Landscape Magazine - February 2016

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middle east

February 2016


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EDITOR’S NOTE

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A Smarter Way to Live

middle east

February 2016

February'16 Issue.indd 1

1/28/16 9:07 PM

ur February issue looks at engineering smarter, more efficient and cost effective ways to design urban landscapes. From New Zealand’s regenerated Avon Precinct to Miami’s Icon Bay Park which has bridged the gap between the city and it’s famed waterways, to learning about creating urban developments without disrupting the ecology of the planet, which is the main premise of the term Gaia Hypothesis—to read more from Perkins+Will go to page 28. We also hear about the future of sustainable design from Walter Bone, Manager – Urban Design at Khatib and Alami CEC and Masato Kametani, Lead Landscape Architect at Parsons tells us about the challenges of doing business in the landscape industry in the GCC. (page 14) If over-spending and under estimating landscape projects is a common problem then go to page 10 to get desert INK’s advice on how budgets can be slashed without sacrificing on innovation or he quality. Hope you enjoy the issue!

John Hampton

The opinions and views contained in the articles in this publication are those of the contributors and not necessarily of the publishers. The publishers cannot be held liable for any mistake or omission enclosed in the publication.

For free subscription and to view the magazine please visit our website:

www.landscape-me.com

The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

Our magazine is available in app store and google play, search under Landscape Middle East. Published by:

MEMedia Publishing FZ LLC IMPZ PO Box 485005, Dubai, UAE Telephone: +971 4 4470927 Fax: +971 4 4470928

I Managing Partner: Z iad Maarouf Amine I Copy Editor: John Hampton I Sales Manager: Boushra Dinnawi I Administrative Assistance: Sarry Gan I Art Director: Ramon Andaya I Contributors: Duncan Denley, Walter Bone, Masato Kametani, Dilara Tuncer, Steven Velegrinis, Martin Davies I Printed by: Al Nisr Publishing LLC I Webmaster: www.pdinventive.com

Landscape is distributed free of charge in KSA, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Eqypt, and Lebanon by Emirates Post UAE

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Contents

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February 2016 - Issue 104

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Smart solutions for reducing landscape budgets

14 24 32 36 42

Building for the Future

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Bridging Nature The Urban Way Heart of the City Turf Expert

10 28

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News & Events

Chicago Athenaeum’s Good Design Award conferred for highest form, function and aesthetics

Vortex Wins Prestigious Global Design Award for Its Water Journey™ Solution

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ortex Aquatic Structures International (www.vortex-intl. com), a manufacturer and world leader in aquatic play landscapes and entertainment solutions, today announced its Water Journey™ aquatic play solution has been recognized with a Good Design Award by the Chicago Athenaeum. This year represents the 65th annual Good Design awards, organized by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in cooperation with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies. Good Design awards cover the most innovative and cutting-edge industrial, product, and graphic designs in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. Water Journey is a collection of four different events – Labyrinth, Jet Dance, Race, and Tide Pool – that are inspired

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by nature’s flowing streams. Each event can be used separately or connected to provide unique play experiences, providing guests with the ability to engage with different life-like stream behavior as water encounters creeks, flood plains, ripples and cascades. “Water Journey is an example of how we try to think about play differently,” said Vortex President and CEO, Stephen Hamelin. “It enables social, physical and cognitive development of children through playing with water but not necessarily getting wet. We’re honored that it has been recognized by the Good Design awards.” This is the second award in 2015 for Water Journey, marketed by Vortex and developed with design firms, Dikini and Daily Tous les Jours. Water Journey™ was previously recognized with a GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN Award for Best Street Furniture.

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Vortex Aquatic Structures international, headquartered in Montreal, Canada, was founded in 1995 with the introduction of the first Splashpad®. Vortex’s use of the highest quality materials coupled with unique, inspiring design and state-of-the-art engineering, positioned the company as the world leader in aquatic play solutions. In addition to its operations in Montreal, Vortex has regional sales and technical support offices in California, Michigan and Texas in the USA, Lyon and Paris in France, Valencia in Spain, Køge in Denmark and Shanghai and Beijing in China. The company has a global marketing and distribution network supporting Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and Latin America. With over 6,000 installations worldwide, Vortex›s mission is to lead the aquatic play industry by continuing to develop the most fun, innovative and safe products for families and children of all ages and abilities.


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News & Events

TASTING THE LANDSCAPE

53rd IFLA WORLD CONGRESS - Turin

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utting the landscape, its care and its transformation at the center of the environmental and cultural debate in Italy and throughout the world. In fact, the landscape is an integral part of the development of a country: it improves the quality of life, makes its regions more attractive and thus favors their economic development. This important objective was the starting point for organizing the 53rd IFLA (International Federation of Landscape Architects) World Congress, which will be held in Turin, Italy, from April 20th to April 22nd, 2016. The theme chosen for the congress is Tasting the Landscape, understood according to the experiential, sensory and metaphoric meanings held within the word “taste”: meanings that go back to the sensory dimension of places, and that invite us not to forget the emotional and perceptive aspects of the landscape. This chosen title places emphasis on the landscape project as an instrument that produces quality, well-being, resources, and common assets as well as on the central role of the landscape professional in the processes of restoration and regeneration of places and regions. As the focus of our studies, we have chosen the peri-urban area, that

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is, that place at the border between the city and the countryside wherethe majority of the sustainability challenge for the city of the new millennium plays out. The congress is organized by AIAPP – The Italian Association of Landscape Architecture, representing IFLA in Italy, in collaboration with the City of Turin. Since 1950, AIAPP has been the reference point in Italy for all the various subjects tied to landscape architecture. It is made up of about 800 professionals that are involved in the knowledge, analyses, active conservation, design and management of open spaces, from gardens to parks to the landscape. For the 2016 Congress, the presence of more than 2,000 professionals is expected:

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landscape architects from all over the world, representing national associations connected in the IFLA network (IFLA Europe, IFLA Americas, IFLA Africa, IFLA Asia-Pacific) as well as agronomists, engineers, technicians from European public administrations, politicians and administrators. These three days of presentations should show the widest diversity of approaches and experiences at every scale, thanks to the contributions that are arriving from all over the world. The call for international papers aimed at professionals has met with extraordinary success, with almost one thousand abstracts sent. From these, about 80 will be selected, and their authors will be invited to participate in the presentations as speakers. Furthermore, in the next few weeks the names of the Congress’s Keynote Speakers will be announced – all of whom are international leaders in their fields, who will contribute to the presentations by offering their vision of the landscape and the future. The congress will be articulated in four presentation areas: Sharing Landscapes, focused on the production of food resources in urban and peri-urban areas; Connected Landscapes, on how to generate new economies through changes in places and regions; Layered Landscapes, which investigates stratified landscapes, from ancient to recent history,which can also become places to experiment innovative care strategies and practices; Inspiring Landscapes, dedicated to the construction of collective images and to the active conservation of shared poetic and cultural patrimony. An additional initiative in the program is a space for younger students and professionals, the protagonists of the Youngscape section.



News & Events

Botanic Garden Australian Arid Lands

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TRIP to a botanic garden often conjures up images of blooming roses, neat hedges and lush leafy flora specimens.

But on the outskirts of the most arid major town in the driest state on the driest continent on earth, the harsh realities of the landscape are everywhere. Port Augusta is about 300km north of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It sits at the top of Spencer Gulf and is known as the gateway to the Outback in central Australia - and for its scorching summer heat. Remote Australia might seem barren and lifeless at first glance but the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden is proof the continent’s heart is home to thousands of highly evolved plants specially adapted to thrive in an environment of extreme temperatures and devastating droughts.

She said plants in the garden had been selected from areas with less than 250mm (10 inches) of annual rainfall in South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. “It showcases the best of Australia’s arid lands plants, there’s a huge range and people are absolutely surprised at how stunning they are in their home environments,” she said. “To have all those plants in the one collection is quite rare.” Gerlach said the park was also home to many reptile species including large goannas and the odd snake. She said arid land bird species in the garden had increased from about 40 to more than 150 since it opened.

The 250ha garden opened in 1993 and is operated by Port Augusta Council staff and a dedicated group of 30 volunteers.

“We are really becoming a destination for bird watchers too … it’s a growing market,” she said.

About 90,000 visitors have entered the garden in 2015, easily eclipsing the previous record of 70,000, which was set in 2013.

The free admission garden, which recently won an ecotourism award, is divided into sections to represent various arid Australian landscapes such as the Flinders Ranges and Great Victorian Desert or to showcase rare plants.

Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden manager Cherie Gerlach said the park,

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bordered on one side by the waters of Spencer Gulf, transitioned from ocean to mangroves to desert landscape in a matter of metres.

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Gerlach said it was a great place for people to get a taste of central Australian flora and fauna without heading deep into the outback, particularly for the growing number of international visitors. She said Sturt’s desert pea – the floral emblem of South Australia - was a drawcard for visitors who wanted to see it growing in its native habitat. “People often expect the plants in arid areas to be quite spindly and not as beautiful as plants in other areas but when you see them so close in the garden you really can appreciate how stunning they are, the variety of colours, the leaf shapes and the overall beauty of the plants.” “Quite often people who haven’t been before or heard much about it, once they get there they really are stunned to see what we have to offer … then when they get to see a goanna or a lizard of some type they love that too.” Other popular ecotourism activities in South Australia include swimming with wild dolphins and sea lions on Eyre Peninsula, caving on the Limestone Coast, Canoeing down the Murray River and trekking the ancient landscapes of the Flinders Ranges.


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cost efficiency

Smart solutions for reducing landscape budgets desert INK’s Duncan Denley and Oskar Szlachetka dispel the myth that you must spend large sums of money to create a fantastic landscape. They argue that the selection of an innovative designer will ultimately reduce client expenditure and lead to a better value project.

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Using intelligent design and a modest material palette will help to reduce costs, whilst adding value to a project.

such elements can add much value to the landscape, the proposal should be interrogated prior to presentation to the client; why does this hotel brief request a water feature and a swimming pool? Could the swimming pool incorporate movement in the form of spouts, overflows or similar features, which effectively turn the swimming pool into a water feature? Does the client really need an 18 metre long swimming pool if they do not swim laps, or would an attractive plunge pool better suit their needs and pocket?

Start Early The best way to achieve cost efficiency is to start early. Set out a budget with the client from the start. If no budget is forthcoming, then provide a range of budgets based upon low, medium and high cost of installation per square metre. Typically, clients who state that budget is not an issue, are surprised when a square metre cost estimate is applied to their site. Landscapes generally cost more than most people think. So our role as landscape architects is to make clients aware of the likely costs associated with their brief and manage their expectations from the start. It is much harder to reduce the cost of a landscape that has already been designed, than to design to a tight budget from the outset. Design Elements Landscape designers should be acutely aware of the size, quantity and complexity of the structures proposed within the landscape. It is very easy to sell a design that includes many swimming pools, water features and extravagant stone walls, but removing these elements due to cost overrun at a later stage leaves a bad taste in the mouth of everyone involved. It also exposes consultants to often lengthy value engineering workshops and redesign processes, which can quickly erode any profit left in the consultancy fees. While

Make the best of what you’ve got! Exploiting the site’s natural assets can reduce construction costs drastically. It is critical to visit the site and assess what elements of the site could be enhanced, showcased or manipulated to best effect with minimal spend. A recent sales centre designed by desert INK utilised waste stone from site excavation to fill inexpensive gabion baskets, for example. This element eventually became a defining characteristic of the scheme, yet cost a fraction of the ‘default’ stone-clad concrete walls typically used by other landscape architects in the region. So if a site features rolling terrain, existing vegetation or a stunning view, it is the landscape architect’s role to recognise this asset, and enhance it rather than wiping the slate clean and replacing these assets with costly new built features. Material Choice Many clients and designers believe that spending huge funds upon expensive finishes increases the value of the project by default. Certain high-end finishes can of course contribute a “wow” factor when used appropriately, but many of the most successful landscapes shun expensive materials, relying instead upon creating amazing experiences with simple finishes. We must keep coming back to the question; what makes a successful landscape? Put very simply; a successful urban landscape is one which feels good to be in. Moments of joy are often created in nature by experiences, such as noticing the way that the sun filters through a tree canopy at a certain time of day, or the feeling of enclosure found in a woodland clearing. Recreating such ephemeral experiences is not reliant upon expensive materials, but reproducing emotions that are hard-wired into our brains over millennia. desert INK regularly use a number of finishes which offer best value to our clients:Concrete Paving Extremely durable, and available in a multitude of colours, shapes, sizes and finishes, this material is typically installed for less than half

the price of most natural stones. It requires no sealing, is locally manufactured and has an extremely short lead time. We applied hundreds of thousands of square metres of this material to busy highway intersections in Dubai Festival City ten years ago, and it remains in pristine condition.’ Best of all, it’s less expensive than standard black asphalt and is virtually maintenance free. Composite Decking Another great alternative material. Money saving is just one of the many factors that incline us to specify composite timber over real wood. Similar in capital cost to hardwood, this material outstrips natural wood in almost every other aspect: maintenance costs, durability, availability, sustainability, colour fastness and fire-retardancy. Its durability and low maintenance are key cost reducing factors.

While similar in cost to hardwood decking, good quality composite materials save on maintenance budgets over the lifespan of a project Artificial Turf This may send shivers down the spine of the horticulturally-inclined, but our studies have proven that good quality artificial grass is much cheaper in the long term than natural lawn in the Middle East. Due to the exceptionally high irrigation and maintenance costs of keeping a lawn, artificial grass pays for itself within a 5-7 year period. Environmentally, we must also consider the costs of using millions of gallons of desalinated water, tonnes of chemical fertilisers and huge gangs of petroldriven maintenance vehicles. Green lawns may not be so ‘green’ after all. Other cost-saving tricks we’ve learned along the way Lighting Clever landscape lighting can often turn a simple space into a magical experience at a minimal cost. Even the most budget-strapped project can afford simple LED directional fixtures which can be installed at the base, or to trunks of trees and palms. Vast sums

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cost efficiency

Left hand image: costly uplighters pointing directly into the sky-a waste of budget Right hand image: to get best value from lighting, ensure it is positioned to illuminate an object

of client’s funds are often wasted on lights incorrectly installed. In order to add value to a landscape, a luminaire must be located so as to illuminate an object or feature, yet we have all seen pointless uplighters shining vertically into the sky, illuminating absolutely nothing. Such fixtures are entirely wasteful and only serve to add a layer of complexity and cost to the landscape without tangible benefit. Designers should ask themselves; ‘what am I lighting here?’ Planting While we are all aware that clients in the Middle-East typically demand instant effects when it comes to planting, it is always worth trying to encourage them to

desert INK often specify small, fastgrowing shrubs to reduce construction budgets

desert INK’s awardwinning AKOYA Oxygen development 3 months after planting

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install smaller specimens. Mature trees and shrubs are exponentially more expensive than their younger counterparts. Ironically, younger specimens are also much more likely to adapt to their new environment quickly, have lower mortality rates and typically out-grow mature specimens planted at the same time within a couple of years. desert INK frequently specifies inexpensive plants such as Pennisetum and Gazania at a small size, which quickly mature to produce the desired effect in as little as three months. Low maintenance planting such as Agaves, Aloe and Adenium are also a great way to reduce ongoing maintenance costs for a client. The above insights offer just a taste of the thought processes which desert INK apply to our commissions on a daily basis. One of the many reasons why our clients return time and again is because they are acutely aware that we will typically save them considerably more expenditure than the cost of our consultancy fee. Now which client doesn’t want to hear that? Known for their amazing landscape designs, desert INK are a registered design consultancy based in the Dubai Design District. With 13 years of experience in the region, Managing Director Duncan Denley leads a creative team backed up by the 27 years› experience held in the Desert Group and vision of CEO Michael Mascarenhas.


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ecological environment

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andscape architecture is the design of outdoor public areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, socialbehavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. This involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and soil conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions that will produce the desired outcome. The scope of the profession includes landscape design; site planning; storm-water management; environmental restoration; parks and recreation planning; visual resource management; green infrastructure planning and provision; and private estate and residence landscape master planning and design; all at varying scales of design, planning and management. In an exclusive reach-out to some select Landscape Architects in the region, Landscape Middle East Magazine realised that the UAE, like most of Middle Eastern countries, is set in a challenging ecological environment and the lack of lushly vegetated areas provides opportunities to create an oases within the built environment. Among

Building for the Future

Designing in a challenging ecological environment

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other things, psychologists suggest that plants and green spaces offer a sense of rest to workers thereby making them more productive. Views of plants reduce job pressure, headaches, improve air quality and increase job satisfaction among employees they say. Landscaping has evolved into an integral part of the UAE’ culture and plays a crucial role in the quality of its environment, affecting economic well being, physical and psychological health. No wonder, landscaping and design have become a trafficable industry. According to Walter Bone, ASLA CLARB, Manager - Urban Design at Khatib and Alami CEC, the future of the industry is very dynamic and constantly expanding. He said, “landscape

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ecological environment

for the Dubai Municipality, Al Falah in Abu Dhabi and Najmat Development on Reem Island.

architectural design of the public realm is wide open and I feel this is just the start, where the future of sustainability design is the finish line.” He advises aspiring landscape architects to love the profession and not see the proceeds in monetary value but the smiles and laughter of families enjoying their work. As to what should distinguish landscape designs in this region as opposed to the other areas, Bone says “[It] should respond to the local desert environment by utilizing materials and species indigenous to the locale, wherein, site design should incorporate techniques for efficient water use by providing desertadaptive softscape species and preserving native plants. Water, as a landscape element, should be used judiciously and water features should only be placed in high pedestrian circulation areas”. Nevertheless, the landscape and design industry like others in the region, UAE in particular, hasn’t and is not a ride without hurdles. Bone highlights the resultant sway of constant economic swings from the region on the UAE and impractical practices by industry players as major challenges.

for a 500mm tall shrub. This is totally unacceptable and I have never seen this before.” He also intimates that if nothing is done fast to mitigate the economic downturn, strategic planning will become quite an issue in both the public and private sectors. However, Bone, remains upbeat in turning these threats into opportunities as Khatib & Alami, CEC Urban Design & Landscape Architecture seems to have mastered their trade given its 50 years presence in the region and 37 years in the UAE in particular. Quizzed on what aspect of his job challenges and rewards him most Bone chuckles; “ I guess it would be the same, understanding and satisfying the clients and end user’s needs in both a sustainable and economic fashion.” Amid other outstanding projects in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia inter alia, Khatib & Alami, CEC Urban Design & Landscape Architecture prides itself with the Desert Rose SMART City

“My first experience on design and construction management here in UAE, left me a bit frustrated. The plant growing farms and contractors growing/supplying their own materials, deliver materials to the construction site that do not meet the minimum specifications. As seedlings, the plants are planted very close together, forcing them to grow upward very fast. The result is woody stems to the top with little or no branching and sparsely covered with leaves. Sometimes, just 2-5 leaves

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Bone is a graduate of Landscape Architecture from Mississippi State University. Since graduation in 1988, he has also taken continuing education courses in Wetlands Delineation, Wetlands Mitigation Design and Wildlife Habitat Restoration. He worked as Principal Landscape Architect for the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, KSA and residential developments, resorts and theme parks in the US, Hong Kong, Macau, China and India before moving to the UAE where he has been living for three years now. In another view, Masato Kametani, RLA Lead Landscape Architect at Parsons, advocates that, “the construction market is commodity-price driven and finding the right people with the right skill sets is one of the challenges of doing business in the current GCC market”. There is a common saying that no industry, whatsoever, is void of challenges, however, Kametani, in an unusual way, takes interest in extremes. “The field of landscape architecture is very broad and comprehensive, so I will not even try to speak for the whole industry. However, extreme weather patterns, growth of senior population, and environmental pollutants are some of global issues that are interesting to me. At a regional scale, preserving the local culture and heritage including arts and crafts, architectural styles, and unique urban built forms of the region is something I am very interested in.”


InnovaƟve Compounding SoluƟons

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ecological environment

“For every project I work on, visiting the site to understand what I am dealing with is the first step. Beyond the scope of work our customers ask for, I encourage my team to see what impact our project could have on future users, areas surrounding the site, or maintenance crews in cases of park projects for example. There is an idiom in Japanese, “「温故知新」 On_ko, Chi_shin,” which literally means to “warm the old and learn the new.” In other words, it means to study old or previous cases or examples, and gain the knowledge or understand them so that one can apply that to new things. People might have heard of a word “Kaizen” that is a philosophy or a form of practice to “improve continuously,” it talks about how to conduct a business or personal efficiency for example. These two ideas or attitudes are indispensable to me as a professional to create our exterior living spaces that are safer, well-planned and connected, and ultimately more enjoyable for end users.” In a brief on his recent activities and projects involved in their design and/or execution, Kametani said he has been working on the design of jogging and cycle tracks that are located throughout Abu Dhabi Island and Mainland. There will be 42 km of jogging tracks and 12 km of cycle tracks. “Needless to say, producing 1,600-sheet set of drawings was challenging on its own, but coordinating with various agencies and stakeholders was something I haven’t dealt with before, at least at this magnitude. Today, the project is under the tendering process. The entire team including those from

various agencies is excited about this project, and I personally cannot wait to break ground!” “Parsons has a pretty impressive portfolio of landscaping projects and what I think is one of the most amazing aspects is the multidisciplinary nature of all the landscaping work the company has done in the region over the last several decades. Some of the biggest landscaping projects we’ve worked on recently include: • Abu Dhabi Parks and Recreation Facilities Directorate Landscaping and Irrigation, UAE • Nshama Town Square, UAE • Ministry of Housing Infrastructure Project, KSA • Qetaifan Islands, Qatar • Doha Expressway, Qatar The most challenging part is to believe in someone’s vision for the project throughout the project life, from the concept development all the way to execution. It is rewarding when you see the completion of a project, and when you see it is what you envisioned. But the most amazing aspect of being a landscape architect is when you realize the project touches someone’s world and provides a pleasant experience. It could be as simple as placing benches in an ordinary neighbourhood park. That’s really the spirit of everything that Parsons does; “trying to create a better world for someone, to make all the places where we operate become better places for everyone.”

His message to aspiring landscape architects? “Travel a lot locally and internationally, walk around notice your surroundings and meet local architects. It is a really good way to learn what sort of issues [others] are dealing with, and to think what I would do if I faced a similar challenge at home. Most importantly, be passionate about being a landscape architect! Any aspiring landscape architect in the GCC needs to always aim to provide solutions that combine local experience, international landscape design practices, and infrastructure engineering design capabilities.” Quizzed on whether international standards for the industry are too rigid and unrealistic or can they easily be applied when executing projects, Kametani said it had to do with safety guidelines and standards in landscape design. “It is a way for us as designers to be more creative and provide a solution that works. If you understand the true essence of what a standard is meant to achieve, there are many ways to accomplish the same result. Building codes in the US, for instance, could be very challenging to implement, but definitely not “rigid” or “unrealistic.” Guidelines, especially in terms of safety and universal design, need and should be followed when designing for the general public. They are an important aspect of design, when we are designing to improve the quality of life. I believe good safety guidelines and implementation are very important in the landscape industry. We need to be more aware how to design safer and user-friendly environments. Safety is another one of Parsons’ core values and we are firmly committed to providing safe designs and solutions to all of our customers, whether it’s for a landscaping, transportation, water or defence project.” With an eye on the main challenges of doing business in the current GCC market, Kametani hinted at some changes that need to be adopted: “First of all, there is no landscape architect as a licensed profession. I am an “engineer.” I believe the profession and the role of landscape architects needs to be recognized and should not be a part of the field of architecture or engineering. From my point of view, landscape architects play a very important role in such a fast developing country like the UAE.”

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He added, “ I would like to see individuals be more empowered and take a bigger role in becoming stewards of their landscape; I truly believe that we are serving the general public through our projects. “Lastly, we, the practitioners as a whole, need to be steadfast of playing a role to improve the quality of life of the public. What we propose needs to be beyond just the design and construction work, but work with the customer to implement changes at higher level if it were to improve the public realm. Our company has 15,000 employees engaged in projects in 29 countries; this gives us the ability to exchange ideas with our peers all over the organization to find innovative ways to address our customers’ landscaping requirements and to eventually enhance the public realm. I think cooperation across all the different market sectors, countries and continents is very important and it’s one of the things that have made us successful throughout the years.” Differentiating landscape designs here in the Middle East from other parts of the world, he said that landscape designs are not necessarily different in terms of design processes or ideas, but because we are in such a different type of landscape in terms of climate, geography, and cultural context compared to other areas, everything seems to be unique in many ways. The execution aspect or construction methods are quite different. I believe that there is always room to develop new ways of doing things. There are talks about sustainability or sustainable design/development, and I am sure many

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changes will come. Taking the extreme summer weather in GCC as an example, it provides us a great opportunity to test and learn how we tackle the issue of heat island effect. Perhaps landscape architects will come up with unconventional ways to mitigate challenging issues, and the rest of world could benefit from their findings. Perhaps one of the things that differentiate landscape designs here is the magnitude of some of the projects. One of the biggest projects Parsons is currently involved in is the Ministry of Housing Infrastructure project in Saudi Arabia. In 2011, and through a subsequent contract amendment, Saudi Arabian Parsons Limited (SAPL) partnered with the Ministry to tackle the largest sites planned for development—17 separate community sites totalling nearly 74 million m² of land supporting about 92,000 apartments and villas. The communities will ultimately include mosques, medical facilities, schools, police stations, parks, landscaped open spaces, commercial/retail development, electrical substations, and sewage treatment plants to provide complete and modern communities attractive to Saudi citizens. SAPL is undertaking data collection, urban master planning, complete technical design, and full construction supervision of all infrastructure and landscaping for our assigned sites, which range in size from roughly 1 million m² to 10 million m² and are spread out from Tabouk in the north to Khamis Mushayt in the south and from Dammam in the east to Jeddah in the west. Once the developments are built,

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the landscaping associated with them will be extremely exciting in terms of designs, magnitude and impact on the communities. Parsons’ first project in the GCC region dates back over 6 decades (the 1950s), when we were involved in several water projects in the region, as well as an airport in Saudi Arabia (Dhahran). As Parsons’ first major airport project, we were the design-build architect and engineer on this award-winning facility. Our team featured sophisticated themes of well-known Arabic designs throughout the terminal. Parsons has a strong commitment to each of the GCC countries, and all the various sectors’ teams have been fortunate to contribute to some of the GCC’s most prestigious projects. As we start tackling much more complicated issues such as pollution mitigation, natural resource management, public health issues or economical impact as the result of landscape implementation, the landscape industry is continually evolving in the GCC. Landscape projects will be broadening their scope beyond just surface treatments, to understand how each project will be contributing, impacting or affecting the greater context such as social values, education and the well-being of the general public. “Landscape architects are not experts in economics, medicine, or chemistry; however, working with various experts from different fields to understand the key components of each and try and come up with the best solution for any


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ecological environment

given challenges we face. Secondly, I believe that there is more work to be done for public interstitial spaces. The construction pace is so alert here; old buildings are continuously replaced with newer and more sophisticated buildings. When I first visited the UAE about 2 years ago, I was walking through the canyon of these new buildings in Dubai, and I was surprised that there were not many walkways connecting the different buildings. Designers and developers seemed to have focused mostly on architectural design and overlooked “the ground” in the projects, and how it related to the next plot. This has significantly improved during the last couple of years; I see nice streets with adequate walking space, with street furniture shaded comfortably with a large tree, or with shops open to the street and welcoming passers-by. However, in order to make cities more liveable and ultimately more sustainable, we should consider making public spaces more pedestrian-friendly and interconnected. “I think the bottom line is basically all about heading towards an increasingly more sustainable way of doing landscaping. Whether we’re looking at it from the environment, marketplace, workplace or society point of view, our aim is continuous progress and sustainability, when it comes to landscaping or any other market we operate in. Sustainability is one of Parsons’ six core values and we are constantly incorporating sustainable ideas and tools into our landscape designs”.

Etihad Rail, UAE. Under a joint venture, Parsons is the program manager for the first stage of the Etihad Rail, the 1,200km strategic freight/passenger railway— UAE’s first national rail network. It serves the entire UAE and will form part of the strategic GCC rail network, connecting the UAE to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The 266-km Stage 1 links gas fields of Shah and Habshan to port in Ruwais. Stage 2 expansion is soon to be awarded and Stage 3 is in development. The customer is Etihad Rail. Lusail Development Project, Qatar. Parsons has been providing program and construction management services for Lusail Development since 2006. Lusail City extends across an area of 38 square kilometers and includes four exclusive islands and 19 multipurpose residential, mixed use, entertainment and commercial districts. It will include leisure spots, residential buildings, commercial towers, avenues and public ports. The customer is Lusail Real Estate Development Company. Ministry of Housing Program, KSA. Parsons was awarded the first package released by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Housing as part of a program to build 500,000 houses over the next few years. This initial package comprises 32 million m² of land area divided into 11 sites spread across the Kingdom. Each site covers a different area, ranging from 10 million m² in Dammam to 729,000 m² in Khamis Mushayt. The customer is the Ministry of Housing Saudi Arabia.

Parsons is one of the largest international engineering consultancy firms in the GCC that is fortunate enough to work on some of the region’s most prestigious projects. In terms of Parsons’ position in the market, he said, Parsons currently has more than 5,300 employees in the GCC. Some of the largest projects Parsons is currently working on in the GCC are: Abu Dhabi Airport Expansion Program, UAE. Parsons has been working for the Abu Dhabi Airports Company since 2005, to support them deliver the major expansion program. The multibilliondollar expansion program was structured to quickly deliver improvements that meet immediate needs while preparing for anticipated growth. The customer is Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC).

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Batinah Expressway, Oman. The 275kmlong expressway starts at the western end of the Muscat Expressway (previously designed and supervised by Parsons) and extends towards the border with the United Arab Emirates at Khatmat Malaha. The expressway will be interconnected with the existing Batinah Highway through 14 grade-separated interchanges and link/cross roads. The project also includes a large number of wadi bridges, and overpasses at local roads. The customer is the Ministry of Transport & Communications’ Directorate General of Roads & Land Transport. CSSP (Common Sea Water Supply System), Iraq. Contract to carry out frontend engineering designs (FEED) for a system to supply treated seawater to stateowned South Oil Company in Iraq. Masato Kametani is the Lead Landscape Architect at Parsons. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Masato is relatively new to the GCC (12 months) his experience here has been amazing so far, as he thinks that working for Parsons provides opportunities for him to interact with so many different disciplines and various sectors within the organization; “this has had a tremendous impact on my personal and professional growth and I am very excited to be here. Based on the experience I have had so far, I really look forward to being part of future developments here”.


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parks

Miami’s Icon Bay Park interlinks the city with the bay

Bridging Nature M iami’s new Icon Bay Park opened in June 2015, offering more than 400 linear feet of stunning frontage along Biscayne Bay in Edgewater. This elegantly styled waterfront pocket park is situated between the undulating glass façade of the new Icon Bay Residences, and the rippling waves of the Bay that it mirrors.

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Where Miami’s Design District meets the water, ArquitectonicaGEO’s sophisticated landscape design, inspired by the work of Henri Matisse, reflects the artistic nature of Miami with a sleekly styled sculpture garden, strolling paths and a multitude of resting spots for watching people and

nature. This location offers a delightful resting point half way between two existing Bayfront parks. A venerable gumbo limbo tree was preserved on site, serving to anchor the native landscape. Groves of oaks and palms offer shade, and open spaces preserve the views and breeze.

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parks

The new park opens a scenic east-west pedestrian link between the city and the bay. But more importantly, it embodies The Related Group’s greater vision of a series of elegant waterfront parks connected by a continuous baywalk called Biscayne Line, an awardwinning proposal first envisioned by ArquitectonicaGEO in 2011.

ArquitectonicaGEO ArquitectonicaGEO is an independent Landscape Architecture and Planning Studio founded by Laurinda H. Spear, FAIA, RLA, LEED AP, ASLA, IIDA, to design contemporary, technologically informed landscapes to meet the challenges of our changing environment. In the 10 years since its founding, this award-winning studio has been

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privileged to work on some of the most exciting and high-profile projects, in collaboration with world-class architects, artists and engineers, Including the Perez Art Museum Miami, the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, and the PortMiami Tunnel.

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Urbanism

The

UrbanWay Resilient Urbanism

A Hybridised Landscape By Steven Velegrinis Perkins+Will

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n many ways the defining characteristic of urbanism in the 21st century is the challenge of delivering urban resiliency and sustainable urban morphologies – particularly in the fast developing regions of the world. The accord of the Paris COP 21 meeting has explicitly brought forward that imperative in a manner that can no longer be ignored by governments, Landscape Architects and the urban planning community. This challenge has also called into question the duality of natural and anthropogenic environments. In simple terms you might argue that humans have done so much to alter the ecology of the earth that it can no longer even be considered a distinction that can be made. This is the central contention of the Gaia Hypothesis, which proposes that all organisms and their inorganic surroundings on Earth are closely integrated to form a single and self-regulating complex system, maintaining the conditions for life on the planet. As Australian biologist Tim Flannery puts it, “The metabolism of our economy is now on a collision course with the metabolism of our planet.” That means that rather than disrupting the ecology of the planet, we are part of the ecology of the planet and our role is increasingly to modify our environments to suit more conducive living conditions. This presents an enormous challenge for the planners and designers of cities who are now asked to be creators of synthetic ecologies that are resilient and provide for the ongoing health of our settlements.

urban planning may address environmental sustainability in the 21st Century. This is no more pronounced than in the developing world and fast-growing regions such as Turkey. In those regions urban development over the last several decades resulted in a promotion of density over amenity and accordingly peripheral agriculture, infrastructure and open spaces made way for ‘economically productive’ land uses. This can be characterised as the city growing as a kind of self-organising organism where ‘we have unleashed a creature of its own volition – an order of another nature constructing its own form’ (Read, 2007). In Read’s terms, the city has become a self-organising process beyond our control, subverting the very idea of urban planning presenting a key challenge to the governance of cities moving forward.

It has been facilitated by an ongoing convergence of natural sciences, such as landscape architecture and ecology, along with urban planning leading to a ‘superwicked’ problem for urban planners. We need to understand the means by which

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So how are we to respond? Supposedly ‘sustainable’ projects like Songdo City in Seoul or Masdar City in Abu Dhabi? In many ways these projects are stuck in the paradigm of consuming the potential of natural systems as a means to an urbanized end. In effect, this is still ‘Business as Usual’ for anthropogenic environments. Or can we respond with a new paradigm of urban environments enabled by geoengineered natural systems which, rather than being a ‘do-less-damage’ model like LEED or BREEAM, result in a net ecological benefit? Can we conceive of cities that expand the biocapacity of the earth through dissolution of the model of human and natural environments? This idea of regenerative and resilient urbanism was the driving force behind much of our recent work. One example of


and development potential. The landscape planning was the driving force in this process and resulted in a strong, coordinated landscape framework that improved the net ecology of the area and safeguarded critical infrastructure against climate change. In the case of Bogacay the challenge was double as the fluvial flooding had to also take account of the threat of rising sea levels. Were sea levels to rise salination in the creek would mean that the cities primary potable water supply would be fundamentally compromised. Working without reliable base information

the Landscape Architects leading the team employed parametric scripting tools to analyse the topography and create a water flow model for the entire study area in a matter of days. After combining this with analytics on building forms, transport networks and agricultural field boundaries the frameworks for the masterplan emerged with a clear and driving emphasis on Water Sensitive Urban Design. By bringing the diversity of the city right to the water’s edge, the Bogacay Creek can be a community meeting place, a center

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such an approach was a masterplan by Perkins+Will and Buro Happold for a 58 square kilometre area of Antalya in Southern Turkey. This tract of land bisected the city and had remained undeveloped because of regular fluvial flooding that occurs in the basin. In that masterplan we looked at geoengineering of water, agricultural, urban and environmental systems that controlled fluvial flooding, protected against sea level rise, protected potable water supplies for the city and expanded the ability to harvest water resources, protected existing agricultural zones, expanded economic diversity and stimulated a regenerative system of ecologies while allowing for 65,000,000 square feet of development. The landscape systems formed the fundamental planning basis of the plan and the engineering of water systems enabled flood control and improved water supply, agricultural viability

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Urbanism

for culture and entertainment, and a focal point for celebration. An active, beautiful, and resilient Bogacay Creek will be a model for development across the “Turkish Riviera.” The Bogacay Master Plan considers the creek and basin as the key to Antalya’s future. Instead of dividing the city, the creek basin--thoughtfully controlled and developed--could connect people and development opportunities. It naturally creates a linear framework for new development and new sites for investment and employment from the mountains to the sea. The Master Plan is a roadmap for the next 20 years. Beginning with a thorough analysis of waterflows, the plan proposes physical interventions to prevent flooding in the basin, improve water quality in the creek, protect

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Urbanism

the city water supply, and provide a sustainable irrigation water supply for local agriculture. Using a range of inwatershed and infrastructural strategies, the masterplan attenuates the peak flood flows and allows the creek basin to be developed for the cities expansion. The project also aims to protect the historic

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orange groves used for farming in the district for many years while addressing the impact of agriculture on the water of Bogacay Creek. Existing settlements and roads are incorporated into a comprehensive plan for new public spaces and broader connectivity. The master plan identifies

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45 development projects and 12 major infrastructure projects to guide for Antalya’s development and focuses on five priority projects to catalyze the Bogacay’s transformation: The Marina, Canal Urban Infill Development, Creek Vista, Farmway Town, and Creekside Village.


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Urbanism

Recently presented to the Turkish President Erdogan and the G20 conference in Antalya, we feel this project has proven our view that resilient urbanism and economic development need not be mutually exclusive. Moving forward we must embrace these hedonistic ideas of sustainability that allow us to develop in a manner that is consistent with the imperatives of the COP 21 Paris accord. That remains at the core of everything that Perkins+Will seeks to do.

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a vo n rive r

Heart of the City The Avon River regeneration project has squeezed new life into Christchurch, New Zealand By Opus, BDP, Boffa Miskell, Land Lab and EOS

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The City Promenade


Avon Loop Bridge

C

hristchurch in New Zealand was badly damaged by a sequence of earthquakes including a major event in February 2011. The earthquake damaged over half the buildings in the city’s central business district (CBD), destroyed thousands of residential properties and wrecked huge amounts of underground infrastructure. A government agency, The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, was established with a cabinet minister charged with overseeing the process of regeneration and renewal in partnership with Christchurch City Council and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu who represent the local Maori community.

Master Plan

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a vo n rive r

Following preparation of ‘the Blueprint’ a masterplan to guide the future development of the city, a consortium of Opus, BDP, Boffa Miskell, Land Lab and EOS won the commission for design proposals for the regeneration of the Avon River Precinct. The overall recovery plan envisages a greener, more accessible city with a compact core, stronger built identity and a greater focus on people and nature. The river covers a 3.2 kilometre stretch of the river corridor as it flows through the city centre and the regeneration strategy proposes that its sinuous path is used to define Christchurch’s new river precinct. In addition to the river corridor, the study also developed proposals for the North and East Frames, badly damaged city blocks with connections to the water.

new punt stop and waterside terrace

Antigua Oxford Terrace

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The project will seek to restore the health of the river and create a habitat to encourage the return of native birds and aquatic life to the central city. The rejuvenated landscape will represent a blend of the best of exotic and native planting and reflect the weaving together of the city’s cultures. It will help define the character and qualities of the city’s external environment and create attractive settings for new buildings, acting as a catalyst for future development. The area will be accessible for all with a pedestrian promenade and separate cycleway running the full length of the Precinct. The promenade will have a consistent character, though it will connect a variety of places and spaces that will each have their own distinct flavour. Boardwalks and terracing will allow easy access to the river and feature lighting

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new waterside terraces

will improve safety in the evenings and enhance the natural beauty of the central city. The Terraces will be a major feature of the promenade and their proximity to the leisure and retail quarters of the city will see the area become the prime location for outdoor eating, drinking and recreation. New waterside stops for punts, historic sculptures and contemporary art installations will add further interest to the promenade.

Family Park 1


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a vo n rive r

Walk across the river

The first stage of the project, called Watermark, opened in September 2013. Watermark is an exhibition site for the precinct, and spans the area on the true left bank of the river from the Antigua boatsheds to the Montreal Street Bridge. It features significant ecological works, a boardwalk, seating, new plantings and advanced LED lighting. The team is working to a very tight programme. Concept and Developed Design stages were largely completed in 2013 and detailed design packages are now underway. Construction commenced in the middle of 2014 and will run through the remainder of the year concluding in late 2015.

East Frame linear park

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Credits: Opus International Consulting - engineering / landscape architecture /urban planning BDP - landscape architecture / urban design Boffa Miskell - landscape architecture Land Lab - landscape architecture EOS - ecology Client - CERA (Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority) Image and Text Credits - CERA / OPUS /BDP

Montages_ Amazing Place Family Park


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synthetic grass

P

itch maintenance maestro Radek Kulczyk’s new van is barely four months old, yet already shows 12,000 miles on the clock – something he uses to convince SIS Pitches clients that maintenance of their gleaming synthetic grass surfaces is vital. “People love their cars and look after them. They know if you drive a lot and don’t maintain a car regularly, it won’t last very long. It’s exactly the same with grass,” says our smiling turf expert. “Looking after their pitch can extend its life by 50% over those that don’t. That’s why I am on a mission!”

The

It’s also why Radek pays a lot of attention to the mileage on the mini tractors and brush units supplied to all SIS Pitches clients, as he traverses the UK motorway network on scheduled maintenance visits to the 40 synthetic SIS pitches under his care.

Turf Expert

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pitches available, marches them onto the SIS Pitch – only to be shooed politely away. “They soon learn to love these synthetic pitches because they are soft and the ball bounce is good. Plus, they don’t get dirty,” laughs Radek, who is part of an upgraded SIS Pitches maintenance service for 2015. Expert Maintenance means a reduction in potential downtime for pitch repairs and longer lifespan before replacement. Player performance and appearance as well as the safety for its users is improved in a shared task between your groundstaff and Radek. Typically, because of the heavy use a SIS Pitch can endure in all weather, Radek arrives to find flattened grass fibres, particularly in high traffic areas. “See here, around the entrance to the pitch and the penalty areas and centre circle, the fibres are really flattened,” he says. “The reason is that the rubber crumb infill slowly settles deeper during use and no longer supports and separates the fibres. “This infill compaction causes the pitch to feel harder, slippery and the ball bounces like on tarmac. This can easily happen on smaller fivea-side pitches that get heavy use. “When we install a pitch we give every customer a tractor and a brush unit they hitch to the back. We recommend three times a week brushing, which lifts the infill up and raises the fibres. “But every quarter I come to inspect the entire pitch and give it a big spa treatment,” laughs Radek. This involves firstly taking 12 measurements with a tool to gauge rubber infill depth to see if a top-up is required. Heavily compacted crumb is treated to special treatment with a unit comprising long metal tines, precisely adjustable to reach down 20mm to the base of the grass carpet and agitate the infill back into place. Two passes over the entire pitch is sufficient to raise the flattened fibres, which are then given a further grooming from Radek’s brush unit. “I can immediately see by the mileage on the tractors whether the groundstaff have been doing the correct amount of maintenance, or not,” says the tireless technician. “The tractor tells me how much work I need to do on that pitch to get it back in top condition. I’m lucky that most groundstaff understand the importance of maintenance,” he says. We are at Cramlington Learning Village in Northumberland, England where more than

2000 energetic students aged 11-18 enjoy an expansive sports campus and Radek employs a rigorous three-monthly maintenance routine. But we could equally be at any sports pitch across the globe, for grass is grass and needs caring for in all climates and conditions. On a sunny September day, a teacher arrives with an eager class of early teens and even though there are three adjacent natural grass

Clients fill in reports on the amount of hourly use their pitches receive and every 6 months Radek assesses the care programme. “Over 60-70 hours weekly use I recommend brushing three times a week, otherwise once is okay. I will visit once every three months for a thorough maintenance.” After three years hard use, the Cramlington pitch is virtually flawless and gets an approving nod from Radek. It has been cared for diligently by staff who fill in weekly maintenance reports and precisely log hours of use.

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synthetic grass

Within the white touchlines of the main pitch, there are blue and red touchlines which pick out three 7-a-side pitches, giving it a great flexibility. If clients wish to add hockey or rugby marking to an existing pitch, Radek comes equipped with a very special laser guided line-painting unit which can adjust or repair markings. “It ignores my driving and makes sure the lines are perfectly straight – within 2cms,” he jokes.

“There can be unusual damage that only I can treat. I’ve seen it all, from fires to glue on grass – usually the work of kids. I always have spare carpet and rubber infill in the van and paint to touch up lines when needed. It’s always immaculate when I leave,” adds Radek. Seasonal effects need taking into account too with autumn demanding the most rigorous maintenance work. Leaves get embedded deep into fibres, compacting infill and leaving a slippery, mushy surface.

From Dundee to Brighton, Radek drives more than 1000 miles a week, often pitching down in hotels seven nights a week. By then, this hard-grafting, cheerful 29 year old is ready for a break and perhaps a quick trip to see family in his native Poland.

“If there are trees adjacent, I tell groundsmen to get out the leaf blower regularly – don’t leave it. Pitches in parks can be a nightmare for me in autumn, but if cared for properly artificial grass ALWAYS looks better than natural grass during these months and in winter.

SIS Pitches offers our maintenance service to all of its clients, as well as clubs and organisations who simply need help looking after their synthetic pitches once they have been installed.

“Rain and snow can quickly turn natural grass into muddy bogs but these SIS Pitches surfaces stay immaculate all year,” adds 29 year old Radek.

Our fully trained maintenance teams can work alongside current ground and maintenance staff if required to advise and assist in order to fully educate them in what is required when maintaining a synthetic pitch.

B

His schedule is punishing but even nine hours a day behind the wheel doesn’t dampen Radek’s enthusiasm. In another life though, he has an easy option available; “I am the perfect hotel inspection guy. I can spot if anything is missing at any of the top five chains,” he laughs.

aharash Architecture revealed their recent designs at Eco-build, one of the largest sustainability events in the world, after being shortlisted for an open international design ideas competition for the royal docks in London. The design was awarded the “Runner-up” prize for their creative solution to promote green infrastructure, water sensitive designs and sustainable living into the royal docks, while also

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mitigating the risks of flooding and pollution. Baharash Architecture’s proposal is for an integrated approach between land and water. Their design weaves the surrounding communities of the docks with a network of sustainable “Water Boulevards” that will provide a unique identity to the docks and promote the three pillars of sustainability. Economic sustainability

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Breakout Piece The maintenance service is offered for all types of synthetic pitches including sand filled, sand dressed, water based and long pile 3G surfaces. Annual contracts are offered with options for either monthly, quarterly or bi-annual visits depending on the clubs specific requirements. Our Maintenance Service includes: • Pitch Assessment • Performance infill de-compaction • Infill re-distribution • Performance Infill level checks • Seam checks • Surface Repairs • Painted line marking applications • Weed killing & moss control application • Leaf Clearance Maintenance Report with guidance & advice Supply of specialist equipment and materials for line marking, infilling, de-icing etc. is all included in the service.

The natural tranquillity of the Water Boulevards will provide for premium retail frontages, thus increasing footfall and retail demand, which creates more jobs. The cost savings and efficiencies from water recycling and productive gardens will be an economic benefit. Environmental Sustainability The ponds, swales and reed beds of the water boulevards, passively reduce flood risk, provide temporary storage and improve water quality, while creating


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Aesthetic Agriculture Gardens Construction

Execution, Development and Maintenance of Aesthetic Agriculture Gardens

Kuwait Fire Services Directorate

Kuwait

536

1/5/16

2/16/16

Artificial Grass

Supply and Install Artificial Grass

Ministry of Municipal & Rural Affairs (Saudi Arabia)

Saudi Arabia

133

1/20/16

2/15/16

Landscaping Enhancement Works

Enhancement of landscaping.

Department of Municipal Affairs - Abu Dhabi Municipality

Abu Dhabi

1/13/16

2/9/16

Gardens, Walkways and Plazas Construction

Construction of Gardens, Walkways and Squares

Ministry of Municipal & Rural Affairs (Saudi Arabia)

Saudi Arabia

1333

1/14/16

2/8/16

Yards, Gardens and Green Fields Maintenance

Maintenance of Yards, Gardens and Green Fields

Jazan Municipality (Saudi Arabia)

Saudi Arabia

267

1/7/16

2/8/16

Irrigation Networks Maintenance

Maintenance of Irrigation Networks

Jazan Municipality (Saudi Arabia)

Saudi Arabia

267

1/6/16

2/8/16

Artificial Grass Maintenance & Replacement

Provisioning Maintenance and Replacement of Artificial Grass.

Jazan Municipality (Saudi Arabia)

Saudi Arabia

267

1/3/16

2/8/16

Flower Seedlings Maintenance & Replacement

Provisioning Maintenance and Replacement of Flower Seedlings.

Jazan Municipality (Saudi Arabia)

Saudi Arabia

267

1/3/16

2/8/16

Gardens, Yards and Pedestrian Passageways Construction

Construction of Gardens, Yards and Pedestrian Passageways in Al Nabhaneya and Its Villages

Ministry of Municipal & Rural Affairs (Saudi Arabia)

Saudi Arabia

267

11/1/15

2/8/16

Gardens and Parks Construction

Construction of Gardens and Parks

Ministry of Municipal & Rural Affairs (Saudi Arabia)

Saudi Arabia

800

12/9/15

2/7/16

Soft Landscape & Automatic Irrigation System Works

Carrying out soft landscape and automatic irrigation system works.

Nakheel PJSC (Dubai)

Dubai

543

1/19/16

2/2/16

Gardens, Trees & Irrigation Systems Maintenance

Maintenance of Gardens, Trees and Irrigation Systems.

Ministry of Municipal & Rural Affairs (Saudi Arabia)

Saudi Arabia

2667

12/15/15

2/2/16

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