Landscape Magazine June 2016

The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

JUNE 2016

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The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

Editor’s Note

We’re almost a decade old, June marks Landscapes ninth anniversary and to celebrate we have a packed issue that takes us to Brazil. The residential project in Praia Baleia in the Northern Littoral area of Brazil is showcased. Architect Arthur Casas was tasked with the job of designing a condominium of four houses near the beach, which were ultimately private and secluded.

In order to achieve this, he laid out the four houses with exactly the same floor plans, the four of them located side by side but slightly shifted in relation to one another. Turn to page 42 to discover more behind the design plans.

On page 30, we look at a new park in Kuwait city that was built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Constitution of Kuwait. Led by Al Amiri Diwan, a government agency, the garden is designed, according to Islamic tradition as a reflection of paradise. It is divided into two areas, “Old Age” and “New Age” and features a monument to mark the transition from the old era that represents the pre-Constitution period and the new era, the period after the establishment of the State of Kuwait.

We also look at another park, this time in Abu Dhabi called The Sheika Fatima Park. It was designed

by Naga Architects and Designers and is based on the idea of merging free open spaces with architectural facilities to encourage outdoor living and authentic experiences. See page 16 for more.

John Hampton

Managing Partner: Ziad Maarouf Amine Copy Editor: John Hampton Sales Manager: Boushra Dinnawi Administrative Assistance: Sarry Gan Art Director: Ramon Andaya Contributors: Riyad Mustafa, Marko Dimanic, Aarathi Muralidharan, Kharim Ibrahim, Antonella Rinaldi, Lizzie Krasner, Jimena Martignoni Printed by: Al Nisr Publishing LLC Webmaster: www.pdinventive.com

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

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

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contents June 2016 - Issue 108

12 16

Urban landscape design for Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Park

22

Interview with Mr. Amer Mahasen of Palmera Landscapes

26

Biomimetic urbanism through agent based modelling

30 36 42

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Soil

30

Contitution Garden Anacostia Crossing: 11th Street Bridge Park Making a Connection

36 42

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The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

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I news and events

H.E. Essa Al Maidoor, Deputy DirectorGeneral of the Dubai Municipality delivers the welcome address at the 4th Annual Middle East Smart Landscape Summit 2016

Within the context of two days, the 4th Annual Middle East Smart Landscape Summit, held under the patronage of Dubai Municipality, explored issues, and raised critical questions pertaining to sustainable urban landscape development in the presence of over 400 senior professionals from across the GCC that took place on 25th and 26th April 2016 at Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa. The summit was inaugurated by H.E. Essa Al Maidoor, Deputy Director-General of the Dubai Municipality along with H.E Engineer Mariam Mohammed Saeed Hareb, Assistant Undersecretary, Ministry of Climate Change & Environment followed by a welcome address to the attendees in the presence of high officials from the government and VIPs from Embassies.

The opening presentation by Fatma Al Sulaimani, Landscape Designer, Dubai Municipality on the new paradigm in landscape architecture for the region of Dubai emphasized on the need for sustainability. Across two days, landscape architecture as a theme was also analyzed by international experts including Leo Alvarez of Perkins+Will; Paul Reynolds of Atkins and Mott MacDonald’s Charles Peeler.

Over 25 prestigious international industry leaders, among them Jason Turner, Manager – Landscape Architect and Urban Design, GHD;

Sustainable Outdoor Landscape Lighting Systems’ that emphasized upon understanding the concepts behind sustainable landscape lighting and further explored innovative technologies to ensure that the urban landscape areas are well-lit without high energy costs.

The day 2 panel discussion on Planning and Implementation of Efficient and Successful Irrigation Systems was moderated by Rain Bird Corporation’s Dave Shane and accompanying him were panelists Ameer Ahmad Manyar of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; GHD’s Jason Turner; Varghese Thomas, of Engineer’s Office and Walter Bone, of Khatib & Alami who touched upon the applications for subsurface drip in turf areas, the importance of pressure regulation and irrigation scheduling based on weather conditions.

Mr. Brad Hariharan, Regional Director, Expotrade Middle East, organizers of the summit said, “We are delighted that our fourth edition of the summit was a resounding success with over 450 delegates in attendance. With a number of regional and international experts sharing insights on the theme of sustainable landscaping solutions, the summit has proved to be an incredible platform for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. We are thankful to the support of Dubai Municipality, our sponsors and partners for making the summit a phenomenal success.”

4TH ANNUAL MIDDLE EAST SMART LANDSCAPE SUMMIT FOCUSED ON MANAGING DUBAI’S LANDSCAPE WITH SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

H.E. Essa Al Maidoor, Deputy DirectorGeneral of the Dubai Municipality along with H.E Engineer Mariam Mohammed Saeed Hareb, Assistant Undersecretary, Ministry of Climate Change & Environment inaugurated the 4th Middle East Smart Landscape Summit 2016

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Geoffrey Sanderson, Principal Landscape Architect, AECOM and Paolo Testolini, Head of Urban Design, Woods Bagot participated in the summit to discuss topics that focused on the value of landscape and the need for interaction with nature; how-to guide on urban public environments, biodiversity & people and lessons learned on Latin-American cities.

During the summit, the theme of landscape designing was explored in detail with topics titled PLAY 4ALL concept for Outdoor Playground Design; High Rise Gardens; Designing Urban Open Spaces; Planting Design for the Smart City in the 21st Century; and Designing Public Open Space in the Global Context respectively by speakers Elena Lazareva, CEO, Ithara Group; Stephan Frantzen, Group Director, P&T Architects and Engineers; Peyman Soudi, Design Manager (Landscape), Parsons; Eamonn Byrne, Principal Landscape Architect, EBLA; and Taku Suzuki, Landscape Architect, Nikken Sekkei.

Sector specialists Masato Kametani, Lead Landscape Architect, Parsons; Saleh AlMakhdoum, Head of Parks Unit, Dubai Municipality; Soufyane Miloudi, Vice President & Managing Director, Aubrilam Group; Steven Velegrinis, Director of Urban Design, Perkins+Will and Martin Valentine, Lighting Expert, Abu Dhabi City Municipality participated in a panel discussion on ‘Smart &

Over 25 leading solutions providers including Ithara Group, Polyclean Turf Division, Profile Products, Marmara International Landscaping, The Glow.Pro Company, Rain Bird, WT Burden and Zeoplant, to name a few, showcased their innovative solutions at the summit’s exhibitor lounge. The summit proved to be an excellent networking platform and was well appreciated by sponsors and delegates alike.

Michael Polat, Director, The Glow.Pro Company, said, “We are very pleased that we participated in the summit this year and we look forward to partnering next year as well. The quality of participants was excellent.” Jojo Johny, Division Manager, Consent, said, “On the whole, the Middle East Smart Landscape Summit 2016 was a very well-coordinated event. It gave us an opportunity to interact on a one-on-one basis with several key personalities from the landscaping industry an also with different municipalities. The various topics covered in the conference was very informative.”

Commenting on the success, Ali Al Habshi, Chief Engineer, Abu Dhabi City Municipality, said, “The conference was extremely successful and I was happy to attend it. The summit was well organized with a number of experts speaking on various interesting topics.”

The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

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I news and events

The International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA), which represents the worldwide profession of Landscape Architecture, proudly announced today at their World Congress in Turin, Italy, that German Landscape Architect Peter LATZ has been selected as the winner of the 2016 premier award for Landscape Architecture, the IFLA - Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award.

The Award Jury composed of a Landscape Architect from each of the five IFLA regions, and the President of UIA (Union International of Architects) who served as a guest member of the Jury, agreed with the German Federation of Landscape Architects (BDLA), that “Peter Latz is one of the significant professionals who understood how to react to the increasingly complex challenges in landscape architecture and urban planning in the last few decades”.

Peter Latz graduated from the Technical University of Munich in 1964. After four years of postgraduate research and studio work in urban planning at the RWTH Aachen, he founded his own practice in 1968 as an independent landscape architect and town planner in partnership with Anneliese Latz. In the same year he started his academic career as a lecturer at the Academy for Architecture in Maastricht.

From 1973 – 83 he was a professor and chair of landscape architecture at the University Kassel and an active member of the “Research Group of Alternative Technologies” (AFA). In 1983 he became a professor and chair of landscape architecture and planning at the Technical University Munich (TUM).

In spring 2009 the president of the TUM honoured his outstanding work as a researcher and teacher by bestowing the title “Emeritus of Excellence” on him, an honour which also means further active engagement in university projects.

Peter Latz has been lecturing and teaching worldwide: at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane (2000), as a visiting professor at the GSD Harvard University (fall term 2001) and from 2001 until 2009 as an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Design, University of Pennsylvania, as well as other places.

Since the beginning of his career in planning, teaching and research, a major concern for Peter Latz has been ecological urban renewal, which concentrates since the mid-eighties on postindustrial sites. The first project of this nature, which continues to be controversial, the Hafeninsel-Park Saarbrücken, was awarded the BDLA prize 1989.

Peter Latz gained a worldwide reputation with the project “Landscape Park Duisburg Nord”, the metamorphosis of the former Thyssen ironworks into a people’s park and a vivid part of the city, which was awarded, among others, the first European Prize for Landscape Architecture, Rosa Barba and the Grande Médaille d’Urbanisme.

Two current projects in Tel Aviv represent his methodical approach and his ability to develop new expressive forms of contemporary environmental design: The “Ariel Sharon Park”, becoming at the same time a gigantic flood retention basin and a landscape park of nationwide significance, and the award – winning “Hiriya Landfill Rehabilitation”.

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THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS (IFLA) ANNOUNCES THE WINNER OF THE PREMIER WORLD WIDE AWARD IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

THE IFLA SIR GEOFFREY JELLICOE AWARD 2016

PETER LATZ

Landscape Architect and Urban Planner Prof. Emeritus TU Munich

International Federation of Landscape Architects

Peter Latz received the Green Good Design 2010 People Award for being “a leader, pioneer and innovator in Green Design”. He was awarded the TOPOS 2013 Landscape Award and the FriedrichLudwig-von-Sckell Ring of Honour 2014.

The Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award 2016 coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Department of Landscape Architecture at the Technical University Munich; today an internationally well-known school, due in no small part to Peter Latz’s efforts during his teaching at the TUM. Peter Latz lives and works in Kranzberg near Munich.

Peter Latz was selected unanimously by the Award Jury out of three finalists proposed by the Nomination Committee.

THE AWARD The IFLA Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award is the highest honour that the International Federation of Landscape Architects can bestow upon a landscape architect.

The Award recognizes a living landscape architect whose lifetime achievements and contributions have had a unique and lasting impact on the welfare of society and the environment and on the promotion of the profession of landscape architecture. The award is bestowed annually on an academic, public or private practitioner whose work and achievements are respected internationally.

The IFLA Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award was launched in 2004 on a quadrennial basis but since 2011 it has been bestowed annually. Its inaugural recipient was Peter Walker (USA) in 2005. Prof.

Bernard Lassus (France) was awarded the prize in 2009, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander in 2011, Mihály Möcsényi in 2012, 2013 Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles , 2014 Sun Xiao Xiang from China and last year Mexican Mario Schjetnan.

Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe (1910 – 1996), IFLA President of Honour, served IFLA as its founding President from 1948 – 1954. He was a trained architect, town planner, landscape architect and garden designer, but his prime interest was in landscape and garden design. Jellicoe was a founding member (1929) and then President of the Institute of Landscape Architects (now the LI) and was knighted for services to landscape architecture in 1979. In 1994, he was given the Royal Horticultural Society’s highest award, the Victoria Medal of Honour.

The IFLA President, Kathryn Moore, will make the announcement in the Award Ceremony on 20 April 2016, during the 2016 IFLA World Congress in Turin, Italy. The winner will present a lecture as part of the ceremony. There will be a press conference with the award winner and the IFLA President in Turin on 20 April 2016. The announcement will be made online at www.ifla.org by the 21 April 2016.

The 2016 SGJA International Jury was chaired

by Carey Duncan (Morocco) and comprised: Diana Wiesner (Colombia) Greg Grabasch (Australia), Jacob Kamp (Denmark) and Mohamad Motalebi (Iran). Esa Mohamed, UIA President was a guest member of the Jury.

The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

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I news and events

ENABLE – A Social Enterprise with a Social Impact

Decision makers in private corporations must accelerate the design and implementation of socially inclusive business strategies. Desert Group CSR strategy has been at the forefront to make People with Disabilities (PWD) equal members of society thus bringing social inclusiveness and focusing on a new dimension of community development. “We must talk of CSR to include social inclusiveness and social impact” says Ms.Reem Al Ghaith, CSR Manager at Desert Group. Reem has been relentless in her drive where she works with like-minded individuals and organizations like the Community Development Authority to create an awareness on enhancing the role of PWDs in society and thus making Community Development a corporate goal. “In the past corporates were reluctant to engage in more sustainable and strategic social impact platforms. That is now changing as social inclusiveness takes centre stage” says Reem. According to a Deloitte survey conducted last year, 70% of young Millennials, those ages 18 to 26, say a company’s commitment to the community has an influence on their decision to work there. That says a lot!

Businesses can no longer think of social issues as purely ethical points of discussion and deal with them through traditional philanthropic activities.

Desert Group has just received the Ta’atheer Social Impact Award for Community Development. “We feel honoured and privileged to receive this award” says Reem. Ta’atheer is a platform allowing 360° engagement among all stakeholders responsible for driving sustainable social impact investment in the MENA region. With this award Desert Group intends to create further awareness on how corporates can assist in Community Development.

Now Desert Group has embarked on one of the regions first social enterprise “ENABLE”. ENABLE is a commercial entity that delivers a 360 entrepreneurial model to young Emiratis with intellectual disabilities. ENABLE is a Social Enterprise which is profit generating business but where the entire profits generated are invested back into the unit. This is a medium to tackle a social problem and improve the community as a whole through ENABLE. The goal in addition to achieving financial sustainability is

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to develop entrepreneurial skills for People with Disabilities (PWD) and to make them entrepreneurs eventually. It’s an arduous yet gratifying task. Its about giving back to society and we all have a responsibility.

The cause just cannot be ignored.

ENABLE offers office, home and garden products (indoor cacti and succulent plant arrangements).

These are made by PWD’s and are sold through a series of popups in various bazaars and markets and are made to order. These products are apt and ideal for corporate offices, hotels, restaurants and cafes and are carefully assembled by some highly functional employees from within the many trained PWDs. For the first time PWD’s understand incentives and are motivated by it, as a percentage of the value of each sale goes back to the employee who created each of the items. An equitable society is the goal and corporates could be part of this wonderful cause. We thus encourage all corporate entities to source some of these office decorative pieces from ENABLE. This collaboration and partnership is something that will enthuse your employees and shareholders alike. This is one way to be part of a CSR program.

Thus as opposed to just buying desktop and board room flowers and flower arrangements from a vendor we would encourage all to please consider buying part of their usual purchases from ENABLE and be part of this social impact and inclusiveness in the UAE. These make wonderful gift items as well. Why not reach out?

ENABLE has launched its product line at the Dubai Garden Centre - their first commercial retail unit and are interested to hear from multi store business houses to help sell their products. More details can be obtained from their online store www. enable.ae. I would like to conclude by saying that we need a re-conception of what the purpose of business is. We do need to reach out and we could start with ENBALE. We at Desert Group – the Board and the team members alike strongly believe in what we are doing. It’s in our DNA and belief system and we would like social inclusiveness be part of yours as well.

Michael Mascarenhas Group CEO – Desert Group

The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

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I news and events

Dynamo’s engineers have created the safest, longest lasting, most eye-catching rope climbers in the playground industry by infusing the nylon cable coatings with UV protectants and flame retardant solutions in the extrusion process, then using these vibrant threads to weave a braid around 144 strands of galvanized steel to produce the rope of the play structures. This unique process retains the ropes’ attractiveness and keeps them soft to the touch, all while making them the most durable rope climbers available.

We’ve changed the game again with our new designs in the stunning and stimulating Ropes Courses series!

Studies show that playing on free-form playgrounds helped reduce anxiety in children. This occurs when kids are able to engage in unstructured play at the playground, freeing them from the structure and rules enforced by their teachers and school supervisors. Ropes Courses aid in supporting their boundless creativity and energies to be released in epic proportions. Without boundaries, kids are left to finally discover and pursue what they want the most: Have fun and play. Play time with fewer or no restrictions upon children can significantly ease their stress levels, making them healthier and more alert at school and home.

These custom designed ropes courses are innovative creations of free, multi-plane net climbers that have limitless possibilities for hours of amusement. Unlike traditional playgrounds with linear play movement, Dynamo keeps everyone entertained with nets that twist, turn, rise and fall in complex connected paths. Users climbing through these structures are subjected to a play experience that continuously changes and is never the same twice.

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In our increasingly ‘technological’ society we need to provide families and children with opportunities in the ‘perfect play environment’ to get everyone outside and moving.

Dynamo understands that it can be a challenge for today’s designers and play space planners to create the ‘all day play’ recreational areas to get the kids outside and active, while keeping the beauty of the playground site visually appealing.

Challenge accepted and completed! The days at the playground will never be the same again with Dynamo’s Ropes Courses.

A spectacular ropes course in any play space it is guaranteed to turn heads, attract visitors from near & far, boost revenues for local businesses, and most importantly bring families and entire communities together.

Dynamo Playgrounds, changing the playground industry, because – play matters to us.

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Play Matters

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I soil

Poor infiltration water runs off

Poor infiltration, no oxygen for roots

The characteristics of an ideal soil profile contain physical and chemical parameters that are in a state of balance. The physical characteristics are infiltration, balanced air and water porosity and good moisture retention. Chemically, a balanced soil has a neutral pH along with low levels of metals and salts that would otherwise be detrimental to plant growth.

Typical sands in the Middle East have very small particles, low moisture retention, poor infiltration, high pH and high levels of salt. The most important missing component is air porosity.

Air is critical for plant roots to grow and water to infiltrate. In well-draining soils, water permeates deep into the root zone and establishes a water reservoir for plants. The air porosity allows roots to grow deeper accessing water held further down in the root zone. Irrigation cycles can be reduced because the plants can reach moisture from the entire root zone. If and when salts build up in native sands, a well-draining soil will allow you to flush salts out of the root zone when needed.

Amend Native Sands for Ideal Soil

Turn Native Sands into Ideal Soil for Landscapes and Major Complexes

by: Joe Betulius Profile Vice President

Native sands need to be amended in order to correct their deficiencies. Amendments by themselves may sound like effective products, but if they don’t improve the deficiencies of the finished soil blend, they are not providing the results needed to grow sustainable, thriving plants.

Characteristics of a Good Soil Physical Property

Recommended Range

Total Porosity Non-­‐Capillary Air Porosity (at 30cm tension) Capillary Water Porosity (at 30cm tension) Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity (30cm) Water Retention at Field Capacity pH Organic Matter Content (by weight)

32 -­‐ 55% 16 -­‐ 30% 20 – 35% 228mm (9”) – 457mm (18”) 20 – 35% 6.3 – 7.3 Less than <1%

Profile® is used exclusively by NASA® on the International Space Station for growing experiments.

Profile® Porous Ceramic is also used extensively by research departments at universities as a growing medium for plant growth trials.

Profile® Porous Ceramic is OMRI® certified for organic farming.

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Alternative to organics and other Amendments Profile® Porous Ceramic (PPC) is the leading inorganic amendment used to replace organics and other soil amendments to improve the moisture, nutrient-retention, infiltration, and air (O2) of root zones. Made from montmorillonite clay and fired to create ceramic particles, Profile degrades only 3% over 20 years. Profile permanently modifies native sands and brings the soil parameters back into balance, matching the characteristics of ideal soil necessary for plants to thrive.

The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

Testing of an Amended/Finished Mix The charts below illustrate how amendments can amend native sands. It is very important to test a finished mix and not just an amendment. The goal of a finished mix is to bring the native sand’s properties into the ideal ranges in the chart located above.

Increasing the rate by which Profile is added to native sand will improve air and water porosity and the water reservoir of the sand.

Ideal pH needs to be between 6.3 and 7.3 to allow 100% of nutrients to be absorbed by the plants. The incorporation of PPC in native sand will lower pH and fertilizer usage.

pH is critical for nutrient uptake by plants. The chart below shows how pH affects a plant’s ability to uptake nutrients. The pH range of native sands in the Middle East is consistently 8.0 to 9.0. At these high values, nutrients are not absorbed and unnecessary fertilization occurs as landscapers compensate for reduced uptake.

Major Project Sites Using Profile® Porous Ceramic to Achieve Superior Results

Root development (Aspire Zone, Qatar): Dune sand with 12% Profile® ceramic.

Al-Hilal Stadium, Saudi Arabia Yas Island Golf Course, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Aspire Zone Sporting Complex, Doha, Qatar The Wave/Almouj Golf Course, Muscat, Oman Ayla Oasis Golf Course, Aqaba, Jordan

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I soil Native sands can be turned into ideal soils by using amendments to bring the root zone mix into a state of balance. When we balance air and water porosity, pH, salts and minerals, the results are beautiful landscapes, golf courses and pitches.

Hand planting as shown above is slow and takes many workers but Hydroseeding is fast, requires less labor and allows you to apply seed / springs, mulch fertilizer and amendments all at once The Wave Muscat Oman

Hydroseeding - Establishing vegetation in harsh desert climate After improving native sands, establishing vegetation in a harsh desert climate is critical. “Hydroseeding” a trusted and effective technique used in Europe and North America, has become a proven solution used on sport pitches and golf courses in the Middle East.

Rayyan Roadway Island Qatar

Hydraulic mulch products, or “hydromulch” can be made from paper and wood, but the best products for desert climates are the high- performing products. Flexterra® HP-FGM® from Profile® Products contains components for moisture retention and functional longevity which allow seeds to germinate quicker and last longer.

The steps for sustainable vegetation and ideal results are: Test Native Soils Helps determine deficiencies or issues with root zone.

Select appropriate amendments to add to the soils based on test results.

Test amended root zone mix to assure amendments meet performance values.

Hydrosprigged in August

Ready for FIFA in November

The “blanket” of hydromulch provides moisture close to the seeds or sprigs and accelerates plant establishment. Once applied, the biodegradable material mitigates hot and cold temperature fluctuations from day to night. Native seeds that have difficulty germinating will perform better when hydroseeding. This process reduces watering and prevents loose sand blowing off site. Hydromulch is weed-free and biodegrades after vegetation is established.

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Proper Plant Selection Select suitable vegetation depending on the type of site (golf course, park, construction site, landscape containers or beds, roadway median strips, and roadsides).

Proper selection will be sustainable with minimal maintenance.

Establishment Techniques Hydroseeding will accelerate germination and establishment with less water and labor.

Wind and water erosion of soils are reduced during the establishment of vegetation.

The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

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I urban landscape

Urban landscape design for Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Park

Gateway to a healthy life The Sheika Fatima Park is a vision for Abu Dhabiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contemporary urban landscape design approach to promote the unity of an Arabic cultural identity through the perception of urban landscape, as an unwritten but uncompromising rule of cohesion within the cityscape.

by: Naga Architects The concept proposal of redesigning the existing and underutilized walled park within the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban fabric, led by Naga Architects and Designers, is based on the idea of merging the free open spaces with architectural facilities to encourage outdoor living and authentic experiences.

The landscape design concept for the residential park, dedicated to Her Highness, Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, known as the Mother of the Nation, and one of the most influential and recognised women

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The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

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I urban landscape

in the Arab world, brought specific challenges to the design process in finding the key to defining a contemporary and truly contextual language of architecture and landscape design.

Following on Her Highness’s promotion of education, literacy, athletics, women’s and children’s rights; the redeveloped park is intended to celebrate the same virtues through the creation of a unique destination that promotes healthy habits.

The park proposal is thoughtfully designed to capture the local authenticity and spirit of the place. In the same time it introduces both culture and nature as essential structuring elements for promoting healthy lifestyles. The design proposal reflects the essence of sublimation between culture and nature, with a design character developed through the geometrical play of shapes inspired by organic natural forms where water canals, palm trees and flowers are elevated to the highest expression of Arabic garden history.

The Islamic Arch, as a primary source of inspiration, manifests itself in the entrance square, initiating a procession from the gate to the park – gateway to a healthy life. Merging and collecting retailcommercial buildings under the canopy creates an entrance, and introduces a continuous walkway through the park aiming to integrate architecture and open space and improve the experience of the space, and perception of landscape.

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The site, being adjacent to the road that ends at Corniche road, is both physically and visually linked to the beach and the sea. This creates a unique opportunity to capture pedestrian and vehicular traffic bound to the beach. Continuous pedestrian walkways, meandering through the park propagating walking routes and a livable open space experience, extend and connect the whole neighborhood with the sea edge in a vibrant flow of life.

The park itself becomes like a tree, an essential life-giving source that initiates the process of reactivating and rehabilitating the broader environmentwith a positive effect on the surrounding neighborhoods.

The goal is to integrate the scenery between architecture and open spaces, neighborhood and the sea edge, as places of everyday life.

Finally, a visit to the park will be an experience of enjoyment and

The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

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I urban landscape

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The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

emotion, a place for contemplation and reflection; allowing intimate moments with nature and exchanges with botany. But also place for activity - a space for families, children, sports, anda stage for shows and cultural events.

These experiences are articulated against the continuum of a lush and shady central walkway, with a constant presence of palm trees, umbrella shading structures, water, and emerging flowers in various forms. The Arabic cultural character of the space transfers itself in to a dynamic floor pattern that reinforces the perception of experiential identity in the walkways.

The enjoyment of outdoor space is celebrated by the proposed new facilities, Sheikha Fatima Gardens of Life with its abundance of foliage and aromatic plants, green classrooms with play and education spaces, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playground, food market, play lawn with hill seating, fitness forest, urban skate park, water square, mini-golf, and a yoga grove for meditation, relaxation, and picnics.

The Residential Park proposed by Naga Architects derives itself from an attractive and inviting design approach, but is also conscious in its merger of architecture and open space. Consistent with the promotion of outdoor living, the park also encourages community interaction through physical activities and games, while at the same time challenging the observer to explore and engage the landscape.

The landscape vision for the Sheikha Fatima Park is ultimately to convert the park space in to an open, vibrant, and easily accessible public destination, with the ultimate goal of promoting culture and nature, as symbols of healthy lifestyles inspired by the environment.

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I interview

Palmera Landscapes was established in Syria since 2001 and created its new Branch in Qatar on 2012 to meet Qatar and Gulf Market increased demands by providing all Sectors with variety of services and activities.

Shaping the future General Manager of Palmera Landscapes Mr. Amer Mahasen, shares his views of the Landscape industry in the GCC area.

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The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

Interview with

Amer Mahasen

General Manager, Palmera Landscapes

Palmera Landscapes, is one of the several companies characterised in agribusiness, differentiating it very distinctively from ancestral.

Palmera was established in 2011 when the increasing demand of landscaping construction and maintenance was at its peak in Doha, Qatar. It rapidly grew in the Gulf market by providing top quality services in the industry.

What is your company’s main activities and services?

The company services are: Landscape Design, Soft Landscape (Indoor Plants, greenwalls), Golf Course, Hard Landscape, Swimming Pools, Spa and Water Features, Irrigation, Outdoor Lighting, Playground Equipment, Street Furniture, Sculpturing and Landscape Maintenance.

We understand the language of Design and Construction. We are staffed with Technically Qualified Employees and Engineers, gained multiple years of Middle Eastern Experience, who direct our skilled manpower and are continually supported by our In-house KAT Training Facility. Over the years we have striven to gain customer confidence and a key goal of Palmera is to raise our achievement levels to stand alone as the preferred contractor of choice.

What is your thoughts on the GCC landscape industry?

Keeping an eye on the rest of the world, Qatar’s landscaping industry witnessed substantial growth both in terms of aesthetic and functional aspects of modern landscaping. It is more of a mixture of traditional elements fused together with modern minimalism and functionalism.

We will incessantly provide Qatar with the best of what we have to offer. Our goal is to become a major player in the future development of Qatar in this field. With this vision in mind, we aim to become listed as a top contractor of Hardscape, Softscape, irrigation and water feature works in the Gulf region.

One of our greatest assets and abilities is to comprehend the client’s requirement and our specific attention to detail which makes Palmera stand out above competitors.

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I interview

What major projects have you been involved with?

Our major projects include The Sheraton Hotel, Souk Wakif car park, The Banana Island Resort, Lakhwiya Sports Staduim and Mall of Qatar.

What is your business motto?

Wherever we go, we grow What is Palmera’s position in the current market?

We have a very solid position in the market and as of this year we consider ourselves to be one of the main leaders and pioneers in the landscaping industry. Since our arrival, Palmera has strived to be the best in the market. Day by day, our management utilises their experience to the maximum to maintain a significantly educated and technically qualified staff. Of course, this is complemented by our strategic operations team and their organised and well-trained labour force. Palmera is constantly improving and innovating to gain the clients full trust and confidence. Even with our unbeatable top class services and quality we challenge ourselves to be greater every day so we can maintain the level of satisfaction our customers have in the work we do.

Landscape Design & Build We offer connoisseur ideas on all facets of Landscape Design and Technical Services combined with highly professional team and delivers unique & creative concepts supported with full set of shop drawing to fit your life style, Business needs and to guarantee the perfect precise execution for your project.

Green Wall installation The company vision is to reclaim the built environment, that brings aesthetic in artistic approach by utilizing this diversity and incorporating hundreds of species of plants it is possible to create living art. The special method in which our green walls are framed enhances building protection. This in turn increases the integrity and longevity of a building’s exterior.

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Golf Course With a series of high profile clients, Palmera team has completed Golf courses in one of our major project Anantara “Banana Island” with services including: Golf course drainage and water feature design and construction, primary and secondary golf course drainage installations, buggy paths and walkways, renovation and maintenance.

Maintenance: On the handing over of each project, Palmera offers a continuous care and maintenance for everything around you, protecting your plants from any harm and keeping the mechanical and electrical systems function safely and properly.

This comes with all services in agricultural field from the grass and plants trimming, fertilization, control of pests and diseases. To irrigation field by insuring the proper function of the system with top goal of keeping your surroundings on the best levels.

Palmera is dedicated to the delivery of Professional Landscape Maintenance and Operations through a Systemized & Monitored procedures and operations, creative solutions, quality service and to deliver each and every customer 100% of what has promised.

Our Maintenance teams are carefully selected to ensure the right fit for the right job.

Nursery The agricultural places in your project is the most important feature your landscape will need to be a success, that is why we have one of the biggest nurseries in the GCC with an area of 500,000.00m² including: Massive stock of Specimen Trees, Production facilities, High quality turf areas, Native trees and plants, 150 well qualified horticulturist, 1500 year old trees.

Palmera Landscapes Tel : +974 4429 7991 Fax : +974 4429 7992 PO Box: 50395 Doha – Qatar e-mail: info@palmera.com.qa Website: www.palmera.com.qa

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I urban design

Biomimetic urbanism through agent based modelling

By Aarathi Muralidharan Agent Based Modelling, Biomimicry, UHI, urban design, Dubai, bottom-up, HongKong, termite, social insects, processing, java “How does nature encode information in DNA and make form which is capable of response, development and evolution?... I’ve been preoccupied for thirty years with how information is to be encoded in architectural design, not only to the technical questions but also to the formal issues.. the generation of the form itself.“ - John Frazer Old Ways, New Goals The way we design cities has become unfit for the purpose we design them for. Not so very long ago, some architects thought that the accelerating urbanization, combined with technological revolution, would lead to an urban condition that is ever less “physical” and ever more “digital”. Urbanization proved them wrong. As cities are growing ever more (dense), they are having an increasingly severe impact on both the climate at large and their own internal microclimate; for example water flooding due to changes in

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the hydrological network or higher pollution levels due to changes in wind conditions. All this forces architects and urbanists to reconsider cities as a habitat, as specialized environments that allow human beings to survive in a potentially uninhabitable nature; as indeed very much “physical”.

This implies a transition in design thinking from one that sees cities as a cultural relict to one that is more in tune with its physical functioning. A transition that is proving more difficult than it sounds; the so-called “environmental” design is often only so on metaphorical terms, or, if not, it relies on very intuitive and fragmental knowledge of that physical functioning. But the problem goes beyond mere analysis.

It is one thing to understand the complex physical behavior of cities, but another to start designing it.

So, how do we deal with the multiple layers of information provided by the environment? How to account for the fact that every design decision

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will be affected by the change in that information? Again, architects and urbanists seem to be tackling whole new problems with very old tools here.

Framing the Problem One of the classical urban climatological “problems”, the urban heat island (UHI), shows this very well. UHI is simply the fact that a city tends to be a few degrees warmer than its rural surroundings, and this mostly at night. It comes with some unwelcome consequences; firstly, higher energy usage for cooling and ventilation during warmer periods; secondly, lung - and heart-related health problems, and thirdly, higher pollution levels due to chemical reactions with ozone (again aggravating the first two problems). The problems are caused by changes in heat energy fluxes by the urban geometry.

The already existing mitigation strategies come in two (geographical) categories. In North-American and Canadian cities, the focus lies mostly on reducing solar radiation income by changing surface albedo (white, reflective materials), and on planting more greenery for cooling. The first approach is not without any problems; reflective surfaces below average roof level (such as the “cool pavements” or white facades) tend to reflect heat back onto buildings or, even worse, pedestrians. The approach therefore only works when applied on flat roofs, in suburban surroundings with a more or less homogeneous building height. The second, adding more greenery, has fewer complications, but is not always easy to implement in high-density surroundings. In Asian cities, or more in general in a hot and humid climate, the emphasis lies more on allowing wind to wash out streets. In Hong Kong for example, this results in strict massing rules for building blocks. However, exemplary projects such as Sha Tin One have shown the weaknesses of this approach. The project is the cliché of solitary towers, with little or no connecting tissue on ground level.

The problems of both categories of approach have a common, methodological cause. Firstly, they are often based on an inherited, intuitive understanding of the physical functioning of the urban environment.

Secondly, the used design methods fall short in capturing the complexity inherent in the problem of UHI. So the problem is actually twofold; analysis and design, and how to link these two together.

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Bridge the Gap: Design and Analysis How does an Urban Planner bridge the gap between analysis and design? Maybe the answer lies in looking around us and learning from nature. Nature seems chaotic at one glance, however on delving deeper one can find order and system in it.

Nature Ch_05 | 276 is able to integrate variety of criteria, like environmental factors, physiological factors, genetic factors, random events efficiently and able to prioritize and solve complex problems in simplest ways.

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I urban design On the analysis side, we need to delve more deeply into the new science of urban climatology. Although it has been around for a few decades, its evaluation methods, such as fluid dynamics or solar radiation calculation, have only become more readily available to the architectural profession in the past few years.

On the design side, we need to look into forms of artificial intelligence inspired by nature, and how these can be used for solving complex problems in a bottom-up way. They thus fall into a similar category as genetic algorithms do; these also inherently combine both analysis and design, have the capacity to deal with a multiplicity of parameters, and are starting to prove their worth in experimental urban design. The combined analysis-and-design method will be used for conceiving high-density neighborhoods that mitigate the urban heat island effect.

Biomimetic Urbanism One of the most interesting species, one can come across is Termites.

Termites are social insects, mostly found in (sub-) tropical climates or North-America, however, you can still find them in varying environmental conditions like rain-forest to dry arid desert. They are the best example of self-organized building activity and more importantly this behaviour is closely tied up with how they are embedded in their physical environment.

How does this relationship work? Evolution brought them (or at least those in the Termitidae family) a very particular feat; they have outsourced the digestion of cellulose from their guts to their environment. The only way of doing this is by setting up their remarkable symbiosis with the fungus Termitomyces, which breaks down the cellulose for them and which the termites then eat. In return the termites cultivate this fungus, aid its reproduction, and provide the warmth and humidity needed for cellulose digestion. This last task is done by constructing the mounds.

Hence, the termite mounds differ in the way they appear based on where they are located so as to maintain a constant temperature of 32 degrees to grow their food. This is almost similar to humans trying to achieve thermal comfort irrespective of where they are.

Can we learn something from them? Termite mounds are not being built according to an inherited blueprint” in the termites’ instinct. It is actually thought that some of the principles of termite building are constant throughout the different species, and that changes in local climate explain the diversity in mound geometry. Their flexibility in repairing/ rebuilding the mounds only seems to reinforce this argument.

The collective behaviour in social insects is a case of selforganisation; “complex collective behaviour may emerge from interactions among individuals that exhibit simple behaviour”. In selforganisation, there are two main principles: 1) feedback loops caused by external stimuli, and 2) stigmergy. A feedback loop can be both positive and negative. Positive feedback means a certain event will induce a certain response (i.e. the appearance of a food source will lure bees towards it), but the response itself will then induce even more response (bees returning to the nest will show other bees the way).

A sort of self-amplification thus occurs, allowing the colony to react efficiently as a collective. Negative feedback is when a certain response will inhibit further response (saturation of the food source discourages bees to return); it helps stabilising the situation again.

“It is clear that social insects and, more generally, natural systems, can bring much insights into the design of algorithms and artificial problem-solving systems... (They) are expected to exhibit the features that may have made social insects successful in the biosphere... The swarm base approach, therefore, looks promising, in face of a world that continually becomes more complex, dynamic, and overloaded with information than ever.” Bonabeau, Dorigo and Theraulaz in Swarm Intelligence (1997) Design at the intersection of Technology and Biology Agent-based method is a bottom-up complex problem solving approach in which agents are autonomous bodies that interact based on very simple set of rules. There is no top-down rule governing them. The end product is purely based on their interaction and external stimuli.

Technically, all experiments were done in Processing, a Java-based

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programming sketchbook. The system were voxel-based, meaning space was subdivided in discrete cubic elements. This was primarily for reasons of code efficiency and the predictable topology of a grid.

Also, the space was not unlimited but restricted by a bounding box, again for code efficiency. All simulations evolved over discrete timesteps, each of these steps having all agents, in random order, perform one cycle of actions. Except where stated otherwise, all agents had a random walk that was bounded by gravity (as in their voxel location has to border either the floor or a built block). All agents would start randomly distributed on the ground level.

Three important lessons were distilled from investigation of termite mound and their behaviour and through some failed experiments. The termites are blind and they sense the changes in the chemical levels in their mound or change in frequencies. This creates a feedback loop.

Hence, Sensing is the first principle extracted. Then based on the strength of the feedback loop or pheromone levels, decision making happens as to how many termites is to be recruited and to which areas. Here, the decision is made based on what’s the priority to maintain the temperature of the mound. Once on the spot the termites responds and does an action. Second Principle extracted is Decision Making. Once an action is done, it changes the chemical levels/ pheromone levels in the area where the action happened, thereby updating/ informing other termites within its reach the current status of that location. Third Principle extracted is Signalling. It’s very interesting to understand how the termites locally responds to a global problem.

Based on the in-depth study and explorative research done on termite behaviour and the physiological aspects of their mound, a system was developed to generate urban neighbourhood through a bottom-up agent-based design-decision making approach, integrating a variety of environmental criteria, and these criteria can be given different levels of priority. .

Also, understanding the urban issue like UHI is another step in developing the rule sets that governs the system. Energy equation need to be broken down into its basic components and morphological indicators for each needed to be explored. These were then converted into simple rules sets for agents to apply.

The system has been applied to the problem of urban heat island in Hong Kong and Dubai, although it is not necessarily restricted to that particular problem. For a set of chosen criteria concerning the urban heat island, the system is capable of producing neighbourhoods with a better performance than existing exemplary neighbourhoods. Moreover, these neighbourhoods exhibit a set of unique, emergent urban qualities. These qualities can be further elaborated by add-ins to the main system, or derived design systems that perform post-processing operations.

The questions we need ask now is how does this system change the idea of control and planning? What combinations of agents’ wishes and top-down decisions yield desirable results? How can we redefine notions of phasing and growth? How can changes in contextual information (economic, cultural...) be modelled and dealt with?

Future of Agent-Based Urbanism / Swarm Urbanism In a nutshell, the system is capable of producing high-density neighbourhoods with good performance and emerging qualities. It has been successful in integrating design and analysis process and is not random but gives plethora of optimal solutions to guide urban designers.

However, the system has not been explored to its fullest extent. There is a lot more combinations to be tested and explored. Agent based modelling in urban design gives an opportunity to solve complex issues and generate designs taking into consideration all the parameters in parallel which otherwise is a cumbersome task. Through the process, what can be learnt is that each parameter can be broken down to simple rule sets and with proper decision making system, optimal options can be generated.

Designed by: Aarathi Muralidharan, Sebastiaan Leenknegt and Lei while doing Masters at Architectural Association (AA) School of Architecture, London, UK.

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I CONSTITUTION GARDEN

Constitution Garden State of Kuwait To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Constitution of Kuwait, Al Amiri Diwan, the government agency, decided to build a park in Kuwait City.

by SdARCH Trivelli &Associati Trivelli & Associati and Alhadeff Architecs In 2011, Al Amiri Diwan set up an invited competition for a site close to the sea and in 2012, Sd ARCH Trivelli & Associati with Alhadeff Architects were commissioned to develop the competition design on another site called Martyrs’ Park, now Al Shaheed Park.

The constitution garden is divided into two areas, “Old Age” and “New Age”. The monument marks the transition from the old era that represents the pre-Constitution period and the new era, the period after the establishment of the State of Kuwait.

“Old Age” is represented by a messy landscape, arid and furious, where instability and insecurity reign. “New Age” is represented by an organised landscape, prosperous and orderly, dominated by security and calmness. The garden is designed, according to Islamic tradition as a reflection of paradise, a place where one can linger and where time passes. It is a shaded space where water and vegetation are plentiful; all interpreted in a new contemporary vision, a place where time is inbetween - between the history of the State of Kuwait and its future.

The paths in “Old Age” are not ordered, the landscape is rough, trees and shrubs coexist with small, rocky formations and struggle with a desert land, in an arid climate without water.

The monument is intended as a stepping stone to the future and is made with two large portals. On the side of “Old Age” they are made of brass and titanium while on the side of “New Age”, 183 blocks en relief highlight the articles of the Constitution.

The façade of brass on the side of “Old Age” is without lyrics or guidance, the difficulties of the past are resolved and overcome by the Constitution.

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I CONSTITUTION GARDEN

The fountain at the centre of the park has the image of protection of the precious treasure. A water sprinkler system gives greater thermal comfort allowing visitors to rest in the shade of the park during the warmest periods.

In “New Age” the garden is made up of 183 olive trees and palm trees representing the individual articles of the Constitution. Dozens of species of shrubs represent different ethnic groups making up the people of Kuwait.

The landscape design of this project tells a story, a story of a country.

It’s a place where you can find out about the culture, in a contemporary interpretation of an urban public garden in a strong arid climate. A place full of history but designed for the people.

There are symbolic trees, palms and olive trees, the first resistant to the climate the latter for their evocative power and the great resistance and adaptability to the context. Usually, The architects choose the local plants according to the hardiness zones, but in this case, with a radiation and a temperature so strong it would not be enough.

There is a great shady area, where people could sit, walk and relax; usually in these climatic areas you do not do it because of the heat and the direct sun radiation. To improve the comfort feeling, with conditions of existing low humidity and high temperature, it was used the sea water, filtered with a reverse osmosis system, a high technology water treatment

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which produces clear water for a series of jets of vaporised water spread among the shrubs and feeds a large mirror fountain, as reflection and connection with the sky. Water is precious. Normally the land is not a minor issue, and here it was not. It was used large amounts of fertiliser for the soil and the fertilizer slow-release place in depth, so that in time does not vanish the effect of improvement, but mainly was covered large areas with shrubs, herbs and grasses, in order to reduce the effect of direct sun radiation which it acts as pauperization of the soil. The great diversity of species of shrubs used in the project symbolically evokes the many ethnic groups that, today, inhabit the Kuwait.

People spend their time here, in a public garden of meanings, finding the roots of their citizen, enjoying the water amenities. The monument towers towards the sky in a detached, but expressively symbolic way that unequivocally shows impressiveness, strength and firmness.

The vegetation, with species suited to the hot climate that reaches 50 °C, consists of shrubs, grasses and flowering succulents. A pattern is created by a mixture of species. Euphorbias, bougainvillea, plumeria, lantana, carisse alternate with grasses, ground cover and palmettos.

Around the fountain there are three long benches made ​​of resin. The ground is covered in large slabs of honed travertine.

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I CONSTITUTION GARDEN Extensive study of the characteristics of soil in Kuwait was done before to plant all vegetation. The soil is sandy with little organic matter and a scarcity of nutrients needed to support plant growth and development.

Most of the soils are shallow due to the continued wind erosion and the strong sunshine that brings limestone layers to the surface. Furthermore, the water absorption capacity of the soil is low due to the presence of sand, little organic material and especially due to the presence of salinity.

To overcome these problems, SdARCH Trivelli&Associati proposed a drastic preparation of the soil through leaching, by a subsequent rinse and through the use of acids and organic substances.

Project Name: Constitution Garden Site: Kuwait, Kuwait City Program: Public Park Landscape architects: SdARCH Trivelli&Associati

and Alhadeff Architects Team: Alessandro Trivelli, Silvia

Calatroni, Giancarlo Alhadeff Project: 2012 Construction: 2012 by Cotham

International Group LTD Phase: Built Surface: 7.000m² Client: Al Amiri Al Diwan, Kuwait Government Cost: 6,000,000 USD Lights: iGuzzini , Italy (iguzzini.com) Fountains: WaterCube s.r.l. , Italy (watercube.it) Vegetation: Landscaping Janayen

Nursery Company, Kuwait Photo Credit: Nelson Garrido, NG Photography

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I bridge park

Anacostia Crossing 11th Street Bridge Park

Our design for the 11th Street Bridge Park, the Anacostia Crossing, is a place of exchange. The park at Anacostia Crossing will connect two historically disparate sides of the river with a series of outdoor programmed spaces and active zones that will provide an engaging place hovering above, yet anchored in, the Anacostia River.

by OMA Bridge Park was designed as a clear moment of intersection where two sides of the river converge and coexist. Anacostia Crossing will offer layered programs, presenting a new neighborhood park, an afterhours destination for the nearby workforce, a retreat for residents and a territory for tourists to explore.

Paths from each side of the river operate as springboards sloped ramps that elevate visitors to maximized look-out points to landmarks in either direction. Extending over the river, the Anacostia paths join to form a loop, embracing the path from the navy yard side and linking the opposing banks in a single gesture.

The resulting form of the bridge creates an iconic encounter, an “X” instantly recognizable as a new image for the river.

While the bridge is a unique and an iconic structure, its character and essence are rooted in making this river landscape accessible to the community. Through programmed activities the bridge will showcase the region’s unique cultural and natural history. To encourage visitors to spend time on the bridge and neighboring communities throughout the year, amenities for comfort and refreshment (restrooms and food), mitigation of climate extremes (shade and warmth), and opportunities for seasonal programming are provided along the entire length of the bridge. The bridge provides a gateway to events with strong roots in the adjacent communities.

The intersection point of the two paths shapes the central meeting point of the bridge, an open plaza that provides a flexible venue for markets, festivals, and theatrical performances held throughout the year. The paths that frame this plaza further enhance the bridge as a hub of activity, providing a sequence of zones designated for play, relaxation, learning and gathering.

The paths also form elevated platforms on a five percent slope with views to the Anacostia River, the activities on the bridge, and prominent landmarks within Washington DC and Anacostia.

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These platforms simultaneously provide shade and shelter for the café on the southeast side and the performance space and hammock grove on the northwest side. At each side, a waterfall marks their terminus and reconnects them to the river below. On the east side, this waterfall is linked to an active filtration system that together with new wetland areas adjacent to the bridge piers, works to actively clean the river around the Anacostia Crossing.

The activated zones and multiple levels of the Anacostia Crossing also bring visitors down to the river itself. A series of voids along the bridge provide spaces for play and access down to the river itself. The performance space and café are each partially carved into the body of the bridge, creating intimate zones with views to the waters below. Together, these areas allow visitors to engage the river from multiple vantage points, from above to take in its majesty, or engaging with the waters for boating and recreation.

The Environmental Education Centre will provide a variety of programs which tell the rivers 400-year history of the river. The Anacostia watershed lost much of its original hardwood forest cover, grassland meadows and tidal wetlands due to the treatment of this landscape by those that lived here as a commodity and not a valued resource. Anacostia Crossing will be a beacon that illuminates the challenged health of the river as well as highlights the possible solutions demonstrated by numerous ongoing efforts to clean the river, build community and educate our next generation of river stewards and engaged citizens. Our design will serve as a catalyst to improve the ecological integrity of the Anacostia River through demonstration and education on ecosystem enhancement as well as restoration shoreline plantings making it once again one of our Nation’s greatest waterways.

Anacostia Crossing works to promote the health of the citizens of Washington DC particularly those who live in Wards six, seven

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I bridge park

and eight, reflecting the communitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; aspirations for a new quality of life. The design builds upon and connects to the existing Anacostia Riverwalk Trails on both sides of the river and creates a new topography for the public to engage and explore. Programmatic elements are also extended in a Phase 2 to provide stepping stones to the heart of Historic Anacostia encouraging residents to explore this new place in the city.

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Much like the waters of the nearby Chesapeake Bay estuary, where salt and fresh water mix to create a rich biological diversity, the Anacostia Crossing creates a place for sharing the rich cultural diversity of communities on both sides of the river. The full integration of architecture, landscape and infrastructure allows for the creation of a socially sustainable civic experience.

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I bridge park

Joining forces Location: Washington DC, USA Client: 11th Street Bridge Park Year: 2014 – Ongoing Status: Commissioned Study Program: Infrastructure Partners: Jason Long, ShoheiShigematsu Team: Yusef Ali Dennis, Jeremy Kim, Ruth Mellor, Sunggi Park, AlexandrePavlidis, SlavaSavova, AhmadrezaSchricker, Lawrence Siu, Alex Yuen Collaborators:

Landscape Architect: Olin Structural Engineer: Arup Community Outreach Advisor: Arch Development Cost Consultant: Dharam Consulting Hydrology Consultant: Tetra Tech Acoustics Consultant: Threshold Acoustics Theater Consultant: Fisher Dachs Associates Sustainability, Leed Consultant: Atelier Ten

Ecology Consultant: Habitat by Design Open Space Programming, Maintenance, Operations: ETM Associates

Public Art Advisor: Cecilia Alemani Lighting Designer: L’Observatoire Rendering: Luxigon

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I Condominium Baleia

Making a Connection The Northern Littoral is an area in Brazil, mostly marked out as a circuit for tourism, located to the north of the State of São Paulo, on the Atlantic Coast, where dozens of large and white beaches are framed by the unique Mata Atlántica (Atlantic Forest).

by Jimena Martignoni The second most important natural feature in Brazil after the Amazonian rainforest, the Mata Atlántica has been drastically reduced since the times of colonization, but despite so little forest preserved, it remains extraordinarily lush in biodiversity and endemic species.

Four municipalities make up part of the Northern Littoral, São Sebastião being one of them, located 209 kilometres from the city of São Paulo.

Here, several beaches extend along 78 kilometers of coast, like Praia Baleia, or Baleia Beach, a town of fishermen.

In Praia Baleia, architect Arthur Casas designed a condominium of four houses located right in front of the beach and where the native species of the Mata pop up here and there, as strong survivors of once an impenetrable coastal forest. The lot extends along an average of 70 metres from the street, a narrow but busy street that connects all main features of Praia Baleia, to the official line along the seafront. The lot is shaped as a trapezoid, with a shortest side of 63 metres and a longest of 77 metres, and the frontline extending for 60 metres.

The client asked for four interconnected houses each of which should preserve their privacy. In order to achieve this and, at the same time,

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to offer similar views and conditions for every residence, the architect laid out the four houses with exactly the same floor plans, the four of them located side by side but slightly shifted in relation to one another.

Designed as linear compositions that alternate closed and semi-roofed rooms that end up in an open deck and petite swimming pool, all houses benefit from great views over the blue waters of the ocean, something that is repeated on every floor including the terraces.

Especially on the upper floors of the houses, the relationship between architecture and landscape is at its most remarkable expression - the horizontal planes extend out into the crowns of the existing palms and trees, while offering both wooden and lawn surfaces; the lawn planes create green roofs that help to thermally insulate the rooms underneath.

Regiani Khristian, the project manager says, “Arthur Casas sets a mood for the house from the initial phases, in all his projects, thinking and planning the best perspectives, the green planes and the most possible preservation of existing trees and grading. Based on the mapping of the trees planted at the site, in this case, he decided the location of the patios, courtyards and connecting paths.”

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I Condominium Baleia

All the public areas of every house – living and dining rooms and outdoor living rooms - are connected to open spaces and gardens.

Between the dining room and the living room -where generous sliding glass planes of almost six metres high offer great views to the outside - the building is carved out to create an interior garden with large shrubs and sculptural small palms, connected to lateral paths that edge the house and lead to the beach.

This series of interwoven green spaces generates a kind of continuum, a succession of different experiences, for walking, for sitting, for sunbathing and relaxing, for getting together with other people, for eating, for finding a way to the sea. The location of all these open spaces was mainly determined by the position of the existing trees; Mimusops coriacea or Monkey’s apple (known as Abricó-da-praia in Brazil) and Terminalia catappa or Tropical almond (Chapéu-de-sol in Brazil), together with some tropical palms were the most important species found at the site. They all have fantastic shapes and fruits that, today, bring the image of the Mata into the houses and their gardens.

In order to protect these trees during the construction and regrading phases, landscape architect Gil Fialho created some concrete retaining structures around the trunks, digging one meter feet deep into the soil and filling it with rocks. Pointing at some circular marks around the large palms he explains, “In these cases when preserving the trees location was really not possible, they were transplanted into other spots within the site.

We tried to conserve all that was possible; it was a special request from the architect and we just loved that request.”

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With the objective of avoiding blind walls at the sides, adjacent to the connecting garden-paths developed along and between the buildings, Arthur Casas proposed vertical gardens. Gil Filhao designed these structures, fixed to the walls with bolts, made of a metal sheet finished in PVC, polypropylene, geotextile and the growing media, diverse plants from the rainforest were incorporated into these living walls and an automatic intelligent irrigation system was added to measure rainwater and to meet water requirements. In this way, part of the walls of the houses that face the garden-paths become green objects too.

The materials were also chosen with the sole purpose of visually integrating the architecture with the surrounding landscape. The stone that was used to finish the four houses is a type of ceramic produced in Brazil whose brown color makes the buildings blending into the forest.

The stone for the retaining wall that separates the houses from the beach was brought from São Paulo because rock extraction is prohibited inside the region of the Mata Atlántica.

From the small swimming pool, whose infinite-edge echoes the lines of the sea and the horizon in the background, the views to the Serra do Mar and the beach become especially soothing. The Serra do Mar ( Mountain Range of the Sea) is the mountain range that is part of the Atlantic Forest and can be appreciated along all the way from São Paulo City to this part of the coast. “The forest is the best representation of the Brazilian landscape…” says Casas, and it is then easy to understand his thinking and his great obsession, green Brazil.

The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

Location: Praia Baleia, São Sebastião, State of São Paulo, Brazil Area of the Site: 4,052 m2 Architect: Studio Arthur Casas Landscape Architect: Gil Filhao Date of Completion: 2012 Client: GD8 Engenharia Photography: Leonardo Finotti and Jimena Martignon

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List your company in our Listing Page that reaches thousands of Contact: admin@landscape-me.com • Tel: +971 4 4470927 subscribers 46

The First Specialised Landscape magazine in the Middle East

I book review

Books of interest Landscaping Lighting ISBN: 9781910596319 Author: Roger Narboni Hardcover: 248 pages Publication Date: Sept. 2016)

Book Descriptions: Lighting is a key feature of almost all interiors and exteriors, but it is often treated in a superficial manner in most design books. This book features more than 50 recent international projects where the lighting is the defining design feature. For large schemes, a professional lighting designer is usually employed, but for

Drawing for Landscaping Architecture

ISBN: 9780500289549 Author: Edward Hutchison Paperback: 240 pages Publication Date: 18 Jan. 2016 Book Descriptions: This essential publication reintroduces the importance of learning to ‘see by hand’, to visualize large-scale design schemes and explain them through drawing, before using

Urban Environmental Landscape ISBN: 9781864706307 Author: Dieter Grau Hardcover: 256 pages Publication Date: (10 Jun. 2015)

Book Descriptions: The book provides the latest trends in urban environmental landscaping, with informative chapters on basic principles, dimensions, reference standards and considerations across

smaller projects it will often fall to the architect or designer to specify the lighting. In either case, it is crucial that the architect or designer understands what lighting is available, how it can be used and controlled and how it can be fitted. The projects featured in this book include road lighting, square & park lighting, architectural facade lighting, bridge lighting and furniture lighting schemes, each with detailed plans, diagrams, sketches to demonstrate the lighting techniques involved. Each project is also accompanied by an explanatory text that looked at the original brief, the design concept, and the detailed specification of light fittings.

the digital tools that are so crucial to efficient and cost-effective building solutions, combining traditional drawing techniques with those from CAD rendering, Drawing for Landscape Architecture guides practitioners from their very first impression of a site, through concept and schematic design and client presentation to construction and site drawings, concluding with two case studies that show the final result. Just as hand-drawing returns to design courses around the world, this welcome publication celebrates the best aspects of traditional techniques while incorporating them into today’s digital design methods. a range of themes, such as public parks, public plazas, waterfront public open spaces, and urban street environments It Showcases a broad range of informative high-quality projects spanning the United States, Mexico, Australia, China, and Europe and provides comprehensive reference material for architects, urban planners, preservationists ,and landscape designers, and all who are directly involved in town planning in the urban environment. For each part, we selected the most striking cases with the newest design standards to showcase spectacular landscape design.

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.

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I new ongoing projects Your Selected Search Criteria: Status : New Tender Trade Category : Agricultural, Landscaping and Irrigation

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