Landscape Magazine August 2016 by Allan Castro

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middle east

august 2016

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Editor’s Note

Education is a key theme. We take a look at how entities such as universities are playing a key role in the preservation of landscapes and how research and studies contribute to the development. One such project created, is The Ecological Preserve of Saint Angel Lava Rock at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, which protects the ecosystem of the “Pedregal” – a natural environment situated south of Mexico City which was covered by the lava of the Xitle Volcano approximately 1670 years ago. See page 37 for more. Other projects designed for education, include The Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS), which is located at the Education City Campus in Doha, and which provides world class teaching and faculty space, a research centre and mosque. See page 12. We also hear from CEO of placemaking.me, Nadine Biitar about her thoughts on the innovative solutions for cities sustainable development as well as design firm, Perkins + Will, who discuss the role of sketching in landscape design and how sketches help to convey ideas, demonstrate functionality, visualise user flows and illustrate anything that requires to a landscape design or design process.

Managing Partner: Ziad Maarouf Amine Copy Editor: John Hampton Sales Manager: Boushra Dinnawi Administrative Assistance: Sarry Gan Art Director: Ramon Andaya Contributors: Marzena, Patrick Soriano, Simona Rota, Duncan Denley, Nadine Bitar, Jimena Martignoni, Keri Nottage Printed by: Al Nisr Publishing LLC Webmaster: www.pdinventive.com

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contents August 2016 - Issue 110

12 16 22 28 32 36 40

Knowledge is power The role of sketching in landscape design and its technical resolution approach Park Cuchillitos de TristĂĄn The Evolution of Play The New Wave in Designing Preserving nature Adelaide Zoo Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Playground

16 40 36

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I news and events

The destination is the journey Cape Reed’s new landmark project showcases just what can be done when it comes to children’s entertainment parks. As the main contractor and designer Cape Reed took responsibility right from the design and logistics up to the construction of the structures, the water features, landscaping and the creation of all the necessary infrastructure.

The Journey, as the project is called, represents the pinnacle of children’s entertainment facilities. Located just off Kite Beach in Umm Suqeim, it’s been described as the ‘perfect environment for kids to play and have fun’, consisting of an expanse of semi-tropical greenery dotted with playground areas, wooden ‘forts’ and other funky structures. The compound also includes mini wadis, soft grass lawns, sandpits and separate play and adventure zones specially designed for children of different ages. The complex allows children to play, run around and enjoy themselves in a safe, carefree environment with trained staff on hand. However, as part of the idea is allowing the little ones to reconnect with nature, there is also a sensory and educational element to The Journey that has proved to be every bit as popular as the play zones. This includes a vegetable and herb garden, an orchard and a mini farm. All of this is set within a landscape of flowers, trees and lawns, with fun interactive programmes such as junior survival classes and mini markets planned on a regular basis, along with a mini academy where the little ones can have their first (safe and monitored) go at cooking, art and crafts. Parents, meanwhile, can enjoy a heavenly break in a pretty café that also offers healthy snacks for their offspring. The Journey, which counts on the full support of royals such as H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, has been a tremendous success – answering a much-needed call for quality children’s facilities in a city that otherwise has it all. The project also caters to birthdays, overnight camps and other events. In the words of Candy Fanucci, the client’s representative and concept manager, “The concept was inspired by a wonderful childhood growing up on a game farm in South Africa. In our modern era, where technology tends to take over children’s lives, they need more than ever the freedom and time to play. After all, play is not a luxury, it is a necessity.” “Cape Reed understood my vision right from the first meeting, and through their creativity and craftsmanship brought my dream and the expectations of the investor to life in the perfect way.”

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I news and events

GRANOSTONE EXPOSED AGGREGATE

Granostone is a decorative exterior flooring system of exposed aggregate. Is different from the traditional exposed aggregate systems we are used to.

The basic difference is in the way we expose the aggregates. In the traditional exposed aggregate floorings we apply a retarder on the surface and when the concrete is almost set we power wash and expose the aggregates. In the case of Granostone exposed aggregate system we expose the aggregates by brushing when the concrete is almost set. The big advantage of brushing by hand in particular with smaller aggregates we get a very smooth and even result which resembles a carper. Aesthetically the result is much better than the washed solution in particular for smaller aggregates 3-6mm. The disadvantage of the brushed method is the cost and speed of installation. In general the GRANOSTONE exposed

aggregate system is applied over a concrete substrate. The concrete incorporates the required slopes for the water to drain. The Granostone is then applied at a uniform thickness of 3 cm in situ. When the Granostone is almost set, the aggregates are exposed by brushing. The next day the exposed aggregates are cleaned and subsequently treated with the Granostone finish liquid. Construction and Expansion Joints must be installed also for the physical characteristics we carried out detailed tests with ACES local Qatar testing house and the results are available upon request. Granostone can be installed in a variety of pebble colours and in three basic dimensional gratings (3-6mm, 6-10mm,

and 10-16mm). The cement paste can be white or grey or a combination of the two. Another possibility is the use of recycled glass for decorative purposes. Logos and colours are also possible. With Granostone we can cover also vertical surfaces such as staircases, walls and other decorative elements. In Qatar EKA/CRE completed up to present a number of beach Villas, Houses and other commercial applications. Some of our most important projects in Qatar are the Intercontinental Beach Hotel (DAR Al Handasah Architects and Consultants), the side path leading to Nobu Restaurant (DARA Architects and Consultants), and luxurious beach villas. Some of these projects are featured in the pictures.

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I news and events

Earth Overshoot Day Humanity Consumed 100 Percent Nature by 8 August 2016

Since 1970 humanity demand more from nature than nature can generate in that particular year Dr Shabbir A Shahid

Senior Salinity Management Scientist International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

What is Earth Overshoot Day (EOD)? The Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) is the calculated illustrative calendar date on which humanity’s resource consumption for the year exceeds Earth’s capacity to regenerate those resources that year. In 2015, August 13 was declared as EOD, whereas in 2016, the EOD will land on August 8. It means that on 1 January 2016, we have used 0% of nature’s budget, to be sustainable we should have used 100% of nature’s budget by 31 December 2016, but that is not the case, as in less than eight months “on 8 August” we have used 100% nature’s budget, from 8 August to 31 December we will be overdrawing the resources, thus degrading the resources further to provide services, and widening the gap between human demand (ecological footprint) and the planet’s biocapacity. Under this scenario currently we need 1.6 earth planets to support humanity’ demand on Earth’s ecosystem.

We should live in a world where both humanity and planet can thrive together Other factor pushing the EOD further down is the rapid population growth, the population of 7.2 billion in mid-2013 is projected to 8.2 billion by 2025, and expected to reach 9.6 billion in 2050 and 10.9 billion in 2100 (FAO-ITPS, 2015). This requires atleast 40-70% increase in food production by 2050 compared to 2010. Assuming global carbon emissions are reduced by at least 30 percent below today’s levels by 2030, in keeping with the below-two-degrees-Celsius scenario worked out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Earth Overshoot Day could be moved back on the calendar to September 16, 2030. However, Business as Usual (BAU) will push the EOD to 28 June in 2030, and thus we will require two earth planets to meet the demands of Humanity.

Healthy landscape showing mix of trees, shrubs and grass

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By 2030 humanity will require two earth planets to meet its demand

In 1970 humanity consumed one earth planet

Today humanity is consuming 1.6 Earth planets

By 2030 humanity will need two Earth planets

Can We Go Beyond the Earth Planet? With business as usual by 2030 humanity will require two Earth Planets, and in reality we have only one, and there is no virtual earth planet to import, the question is “can we go beyond the earth planet?”, frankly the answer is no, but there is hope if humanity uses resources sustainably the trend can be reversed, however, this is not an easy task unless everyone in the planet realizes its responsibility and act accordingly. Current Situation of Some Countries The resources over the globe are not uniformly distributed and thus many countries depend on significant resources import, and thus require more than one country to meet the demands of its citizens within their national boundaries. According to Global Footprint Network’s National Footprint Accounts (2016) many countries need more than one country to meet demands of its citizens, such as France requires 1.7 countries equivalent to France, USA (2.2), Germany (2.3), India (2.6), Spain (2.9), China (3.6), UK (3.8), Italy (4.3), Japan (7) and South Korea (8.4). The current situation of a number of developed and developing countries is not conducive to push the EOD up, and thus significant interventions are required to revere the EOD trend.

Deforestation, industrialization, urbanization, land degradation and other land use changes have reduced soil organic carbon (SOC). The global loss of SOC since 1850 is estimated at about 66±12 billion tonnes. Rapid urbanization is taking agricultural lands and sealing the land forever, globally 54% of global population has urbanized by 2014 and by 2050, 66% of global population is projected to be urbanized. A healthy mix of green landscapes (trees, shrubs, runners, grasses etc) in urban areas can increase carbon sequestration and mitigate climate change, and thus reversing the EOD trend to some extent. How Green Landscapes Increase Carbon Sequestration? The plants sequester atmospheric carbon through photosynthesis process in the presence of light and water to produce glucose as given below. 6CO + 6H O → C H O + 6O Sunlight Where CO = carbon dioxide; H O = water; C H O = glucose and O is oxygen This process reduces carbon emission and increase carbon sequestration. An amount of 1417 billion tonnes of SOC has been reported in the first meter of soil and about 716 billion tonnes of SOC in the top 30 cm (FAO-ITPS 2015). Thus, the green landscapes can significantly contribute to mitigate the climate change through releasing pressure on the nature. FAO-ITPS (2015) Status of the World’s Soil Resources (SWSR) – Technical Summary. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Intergovernmental Panel on Soils, Rome, Italy. Global Footprint Network (2016) National Footprint Accounts, 2016 Edition. www.footprintnetwork.org

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I plants

Plants and the Art of Building Businesses By: Michael Mascarenhas CEO- Desert Group

NELUMBO NELUMBO

PLUMERIA PLUMERIA

IXORA IXORA

Successful businesses are built on well executed ideas. However, for that to continue you require optimistic persistence, curiosity and patience. Then you need the capability to plan, direct, control and monitor. That gives it sustainability. Desert Group’s Wahat Al Sahraa (WAS) is a house of knowledge that businesses could learn from. Managing living things, like plants, and developing the best nursery in the region does have a few lessons for all of us. Creating any new business from scratch is hard work and when it comes to plants it gets tougher given the hostile eco-environment WAS operates in. Desert Group’s Wahat Al Sahraa (WAS) has been a pioneer in growing plants in the region and it all comes down to a focus to build. I was with Mr Haleem the indomitable spirit in WAS and he stated “plants teach you humility”. And so there it was the first lesson in management. Being humble! Leaders must be humble in what they do. WAS is a beacon and leader among plant nurseries in the region, despite all the risks and difficulties that have been encountered along the way in all these 27 years. With more than 175 varieties of plants being grown at any point of time it has been a long journey of trial and error and not giving up. And so here is another lesson. Leaders who face the fear of failure head on – and who help their teams and organisations do the same – are most prepared to use setbacks as springboards to success. How many of us embrace failure and consider it an opportunity to learn? A little background to WAS at this point would be important. WAS’s role in creating a green eco system in the UAE and indeed in the GCC as a whole should not be underestimated. WAS has been a major catalyst in promoting green awareness and that the use of plants in landscaping can be a creative art form in the transformation of an essentially blank canvas into a distinctly unique and rich environment in which the true joys of nature can be appreciated, celebrated and simply absorbed. More so in this region

where greenery was not so pronounced like in many other greener parts of the world. Not anymore! Desert Group has been an innovator and leader in our market segment since we built the landscape at the Hilton Beach Club (later the Jumeirah Beach Club) in the early 1990’s. We have been part of this green revolution in the region and this success would not have been possible unless we were persistent and patient. Disruptive innovation has been part of our ethos says the team at Desert Group and WAS says it’s stronger than ever now. Leading disruptive innovation involves creating “optimistic persistence” in order to combat fear, pessimism and the tendency to work in a safe and risk free environment. Leaders must be involved in taking action in the face of uncertainty, seeing results, learning from them and modifying assumptions and behaviours based on these results. Another lesson from WAS and the world of plants! Promoting the role of plants in the creation of environmentally and socially sustainable communities and projects has been central to WAS’s raison d’etre. We are proud to have worked with some of the most prominent decision makers to help add value to their vision of the region. This has been achieved through the introduction of some 600 odd new species of plants that had not previously been used in landscaping in the UAE/GCC! Phenomenal indeed by any standards. This has helped create excitement for designers who have been given far more creative options than have existed in the past enabling them differentiate their projects through the use of new plant species that can help provide a more unique look to their landscaped areas. The introduction of this new palette of plants has been good for the environment, good for society, public health and good for the economy. New hospitality and community housing projects have all benefited from the availability of exciting and climatically suitable plant choices when designing for the built environment. We believe that our pioneering approach to plants has helped germinate passion and ideas in other plant suppliers to think green and to develop their own businesses along similar lines accordingly. Once other nursery companies realised what was possible they followed our lead and we believe we have helped expand the industry in our country to what is probably the best in the region. And the final lesson that we could all possibly learn from is that to stay ahead we need sustained innovation and customer focus. Desert Group through its subsidiary Wahat Al Sahraa has demonstrated that time and again. There is no stopping ever. That’s how businesses are built! About Desert Group Desert Group is one of the largest concentrically diversified life style companies offering a range of services within the horticulture, landscape and waterscape business. Working closely with their clients the Group’s focus is to drive value and offer its customers a new perspective in all that they do. More on www.desertgroup.ae

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www.desertgroup.ae 11

I Learning Environment

Knowledge is power The Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS), designed by award winning international architects Mangera Yvars (MYAA) which is located at the Education City Campus in Doha, provides world class teaching and faculty space, a research centre and mosque. Based on the Islamic ‘Kulliyya’ or ‘place where all knowledge is sought,’ the building offers a progressive learning environment which places the institution at the forefront of contemporary Islamic pedagogy, countering the pejorative image of Islamic education. QFIS attempts to rekindle a high point of Islamic civilization where architecture has a central role.

By: Mangera Yvars Architects www.myaa.eu

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The Kulliyyaas opposed to the madrassa implies that knowledge and faith are interwoven but that all knowledge ultimately comes from faith. This relationship is explored at QFIS through the infinite spiral building plan and multiple routes that bind faculty to the mosque. The fluid arrangement of the scheme enables the building to act as a social-condenser, community building and university, where spaces including the mosque are accessible to students, non-students and the public who can interact and use facilities that are normally inaccessible. Uniquely for the Muslim world, the scheme gives male and female students parity by providing co-educational, non-hierarchical space where men and women have equal consideration. The layout places the large volume of the mosque at one end, with the library, classrooms and faculty offices in the middle, culminating with two 90m high minarets symbolising knowledge and light. The minarets resonate with the call to prayer but they also act as an urban marker for the neighbourhood.

The mass of the mosque is lifted by the five pillars of Islam inscribed with QurÂ´anic verse referring to hajj, fasting, charity, prayer and belief and the pillars provide a cool space leading to the student entrance. Above this, at first floor level is the shaded mosque courtyard decorated by Qurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;anic verse leading to the mosque. Teaching accommodation is both formal and informal and includes the use of corridors, lounges, and learning in the Islamic garden. The informal approach provides areas for inter-faculty encounters with the wider campus. QFIS is set in a four part Islamic garden that runs through the building forming the exhibition space. Planting includes olive trees, symbolising peace, and healing plants depicted in the QurÂ´an. The scheme begun in 2008 and opened in 2015 has won the WAF award for the Best Religious building, The MEED Award for the best building in the entire GCC and the Best Social Infrastructure and it is also nomianted for the RIBA interntaional prize 2016 amongst many other awards

I Learning Environment

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The faculty is symbolically separated from the mosque by a four story ablution cascade wrapped around an undulating stair acting as a point of meditative calm before entry into the sacred space of the mosque. In a troubled world, QFIS suggests that Islamic space can be contemporary, progressive and inclusive, but above all can act as a beacon of hope in opposition to nihilistic conflict that has gripped the Middle East region. Sustainability statement Qatar Foundation’s aim is to support economic, social, human and environmental development with education as a centerpiece for sustainable growth. Starting with massing, the large volume of the mosque is placed on the southern portion of the site and this helps to create shade over other parts of the building including the mosque courtyard and student entrance. Prevailing winds from campus park are scooped up by the building’s form to provide a cool breeze to upper and lower level entrances. The ground level student entrance takes the form of a carved undercroft space which contains the five pillars of Islam supporting the mosque above. The undercroft provides a tempered space away from the heat of the sun and cooled by a `watery oasis´under the mosque. In the Middle East, buildings consume large amounts of energy for air-conditioning and artificial lighting. At QFIS, the faculty and classroom areas are provided with courtyards that provide indirect natural light while reducing solar heat gain and air-conditioning. Courtyards also permit the building to extend the period for natural ventilation from three months of the year to almost five months, thereby reducing power. The façade and building envelope were developed to reduce solar heat while permitting natural light particularly in the library area. The west elevation is provided with a two-skin modulated façade that subtly changes as it wraps around the buildings to mitigate solar radiation. High performance composite materials such as the GRC cladding was locally sourced to reduce the C02 construction footprint. The landscape is based on the traditional four-part Islamic garden dissected by the four rivers of paradise, river of wine, milk, honey and water. These provide four themed microclimates zones around the building and outdoor learning space that can be used comfortably for nearly five months in a year. The specially selected acclimatised planting uses little water but it is also irrigated by grey water from the mosque ablution, reducing dependency on desalination. Building waste is recycled on campus and energy is derived from a mixed source including a large renewable content. In the coming years, transport to and from QFIS will be from the campus light rail system connected to the Doha metro. The scheme sees social mobility and inclusivity as key requirements for sustainable development. The buildings, design, uniquely for the Middle East, facilities social interaction to create wider socio-cultural change that will have an impact beyond the confines of the site.

Mangera Yvars Architects (MYAA) contact.uk@myaa.eu www.myaa.eu

I Design Proccess

The role of sketching in landscape design and its technical resolution approach By: Patrick Soriano “Nice drawings!” This is a typical comment we hear when a team members sees our sketches spread across our desk. What our co-workers may not realize is that these sketches are an important part of design and development process. Sketches help to convey ideas, demonstrate functionality, visualize user flows and illustrate anything that requires to a landscape design or design process. For a long time now it’s been evident that soon technology will rule the world (if it doesn’t already). With the rise of numerous gadgets and applications for vectoring, photo manipulations, 3D modelling and illustration, the old pencil and paper are least getting noticed, kept inside drawers and sometimes never used again? Sketching is a very important tool for a designer. Not only is it possible to make visual records of existing designs, but it is also useful to work out new design ideas. A sort of brainstorming, to consider first thoughts in greater depth and refine initial idea. Why bother sketching? There is always that creative feeling when you are holding a pencil or pen than holding a mouse. It gives you more freedom to illustrate what’s in your mind on paper than on a computer. By means of drawing rough lines and shapes, you begin to use that spark of creativity within you come up with interesting concepts that can be the initial foundation of your next awesome design work.

It can also be used to communicate design ideas to other people. Words on their own are not enough to describe an idea. In fact it can lead to confusion because what a description means in someone’s mind might mean something quite different in someone else’s. Often designers begin to explain an idea and usually agree that it would be best if they’d sketch it. It then becomes very easy to see what they mean. For the same reason, sketches are great to use when discussing a project with a client. It keeps matters clear and simple and never fail to impress. Sketches do not have to be work of art. Their primary function should be informative and communicate design ideas. It is important to consider this point because we often see students who almost refuse to use sketches to help them develop and communicate their ideas because they do not have a lot of confidence in their drawing abilities. Often however, when they do produce sketches, they are good and very useful. So you shouldn’t shy away from sketching. Why sketching is great: first idea is rarely your best, sketching is fast, rough and dirty, it saves time, it separates concepts from details, sketching is for everyone and lastly, sketching is fun!

Figure 2: Site Analysis Study (Opportunity & Constraint)

Figure 1: Early sketches using bubble diagram to create link between to spatial spaces

Figure 3: Early Sketch Overall Landscape Design

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Unlike computer models and the renderings that come from them, hand-drawn sketches have the ability to define various attributes of a design – form, scale, space, and materiality – without worrying about the precision. Sketches ask much of the imagination – filling in the blanks – but some of the best manages to recall the loose sketches of their origins in their final form.

Hand drawings are particularly well suited for mixed media presentations. Above drawings of a hotel pool outdoor landscape a hard line perspective view and a loose depiction of the landscape over a photograph of the trees. The drawing accentuates how the designers show how the relationship of the spatial spaces to other spatial spaces. The hand-drawn rendering expresses the main ideas of the space before design development stage. In the final execution, the landscape define the linear axis idea, the placement of the palm tree to highlight the central visual impact carried on to the main pool closed to the sea area. Nevertheless the initial ideas are clearly carried through to completion.

I Design Proccess

One of the greatest traits of sketching is the ability to easily move between macro and micro scales. Above two sketches show working out the idea of a community centre around the villas and the details of the walkway of the family plaza plan. These sketchup represent the planning stage of a project is quite possibly the most important. In this stage, all of the ideas that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve harboured about a project can be sketched out.

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I Design Proccess

Given the scale of urban planning projects, sketching is extremely important for articulating ideas before drawings and modelling buildings in the computer. It is particularly important in China, a rapid urbanization and Tabula rasa sites. Below loose sketch of the masterplan for LHQZ Wu Qing conveys ideas, scale and open space along the river cutting through the site. These thing are found in the overall plan and detailed rendering, even as building form evolved in concert with the plan development.

Sketches also determine at the early stage of the project can resolve some technical part of the design. Landscape elements are one of the general things to consider. For example below illustration shows some of the feature element used in landscape design. Planter details, Planter with seat wall, Water Feature and Shade structures. The elements are most common landscape feature in any landscape design. By doing an initial sketches of the these feature element it will help understand the design intent and as we get in to the later stage of the project these element can easily understand and study more.

the best ideas and solution to a design problem. Hand-drawn sketching plays an important role in landscape design. The larger a project is, and the more concepts a client will need to see, the more sketching will prove its worth in your design process. Consider using rough sketches for composition or layout options in your next project or push yourself to do another handful of thumbnail sketches before firing up Photoshop.

Conclusion: You may feel the desire to skip sketching and jump straight to the computer or work out solutions as digital sketches. There is nothing wrong with that, especially for your own experimental work. There is no quicker methods for exploring multiple visual solutions than sketching though. Try to weigh the advantages of sketching in regards to the project at hand. Some of the best ideas start with a sketch. Sketching is a powerful process to use because it always helps discover

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I Leisure spaces

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Park Cuchillitos de TristĂĄn The site stands on the boundary between various densely populated districts and forms part of a series of open leisure spaces that characterize this urban area. The siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s topography is the most outstanding physical characteristic, with differences in level of as much as 30 metres, sweeping down to vistas of Santa Cruz de Tenerife with the Anaga massif beyond. The plot runs in an East-West direction, with prevailing winds from the northwest.

By: Menis Arquitectos The physical environment that constitutes the setting of the park and its particular conditions suggested a flexible layout, into which certain design objectives were introduced, in turn conditioned by the surroundings. Rather than principal and secondary paths, there is a network of walks that reconcile the different levels. The park is delimited by a footpath that shakes off the

impression of being a pavement, simplifying and easing the transition between park and city. Like those inside the park, this path varies in width, becoming wider near the main entrances. This network of paths, with its free geometry, adapts to the topography to reinforce the image of lava flows, creating routes through the recreated landscape that offer views from different perspectives.

I Leisure spaces

Vegetation covers the park with a view to turning it into a lung for this part of the city. Almost two-thirds of the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surfaces are given over to plant cover, comprising some of the most eye-catching and representative species of the city of Santa Cruz and the surrounding ravines. The predominant feature is the 3000 m2 given over to grass, where games and events for visitors are held. This expanse is surrounded by an amphitheatre that is completely covered with vegetation planted in the form of a cometâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tail that emerges from the viewing platform, converted into the nucleus of a comet embedded in the rock and crumbling the nearer it falls to the activity slope. The blossoming species are chosen to provide splashes of different colours, seeking sensations and tones similar to those of an incandescent flame. This symphony of colour is set in a high, green screen of vegetation that aims to generate a new backdrop, at the same time buffering the park from the aggressive urban environment beyond. Its crumbling parallels that of the comet tail, mutating to cover the rocky surface with vegetation reminiscent of the surroundings of Igueste de San AndrĂŠs. Here, the native flora growing among the rocks channels the flows in a North-South direction, partaking of the same

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I Leisure spaces conditioning factors. The fence around the park will become overgrown with creepers that will turn the cold steel into a serpent of colours and scents that will set it apart from the exterior. The descending topography, seemingly frozen in time, provides platforms that become pockets for different uses. More intensive uses, such as children’s playgrounds with swings and slides, and the skateboard facility, like a swimming pool, that treads the complicated line between aesthetics and functionality, alternate in this moulded topography with quieter areas for the elderly and rest. The park becomes a landscape that seems to have been unearthed from its urban surroundings to retrieve a pocket of frozen nature that spills over into the city, Anaga and the sea.

Location: Sta. Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, Av de los Principes s/n Use: Green Space, Urban Park. Site Area: 32.500 m2. Total Constructed Area: 32.500 m2 Cost: 2.599.922,84 € Structure: Reinforced concrete. Materials: Local stone, reinforced concrete Status: Completed 2006-2007. Client: Insular Government of Tenerife. Architect: Fernando Menis Architects collaborators: Bruno Rodríguez Collaborators: Andrés Pedreño, Rafael Hernández (quantities survey). Engineers: Ojellon Ingenieros, Milian Associats, Nueva Terrain SL (mechanical); Biologist: Arnoldo Santos; Garden Project: Zona Verde. Construction: Acciona SA

Photo credits to: María Berga & Bruno Rodríguez, Roberto Delgado, Niels Heinrich, & courtesy Menis Arquitectos

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I parks

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lizard Logâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by McGregor Coxall in Western Sydney Parklands is a fantastic example of low cost play which is pleasing on the eye and pocket alike.

At the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Garden in Kensington Gardens, London, children are free to dig, dam and splash in the shallow water.

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The Evolution of Play

By: Duncan Denley

Managing Director - desert INK

When I was 10 years old, my parents allowed me to roam freely around my village with very little clue of where I was, or what I was doing. Provided that I was home for dinner on time, and was not escorted by an aggrieved neighbour, I was not questioned on my movements. I would spend my days walking to school, cycling back lanes with friends, building dens from driftwood on the banks of the estuary and gleefully banging together materials in my friend’s barn. Holidays were typically spent excavating the beach to create dams, pools and intricate sand cities. Frequent rainy days necessitated a shift in construction materials, and soon sofa cushions, cardboard boxes, duvets and chairs were transformed into obstacle courses, desert islands and castles. Without knowing it at the time, these playful escapades enabled me to develop a sense of imagination, visualisation, place-making and problem solving. At the same time, with trusting parents, I was able to independently move around my surroundings, identify and manage risks and socialise with my peers. Looking back, it’s not difficult to see why I pursued a career in landscape architecture, and upon taking a quick survey of my colleagues, it seems that they had similar freedoms and opportunities to build, imagine and create as a child. Looking at our present generation of 10 year-olds, it is difficult to see how they are provided opportunity to develop these same skills. This ‘iPad’ generation have few of the same creative outlets, opportunities and freedom for risk-taking that we enjoyed. How will a society starved of creative play and freedom ever dream-up the next iPad? Certainly it can be argued that millennials will develop new talents such as IT skills and handeye coordination, but where will future risk-taking entrepreneurs ever learn to jump in with both feet and ‘give it a try’? If we were to plot a ‘free-roam’ diagram for today’s 10 year old, rarely would it stretch beyond the street immediately outside the family home. This issue is exacerbated in the Middle East region by streetscapes which are predominantly designed as highways for vehicles with little regard for pedestrians, cyclists, or play. With good intentions, adults have dictated and defined play areas, typically surrounded by thick rubber flooring and a fence. Risk is all-but eliminated and children are told to slide on the slide, swing on the swing and play in plastic castles intricately designed by adults to meet international safety standards. It is interesting to see how these prescribed play elements are then

interpreted by children. You will notice that after perhaps three or four turns on the slide, the child is bored. They look for ways to improvise and create a new experience. Slides are climbedup, swings rotated to induce a frantic spinning motion and the castle all-but abandoned, its static play value used-up. In short, children are extremely limited by most play facilities provided for them. As responsible adults, we mean well of course. It is not our intention to stifle their imagination and create boring environments that limit possibilities. It’s just that our constant desire to make everything safe and avoid litigation has led us down a cul-de-sac. We should pause at this point to take a look at the difference between risk and danger. Risk is part of life. Without taking calculated risks each day, we would never leave our parent’s bosom and civilisation as we know it would end. Children develop a keen sense of risk awareness through challenging themselves, learning from failure and yes, sometimes injuring themselves. A friend of mine calls it PAL; ‘Pain Assisted Learning’! Danger is a different matter altogether. Danger is often unforeseen, and typically has serious negative consequences. Balancing on an elevated log for example carries risk, but a broken glass bottle hidden in long grass represents danger. Balancing on a log carries benefits; notably improving balance and developing confidence, while a concealed glass bottle however carries no benefit; only potential injury. We must then ask ourselves

Children quickly bore of prescriptive play equipment, and start to look for new ways to derive excitement and interest

I parks whether the risk of a few grazed knees, bruises and even the odd broken bone is worth accepting to ensure that our children grow up challenging themselves, capable of creative thought and engaged in physical activity. So how can we develop play opportunities which allow for calculated risk taking, assist in developing creative, social and physical skills, but yet reduce or eliminate danger? The answer is not a new one, and has taken many names over the years. Largely recognised under the banner ‘adventure play’, enlightened local authorities and individuals have long been advocates of letting the children structure their own play. In the less-extreme versions of this genre, this may take the form of scattered boulders, rolling landform, some interesting-shaped logs and a sand-digging area. Some local authorities however have gone the distance, providing construction materials, hammers, saws, nails and such items which allow the children to build whatever is in their mind. In the former example, such play opportunities can be largely unsupervised, while the latter requires, some level of adult presence not to structure or dictate play, but to ensure that serious risks are avoided. There are some wonderful examples of adventure play on-line. I thoroughly recommend watching the two Youtube clips http://tinyurl.com/ hvjaequ and http://tinyurl.com/zkbyrdp, if only for the comedy value of the wonderfully-dated narration! So what is the message for us as landscape professionals? Well, at desert INK, we’ve long-since thrown out the play equipment catalogues and started to design interpretive playgrounds where children can decide how to play. We’re using logs, railway sleepers, rolling landform, sand and locally-sourced boulders to create play zones. This creates an environment for children to interpret the elements as they wish and nurtures those all-important skills in creativity, imagination and risk-awareness. Surprisingly, the biggest hurdle has been convincing clients that it is not necessary to spend vast sums on expensive prefabricated play equipment. After years of seeing brightly-coloured plastic and metal slides and swings, most clients have a preconceived notion of what play looks like. Ironically,

Simple mounded grass can provide endless fun for children of all ages and abilities

At this school in Dubai, desert INK have created a simple, yet endlessly challenging courtyard which children and teachers can interpret as they wish

such prefabricated play items are typically hideous to look at, whereas logs, boulders and rolling landform are very pleasing on the eye and pocket alike. As with most ideas new to a region, people need to see it to believe it, so watch this space as some of desert INK’s adventure play areas are due to complete in 2017.

desert INK’s design for a upcoming play zone is likely to cause a stir upon completion in 2017

Sand, boulders and logs are enough to keep even the most imaginative children engaged

Known for their amazing landscape designs, desert INK are a registered design consultancy based in the Dubai Design District. With 14 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 Mascarhenas.

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I LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Innovating the future Nadine Bitar

CEO, Placemaking.ME In resolution 66/207 and in line with the bi-decennial cycle (1976, 1996 and 2016), the United Nations General Assembly decided on the Habitat III Conference to reinvigorate the global commitment to sustainable urbanization, to focus on the implementation of a “New Urban Agenda”, building on the Habitat Agenda of Istanbul in 1996.The Habitat III tackles in particular one of the new global Sustainable Development Goals announced on the 25th September 2015 when the Heads of State and Government and High Representatives, met at the United Nations Headquarters in New York as the Organization celebrates its seventieth anniversary. The agenda 2030 17 Sustainable development goals span many sectors ranging from education to green economy, climate change to biodiversity ,poverty alleviation to science and research .

Figure 1- United Nations Sustainable Development Goals - Agenda 2030 ( source :United Nations)

In particular, goal 11 concerns professionals working in the built environment. It aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable through a breakdown of specific targets. In this article, four out of the 12 proposed targets concerns the challenges that we are facing in our Arab cities: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities Both Goal 11 and its targets bring to our awareness one of the most important disciplines in approaching sustainable development of cities – Urban design. Cities, the birthplace of innovation, are subjected to the pressure of climate change, the forces of globalized economy and the strive to increase their livability for intensifying migrant millennia. Urban Design has been confused with Urban planning that is more

strategic giving a global view on programs without informing the physical .It has also been born out of Architecture and Landscape Design which are both detailed and specific in their scope but in some instances lose the linkage to the urban strategy. Urban design translates the strategic overview of urban planning and informs the crafted details of architecture thus playing a pivotal role in guiding the transformation of cities and synthesizing in a holistic way the inputs of the different agencies and stakeholders of the urban environment. It is at this level that urban policy for sustainable development takes shape, communities are master planned to be smart and sustainable, urban space is conceived as a place of creativity and innovation , infrastructure is redefined as a hub for life and vibrant urban life and mostly and the urban landscape is planned without compromising the needs of future generation. Thus, urban design differentiates itself as mostly a synthesizer discipline which uses holistic thinking to engage on multiple levels; Urban policy for sustainable development ,master planning communities to be smart and sustainable, conceiving urban space as a place ,redefining infrastructure as a hub for vibrancy and planning landscapes that are resilient.

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Figure 2- Urban Design the missing link (source: Author -Placemaking.me) Increasingly, Urban design is positioned to be the discipline that is pushing for innovations on an urban level .That pivotal role is significantly apparent in dealing with sustainability on a community / neighborhood level through proposing new models developments that use smart city strategies to enhance their sustainability. In general, extensive research in urban design proves the direct relationship between Urban Sprawl, car dependence and Carbon Emissions. As an Antidote to the negative effect of dispersed developments connected by Highways and thus contributing to increased air emissions, Peter Calthrope proposed a new model for sustainable urban neighborhoods- Transit Oriented Development developments which include housing and commercial facilities concentrated around 2000 feet radius linked through a high quality public realm to a transit station.

However, as Dr Robert Saliba in his book ‘’Urban Design in the Arab World ‘’ mentions that the diversity that one face when defining Arab world as an area needs to reformulate urban design tools in the context of the specificity of each of its contexts. It is a ‘’womb of which a multiplicity of opportunities for shaping, upgrading, and rebuilding urban form and civic space while subjecting global paradigms to regional and local realities.” Thus , One needs to frame these opportunities using five proposed generic dimensions – identity, ecology, infrastructure, public space and private development. Based on this approach, I have invented an innovative model to develop sustainable and smart communities in GCC in particular and Arab cities. This Model takes into consideration the physical aspects of Arab cities planning, the social aspects of Arab cities multi-cultural environment and the environmental aspects of hot and humid weather.

The model has been detailed into a series of urban design tools in order to bring forth the three tenents of sustainable development – economic vitality, Social Diversity and Environmental Integrity. 15 tools were developed in order to guide urban planners, real estate officials, housing officials, architects and landscape designers to design and implement a sustainable and smart community.

Figure 3- Climate Responsive Transit Oriented Model -copyright Author

I LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Figure 4- how transit stations can become a place rather than just a node

Figure 5- visual renderings showing an example of a sustainable and smart neighborhood using the Climate Responsive Transit Oriented Model- Copyright â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Author

As such, the model and toolkit -applied across three scales: cityscale, district-scale and site-scale in Dubai as a Contemporary Arab city - generated a master plan that densified and diversified

the site uses around transit; and proposed an extensive network of walkable and active climate responsive public spaces. As seen in Figure 5 above, the proposed master plan functions throughout

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the day and contains variety of uses and spaces that are within walking distance to transit .The resultant development is unique and therefore exudes a sense of place that is authentic and climate-responsive. The proposed climate-responsive Transit Oriented Model and toolkit can be tested across geographies in the Arab world. Cities such as Amman, Riyadh, Kuwait, Cairo, and Algiers all offer opportunities to test its principles taking into consideration the distinct character of these cities, their history, and their culture. Spatially, the model and tool kit can be applied to urban, peri-urban and even urban edges to understand the different criteria which would affect its dimension and elements. For example, urban inner city offer less opportunities for injecting green spaces, so ecological approaches would focus more on vertical greening. TOD built on the urban fringes might not have sufficient population densities. Hence, its planning policies might offer incentives for people to work and live in the same area. Above all, I would like to end this study with a series of recommendations that would assist Dubai in particular, and the Arab cities in general, in adopting Transit oriented model as a development paradigm to limit their urban sprawl, refocus their growth, and particularly reinforce their identities. Cities as Ecological Regions TOD needs to be embedded into a regional transport policy that would encourage their developments in partnership with the

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private sector. Incentives need to be considered to attract private development; and specific joint venturesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; legal structures need to be considered to structure such partnership. This article summarized an applied research study in urban design using design tools to test the hypothesis which has proved to be an essential aspect in thinking about sustainable development for cities. Cities as Land Bank City structural and framework plans need to embed sufficient land bank in for future transit oriented development around proposed transit stations .Urban Structure might also consider regional TOD transit corridor. Their urban planning framework might include specific transit oriented development guidelines taking into consideration local climate thermal comfort, current urban densities, available zoning and planning spatial tools to guide urban blocks within TOD and public realm based on the toolkit. Cities as living labs Experimental urban design studies that reflect on alternative urban forms for transit-oriented development in retrofitting suburbs might explore new morphologies. These experiments can use current urban spaces as their living labs exploring the outputs of these forms and their sustainability and livability metrics. These measurements are essential to measure the progress on GOAL 11 and the journey towards Agenda 2030.

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I natural environment

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Preserving nature

The Ecological Preserve of Saint Angel Lava Rock (REPSA, or Reserva Ecológica del Pedregal de San Angel) is a designated area within the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, or Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), which protects the ecosystem of the “Pedregal”.

By: Jimena Martignoni The Pegregal, which is the colloquial name of this natural environment, is the 80km2-territory situated south of Mexico City which was covered by the lava of the Xitle Volcano approximately 1670 years ago. Today, the conserved fragments of the pedregal extend over only 29.5km2, and approximately 36 percent of the original very large area. Part of this remaining lava field is located within the UNAM campus, which covers a total area of 719 hectares representing the largest and more important university in Mexico. For this reason and with the object of protecting this original and cultural landscape from the rapid urbanisation of Mexico City, in 1983 the university’s authorities decided to create the preserve with an initial area of 124.5 hectares. In 2005, after several delimitations, REPSA was finally defined as an area of 237 hectares. The lava spewed from the volcano extended from 3,100 metres above sea level until 2,270. Along this altitudinal gradient, different plant communities were developed over time including, Conifer woods (3,000 to 2,850), Oak (Quercus desertícola) woods (2,850 to 2,350) and the xerophile brushwood (2,350 to 2,100). The latter is the ecosystem that can be found in the UNAM campus, becoming the last relict of this arid landscape within the most populous city in Latin America. More than 300 drought-tolerant species grow in the Saint Angel Pedregal -senecios, echeverrias and cacti being the most common and more than twenty species of terrestrial orchids, some of them endemic, make the pedregal an orchid sanctuary. The basaltic bedrock protected in REPSA has a high biological, ecological and geomorphological value, allowing the recharge of water tables and maintaining levels of humidity and air quality. The preservation of this ecosystem not only means the evolution of the wildlife of this relict but the conservation of an endangered landscape in the Mexico basin. The UNAM’s main campus is on the World Heritage List and was declared in the 31st Assembly of the World Heritage Committee in New Zealand in 2007, adding another highly significant component to any conservation projects implemented within this area. The UNAM campus in Mexico City was build between 1949 and 1952, on the site of the original pedregal, following trends and principles of the modern movement and including artistic works made by some of the most important Mexican muralists. The conceptual layout of the campus was based on the integration of architecture, planning and landscape. However, over time this last component lost relevance and the rocky landscape of the pedregal was replaced. Those parts and outcrops started appearing in the borders of the campus and in between the buildings by

I natural environment manicured gardens. In 2005 the university commissioned a project called, ‘Exhibiting Gardens of Native Flora’ (Jardines Demostrativos de Flora Nativa), after the final definition of REPSA. This was initiated, with the object of bringing back to sight the lava rock and the native flora growing on it and to rescue the original landscape of the pedregal, preserving the local biodiversity. This would be a thematic space and would provide the plants for all new gardens following preservation concepts. Later, in 2013, another project was developed with same objectives but taking things to a higher level and incorporating the rock as a main design element - the gardens of the National Laboratory of Sustainability Sciences (LANCIS, or Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad). The new landscape concept that would guide the design and construction of these two gardens is called, in Spanish, “Xero-jardineria”, which means “Xero-gardening”. This is a play of words, referring on the one hand to the native xerophile flora of the pedregal, and on the other hand to the word “zero” meaning that this design would imply no gardening at all. From a maintenance perspective, these spaces would greatly reduce the use of water, therefore closing a circle of sustainability, preservation and innovation. Exhibiting Gardens of Native Flora (EG) The commission for the planning of these gardens was given to the School of Landscape Architecture, where landscape architect and professor Pedro Camarena, was chosen to lead the project. Camarena was, in addition, Chief of Special Projects of REPSA, being in charge of the transformation of the formal gardens in the campus into “xero-gardening” ones. The project, which covers 2.46 hectares, was developed in 2005 and built in 2007, to open in November of that year. The layout is very simple and presents a series of square and rectangular plots at ground level, whose size ranges from 12 to 50m2, knitted together by a central paved path. The plots, which are 42 in total (21 on each side) and are divided by short lineal walls made of the reclaimed rock and debris from the construction of an art museum located 800 metres away, part of the campus. The floor of every garden is made of the lava rock, recreating the natural surfaces of the pedregal and, in this manner, eliminating any possibility of a formal garden, made of dirt soil, sand, gravel or grass. This makes the space appear as a rocky extension of black and grey tones, only interrupted by the green and reddish hues of the plants growing in the natural cracks and voids in the bedrock, bringing the original imagery of the pedregal close to the visitors and students. With this rock, which is the most common material of the pedregal, were built all short and enclosing walls in the campus since 1949. All plants were either transplanted from the preserve’s area or spread from seeds or cuttings also collected in the preserve. The site includes a propagating nursery and a small educational area. Some of the plots and the edges of the gardens are planted with shrubs, small trees and agaves, all native to the pedregal, this group creates a green mass that adds a more compact and larger scale to the black landscape dotted by ornamental plants. Located in the central path, a very shallow water mirror, almost a depressed square basin cut into the pavement, collects rainwater during rainy days. The layer of water remains while the rain keeps falling and evaporates naturally when the dry season begins, acting as a simple and humble water reservoir with no artificial hydraulic system. Birds and other small animals gather at this water fountain, a symbol of life.

National Laboratory of Sustainability Sciences (LANCIS) The Laboratory of Sustainability Sciences was founded by the directors of the Institute of Ecology of UNAM. This Institute has three main departments - Ecology of Biodiversity, Evolutionary Ecology and Functional Ecology and the new sustainable building that houses all offices and research rooms was completed and opened in April 2014. Built with recycled material, the building incorporates water and energy reduction methods, natural ventilation, solar panels and a rainwater collecting system connected to REPSA. In order to respond to the same objectives of recovery and conservation of the landscape of the pedregal in the UNAM campus, the spaces around the building were designed not as gardens or lawn areas but as a reflection of the black lava rock environment and the plants that live in it. The project is conceptualised as a series of drawings on the floor, repeated as patterns that combine areas of rock, crushed rock and pavement. These drawings are based on the overlapping of two of the most representative shapes of sustainability: the molecular Borromean rings and the Sierpinski triangle. This fractal layout, which mingles scientific data with design expertise, resulted from the collaboration between leading landscape architect Pedro Camarena and scientists of LANCIS. The remaining spaces, which are left from the combination of those fractals, shape the planting beds. The largest planted surfaces extend in front of the facades of the building, creating a natural foreground that vividly recalls that of the pedregal. The plants displayed in this area are the ones which were proven to grow well in the exhibiting gardens. Only two new species, climbing plants also native from the pedregal are added to cover a concrete wall: Passiflora subpeltata (white passion flower) and Cissus Sycioides (princess vine). Chosen by their sculptural character, their size and fantastic shapes, some agaves were also incorporated into this planting scheme. Part of the cultural landscape of Mexico since the time of the pre-Columbian civilizations, the agave is one of the most emblematic plants of the local flora; in this land, 150 species can be found out of a total of 200, and almost 70 percent of them are endemic. Once more and more spaces in the campus choose to rescue and conserve this landscape, the pedregal will again be the most distinctive image and, most importantly, will be sheltering the kind of wonderful life that cannot be found anywhere else in the planet.

Location: Mexico City, UNAM campus Landscape Architect: Pedro Camarena Exhibiting Gardens of Native Flora, Area and date of completion: 2.46 hectares, 2005

Client: UNAM’s Rectory Laboratory of Sustainability Sciences, Area and date of completion: 1,870m2, 2014

Client: Institute of Ecology of UNAM

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I playground

Adelaide Zoo

Nature’s Playground Nature’s Playground is a fantastic new exhibit at the Adelaide Zoo that connects children, parents and carers to nature through play.

By: WAX Design Nature’s Playground reflects the values, aspirations and philosophies of Adelaide Zoo regarding social inclusion, education and the need to foster an understanding of the natural world in everyone. Significantly, Nature’s Playground uniquely accommodates all members of the community

providing an inclusive play environment. As a not for profit organisation, Adelaide Zoo partnered with Variety the Children’s Charity to fund and deliver play opportunities for children with physical, sensory, cognitive and intellectual disabilities.

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The underlying philosophy of the project is for children of all ages, genders, cultures and abilities to learn from nature through play, enabling children to make decisions, take risks, develop resilience and have fun. Climbing, jumping and rope play challenges are balanced with a variety of investigative and sensory interventions, including a rock lined creek, complete with tadpoles to explore, water play spouts, a giant sand pit, musical chimes and cubby building. A custom four metre high elevated walkway with timber pods provides wheelchair compliant access and a unique visitor experience irrespective of age or mobility. The walkway and pods also incorporate sophisticated, innovative and challenging play experiences as well as views throughout the Zoo. The playspace is based on the planetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major Biomes and allows the Zoo to expand teaching programs into Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Playground. These biomes provide numerous educational opportunities allowing children to learn through the natural environment. The creek represents aquatic systems focusing on water play, and the sand pit demonstrates the hot desert environments. The bamboo maze, trampolines, and grass chimes recreate the Savannah and the rope climb, walkway and pods allow play in the forests of the world.

I playground

Sustainability principles were embedded in every aspect of the project. Significant trees were retained and nurtured with the removal of surrounding infrastructure and the use of permeable surfaces. Other trees were preserved or relocated within the playspace, with the planting of numerous additional trees as a long-term shade strategy. Many elements of the site were reclaimed and repurposed including rocks, logs, seats, sculptures, paving, mulches, and soils. Renewable materials were utilised in many of the play elements, particularly salvaged timber and rope. A high proportion of the equipment is custom designed, and Australian made, with WAX collaborating with local manufacturers to create bespoke elements. The project involved extensive engagement that encouraged the community to influence the design process. Consultation through the Zoo’s education centre provided information regarding children’s ideas, and further feedback was given through discussion with Variety to ensure inclusive play was achieved. The playspace has rejuvenated the Zoo and created a valued asset which is the leading nature play destination in Adelaide, with its success measured by some of the highest visitor numbers on record and unprecedented increase in Zoo membership and patronage. www.waxdesign.com.au

Project Team Project name: Adelaide Zoo – Nature’s Playground Location: Frome Road, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia Design Firm: WAX Design in collaboration with Phillips Pilkington Architects Contractors: Ric Mcconaghy Playspaces, LCS Landscapes, Fleetwood Urban Suppliers: Bullseye Creative, Kaebel Leisure, Timber Creations, Playrope Artist: Greg Holfeld – Panic Productions Image Credits: Sweet Lime Photo Text: Amanda Balmer – WAX Design

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I plants

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I book review

Books of interest The Course of Landscape Architecture

ISBN: 9780500342978 PUBLICATION DATE: May 31, 2016 HARDCOVER: 304 pages BOOK DESCRIPTION: Christophe Girot sets out to chronicle this history, drawing on all aspects of mankind’s creativity and ingenuity. In twelve chapters, he brings together the key stories that have shaped our man-made landscapes. Each chapter consists of a thematic essay that ties

Community Landscape Design ISBN: 9789881296887 PUBLICATION DATE: 1 Aug. 2014 HARDCOVER: 288 pages

BOOK DESCRIPTION: As the world is undergoing rapid urbanization and demands for good housing in cities soar, we are looking for residential environment where we can take refuge from our intense and hectic lifestyle.

Landscape Architecture Documentation Standards: Principles,

Guidelines and Best Practices

ISBN: 9780470402177 PUBLICATION DATE: 18 Nov. 2015 PAPERBACK : 432 pages BOOK DESCRIPTION: Construction Documentation Standards and Best Practices for Landscape Architectural Design offers guidelines, methods, and techniques for creating more robust project documents. Developed and authored by one of the world′s leading landscape architectural firms, this material has been field tested by Design Workshop′s ten offices and 150 designers to ensure completeness, practicality, and effectiveness. The book provides

together the central developments, as well as a case study illustrated with specially commissioned photographs and meticulously detailed 3D re–creations showing the featured site in its original context. The result of over two decades of teaching experience and academic research at one of the world’s leading universities, The Course of Landscape Architecture will reach international students and professionals. But its wealth of visual material, the wide range of its cultural references and the beauty of the landscapes it features will attract the interest of all who desire to enrich their understanding of how our landscapes have been formed, and how we relate to them.600 illustrations, 550 in color.

This enticing book is a window to a diverse range of community landscape design creating exceptional living environment across the globe addressing this need of high-quality housing. This stimulating book is divided into three sections high-rise residential tower landscape, mid-rise residential block landscape and low-rise villa landscape as each category has its unique landscape character. Included projects demonstrate how landscape architects integrate the key parameters; culture, context, sustainability and budget making it a useful reference to both landscape design professionals and enthusiast.

an overview of the entire design and construction process in the context of actual documentation, with best practice standards for design document content, format, and graphics. Readers learn how to apply these practices to serve the specific needs of different projects, gaining a comprehensive understanding of how complete documentation better serves the project as a whole. This book presents a set of standards that serve as a roadmap of the design process, helping designers provide the complete documentation that the most highly executed projects require. Discover how documentation ties into project performance. Learn the best practices for documenting every stage of the process Study actual project documents serving various project needs. Gain documentation insights from one of the world’s top firms.

With its headquarter in Tokyo, Japan and world class stores spread over countries like America, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Taiwan and now in DUBAI – UAE, Kinokuniya is a globally known book seller of repute. The store in Dubai Mall is a massive 68,000 square feet wide paragon book gallery which stocks more than half a million books and thousand magazines in English, Arabic, Japanese, French, German and Chinese at any given time. The Store is also a distinct cross cultural hub wide range of time to time multicultural events such a comic art demonstrations, language learning workshops, book launches etc. The pleasant ambiance, stenographic design and add to it the impressive view of modern skyline – world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, Kinokuniya at The Dubai Mall is just the place to evoke emotions and add pleasure to your book shopping. You may like to visit our website for more information. www.kinokuniya.com

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