vertical Green

The annoucement of three winners for the Re:Vision Dallas Competition on Bustler was telling in some of the interesting forms, and the consistency of veg.itecture as a vital building element - particularly the use of roof and walls faces for environmental, aesthetic, and productive means. Check out the full array of info and pics on Bustler's excellent site... and as a teaser, here's a few pics of the winners:

Forwarding Dallas
Atelier Data & MOOV (Lisbon, Portugal)






:: images via Bustler

Entangled Bank
Little (Charlotte, North Carolina)

:: images via Bustler

Greenways Xero Energy
David Baker and Partners Architects and Fletcher Studio (San Francisco, California)

:: images via

Bustler

It's interesting to see the different ways that a competition will push boundaries, particularly when you apply these to a specific site and/or program. Again, these are all visions (or re:visions) so there are some practicalities as play, but that's the key difference between competition and project - the lines are less distinct and the urge to color outside them is part of the fun.

Hadid, Green?

I'm somewhat ambivalent about the architecture of Zaha Hadid - as it is predominately removed from context and placed, like sculpture, in the landscape. The new 850,000 sf design museum, library and educational facility in Seoul, South Korea offers a glimpse of green surfacing over the typical organic blobs, in an attempt at innovation connection to social context.


:: image via Treehugger

Hadid is quoted in Treehugger (via Archinnovations): "A fundamental aim of the scheme is to bring delight and inspiration to the people of Seoul by establishing a cultural hub in the centre of one of the busiest and most historic districts of the city” says Zaha Hadid. “The design has been governed by the belief that architecture must enable people to think beyond existing boundaries to reach innovative design solutions. This combined investment in education and research, together with the city’s public cultural programmes will inspire new generations of designers, helping to maintain Korean industry’s reputation as a leader in innovation.”


:: image via Treehugger

The issue with schemes like this, which has been discussed many times, is the 'landscape' consists of complete inert and ambiguous green shades - denoting nothing specific about the material or its nature. Again the idea of painting on green (in this case with three lusty shades) misses the point of the idea of Veg.itecture to transcend mere decoration. The fact that the spaces are usable and accessible makes for a move in the right directions - but is this a range of grassy or sedum fields, or something akin to a real landscape? It'll be interesting to see this move forward and more to interpret more detail on the future iterations and eventual final project.

Dwell Does Landscape

Recently there was a cadre of posts from the Dwell blog focused on the landscape - as part of the 101 Landscape. The content was mostly passable, with some information on this history of the profession, and an interesting article on lawn reduction... amongst some others.


:: image via Dwell

I was particularly interested in the quotes from a trio of noted landscape architects on the Future of Landscape Architect. The throwaway of these is Kathryn Gustafson's quote on the urbanist tendencies and the style that follows - with this gem: "I think the idea of the American home is being redefined,” explains Kathryn Gustafson. “Landscape is becoming more integrated into our cities and our [domestic spaces].”


:: image via Dwell

Diana Balmori, one of the L+U favs, offers some wisdom on the idea of design for a residential scale beyond the typical garden plot. “Many wish to have usable space for play, exercise, games, or for the feeling of openness. It’s the creation of many options that is interesting... Landscape architecture is not a correcting or mitigating agent for architecture. When engaged simultaneously with the architecture, it transforms it and makes possible connectivity between inside and outside.”


:: image via Dwell

The final quote, from Michael Van Valkenburgh, offers an interesting twist on the value of residential design. “Although it may not be for everybody, [residential] design is by no means less important than the bigger commissions. Small projects, be they residential or not, are an important way for designers to explore new ideas, whether you are a newcomer or an experienced designer. Also, big projects sometimes take over a decade to design and complete. When you love the art of construction and planting as much as we do, you need some side projects that keep you in that atmosphere even while you are pursuing more long-term projects.”

He adds some info on the future from an educational perspective: “...one of the crucial elements I would like to see our program address better is the intersection between environmental science and design. How can landscape architects benefit from the most current research being done, and how can we push or lead research in ways that will help us to build landscapes that are both experientially rich and environmentally sound?”


:: image via Dwell