FutureArch March 2018 by Eljays44

FUTUREARCH for the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s landscape architects

MARCH 2018

Wildflower power The benefits of

Mental healt h i n u rban spac e s

biodiversity

Designing for wellbeing

Tackling the future

SHOULD YOU INVEST IN

3D PRINTING?

Chris Bottle

Indigo Landscape Architects

G r ee n c o m m u n i t i es

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06/02/2018 13:27:25 06/03/2018 10:46

WELCOME

FUTUREARCH for the UK’s landscape architects

WELCOME Welcome to the March issue of FutureArch. Positive news last month, with the announcement that London is set to become the world’s first National Park City. After years of campaigning, the majority of council wards in the capital have now backed the idea. In our January issue, we asked whether it would benefit London, and the result was unanimous, with everyone we asked agreeing that it could only be a good thing. Well done to everyone involved. In our main interview this month, Chris Bottle of Indigo explains that one of the biggest recent changes in the industry has been the increasing use of technology. While this is true of many industries, there are so many ways in which tech can change urban design and landscape architecture. Last month we looked at augmented reality and how that could change the way we look at landscapes. This month our focus is on 3D printing; Richard Willmott of Strata Design explores the benefits it can bring and shares his tips on pages 30-32. We are always keen to feature stories from across the globe in FutureArch – there is so much great work and so many great ideas out there. We have plenty of international content in the issue, including a feature on the Chicago Riverwalk, some beautiful rooftop work in Milan, and an interview with the president of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Have a great month. Joe Betts joe.betts@eljays44.com

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FutureArch March 2018

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06/03/2018 10:48

WELCOME

WELCOME 06 NEWS 08 INTERNATIONAL NEWS 10 NEWS EXTRA: landscape 50

FUTUREARCH for the UK’s landscape architects

CONTENTS

FEATURES 11 the big interview: CHRIS BOTTLE 14 edenstone homes 18 city of york council 21 design and health 24 CHICAGO RIVERWALK 28 the american society of landscape architects 30 3D printing 34 wildflower planting 36 grouping trees

PORTFOLIOs 40 king’s cross pond club 43 THE COVE 46 piuarch offices 50 march roundup

EDITORIAL Features Editor – Joe Betts joe.betts@eljays44.com

Managing Editor – Joe Wilkinson joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com

Eljays44 Ltd

3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 2DA Tel: 01903 777 570 Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd – Connecting Horticulture Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Gwent, UK The 2018 subscription price for FutureArch is £125. Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd, 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA, UK. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Eljays44 Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, uncommissioned photographs or manuscripts. Whilst every eﬀort has been made to maintain the integrity of our advertisers, we accept no responsibility for any problem, complaints, or subsequent litigation arising from readers’ responses to advertisements in the magazine. We also wish to emphasise that views expressed by editorial contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers. Reproduction of any part of this magazine is strictly forbidden.

Cover image ©Edenstone Homes

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PRODUCTION Production Editor – Charlie Cook charlotte.cook@eljays44.com Subeditor – Kate Bennett kate.bennett@eljays44.com Design: Kara Thomas SALES Business Development Manager – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com

Deputy Sales Manager – Jessica McCabe jessica.mccabe@eljays44.com MANAGEMENT Managing Director – Jim Wilkinson jim.wilkinson@eljays44.com Editorial Director – Lisa Wilkinson lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com

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NEWS

London will become the world’s first National Park City

Bennett takes on biggest DfMA project at New Grange Hospital Bennett Architectural will undertake its biggest Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) project to date, providing glazing solutions for the £350m New Grange Hospital in Cwmbran, South Wales. The company will work alongside main contractor Laing O’Rourke, supplying and installing Kawneer AA100 curtain walling systems, doors and windows. DfMA will be used to add glazing to concrete panels off-site before being transferred to Cwmbran. “This is the biggest DfMA project we have taken on so far, but we have no doubt our multi-talented team will make light work of it,” said Lionel Grant, managing director at Bennett Architectural. “We have previously worked with Laing O’Rourke on three similar hospital projects in Staffordshire, Cumbria and Dumfries using DfMA.” “Our team brings a wealth of experience in innovative healthcare construction and in engineering expertise,” said Liam Cummins, head of UK building at Laing O’Rourke. Work at The New Grange Hospital is set to begin in the coming weeks and be completed in 2019. www.baasl.co.uk

Report shows blockchain technology can benefit the built environment industry

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FutureArch March 2018

A campaign to make London the world’s first National Park City has been successful. Over the last few years, campaigners have publicised the fact that London is one of the greenest cities in Europe. Through setting up events, getting the campaign into the media, and connecting Londoners with the natural world around them, they have now achieved their goal. Gradually, people started to join the bid, with Sadiq Khan and members of the London Assembly lending their support. Now, 53% of London council wards have backed the idea. “The green and blue parts of our cities can be made more valuable, wild and diverse than large parts of our countryside,” says the campaign’s website. “They can be just as outstanding for their outdoor recreation opportunities, and are certainly more accessible. So, why not apply National Park principles to a major city? London is one of the world’s most inspirational, distinctive and iconic cities. Thousands of years of human activity is visible – but London is shaped by its hills, valleys and rivers, too. Boasting four World Heritage Sites, London’s urban and built heritage sits alongside its conserved natural landscape.” Campaigners will now work with the Mayor of London to attempt to declare National Park status in 2019. www.nationalparkcity.london

A report from BRE Trust explores opportunities to address challenges in the built environment industry using blockchain technology. Distributed Ledger Technology (of which blockchain is one application) is a digital record of the economic transactions or changes in the ownership of an asset. The information is simultaneously shared and continually updated on a network of computers, secured through cryptography. This means that digital information can be distributed, but not copied, through a transparent and incorruptible blockchain. The new report, entitled ‘Blockchain – feasibility and opportunity assessment’, draws insights from two workshops run by the BRE Trust in partnership with Constructing Excellence and industry professionals.

The issues it covers include: • The potential for better ‘track and trace’ of products throughout their life cycles, to give a clear picture of where they came from, who supplied them and who installed them • The evolution of distributed energy systems to support more localised energy creation and use • The use of blockchain technology to help tackle modern slavery and human trafficking by creating more transparency in construction supply chains • Districts and cities connected with the Internet of Things – blockchain technology offers a distributed system of registers, all of which are connected through a secure validation mechanism. www.bre.co.uk

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06/03/2018 09:26

NEWS

New public square opens at foot of Leadenhall Building St Helen’s Square, a new public square at the foot of the Leadenhall Building in the City of London, has opened. The new square – the third-largest open space in the City – provides a setting for a number of iconic buildings, including 30 St Mary’s Axe, The Leadenhall Building, The Lloyd’s Building and The Scalpel, a 35-storey tower currently under construction. Gillespies was commissioned by client The Leadenhall Development Company Ltd, City of London and Aviva to rejuvenate the existing key thoroughfare, which sits at the historic junction of Leadenhall Street and St Mary’s Axe.

Gillespies’s design for this space restores the site’s authentic character but offers a contemporary interpretation. Paved, ramped and tiered pedestrianised walkways provide connections, simplifying the flow of people through the thoroughfare. Curved stone planters animate the space, together with integrated seating. The redesigned space has reinvigorated the area, creating an appealing and multifunctional public plaza. The space is large enough to host a range of events throughout the year. www.gillespies.co.uk

HS2 awarded first BREEAM Infrastructure certificate HS2 has become the UK’s first infrastructure project to be awarded a BREEAM Infrastructure (pilot) Scheme Certificate for its ambitious sustainability strategy on Phase 1 of the project. The assessment demonstrates that HS2 is committed to going beyond enhancement and protection of the environment, to address the key social and economic impacts of the development. It includes features such as working in harmony with communities, being a great neighbour, putting safety and wellbeing at the heart of the project, and building sustainable economic benefits for the whole of the UK. “We are very pleased to receive this BREEAM Infrastructure certificate,” said HS2 environment director Peter Miller. “Our goal with HS2 is to design and build the most sustainable high-speed railway of its kind in the world.” “From 2014, HS2 was the first project to engage with BRE in the development of BREEAM Infrastructure, working with us to pioneer a new approach to a sustainability strategy that applies right across the entire HS2 project,” said BRE director of infrastructure Chris Broadbent. “This is a first for the UK, and it will set the standards for future infrastructure projects around the world.” www.breeam.com

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Barking Riverside to receive £500m injection for new homes and improved transport links

Barking Riverside, one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects, is to receive a funding injection of £500m for transport links, parkland and other community facilities, alongside almost 11,000 homes. The landmark investment has been agreed by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and housing association L&Q, which formed a partnership – Barking Riverside Limited – to deliver the masterplan for the scheme. The Section 106 agreement, reached with the Barking and Dagenham Council and Transport for London, means the project has secured funding for a new TfL Overground station connecting to central London in 22 minutes, as well as land for seven schools – including five primaries, one secondary, and one for special educational needs – and a new cycling hub, among other developments. Barking Riverside will also be London’s first NHS Healthy New Town, which will embed health into design and living. Half of the new homes will be affordable. “Major developments like Barking Riverside will deliver thousands of the genuinely affordable new homes Londoners desperately need,” said Sadiq Khan. “As well as housing, our investment will create the new transport, education and health services needed to turn this into a thriving new community.” www.barkingriverside.co.uk

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NEWS

International

NEWS

ASLA business survey shows balanced conditions for US Landscape Architecture Landscape architecture firms experienced consistently healthy conditions for the fourth quarter of 2017, according to the latest American Society of Landscape Architects’s Business Quarterly survey. Although billable hours slightly retreated, inquiries for new work grew, and a growing number of firms are planning to boost hiring during the first quarter. A five-year comparison of survey results shows that numbers for the fourth quarter are well within range. The survey found that 82.4% of responding firms reported stable to significantly higher billable hours for the third quarter, a dip from the 85.7% from the previous quarter. This result is higher than what had been reported during the fourth quarters of 2016 (77.1%), 2015 (74.5%), 2014 (74.7%) and 2013 (75.7%). The survey found that year to year, some 81.6% of firms said that billable hours were stable to significantly higher – much higher than what had been reported for the fourth quarter of 2016 (77.3%). This number is within range of what had been reported for the fourth quarters of 2015 (81.7%) 2014 (80.2%) and 2013 (81.5%). In addition, about 98.1% of the survey’s respondents said their level of optimism for the general business climate in 2018 is about the same or more optimistic. This number is greater than the 82.1% reported for the 2016 fourth quarter survey. www.asla.org

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Moorings Park Grande Lake names landscape architect Outside Productions International has been named as the landscape architect for Moorings Park Grande Lake, a new life plan community being developed through a partnership between Moorings Park and luxury custom homebuilder and developer London Bay Homes. Landscape architect Patrick Trefz, ASLA, RLA, founded the landscape and architectural design firm in May 2000. During the past 18 years, Outside Productions has served southwest Florida and clients from around the world, including Canada, China, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico and Russia. Trefz is a Florida native who grew up in the Tampa Bay area and is a graduate of the University of Florida, where he earned a

bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture. At Moorings Park Grande Lake, Trefz and members of his staff will be working closely with the community’s design team to enhance the land plan and bring exceptional landscape design to the project. Set on 55 acres in the Florida city of Naples, Moorings Park Grande Lake will combine oneof-a-kind lake vistas and championship golf with luxury homes and health care. “Future residents will be attracted to its natural beauty, classic design and total commitment to enabling them to live longer, healthier and happier lives,” stated Daniel Lavender, CEO of Moorings Park Institute Inc. www.mooringsparkgl.org

Five cities to develop global water resilience framework Cities from five continents have been selected to contribute to the development of a global framework for water resilience. The City Water Resilience Framework (CWRF), developed by Arup with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, will help cities better prepare for and respond to shocks and stresses to their water systems. Amman, Cape Town, Greater Miami and the Beaches, Mexico City and Hull were selected because they represent the range of water challenges facing cities around the

world. They have also been selected because of their diversity in terms of size of population, geographic location and economic status and because of their commitment to taking a strategic approach to resilience. Four of the five cities are part of the 100 Resilient Cities initiative, pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation to help cities around the world become more resilient in the face of physical, social and economic challenges. Andrew Salkin, senior vice president of city solutions at 100 Resilient Cities, said: “Of the more than 1,000 applications for the 100 Resilient Cities Network, more than 60% indicated challenges with water – too much or too little – as critical resilience risks. There is tremendous opportunity for the cities in this cohort to provide lessons and expertise to the many cities around the world grappling with water challenges.” www.arup.com

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06/03/2018 09:24

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06/03/2018 10:49

NEWS EXTRA

LANDSCAPE 50 O James Hitchmough

Nigel Dunnett

n Wednesday 21 March, in the splendid surroundings of the Grade II*-listed Sheffield City Hall, the University of Sheffield’s Department of Landscape will host Landscape 50 – an event bringing together leading thinkers and practitioners from around the world to set out a bold vision for the future of landscape architecture. This event presents a unique opportunity to hear from global leaders at the very forefront of the discipline, in a stimulating and dynamic environment. Landscape 50 celebrates the 50th anniversary of the department, which was the first independent school of landscape architecture to be established in the UK, and is now one of the leading global research and teaching units in the industry. Doors are set to open at 8.30am for a 9.30am start, when department head Professor James Hitchmough will introduce himself and talk to the audience about the department and its success over the years. Landscape 50 will feature nine speakers who represent the multidisciplinary nature of landscape architecture and have been responsible for shaping the agenda in their own fields. In a series of thought-provoking presentations, the speakers will demonstrate why landscape architecture and its

“LANDSCAPE 50 WILL FEATURE NINE SPEAKERS WHO REPRESENT THE BROAD MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE”

FutureArch previews an exciting event marking a half century for the University of Sheffield’s Department of Landscape associated disciplines are crucial in addressing global challenges such as climate change, population shift and increasing urbanisation. “Landscape 50 is a wonderful opportunity to hear the viewpoints on the future of landscape architecture from nine outstanding speakers,” says the department’s Director of Impact, Professor Nigel Dunnett. “This fantastic international panel means that we will see an exciting ‘big picture’ view of the place of landscape architecture in meeting the challenges facing the world.” “Over the past 50 years we have grown from a niche player to a global hub for landscape architectural thought and practice,” says James Hitchmough. “To achieve its full potential, we believe landscape architecture needs to think both strategically and at the large scale, and that’s what this conference is about.” The full list of speakers is: • Julian Agyeman – Originator of the concept of ‘just sustainabilities’, Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University, Massachusetts • Stig Andersson – Founder of SLA Architects, renowned for his sensuous and poetic work • Majora Carter – Founder of Sustainable South Bronx and expert in public heath, poverty alleviation and climate change • Joan Nassauer – Professor at the School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan • Thomas Rainer – Leading voice in ecological landscape design, landscape architect, teacher and author • Mohan Rao – Principal designer of the leading multidisciplinary consultancy practice Integrated Design (INDÉ) • David Sim – Creative director at Gehl, renowned as an inspiring educator and lecturer • Martha Schwartz – Principal of Martha Schwartz Partners, landscape architect, urbanist and artist • Richard Weller – Chair of Urbanism and Landscape Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. Registration for the event is still open and tickets are available on a ‘ﬁrst come, ﬁrst served’ basis. www.landscape50.com

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06/03/2018 08:50

INTERVIEW

Interview

CHRIS BOTTLE

INDIGO LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

Chris Bottle, co-director at Salisbury-based practice Indigo Landscape Architects, talks to us about working in a smaller city and how the practice is readying itself for the challenges of the future

Did you always want to be a landscape architect? Yes, unusually, it was always what I wanted to do. My dad was an architect, and my mum was a really keen gardener; the combination of influences gave me my passion, and when it came to thinking about careers at school, it was a simple decision. Do you feel that architects have a good understanding of what landscape architects bring to a project? Yes and no. All landscape architects will say it’s important to get us in early, because we bring so much – a truly holistic overview of all the elements within the external environment. We understand and read sites so well, and often have input into site masterplanning, whether it is in our defined scope or not. As a practice, we go outside our remit to try and be as proactive and creative as possible; we have an enormous amount of experience here within the team. It’s good that landscape architects are increasingly recognised for their skills; nowadays it is more about a team approach where everyone contributes. What are your design inspirations? At university, we were encouraged to go around with our eyes open, taking notes, photos and sketches of everything around us – good and bad. I am still like that, and at work we are influenced by all sorts of things, including many great schemes featured in the landscape and architectural press. There are always ideas to bring back from abroad, too. I feel that, historically, other European countries

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“AS A PRACTICE, WE GO OUTSIDE OUR REMIT TO TRY AND BE AS PROACTIVE AND CREATIVE AS POSSIBLE” FutureArch March 2018

06/03/2018 09:30

INTERVIEW

“SUSTAINABILITY HAS BEEN A BUZZWORD FOR MANY YEARS, BUT IT DOES MEAN SOMETHING”

have taken their external environments more seriously, and have had a better understanding of how to create a sense of place. We are catching up, although, for example, there is still a trend to use mixed-colour small-unit paving. You can visit two different towns in the UK, nowhere near each other, and the paving can look the same. Schemes could better reflect their local character, and bring more individuality. On a recent urban realm makeover, we used the multi-coloured paving, but in a different way. The design was influenced by the architecture and, in particular, the ‘anchor’ store – a funky new Debenhams. We created bold patterns with seating ‘islands’ to encourage passers-by to stay longer and meet each other. For us, good design functions well, responds positively to its setting, provides an uplifting experience, and stands the test of time. Could you tell us about some of the projects you are particularly proud of? I like to think that we are proud of everything we do. First and foremost, we are proud of the huge range of projects we are capable of. There are eight of us in the team, and we enjoy working on everything from private gardens and urban realm improvements to business parks and mixed-use schemes. The historic farm conversion at Charlton Farm conversion, creating a children’s hospice from a redundant site, was a high for us. That was incredibly rewarding, working for a fantastic cause and in a superb setting within the Bristol greenbelt. It was a complicated project, working with a steeply sloping site, and the historic element played a big part. We researched historic maps and the tree species used within the 18th-century parkland, and restored original 5 ironwork using traditional techniques.

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4 We have worked on a lot of school projects as well, and have forged a strong relationship with Felicity Robinson, who runs Landscapes Naturally. Felicity’s forte is consulting and engaging the school community – kids, parents, staff and governors. Working with Felicity’s briefing documents, we develop masterplans and detailed designs, ensuring the schools remain fully involved along the way. One scheme, at Jessop Primary School in the London Borough of Lambeth, was a ‘Supergrounds’ project, sponsored by RBS. Merrick Denton-Thompson, current president of the Landscape Institute, came along to a fairly high-profile opening – we had a good chat about it and he was incredibly enthusiastic. On the planning side, my co-director Mark Gibbins has a reputation for undertaking Landscape Visual Impact Assessments (LVIAs), which has led to a lot of planning appeal successes. We have lots of loyal clients and there is a growing demand for this type of work. It is essential to have a balance of work; we all benefit from a varied diet of projects. Is much of your work based locally, in Salisbury? It is a mix – we currently have schemes as far apart as the Isles of Scilly and Inverness. However, we also undertake a lot of projects that are closer to home – among others, Queen Elizabeth Gardens, a park makeover project for Salisbury City Council. It was an educational process in terms of learning how to deal with the public. We suggested an opportunity to sculpt an amphitheatre within the park and rumours spread that we were building a multiplex cinema! There were locals writing to the Daily Mail, and concerns about whether we were respecting the water meadows – all hearsay, and the opposite of what we were doing. It was a challenge at times. How do you deal with rumours like that? The council was handling the PR on the project and

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INTERVIEW

had to be quite firm. There was some protest about our proposal for a lookout deck over the river, to allow visitors to appreciate the water meadows. It was where Turner painted one his views of Salisbury Cathedral, and was intended to be educational, with interpretation boards, as well as being an attractive feature and meeting point. Some locals aparently weren’t keen on encouraging more visitors to ‘their’ park, so there was a small minority who caused a problem. We had to back down on some ideas because it became so political. In the end, when the scheme was implemented, it was very well received. When we look back, it was worth the effort involved; it is well used by locals and visitors alike. What makes you stand out as a practice? Our enthusiasm. We like to be proactive and responsive – we go beyond our remit, without stepping on people’s toes. We like to ask questions – “have you thought about this?”. We are also very commercially aware. It is important – you have to be realistic. We also have an incredible amount of experience; we are too top heavy, but clients benefit from that. It makes us a great place for junior staff to ‘learn the ropes’. We have mentored a number of staff through their Pathway to Chartership. We are passionate about sustainability, avoiding waste and exploring the reuse of materials. Sustainability has been a buzzword for many years, but it does mean something. We were perhaps a little sceptical 15 or 20 years ago, but it is now an essential philosophy. I have endorsed this on a personal level and designed and built myself a highly sustainable house – a hugely enjoyable project.

6 Do you see repeat business? We have a loyal client base, which is great. New clients like that we have a lot of repeat work – it gives them confidence. We have a loyal team of staff and low staff turnover – people stay here for a long time. We continually review the package that we offer to ensure that they are happy and that we remain a competitive employer. The whole practice has been going through a renaissance over the last couple

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of years. We have stepped back, looked at ourselves and reinvented some of the ways we work. What is the biggest challenge facing the industry? Recruitment is a big challenge – getting high-calibre staff. One thing we plan to do more of is raising our profile at the universities. There appears to be a shortage of good candidates at some levels within the profession. We are recruiting at the moment for a mid-range landscape architect around the CMLI level. We are in the interesting position of being in Salisbury, which is a fabulous place to live and work; we’ve put together an information pack on the website explaining our values and why Salisbury is a great place to be, as well as showing the company structure and how we plan to develop. Biosecurity is also an interesting challenge. We went on a trip to Hillier Nurseries last year for a CPD day. There was great discussion about biosecurity, and we have updated our policy since. Some local authorities are picking up on this now and are insisting on detailed specification information as part of planning applications, which is good.

8 How could Brexit impact the industry? The effects it is having on recruitment and the economy will be interesting to monitor. We are trying to become less reliant on the economy and take more control of our own destiny – at long last we are starting to do more marketing! We feel the future is bright, however; the important thing is for us to keep the momentum we now have. Do you feel the role of landscape architects has changed during your time in the industry? There has been increasing commercial pressure over the years. We work within commercial reality anyway, although it is noticeable how some sectors have become more cost driven, especially with the rise of Design and Build. The technology that we all work with now has also changed things dramatically – everything is wanted immediately. It does help immensely with coordination, however. I certainly think the profession has a higher profile than it did, which is essential and good to see – it had a relatively weak profile 30 years ago. The Olympics and all the urban realm and regeneration projects have really helped with that.

1 Queen Elizabeth Gardens, Salisbury 2 Terrace Mount, Bournemouth 3 Paving at Roaring Meg shopping centre, Stevenage 4 Terrace Mount, Bournemouth 5 Charlton Farm Children’s Hospice, Bristol 6 Charlton Farm Children’s Hospice, Bristol 7 Jessop Primary School, London Borough of Lambeth 8 Charlton Farm Children’s Hospice, Bristol

INDIGO LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS Indigo Landscape Architects is a well-established and awardwinning practice based within the mediaeval city of Salisbury. The practice works on a huge variety of projects all over the UK. W: www.indigolandscape.co.uk

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INTERVIEW

GREEN TIES THAT BIND Martin Taylor, managing director of independent developers Edenstone Homes, explains how landscaping helps his company create new communities

reen space underpins not just the placemaking vision but also the expansion strategy of independent developers Edenstone Homes. The company, which is currently working on six schemes across South Wales and the South West of England, has ambitious plans for the future, with at least five large projects in the pipeline for next year. “As we expand, the size of schemes we undertake is increasing, with several of the new projects being between 150 and 300 new homes,” explains managing director Martin Taylor. However, he continues, “we don’t simply want to build on as much land as possible – we want to create desirable new communities for people to live in.” And that’s where landscaping can really make a difference. In Martin’s view, well-conceived grounds are the glue that helps to bind a community together, creating a deeper connection between homeowners, their neighbourhood and the wider area beyond. “Green spaces have a role to play in placemaking and form an important part of our developments, particularly on the larger projects,” he says. “For example, they can become a focal point or meeting place, helping to foster community spirit in a new neighbourhood, while also providing somewhere for residents to enjoy peace and quiet.” All this adds both tangible and emotive value to a development, particularly when the landscaping also benefits the environment. Indeed, eco-friendly designs that provide habitats for local wildlife and help protect fragile ecosystems are a priority for Edenstone Homes, which is also working towards building zero-carbon homes. “Providing environmental solutions often guides our green space strategies,” Martin tells us. “The strongest opportunity is related to surface water attenuation. These environmental solutions allow for the creation of ponds and small lakes, with attractive wetland habitats providing homes for nature. Parklands, nature trails and picnic areas in proximity to water features are also very popular.” Edenstone’s approach is evident at its Wedgwood Park site in Pen-y-Pound, on the edge of Abergavenny in Monmouthshire. This luxury gated development, which is situated on the fringes of the Brecon Beacons National Park but within easy reach of the town centre, spans

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INTERVIEW

“GREEN SPACES HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN PLACEMAKING” four building phases and will eventually consist of a collection of 26 newly built private-sale family homes and converted period buildings, plus five apartments set within a Grade II-listed 18th-century mansion, The Hill. The estate was once home to John Wedgwood, scion of the ceramics dynasty and founder of The Royal Horticultural Society, and the magnificent grounds do full justice to his memory. Criss-crossed by woodland trails, they feature majestic Japanese maples, a profusion of wildflowers and even an ancient American redwood. Edenstone is also replanting Wedgwood’s original walled garden, which features prominently in his gardening diary. “The 20-acre gated development enjoys a beautiful parkland setting, with three acres of lush green landscaping, including mature trees, a barbecue and picnic area, woodland trails and the walled garden for residents’ own exclusive use,” says Martin. Similarly, at Sealy Wood, in the Gloucestershire village of Horsley, Edenstone Homes is building 16 two-to-five-bedroom homes on a 4.5-acre site that is intended to work for nature as much as it works for people. The company has committed to providing

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06/03/2018 09:20

INTERVIEW

4 wildlife habitats by enhancing hedgerow and tree cover across the development. The site also includes an orchard and a nut copse, which will be given to Horsley Parish Council to run for the benefit of the entire village. “Our vision for this development is to create a locally inspired but distinctive small-scale, rural extension to Horsley that significantly enhances its setting within this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,” Martin explains. Edenstone Homes’s proposed development in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, hinges on the same core principles of giving new homes plenty of green breathing space – even though this is a much bigger scheme than both Wedgwood Park and Sealy Wood. The project, which would encompass 290 new homes, “would see us build on less than 9ha of a 23ha site,” says Martin. “It’s a prime example of our vision of creating sustainable developments with a real community focus.” The many acres of open space are poised to feature “ponds, wetland habitats, and formal and

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informal parkland, plus walking and jogging trails with outdoor exercise equipment,” says Martin. “All of this sets the framework for our environmentally responsible community living. The community infrastructure will be zero carbon, with electric cars and bikes owned by the community, and available to all residents.” And because no community can really thrive without a future, Edenstone Homes puts the happiness of new generations right at the heart of its placemaking efforts. “My favourite landscaping trend is children’s play areas that integrate into the natural topography of a site, creating a visually attractive, natural play park for children to enjoy,” Martin tells us. He explains that, to deliver its landscaping strategy, the company tends to work with partners it knows and trusts. “Creativity and flexibility are key qualities we consider when we are looking for landscape architects and garden designers,” he says. “Exciting visions can often be integrated with little additional cost, giving our developments a unique selling point.”

5 1 , 2 & 4 CGIs showing how land will be utilised at Ross on Wye development 3 Elevated view of the Wedgwood Park site, located on the edge of Abergavenny 5 The Sealy Wood development, designed to benefit both people and wildlife

Edenstone Homes Edenstone Homes is an independent property developer with a focus on building high quality homes in desirable areas. W: www.edenstonehomes.com

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06/03/2018 09:22

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06/03/2018 11:12

FEATURE

City of York COUNCIL 1

FutureArch meets the team at City of York Council to find out about its ongoing development, the Burnholme Health and Wellbeing Campus

he Burnholme Health and Wellbeing Campus in York is a City of York Council scheme that will replace obsolete school buildings, delivering a new library, a community centre and a care home. Planned activity for 2018 includes the complete construction of the new library and community facilities, the start of the care home build, the gaining of planning consent for a new health centre, and public engagement for new housing and sports facilities. “The school had to close because of the falling numbers of school children in the area,” explains Cllr Ann Reid, York City Council’s Interim Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism. “A commitment was made that the site would be reused in such a way that would retain and expand its facilities for the community. “There were a lot of discussions and consultations with residents in the area, who were generally supportive. The built facilities will be provided without losing any of the school playing ﬁelds, which are an important part of the scheme because, in an urban area, play space is as important as built facilities.”

“AS WELL AS THE PLANTING, WE ARE ALSO PLANNING FOR THE INCLUSION OF GREEN SPACES, AND WE WILL PLAN IN TREES ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE”

Planting One of the key components of the new plan is the healthcare centre being built onsite to help provide support for locals. A planting plan is being drawn up as part of a garden for those at the centre.

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www.futurearch.co.uk

06/03/2018 08:43

FEATURE

“The care home has recently obtained planning permission, and part of that includes a planting scheme especially for the residents there,” says Ann. “Within the scheme, there will be appropriate planting in order to improve everyone’s health and provide all the benefits that planting has. The planting will also help to soften the feel of the buildings in the area, and generally make it a nicer environment.” Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health, Cllr Carol Runciman – who is also working with the team to ensure the design provides what the local area needs – agrees. “As well as the planting, we are also planning for the inclusion of green spaces, and we will plan in trees across the landscape,” she says. “That is very important for the project – we didn’t want to just add loads more houses to the area.” Retaining the building As part of the brief for the project, it was decided that the old school gym hall should be retained and used for the new community hub. “That will provide a new community facility with a library, an explore centre, a reading café and a nursery, among other things,” says Ann. “There will also be office spaces to rent, providing a source of income. “We are retaining part of the sports centre for indoor recreation and that, along with the retention of the playing fields, will provide good, modern facilities for residents in the area.”

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Public engagement When undertaking a project such as this, it is essential that the public are engaged correctly; failure to do so can result in misunderstandings between a council and locals, and cause problems if word gets around suggesting something negative. With this in mind, we ask Carol how much public engagement has been done prior to the project. “A tremendous amount – it’s very important that we engage the public in every way we can,” she says. “We have had several sessions where people could drop in and discuss what was coming before anything was planned. Officers and local members were in attendance to answer questions and discuss plans, and locals have also been able to make a written response on our website – we have been very open and transparent about the plans. They are for the local community, so we want them to have their say. Every time another phase of the development is planned, we inform local residents and ask them for their opinions.” Ann tells us that young people in the area have also been targeted for engagement: “We have been particularly keen to get young people involved because they are going to be the future users. At the beginning of December, we had a steel signing ceremony, where we invited children from two local schools to sign their names on the steel girders of a building that will be going up next to the landscape. “Even though these will be covered up, it is a great way to get young people interested in a project. Every time they walk past, or use any of the facilities, they will be able to say their name is on the project.” Importance to the area Both Ann and Carol explain how important developments like this are to the area. “The area is currently a large residential area – a lot of post-war housing with not a huge number of community facilities,” says Ann. “The idea of putting them together on a site makes it much more attractive to residents.” Carol agrees. “The area doesn’t have a lot of green space,” she tells us. “We wanted to make sure that we had an area that was carefully planned and provided spaces that people could walk about in.” Work on the project began in April 2017, with residents at the care home likely to be moving in by the end of 2018.

“WE HAVE BEEN VERY OPEN AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE PLANS. THEY ARE FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, SO WE WANT THEM TO HAVE THEIR SAY”

1 West Elevation of the community hub 2 The North Elevation showing the community hub plans 3 Spatial plan showing areas of tree planting and green space 4 Cllr Ann Reid, Interim Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism 5 Cllr Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health

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06/03/2018 14:07

FEATURE

DESIGN AND health T

here are numerous reports on the impact that design can have on quality of life, interaction between people, and health – but how much of an impact do landscape architects and urban designers have, and how can they effect positive change?

FutureArch investigates the connection between public health and the way our outside spaces are designed, as well as how landscape architects can best design to promote public health

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The link To find out, we first have to find the link between design and health – what has an impact, and how it affects people in their everyday lives. “When talking about health, a lot of people instantly think about physical health,” says Dr Russell Jones, public health programme manager at the Glasgow Centre for Population Health. “This is because the biomedical model is dominant in Western culture. Health and wellbeing is about more than that – lifestyle and behaviour, social connections, where you live, aesthetics of your working environment, quality of indoor and outdoor space, and the global macroeconomic system.” Mental health in particular is significantly affected by urban design. Dr Layla McCay is director at the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health, a global think tank that looks at how we can design better mental health into cities. It aims to increase practical research and guidelines around the opportunities for architects, urban planners and other ‘citymakers’ to improve public mental health. “Many people are not aware of the specific impacts they can have at the nexus of urban design and mental health – but this is an area of massive potential,” she says. “Our mission is to bring together the knowledge and spread the word so that all cities integrate mental health into their decision making when they are planning and commissioning projects, just as they increasingly do with physical health.”

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FEATURE

So, what exactly is the link between design and mental health? Research conducted by the Mental Health Foundation has shown that overcrowding in cities is a major risk factor when it comes to mental health problems, but this is one of many influences. “We see an increased rate of many mental disorders in the city, from loneliness, depression and anxiety to schizophrenia,” says Layla. “There are many contributing factors, but the urban environment is important. Pretty much everything you encounter in a city is designed to make you think, feel or act in a certain way – plus we encounter far more people in cities than we will ever know personally. It’s no surprise that this can affect people’s mental health. “We have identified two important ways in which urban design exerts this impact. First, all these different inputs can flood in and lead to overload, where people start to feel so overwhelmed that they feel confused and seek to isolate themselves. Secondly, we all have many protective factors for our mental health – the psychological equivalent of ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ – and cities are often designed in ways that strip away some of this protection, leaving people more vulnerable to developing mental health problems.”

3 Opportunity We know the link and we know the challenges that we face in terms of health. What opportunity does that provide the industry in terms of making a difference? The impact of green space on health has been widely researched. In a British study of children aged 10‐11, Lachowycz et al. (2012) showed that time spent in green space contributed more than a third of all moderate-to-vigorous physical activity outside. Green space is also one of the biggest opportunities we have for improving mental health: “The research tells us that regular access to greenery positively affects general mental wellbeing, reduces depression, reduces stress,

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improves social and cognitive functioning (including for ADHD), and improves mood and reduces aggression for people with dementia,” says Layla. “There are different theories about how this works. Green spaces provide settings for exercise and social interaction, which have positive mental health impacts. But there are also likely to be intrinsic factors. Edward Wilson’s biophilia theory proposes that humans have a biological need to be in contact with other species, while Roger Ulrich’s stress reduction theory argues that green spaces give us distance from our everyday demands, enable aesthetic appreciation, and evoke attention driven by interest. Rachel and Stephen Kaplan’s attention restoration theory, meanwhile, proposes that the benefits come because nature facilitates attention without concentration. Now that we know greenery is important for mental health, there is a lot of interest in the specific elements of green space design that exert these influences. This is still being studied, and designers are innovating in this field.” What would Layla’s advice be to those in the profession who have a chance to make a difference? “At the moment, there is strong evidence for certain factors; remember the slogan ‘Mind the GAPS’. The G stands for Green places – there is impressive evidence that regular access to nature is protective for our mental health, reducing stress and depression, and even some symptoms of ADHD and dementia. Even a view can have a positive effect, though the research is indicating that for maximum benefit, being able to walk every day in well-managed green places is important. A stands for physical Activity, which can be as beneficial as medication for some types of depression, as well as many other mental health problems, from ADHD to schizophrenia. Places can be designed to integrate physical activity into people’s daily routines, not just for their physical health, but also for their mental health. “A also stands for Air pollution – there is growing evidence that air pollution is associated with mental health problems, so cities can be designed to divert pedestrians away from high air pollution settings. P stands for one of the most promising mental health design interventions: designing places to promote Positive social interactions. Finally, S stands for Safety, designing places to improve safety in traffic, crime and getting around the city, such as wayfinding for people with dementia and accessibility for people with mobility challenges. These evidence-based principles are a great place for urban designers to start.”

“WE ALL HAVE MANY PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR OUR MENTAL HEALTH, AND CITIES ARE OFTEN DESIGNED IN WAYS THAT STRIP AWAY SOME OF THIS PROTECTION”

1 Green space and design can promote social interaction 2 Greenery and planting 3 Access to nature helps prevent stress and depression 4 Green space promotes outdoor physical activity

The Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health The Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health is a think tank that reviews and offers advice on how to design for better mental health in cities. W: www.urbandesignmentalhealth.com

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06/03/2018 11:34

FEATURE

Winter in the WINDY CITY

Alison Galbraith, associate director at terra firma, takes us through her visit to the Chicago Riverwalk, a highly successful landscape architectural project

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www.futurearch.co.uk

06/03/2018 08:46

FEATURE

n Chicago in early January, even the locals were complaining, with temperatures a staggering -20ºC to -30ºC. The Chicago Tribune was advising people not to venture outside unless it was absolutely necessary, snow covered the ground, and the Chicago River was frozen, as was the edge of Lake Michigan, on which the city sits. I was visiting family for a few days, and I wanted to check out the Riverwalk and Maggie Daley Park. Both of these showcase landscape spaces have been completed in the last five years, and though I knew winter would not show them at their best or most active, I was interested to see whether they were used at all – and if so, how they looked and performed. The Chicago River winds through the heart of the city, emptying into Lake Michigan. It has an interesting history – including when, in 1900, the flow was completely reversed using a series of canal locks to reduce the impact of the sewage and pollution that poured into the river from the city’s industry. While this alleviated the problem, the river was still polluted and litter-filled by the Eighties, and during the Nineties it underwent extensive cleaning as part of a beautification programme spearheaded by ex-mayor Richard M. Daley. In 2012, landscape architect practice Sasaki was commissioned to create a vision for a section of river between State Street and Lake Street, together with Ross Barney Architects and a team of engineers. The aim was to provide a pedestrian connection along the riverside between the lake and the river’s confluence, where several branches of the river intersect in the heart of the city. The design and construction of the Riverwalk was technically challenging in several ways. Apart from the issue of raising some $80m, administrative hurdles had to be overcome, with the passing of an Act of Congress required, and approval needed from the US Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers. The design had to allow for the river’s annual level fluctuation, which can be more than two metres; space alongside the river was constrained, and several bridge houses formed obstacles, preventing movement along the river’s edge. The path was created by building out into the river, and a series of under-bridge connections were created to bypass the bridge houses. Where the path passes under the bridges, reflective roofs protect the path from debris falling through gaps in the road overhead and add light to the path below.

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Summer

4 Spaces with character The Riverwalk’s latest section, opened in 2015, consists of three spaces between LaSalle Drive and State Street. Each forms part of the widened linear route along the river’s south side, and has its own character. The ‘River Theatre’ is an auditorium made up of a series of seating-height steps, bridging a 6.5m level change between the river’s edge and the road. A ramp allows gently sloping access in an elegant and striking arrangement, cutting diagonally across the steps, and the horizontal emphasis and hardness of the steps is contrasted and relieved by 17 Gleditsia trees, offering welcome shade in summer. Three continuous ArborSystem planters, designed and supplied by GreenBlue Urban, are built into the steps, and a water harvesting system collects storm water, storing it to water the trees. The next space to the east is the ‘Cove’ – a hub for kayak rental and boat docking, with outdoor seating and eating space for the seasonal café set into the river wall. Then comes the ‘Marina’, enlivened in summer with docking boats and restaurants, and featuring distinctive timber slat seats that create opportunities for resting, socialising and watching the world go by. Water taxis, tour boats and privately owned motor boats add to the thriving activity, and for several weeks every spring and autumn, the Chicago Department of Transportation raises the movable bridges on most Saturdays and Wednesdays, allowing recreational boats to move between their winter storage yards and the lake. East of the ‘Marina’ is a section known as the Civic District, which includes the Bridgehouse and

“THE RIVERWALK, AS A WORK OF REGENERATION, HAS BEEN COMPARED BY SOME TO NEW YORK’S HIGH LINE” 1 The River Theatre 2 Market District 3 The Marina area 4 The River Theatre in summer ©GreenBlue Urban 5 Maggie Daley Park 6 Vietnam Veterans Plaza

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06/03/2018 08:48

FEATURE

Chicago River Museum and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza. Continuing east out to the lake is the Market District, where the walk meanders along an older section of the Riverwalk; here, there is a more established parkland character, featuring mature trees. Riverside regeneration The Riverwalk, as a work of regeneration, has been compared to New York’s High Line – but has also been criticised for being exclusive, what with the highprofile commercial buildings, fancy high-rise apartments and high-end restaurants that have sprung up, as well as the expensive yachts. This may have some truth to it, although, even in the freezing temperatures, people were using the Riverwalk to get to work, walk the dog and jog. We found it provided a great opportunity to get away from the traffic noise and movement at street level, and was a more pleasant route to walk along. Fortunately, we picked the best day to walk, heading east along the Riverwalk, out to the lake and then south to Grant Park – it was still -20ºC, but with full sunshine and no biting wind. Maggie Daley Park, opened in December 2014, is the latest addition to Grant Park. Named in honour of the former mayor’s wife, who was passionate about improving the lives of children and who died of cancer in 2011, the 11ha park was designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. It replaced the Daley Bicentennial Plaza, which was laid out in similar Beaux-Arts style to the rest of Grant Park; now, the contrast couldn’t be greater. The new park has barely a straight line in sight: paths curve in every direction, interspersed with rolling topography and naturalistic planting. Even in January it is an exciting place to be, with the play areas, skating ribbon and climbing walls open, and the landform creates interesting spaces, inviting movement. Ornamental grasses and other native plants add to the strong sense of place. Amazingly, much of Grant Park is actually a roof garden, though this doesn’t seem to have constrained its design – you would never guess that there is a huge car park under your feet. As Chicago is accustomed to dealing with severe winters, the roads and main paths were all clear, with snow piled to the sides of paths. Local landscape

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“THE RIVERWALK IS PART OF THE TREND FOR USING HIGHPROFILE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTS TO STIMULATE INVESTMENT IN CITY REGENERATION” 7 architects are used to accommodating access for snow clearance within their designs, allowing space to pile snow following path clearance, and using plants and materials that will withstand gritting salt. Plants need to provide structure in winter and must cope with both extreme cold in winter and high temperatures in summer – as well as the wind. The Riverwalk and Maggie Daley Park are lauded as highly successful landscape architectural works, and are very much part of the trend for using highprofile landscape architectural projects to stimulate investment in city regeneration. These exemplary spaces emphasise the unique skills of landscape architects and present exciting opportunities. Seeing some of the best spaces in Chicago in some of the worst weather was interesting, but clearly I was just seeing the ‘bare bones’ – there is so much more to see. This just gives me a good excuse to return in better weather to see these places come to life, and experience them at their best.

7 Night-time view along the river 8 The River Theatre in summer ©GreenBlue Urban

www.futurearch.co.uk

06/03/2018 08:46

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06/03/2018 14:13

FEATURE

The American Society of FutureArch speaks to Greg Miller, president of the American Society of Landscape Architects, to find out how he is using his role to advance awareness of the profession

he American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is the professional association for landscape architects in the United States. The Society’s mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education and fellowship. Its current president, Greg Miller, is a licensed landscape architect in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, California, Ohio and Illinois, and has taught as an Adjunct Professor on the Master of Landscape Architecture Program at the University of New Mexico for 12 years. What inspired you to become a landscape architect? I had a good friend in high school whose father was a landscape architect. I got to know him well and learned that landscape architecture was a way to connect my interests in design and natural systems. It’s a profession that combines left-brain analytics with right-brain arts and crafts. I think crafting the land with a sensitivity towards the functionality of systems is what I enjoy the most in my work.

“STRIVING FOR GREATER EXPOSURE OF THE VALUE OF THE PROFESSION IS DIFFICULT, AND NEEDS TO BE A CONSTANT EFFORT” In the UK we are looking at how to encourage young people into the industry – as a professor yourself, how do you think this can be achieved? We face this same challenge in the US. When young people find the profession, they’re often hooked and become devoted to it for a lifetime. But striving for greater exposure of the value of the profession is difficult, and needs to be a constant effort. ASLA has made career discovery one of its top priorities. We’re working to put together a toolkit of presentations, activity books, lessons for school-age children, and a special magazine publication that landscape architects can use to teach about landscape architecture. These tools can be extremely effective, but rely on

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FutureArch March 2018

www.futurearch.co.uk

06/03/2018 08:55

FEATURE

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS practitioners to tell our stories. We need to take every opportunity we can to tell people what we do, to take credit for the ways we make our communities stronger. How did you become president of ASLA, and what made you decide to take on the role? I’ve been involved with ASLA since I was a student, and have always felt like ASLA was an extended family. I’ve held various offices at the chapter level, including representing our chapter on the Board of Trustees for six years. During my time as a trustee, I got deeply involved with various membership committees, which led to the opportunity to serve as the national Vice President of Membership. From there, I was fortunate enough to be nominated to run for, and serve, as president. What is the vision for ASLA, and how does it help people in the industry? The mission and vision of ASLA is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education and fellowship. Our top priority is to advance the visibility and influence of the profession. To achieve this priority, we’ve developed a robust advocacy programme to address issues that are important to landscape architects at national and state level. What is the biggest challenge facing the industry, and how can it be overcome? The biggest challenge the profession faces is the lack of understanding of landscape architects’ expertise and the breadth of our work. This goes beyond a neighbour asking about his lawn getting yellow. It is a concern, because this lack of understanding can greatly affect our practice and the future of the profession. Misconceptions by public policy makers and administrators, at all levels of government, can have significant impacts on our work. Lack of public awareness can also reduce the number and diversity of students choosing landscape architecture as a career. To address this issue, ASLA continues to develop and implement public awareness, career discovery, advocacy, and diversity campaigns. We

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also look for ways that these priorities can be included in all our other programmes. Are there any trends you’re currently noticing in landscape architecture? The industry is trending toward more and more expertise in specialised fields. We’re now expected to be experts on hard sciences (climatology, pollinators, urban soils, etc.) and soft sciences (sociology, psychology, childhood development, etc.), as well as understanding the big picture of how all these influences can be integrated into designs. One of our strengths as a profession is the ability to make these complicated projects seem simple. That’s the beauty of good design – to have a finished project seem like it was always meant to be there.

“ONE OF OUR STRENGTHS AS A PROFESSION IS THE ABILITY TO MAKE COMPLICATED PROJECTS SEEM SIMPLE. THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF GOOD DESIGN”

What are your personal ambitions for your time as president? My goal is to be a loud and avid voice, telling the story of the profession and ASLA. We create places that connect people to people, and people to nature, in ways that respect natural systems. Similarly, we connect the teams that make these projects a reality. I see my role as another way to connect individuals, chapters, and allied organisations. Our collective voice amplifies our efforts and influence so that we can be agents of positive development. Are there any projects in your career that stand out, or that you are particularly proud of? Over the past several years, I’ve worked extensively on parks and play environments that provide for the holistic health of children and adults. I’ve collaborated with an occupational therapist who specialises in working with children who have sensory processing disorders. The lessons I’ve learned from her about the need to address social, emotional, cognitive, and physical wellbeing have changed the way I design these spaces. Watching the transformative power of these spaces is inspirational, and reinforces the reason that I love my job.

GREG MILLER Greg Miller, FASLA, PLA, is president of the firm Morrow Reardon Wilkinson Miller Ltd in Albuquerque, New Mexico. W: www.asla.org

FutureArch March 2018

06/03/2018 08:56

FEATURE

3D printing

3D printing is now more accessible than ever, bringing a whole host of benefits to those making use of it

n recent years, desktop 3D printing has become increasingly affordable for small practices. Strata Design has found that 3D-printed models are proving popular with both clients and architects; they are a great way to evaluate concepts and spatial quality, test design iterations and identify problems. Architects Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt use their 3D printers to test out ideas at different scales. This allows them to work at larger masterplan scales of 1:500 while at the same time understanding proposals at more intimate scales, ensuring a holistic design. Many practices create 3D visualisations in Revit or SketchUp, and it is easy to make these suitable for 3D printing. Only a few steps are required: exporting the model as an STL file into the slicing software, preparing it for printing, and exporting the final file to the 3D printer. The process is easily achievable, and brings additional benefits to a preexisting resource. A variety of 3D printing options are available, including stereolithography, Digital Light Processing, fused deposition modelling and selective laser sintering, but fused filament fabrication machines are generally the most affordable route. The process involves depositing thin layers of molten filament to form a model, allowing the user to create intricate detail, cavities and voids. There is usually a tradeoff in terms of printer cost versus speed of production, but, once running, printers can be left to their own devices, cutting staff time spent on modelling. Depending on the printer’s sophistication, quality can vary, but even fairly modest printers should be

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1 adequate for design models – and if polished models are required, these can always be outsourced. A range of software to suit all budgets is emerging, from industry-specific heavyweights such as Netfabb and Fusion 360, to more beginner-friendly opensource applications, such as Cura. Other free and useful software for refining models prior to printing includes Meshmixer and Meshlab. Similarly, a broad range of printers is now available, with prices spanning hundreds to thousands of pounds. A range of benefits Printed models offer a number of benefits. They are ideal for encouraging client engagement, and can eliminate the ambiguity that arises from misunderstood drawings. They have the tactile quality that clients and investors love, and communicate height, scale and massing more effectively at client presentations than a render produced from the same digital model. In-house 3D printing reduces long lead-in times for physical models

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FEATURE

and allows a greater degree of control, and last minute design changes can be accommodated without excessive cost. Development or prototype models can be produced with a client-pleasing immediacy – important in a project’s early stages, as the design evolves. It also facilitates a thorough investigation of design options, which is important when working on sensitive sites. Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt’s work at Cemex House makes extensive use of 3D printing, since the historic nature of the site requires proposals that are resolved at an intricate level. The design concept includes the insertion of contemporary interventions into the listed buildings; 3D printing these elements ensures that the design evolves in a way that is sensitive to the context. David Ayre, director of Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt states: “The 3D printer allows us to test ideas for the new interventions in separate print models to the historical and insert them as distinct elements. Using different colour filaments means these contemporary additions can be easily understood as new elements in relation to the existing buildings.” The accessible communication of proposals afforded by 3D-printed models is useful for public consultations – it can quickly communicate potential impacts, allowing for a more focused and productive discussion. Filaments are available in a variety of materials, including metal, wood and flexible options, meaning that proposals can be highlighted or blend in with the context. Once a base model of

the surrounding context and buildings has been established, it is quicker to print off and drop in further models as the design evolves. Sectional models are particularly valuable for communicating the internal spatial properties of buildings or highlighting the topographical level changes across a site. Digital site surveys are increasingly delivered with a 3D terrain surface, and these provide a useful base for models conveying level information. Strata Design employed this to good effect on its recent model for an almshouse scheme, where the visibility of the schemes and the relationship of the two locations within the townscape were particularly sensitive. “The 3D-printed model was instrumental in alleviating residents’ concerns at the public consultation, and has also formed a useful basis for ongoing collaborative discussions with planners and local consultees as the model and proposals develop,” says Richard Willmott. Sophisticated printers allow for direct colour printing onto models, communicating materiality. Where texture is required, a fine level of detail can be achieved, and the technology allows for the rapid modelling of difficult geometries – a lengthy process in traditional models. It is also useful for exploring complex detail assemblies as 3D entities.

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Facing the future Desktop 3D printing is a convenient and costeffective way to achieve the explorative and communicative benefits of traditional models, with the speed and production efficiency resulting from a digital source. The process makes efficient use of materials, creating little waste – biodegradable filaments are even available. The technology is also evolving; innovations on the horizon, such as rapid liquid printing, will allow larger models to be printed, opening up possibilities of 1:1 scale furniture models.

“DEVELOPMENT OR PROTOTYPE MODELS CAN BE PRODUCED WITH A CLIENTPLEASING IMMEDIACY”

1 Cemex House Masterplan Model, Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt 2 Courtyard study model, Strata Design ©Martin Gardner 3 Almshouse consultation model ©Strata Design

STRATA Strata is a UK-based landscape architecture practice creating usable, engaging and resilient spaces based on empathy for people and places. W: www.strata-design.co.uk

AYRE CHAMBERLAIN GAUNT Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt is an award-winning architecture practice creating vibrant and inspiring places for people to live, work and play. W: www.acgarchitects.co.uk

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TIPS ON technique 11.

For consultation models, emphasise diﬀerence or contextuality by printing the proposals in contrasting or

Old Street Roundabout Competition Model, Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt

55.

complementary ﬁlaments.

Play with the settings in your slicing software – relatively small changes, such as increasing printed layer thickness, can result in signiﬁcant time savings, with little discernible eﬀect on quality. There is also no point in printing a quick massing model

2. Modelling good practice from an early stage makes life easier

in high quality mode if this will shortly be superseded.

throughout the evolution of a model. Keep elements as solid volumes whenever possible, and bear in mind that some ﬁne grain elements will require thickening beyond their real world

66.

dimensions in order to print at a given scale.

33.

Hollowing the model as much as possible is a sensible investment of time during the development stages of the

Relatively large models can be produced on a small print bed by tiling the model, and if anything goes wrong, the errant slice can be reprinted individually.

77.

Sometimes it’s better not to try to print everything as a complete model: this adds complexity and therefore

model, resulting in signiﬁcant time reduction and use of

takes longer to print. Discrete elements such as cars and

materials when printing.

trees can be printed as separate elements and reused, saving time and material.

4. Incorporating your logo into models is an easy way to

promote your practice when sharing images. Paving types and patterns can also be embossed into surfaces to convey materiality.

88.

Use the right materials in combination to reduce printing time – there is no point printing a thick base to the model when a base in foam board or ply is adequate.

Courtyard study model, Strata Design ©Martin Gardner

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06/03/2018 09:05

High quality wildflower seed, prepared by hand and supplied to specification John Chambers is a leading supplier of British native wildflower seeds, mixes and bulbs for every project and budget • Heritage Range: A portfolio of British native mixes developed and planted over the last 30 years. Renowned for quality and cleanliness of the seed. • Professional Range: Seed for the professional installer. Includes mixes of more commonly found species to suit a wide variety of growing conditions. • Impact Range: Vibrant and colourful wildflower seed mixes to create a feature of any landscaping project. • Conservation Range: Carefully selected, balanced wildflower mixes that provide colour and food to attract desired wildlife.

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06/03/2018 14:16

FEATURE

WILDFLOWER planting

FutureArch explores the relationship between wildflower planting and biodiversity, and the benefits it can bring to a project

“SPECIES DIVERSITY PROVIDES THE BUILDING BLOCKS TO SUSTAIN FOOD CHAINS AND ENSURE THE SURVIVAL AND RESILIENCE OF A WIDE VARIETY OF FAUNA” 34

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iodiversity is a word that gets thrown around a lot. Everyone knows that it is important to attract species, but it is sometimes overlooked that one of the best ways to achieve it is through wildflower planting. That is exactly what the University of York has decided to do, with J Palmer Landscapes teaming up with Wildflower Turf to provide a growing site at a newly-built campus facility. On the campus, more than 1,800m² of Wildflower Turf’s Native Enriched Turf was installed in November 2017, and the addition of wildflowers has provided the university with a wonderful and aesthetically pleasing space. The turf contains more than 50 different native and naturalised species, and will help the project to qualify for high BREEAM standards, which assesses building sustainability.

Situated within a picturesque lakeside setting, the Piazza Learning Centre is sympathetic to the natural landscape while being fully accessible to the university’s student population. At the project’s outset, the university developed a very clear and practical biodiversity plan, with wildflower planting being a key part of it. Why is biodiversity necessary? Biodiversity is all about the variety of life – different species of plants, animals, insects and microorganisms. All species have an important role to play in an ecosystem, whether it is providing food, creating natural sustainability for other species, or even protecting against plant diseases. Enhancing biodiversity can be a regulatory requirement for many developments. The greater the number of plant species in a given area, the more opportunities there are for wildlife to thrive there, as a variety of plants offers different food sources and leads to insect diversity. This, in turn, provides food for other wildlife, from newts to field voles – as

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FEATURE

well as predators, such as slow worms and birds of prey. Species diversity provides the building blocks to sustain food chains and ensure the survival and resilience of a wide variety of fauna. What role does wildflower planting play in this? “When it comes to increasing biodiversity, a lot of people will automatically start talking about trees and the benefits that they bring,” explains James Hewetson-Brown, managing director of Wildflower

2 Turf and author of ‘How to make a wildflower meadow’. “It is because trees are easily measured as a metric. While they bring a lot of greenery, in terms of biodiversity, wildflower planting offers a great deal more than that. It’s not as though it’s one or the other – they can go in together. “One of the key advantages with wildflower is that, providing you establish it correctly, the benefits are instant. You could have wildflower around a newly planted tree and it would make up for the 10 years it would take for you to gain the benefits from the tree.” Wildflowers also play an extremely important role in helping to manage the effects of ever-increasing urban infrastructure. New-build developments and expanded transport infrastructure tend to interrupt rainfall and the natural movement of water. A fast influx of rainfall on large surface areas of non-permeable materials will inevitably lead to flooding, increasing the potential for erosive damage downstream and pollution by contaminated water. The University of Portsmouth, in conjunction with Wildflower Turf Ltd, is currently investigating Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDs) and how grasses and wildflowers play a role in slowing water flow, reducing erosion and giving vegetation and soil the opportunity to absorb waterborne pollutants. Similarly, recent work in both the US and the UK has demonstrated that wildflowers can limit the effect that vehicle pollution has on public health. The morphology of a number of wildflower species has been shown to physically ‘catch’ some harmful PM2.5 particulates. When wildflowers are established on a

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road verge, they form a physical barrier as close to the source of the pollution as possible, forming the first line of defence against what has become a serious health hazard. Green infrastructure is important for any urban open space, whether new or old. A monoculture of swathes of mown grass will do little to benefit wildlife; projects must deliver a species-rich biodiverse habitat to really help. Looking after wildflower planting James explains that it is important to stick to one cut a year for wildflower planting. “If you don’t cut the planting, you will end up with certain species and plants taking over,” he explains. “You can look after it more, but for biodiversity, the bugs and butterflies love as little disturbance and interruption as possible.” Once properly established, wildflowers are remarkably tolerant and can deal with drought, pollution and erosion very well. As spring approaches, the wildflowers and grasses will be in the perfect position to develop flowers and seed-heads quickly, to repeat their perennial cycle and provide pollen and nectar for insects and pollinators. In terms of the mix of wildflowers and grasses, James recommends more planting, and no more than 50% grass. It is important that we preserve biodiversity for the future: not only is it essential for our ecosystems, but attracting different species is also beneficial from an educational perspective. There are numerous ways in which we can improve biodiversity on projects, but remember to keep wildflower planting in mind.

“ONCE PROPERLY ESTABLISHED, WILDFLOWERS ARE REMARKABLY TOLERANT AND CAN DEAL WITH DROUGHT, POLLUTION AND EROSION VERY WELL”

1, 2 & 3 Early wildflower planting at the University of York’s newly built Piazza Learning Centre Images ©J Palmer Landscapes

Wildflower Turf Wildflower Turf Ltd produces a range of turf products to meet the demand for readymade wildflower meadows without the establishment problems associated with traditional seeding methods. W: www.wildflowerturf.co.uk

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TREES FOR grouping T certain tree varieties work particularly well together, lifting a landscape with their contrasting or complementary attributes. Ellen Carvey, sales director at Barcham Trees, shares some of her favour tree groupings

here are many trees that can be considered complementary to one another, suitable for planting in groups or areas where their key features work well together. The ultimate choices in each case will be dictated by both the site’s constraints and the overall vision for the planting scheme; much comes down to personal preference, but selecting the right tree for the right place must remain a high priority when considering complementary species. The compatibility of any group of trees together is in the eyes of the beholder, while the suitability is dictated by the site. My personal preference tends to lean towards symmetry, using trees of similar stature and shape. How they are put together depends upon the intended theme of the site. Some favourites for grouping together in urban environments would be:

• LIQUIDAMBAR STYRACIFLUA ‘WORPLESDON’ • QUERCUS PALUSTRIS • PYRUS CALLERYANA ‘CHANTICLEER’

• LIRIODENDON TULIPFERA ‘FASTIGIATA’ • QUERCUS ROBUR ‘REGAL PRINCE’ • QUERCUS PALUSTRIS ‘GREEN PILLAR’ This selection concentrates on ascending, upright shapes, and includes some contrasting autumn colour. With their similar mature heights and elegant, tight, upright structures, they work extremely well together, offering uniformity and architectural structure. Their stunning autumn colours range from the Liriodendron’s lemon yellow, to the orange of ‘Regal Prince’, to Quercus palustris’s red. This group doesn’t need to be planted en masse for good results – a group of three single specimens will work as well as a large number planted in a regimented pattern. The upright nature of these trees means they require less space on the ground than the first group selection.

Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’ Quercus palustris

Quercus palustris

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These trees work fabulously well together, with their wonderful autumn colour, similarly purposeful pyramidal shapes (held into maturity), and comparable overall stature. I love the complementary nature of their shapes, as well as the contrasting colours and shapes of their leaves. This selection is best planted in small groups of three or five. Alone, these trees are among my favourites; together, they form a mighty team.

Liriodendron tulipifera ‘Fastigiata’

Quercus robur ‘Regal Prince’

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FEATURE

“THE COMPATIBILITY OF ANY GROUP OF TREES TOGETHER IS IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER, WHILE THE SUITABILITY IS DICTATED BY THE SITE”

• A CER CAMPESTRE ‘QUEEN ELIZABETH’ • CORYLUS COLURNA • ACER PLATANOIDES ‘COLUMNARE’

Corylus colurna

Acer campestre ‘Queen Elizabeth’

This selection is for projects that require a naturalised look. Once again appealing to those with a preference for complementary shapes, these trees lend a rustic twist to urban environments. Compact and pyramidal in shape, this group offers simplicity to a planting scheme, without too much in the way of autumn colour or flower. It is an unassuming selection of attractive species that complement one another in their simplicity – elegant shapes coupled with green and familiar foliage. Unlike the others. these do work best with an en masse approach, with several groups of three to five trees being required to bring a rural feel to an urban project.

It is not just careful and considered selection that ensures the success of a planting scheme: with the biosecurity debate raging at the moment, make sure you also take time to consider the risks that are associated with trees imported directly to site. Careful planning and attention to detail can easily pale into insignificance if tree stocks are selected from nurseries without biosecurity protocols in place, potentially introducing pests and diseases.

• BETULA UTILIS VAR. JACQUEMONTII – EN MASSE While perhaps an obvious choice, it doesn’t feel right to overlook the usefulness of birches planted in large groups. I am not a fan of mixing birch varieties, so would always prefer to go with the same variety. When planted in large groups, birch works very well, and there are many good examples of this in the urban landscape. Betula utilis var. jacquemontii tends to be the go-to tree for this purpose, although Betula albosinensis ‘Fascination’, Betula ermanii or the classic Betula pendula can all be utilised to stunning effect.

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TO CONCLUDE...

BARCHAM TREES

Betula utilis var. Jacquemontii

Barcham is a tree specialist with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry. The tree nursery is situated in the heart of Cambridgeshire, covering over 300 acres of land. W: www.barcham.co.uk

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Advertising feature

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06/03/2018 10:35

Advertising feature

JUBILEE SQUARE, LEICESTER

he Jubilee Square project was commissioned by Leicester City Council as part of “Connecting Leicester” a major programme of work launched by the City’s Mayor with the aim of establishing new green corridors to link Leicester’s historic buildings and heritage sites with the modern heart of the city. The £4m scheme (part ﬁnanced by the European Regional Development Fund Programme 2007 – 2013), provides an attractive new gateway to the city’s Cathedral Quarter and the site of the discovered remains of Richard III. Jubilee Square has transformed an area of the city that was dominated by a surface level car park. Now a central green hub for Leicester’s citizens, it is used as a feature landscape space for the public to access as well as an area for organised events all year around, including the hugely popular winter ice rink. It is a major central selling point for the Visit Leicester team and provides an extra incentive for tourists to this thriving Midlands metropolis. The creative design work has enabled the council to enhance the thoroughfare which daily users traverse to get to work and has also provided a more attractive showcase for the heritage aspects of the scheme, notably Wygston’s garden. When speaking to Landscape Architects and Planners at the city council, they highlighted the creativity of integrating green infrastructure with a SUDs (sustainable urban drainage)

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approach. The invisible co benefits of installing mature urban trees in bespoke pits has enabled the council to make this previously impermeable area more resilient to surface water flooding. LDA Design worked with Leicester City Council to develop plans from concept stages through to completion. In partnership, LDA Design and the council have liaised with local people throughout the process, ensuring that the public realm meets the needs of the community both now and in the future. This is a vital part of the design process, and it was clear, speaking with local business owners such as the hotel and café on the square, that this investment has provided them with an extra asset upon which to build future business. “We are thrilled to have delivered such a transformation and a new type of space to the city centre. The design allows for a year-round programme of events, as well as providing a beautiful space for people to enjoy on a day to day basis. The layout also unlocks key connections from the city centre” The final stages of work to create Leicester’s new Jubilee Square has been marked by the planting of ten large trees, including five Freeman maples (Acer x

freemanii) each standing around 7m high and weighing about four tonnes, three Indian bean trees (Catalpa bignonioides), each around 6m high, and two snowy Mespilus (Amelanchier lamarckii). Chryse Tinsley of Leicester City Council states “Everyone admires the trees; very few people understand that they are part of the sustainable drainage solution for this new public space. In addition using the proprietary system has limits risks to the archaeology here.” Key to the successful long-term establishment of the trees was the provision of adequate soil volume. It was also necessary to use products capable of supporting the adjacent hard paving. StrataCells from GreenBlue Urban were speciﬁed and installed providing 3 cubic meters of uncompacted soil for each tree. The StrataCells also exceeded the engineering demands of the hard surface above, partnered with Geonet, ReRoot and RootRain Irrigation products will ensure the 10 years will thrive for years to come. For more information contact: GreenBlue Urban Ltd Greenblue.com e. enquiries@greenblueurban.com Tel: 01580 830 800 @GreenBlueUrban

06/03/2018 10:36

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KING’S CROSS POND CLUB

KING’S CROSS, LONDON B | D Landscape Architects

Client King’s Cross Central Ltd Partnership Authors Ooze Architects (Eva Pfannes and Sylvain Hartenberg) Artist Marjetica Potrč Size of project 2200m² Build time Six months

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ondon may seem an unlikely destination for wild swimming, but the King’s Cross Pond Club allowed locals and tourists alike to take a dip in the UK’s capital city. The Pond Club was the first public freshwater bathing pond in the UK, and was open for two swimming seasons, in 2015 and 2016. Located a stone’s throw from King’s Cross Station and occupying a temporary site in the midst of one of the largest construction sites in London, it created a micro-ecological environment with a natural swimming pond at its centre. Conceived as a public art project by Ooze Architects (Eva Pfannes & Sylvain Hartenberg), together with the artist and architect Marjetica Potrč, it was commissioned by King’s Cross Central Partnership as part of the ‘Relay Art Program’ and delivered by B|D Landscape Architects. The swimming pond was chemical-free, with the water purified by natural processes using plants, nutrient mineralisation and a set of filters to supplement natural filtration. Once cleaned, the water loops back in to the pond to complete the water cycle. The daily number of bathers was restricted by the amount of water this natural system was able to clean, so the use of the pond stayed in line with what nature could absorb and regenerate. The soil zones around the pond ranged from an area of meagre soil and pioneer plants to a meadow of rich soil with lush grass and wildflowers. As they grew, the plants cleaned and enriched the soil. The enclosed site presented the natural environment in miniature, taking the landscape through its ecological cycles – the water cycle, plant cycle and soil cycle. The elevated pond became a stage where swimmers performed the act of coexisting with nature. From this stage, they could watch the evolution of the neighbourhood and the city. As befits the project’s sustainability aims, both the landscape and pool installation used a number of recycled materials throughout. B|D Landscape Architects was appointed during the planning stages to provide landscape architectural input, and was the design team leader from postplanning through to completion, working with CCS, Willerby Landscapes, PBA and the specialist pool designer Kingcombe Aquacare. The pool hosted more than 10,000 visitors between May and July 2015, and attracted

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4 international media attention, featuring in more than 160 press articles and over 20 pieces of broadcast coverage. At its time of opening, The Telegraph’s Adrian Bridge said of the experience: “If not the hottest, the new pond at King’s Cross is without doubt London’s coolest new attraction.” The project won a 2017 Landscape Institute award in the ‘Design for a Temporary Landscape’ category, with the judges saying: “This scheme set an innovative

5 precedent for how public swimming pools could be conceived and delivered.” “The King’s Cross Pond Club represents a milestone in the UK natural pool industry,” said Ben Garner of Kingcombe Aquacare. “We were delighted to have been part of the wider project team, overcoming numerous technical challenges to help deliver such a unique and well-received piece of land art.”

1 The Pond Club with deep and shallow pools and children’s zone ©John Sturrock 2 The filter pond to the north of the pond 3 Expansive swimming within Lewis Cubitt Park ©John Sturrock 4 Soil zones allowed for different planting palettes 5 Planting established during second season 6 The Landscape Masterplan by B|D

B|D landscape architects

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B|D Landscape Architects is a design-based consultancy with expertise in the field of public realm design and a reputation for contemporary landscape architecture, urban design and space-making. W: www.bdlandarch.com

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06/03/2018 08:37

PORTFOLIO

THE COVE

TRURO ADP

1 www.futurearch.co.uk

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Client Macmillan Cancer Support Project value £1.5m

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1C urved ramp linking the cancer centre to the main hospital 2 The main entrance 3 Landscape plan for the site

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he Cove Macmillan Support Centre aims to improve the lives of people affected by cancer, providing information and support, as well as benefits advice, complementary therapies and other support services. Located at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, the new building provides a friendly, relaxed and non-clinical environment with an information area, a café, meeting spaces and rooms for support groups, counselling and complementary therapies. Both the architecture and the landscape design have been inspired by the Cornish coastline. Around the perimeter of the building are four linked ‘outdoor rooms’ that are designed to provide a variety of therapeutic gardens, enhancing wellbeing. Landscaping also helps with wayfinding, linking the

centre to the existing hospital while screening the building from the car park and main road. To the north of the site, enclosed with a low circular wall, a quiet garden has been designed for patients seeking privacy and refuge, with a variety of seating options to offer choice. Himalayan birch (Betula utilis var. jacquemontii) was selected for its bright white bark and light canopy, offering dappled shade to the seating areas in the summer months. “For the planting on this one, we worked with our interior designer in London – she looked at all the colours on the inside of the building and we matched those colours to make it a seamless transition from exterior to interior,” says ADP Architecture’s senior landscape architect Claire Hunt. “It is all calming blues and natural seaside colours.”

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2 Located to the left of the main entrance is an outdoor area that directly accesses the internal youth and teenage area, giving those patients a space of their own. This garden provides shelter from the surrounding roads, with its sea buckthorn (Hippophae salicifolia ‘Streetwise’), New Zealand lax (Phormium tenax ‘Rainbow Sunshine’), Sedums, ornamental grasses and Verbena bonariensis among other perennials. It also has good views to the landscape beyond. The planting around the main entrance also helps to screen the building from the road and car park; it is set within boulders and gravel, to give the external areas to the street frontage a seaside feel. On the west side of the building, a sweeping curved ramp links the cancer centre to the main hospital, with planting, seating areas and trees either

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side of it. “We had an interesting change of level from the upper section at the back to the lower level at the front,” explains John Newman, landscape director at ADP. “We had to create a ramp to match in with the existing buildings. We could have done something simple and straightforward, but we wanted the ramp to reflect the rest of the work. We came up with a spiral ramp, which had some seating in there as well. It was all about harmonising little areas.” The ramp leads to the hub garden, which provides access to a second entrance. Small juneberry trees (Amelanchier canadensis) were selected for their bronze foliage and white flowers in spring and their small habit and red leaves in autumn, offering height and adding depth to the overall planting scheme. These are complemented with a Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), which forms the centrepiece for the shady seating circle at the lower end of the ramp. Species of local and native origin have been used to enhance the biodiversity of the site where possible, with evergreen ferns planted to provide structure and interest in the shaded areas throughout the winter. The soft landscaping adds interest at different times of the year for staff and visitors alike, and helps patients and visitors to feel more comfortable in their surroundings.

ADP ADP is an employee-owned practice with an over 50-year heritage. It has a national reputation and delivers its service from seven local studios based in Birmingham, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford and Sherborne. W: www.adp-architecture.com

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1 Size of project 300m2 Build time Two months

1 The vegetable garden built with a modular system of pallets ©Daniele Cavadini 2 Small planted areas where vegetables, fruits and aromatic plants grow together, created with upturned pallets ©Daniele Cavadini 3 In 2016 the rooftop garden paid tribute to Carlos Cruz-Diez, with an optical installation created with botanical essences ©Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti 4 The vegetable garden is enhanced by flowers ©Daniele Cavadini

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PORTFOLIO

PIUARCH OFFICES

ounded in 1996 by Francesco Fresa, Germán Fuenmayor, Gino Garbellini and Monica Tricario, Piuarch is a Milan-based group of architects and engineers who hail from all over the world, led by four partners and six associates. Its works range from retail to fashion, office building design, residential complex development, town planning and cultural recovery. The practice recently decided to make improvements to its offices by creating a sustainable rooftop garden. The small-scale project aims to create a space where fruit and vegetables can be grown and employees can relax. Piuarch is located in a building in the middle of the ‘Thieves’ Courtyard’, in the heart of Milan’s Brera district. For decades, the building’s 300m² roof had been left as a sundeck that couldn’t be accessed. The project saw its entire surface converted into a permanent allotment and ‘outdoor pharmacy’, and it was also upgraded in terms of its energy and functional efficiency. The concept is based on a modular system, using pallets to create easy-to-assemble structures that combine good looks with functionality, all at a reasonable cost. The pallets can be used as both a surface to be walked on and, when upturned, as containers for soil. This means that the allotment’s layout can be created using one modular element. The scheme is several things in one: a project to enhance the building’s energy efficiency, a decorative landscaping tool that produces its own food, and a new reception, socialising and co-working space for everybody who works in the building. The roof plants create an ecosystem that favours biodiversity, simplifies the food chain and supplies high-quality natural produce.

MILAN, ITALY Piuarch

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PORTFOLIO

5 Moreover, the layer of vegetation improves insulation and increases heat inertia in the rooms below. The systems of pallets also allows rainwater to be controlled, reducing the flow of wastewater entering the city’s sewage system. This landscaping project was designed by landscape architect Cornelius Gavril, while the seeds and technical materials were supplied by VerdeVivo. The system also includes work on reinforcing the building, increasing its load per square meter. The old structure has been strengthened with fibreglass structural reinforcements beams, which were manufactured by PCR. The use of a fibreglass structure allows structural reinforcements to be made using a tough, lightweight system that is easy to assemble, can withstand atmospheric agents and is fully recyclable. The landscape redevelopment system developed here by Piuarch is not intended to be an isolated case or one-off experiment, but rather a proper system that can be repeated and adapted to help redevelop unused areas on a wider scale.

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5 The rooftop garden is used at night as a socialising space ©Daniele Cavadini 6 Old chimneys are preserved and used as decoration ©Daniele Cavadini

Piuarch

Piuarch is one of the major names in Milanese architecture, and has developed numerous international designs for prestigious fashion brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Givenchy. W: www.piuarch.it

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06/03/2018 14:45

MONTHLY ROUNDUP

MONTHLY roundup

Upcoming events, exciting projects, social media updates – it’s landscape architecture, digested

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

EXCITING NEW PROJECT

21 March Landscape 50 University of Sheffield

Landscape 50 will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Department of Landscape at the University of Sheﬃeld, the ﬁrst independent school of landscape architecture to be established in the UK and now one of the leading landscape architecture research and teaching units in the world.

22 March Pro Landscaper LIVE Bristol Pro Landscaper will be taking to the road to educate, inform and inspire the landscaping industry in Bristol. The afternoon will take the form of a welcome lunch, a number of topical seminars, and an industry debate including some of the most influential landscapers, garden designers, landscape architects, contractors and suppliers. The day will finish off with a drinks reception and three-course evening dinner, which will be the perfect opportunity for delegates to network and discuss the day’s event.

27 March Specifi Edinburgh Held at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh, landscape architect Joe Clancy will be giving a talk entitled Biophilic Environments: Bridging the Divide. Biophilia and biophilic design are the sustainability buzzwords of the moment, but what do they really mean?

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NEW LONDON RESIDENTIAL SCHEME

he ﬁrst residential phase of a major regeneration scheme that will include a new football stadium in west London has been given the go-ahead by planners. The £300m Brentford Community Stadium project will see the development of a new 17,000-seat stadium, designed by AFL, for Brentford FC, as well as a landmark residential development designed by Broadway Malyan. The Brentford Community Stadium falls within the London Borough of Hounslow’s Golden Mile, an area identiﬁed as a key economic asset for the borough and London as a whole, with the potential to become a world-class, vibrant employment corridor within the capital. With the stadium at its centre, the

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06/03/2018 10:31

MONTHLY ROUNDUP

SOCIAL MEDIA

©Chatham House

QUOTE OF THE MONTH “FRANKLY I HOPE THAT ONE DAY THE WHOLE THING IS REVIVED, AND I THINK IT WILL BE” Boris Johnson

During a hearing held by members of the Greater London Assembly Oversight Committee, Boris Johnson admitted that he hopes the Garden Bridge project will be put back in action. Current Mayor of London Sadiq Khan abandoned plans for the project after a report found it could cost over £200m. The hearing was set up to question Boris Johnson, now foreign secretary, about the handling of the scheme, which has reportedly cost £40m of UK taxpayers’ money.

On Twitter @LondonNPC “We are very pleased to announce that, thanks to the support of thousands of people, the @MayorofLondon and majority of the @LondonAssembly and over 1,000 local politicians... #London will become the world’s first #NationalParkCity in 2019!”

@LevittBernstein “Our projects are still shining despite it being the snowiest week of the year!”

@Palmsteadmedia “Euonymus japonicus is a perfect plant for coastal positions. If you live by the coast and you constantly struggle with what to plant, then this is a perfect plant for you. It will thrive in cold, windy, exposed areas and will even grow well in very wet soil.”

masterplan proposals for ‘The Golden Mile’ will deliver improved transport links, almost 30,000 new jobs, more than 1,500 new homes, a west London digital media hub, new schools and a leisure hub around the new stadium. Broadway Malyan director Peter Vaughan, who is leading the project for the practice, said the scheme would create an exciting, vibrant and connected neighbourhood in one of London’s up and coming boroughs. “There is an increasing trend of people wanting to live in highquality, denser, multiuse and seamlessly integrated environments that reﬂect the changing aspirations of people’s urban

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On Instagram @FutureArchUK

lifestyles. The project will completely reshape this part of London, creating an attractive new community that will marry high-quality architecture, public spaces and amenities, all underpinned by the energy that will be created by the new community stadium.”

Lovely day and setting for our trip to Salisbury to meet @indigolandscape.co.uk

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A Piece of History. The Piece Hall, Halifax.

Hardscape supplied 5,500 square metres of Forest Pennant paving and setts for the central courtyard. A blend of four Portuguese granites and also Carlow Irish Blue Limestone. Portuguese Alpendurada granite steps were installed around the central square. Twelve solid granite benches and forty euroform-w Iroko timber-topped granite benches, featuring a galvanised steel framework, which was left exposed beneath the Iroko timber to reveal The Piece Hall logo.

For further information on this project and all our paving products please visit: www.hardscape.co.uk or telephone: 01204 565 500.

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