February 2011 Issue 44
The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East
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Plants-PotsFountains-Garden FurnitureLandscaping and Flower Arrangements
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MEMedia Publishing FZ LLC IMPZ PO Box 485005, Dubai, UAE Telephone: +971 4 4470927 Fax: +971 4 4470928 Managing Editor Nada Abdel Khalek Copy Editor John Hampton Features Editor Natasha Tourish Sales Manager Boushra Dinnawi Art Director Andy Mondaya Contributors Elif Bonelli Rochelle Greayer Mario Pisani Jimena Martignoni Eman Kamel Printed by Al Nisr Publishing LLC Landscape is distributed free of charge in KSA, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Eqypt, and Lebanon by Emirates Post UAE February 2011 Issue 44
Abu Dhabi, hosted last month the fourth edition of the World Future Energy Summit (WFES), which is a unique business platform for global development of renewable energy solutions. The main presented sectors included solar, wind, environment, green building and carbon capture. A series of conferences and debates took place and the panel of speakers included many renowned figures from around the world including HE Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General. “In order that climate change targets can be achieved, we face the need for a new industrial revolution”, said Lord Nicholas Stern, Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics, UK. On another note, Saudi Arabia, who’s facing a rise in its domestic energy demand that could cut into its oil exports, has decided to explore nuclear and renewable energy. According to Mr. Hashem Yamani, the director of the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, “the demand for electricity is steadily increasing…local demand for oil, which is currently about 3.2 million barrels per day, could rise to eight million barrels per day in 2028… this will ultimately limit the export capacity of the kingdom,” he said. As usual, the environment and energy are also on the agenda of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos this year. Key points discussed include the urge for “nations to reaffirm their commitment to stemming climate change and promoting resource conservation”. While these issues might be slightly off topic when it comes to landscaping, however I believe they are essential for our sustainability as humans, and plants; and should trigger our responsibility as individuals to collaborate with governmental and private agencies to be part of the new drive for a preserved environment. On a much lighter note, we are pleased to announce the launch of our new and improved website at www.landscape-me.com. Our goal with this upgraded and updated website, is to provide our visitors a more intuitive and userfriendly navigation experience; and to offer a better platform for landscape professionals. The website has undergone a radical overhaul and its new look is now clean and simple. We invite you to visit the website and register your company’s details in our free Guide Directory. We look forward to hearing from you, and we hope you like the new website.
Nada Abdel Khalek
The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East
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rrari World
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February 2011
22 10-Five projects receive 2010 Aga Khan Award for Architecture
12- Water Saving Techniques using
Subsurface Drip Irrigation and Weather Based Control Systems
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16-Interview with John A. Davis Landscape Consultants
22-Discovery Green revitalizes downtown Houston
28-Abandoned railways land turned into a central park
34-Airport Ground Safety Technology has landed in the Middle East
38-Women in Landscape with Danuta Dias 42-The Vegetal Cathedral
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who’s who Current position & companyGlobal Landscape Practice Leader, Woods Bagot, Dubai Office Academic qualifications BA (Urban Planning), BLA (Honours)Graduate Diploma (Conservation)PhD Landscape Urbanism (in progress) How many years have you worked in the Middle East? I have worked here for three years. Which major projects have you been involved with throughout your career? MENA: Food City, Dubai; Airport City, Doha; Abu Dhabi Airport Midfield Terminal Complex Landscape; Arabian Canal, Dubai, Central Sharjah Masterplan; Sharjah East Coast Masterplan; Palm Jumeirah Central Park, Dubai; Tunis Sports City, Tunisia; Sharjah Creative City; Kempinski Hotel, The Wave Muscat; Yahsat Sattelite Tracking Station, Abu Dhabi WORLD: Santos Dumont Mixed Use Development, Rio, Brazil; Abuja World Trade Centre, Nigeria; University of New South Wales Singapore Campus Masterplan; ABC Waterways Masterplan Singapore; Southern Ridges Open Space Masterplan, Singapore; Zhenjiang Film City Masterplan, China; Dalian Raycom Eco-Technology City, Dalian, China; Wuqing Wetlands and Mixed Use Residential Community, Tianjin, China; Kochi Marine Drive Mixed Use Development, India;
Steven Velegrinis
Al Falah City in Sharjah
Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre
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Al Bustan Residential in Riyadh
Describe your Dream Project I have been extremely fortunate throughout my career to have worked on some fantastic projects. Recently I’ve been able to work on a site adjacent to one of Roberto Burle-Marx’ early gardens in Rio and that was really special. My ideal projects are those where I can shape an entire masterplan around a landscape framework maximizing the sustainability of large urban areas. Woods Bagot has given me plenty of opportunities in this field of work and my ideal project is probably something like the Zero E Masterplans for zero emissions design. My PhD is also a dream project and it is focused around urban planning scenarios for Singapore, showing how Landscape can shape and function ecologically in densely developed Asian Metropolis. How do you see the future of the landscape industry in the GCC region developing? The Global Financial Crisis put the craziness of the past few years well behind us and sustainability and infrastructure are the two key growth areas in this part of the world. On the back of global trends towards Green Infrastructure and Landscape Urbanism, I think that the increasingly ecologically focused and biologically functioning urban landscapes will become a key development of the industry here. Water conservation and a return to more vernacular and responsible landscapes will also be a key development in the industry. What is your Motto in life? Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger…
Al Jimi Park (Al Ain, UAE)
Singapore Museum
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news & events DM completes various drainage and irrigation projects Accomplishing the strategic direction of the Drainage and Irrigation Department of Dubai Municipality in providing excellent drainage and irrigation services through its plan to raise the number of areas connected to sewerage systems in Dubai to 100%, the Department has recently completed the implementation of several major strategic projects, especially for new areas in the city of Dubai. They include the areas around Sheikh Zayed Road, Business Bay and Dubai Marina. “With this, the Department becomes the forerunner in the delivery of services to new areas as it could link the new investment and development projects with the main sewage network in Dubai”, said Eng. Talib Julfar, Director of Drainage and Irrigation Department. Julfar said the most important of these projects is the establishment of a giant sewage water treatment plant at Jebel Ali, which is one of the five largest strategic projects undertaken by Dubai Municipality, represented by the Drainage and Irrigation Department as part of its strategic direction for the delivery of services in 100% areas. “The project consists of setting up a sewage water treatment plant (which would be the main sewage treatment plant for the city of Dubai other in place of the current Al Aweer plant,” he said. “The Dhs1.55 billion project, covering an area of 670 hectares of land, has a capacity of processing 300,000 cubic metres per day, 150,000 cubic metres for each phase. The project is linked with several other strategic projects, which includes the establishment of giant pumping stations and pipelines to transfer sewage from different parts of the city of Dubai to the plant, as well as the transfer of treated irrigation water to different
areas of Dubai. It should be noted that the plant has been operated by Dubai Municipality staff without using any foreign companies,” said Julfar, adding the project also includes a treatment plant for solid waste, from which fertilizer is produced, making economic returns from the treatment process. Julfar also pointed to the second project is the construction of a sewage water pumping station and pumping lines rising to the X1 Plant, which is one of the five strategic projects delivered in January after its completion within the specified period of three years at a cost Dhs580 million. The third project is the construction of sewage pumping station “H” and the pumping lines emerging to the main treatment plant at Jebel Ali. It is also one of the five strategic projects, and have been completed at a cost Dhs191 million. The project includes building a new pumping station “H” near the 4.5 intersection on Sheikh Zayed Road with a pumping capacity of 2,000 litres per second. Julfar said the construction of sewage water pumping station “X1” and pumping lines rising to the main Jebel Ali treatment plant is also one of the five strategic projects, which was constructed at a cost of Dhs586 million within a period of two years. He noted that the project includes building a new pumping station “X1” near Arabian Ranches Roundabout with a pumping capacity of 9,600 litres per second Julfar said the Department completed the implementation of several irrigation projects to achieve the objective delivering potable water for irrigation resulting from the new main sewage treatment plant at Jebel Ali, especially
for new areas in the city of Dubai, including the areas around Sheikh Zayed Road and Business Bay, Dubai Marina and Aweer. “Thus the Department could cover all the green areas in Dubai through the project of extending a treated irrigation water line from the main treatment plant at Jebel Ali. This is also one of the five strategic projects constructed at a cost of Dhs258 million,” he said. In addition, there is yet another project of extending the main irrigation lines in different areas in Dubai. This project, completed recently at a cost Dhs310 million, also includes a pumping station located in the Dubai - Al Ain road for the delivery of irrigation water until the Jebel Ali – Al Hebab intersection. Besides, there is a project for main irrigation lines for Aweer Farms, which has been completed recently at a cost of Dhs103 million. The project, which covers an area of 1,346 hectares, involves construction of a pumping station with a capacity of 500litres/sec. The project for main irrigation lines on Dubai Bypass Road was completed recently at a cost of Dhs60 million. It includes construction of 12,100 metres long irrigation pipeline network with 1,400mm diameter. The project aims to use treated water for irrigation purposes in the projects developed along the line, as well as improve the pressure in the old network and the estimated capacity is 135,000 cubic metres per day.
The new book "Planejamento e Desenho da Paisagem - Sergio Santana" A new book features a series of works of the renowned landscape architect Sergio Santana to commemorate 34 years of his professional career. “Landscape Planning and Design” (Publisher C4) written by Ilka Stern Cohen. The publication includes designs created by Sergio Santana for homes, condos, businesses and hotels, in addition to a summary of his career that began alongside Roberto Burle Marx. In the early 1970s, Sergio traveled to the United States with the intention of studying English. There he took a course in landscape architecture from Louisiana State University. He then decided to extend his stay in and graduate as a landscape architect, a profession that was
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still unknown in Brazil. As a student, Sergio worked as a gardener and a driver for visitors interested in learning about gardens and nurseries in North America. In 1976 he was an intern with the landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, who at that time was already internationally known. Choosy, Burle Marx then asked the student to pass three months in the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro to study the flora. The publication is almost entirely comprised of brief descriptions of projects signed by Santana, illustrated with dozens of photos and drawings of his works.
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news & events
World Future Energy Summit 2011 Concludes with Record Attendee Levels The fourth World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2011 concluded in Abu Dhabi following four days of high level summit debate from international leaders and experts, and two exhibitions showcasing the latest technologies and innovations in renewable energy and environment This year’s summit attracted record levels of attendance, with over 26,000 attendees from 137 countries over the course of the four days. This represents a 6.5 per cent increase on the number of attendees in 2010. Additionally over 2,500 school and university students from across the UAE were given insights into the future of renewable energy through guided tours of the exhibition during the course of the event. The attendees included 3,150 international dignitaries, delegates, members of media and participants who attended the Opening Ceremony on Day One, which opened with a keynote address from HE Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General, United Nations. Ara Fernezian, Group Exhibitions Director at Reed Exhibitions, which organised WFES 2011, said, “WFES brings together the leaders in renewable energy, exhibitors, investors and technology providers from around the world to engage and interact with each other. The event
Abu Dhabi Event Secures Position as Global Platform for Advancement of Future Energy and attracts 26,000 attendees from 137 Countries continues to grow year on year and its success is testament to Abu Dhabi’s determination to become the global platform for effective dialogue on renewable energy and clean technology. It is encouraging to see such an increase in attendees from such a wide range of countries this year. Indeed, over 30 per cent of attendees came from outside the UAE, making it our most international WFES to date. We look forward to building on this success as we look towards WFES 2012.” WFES has been held in the UAE Capital for the past four years, bringing together some of the world’s key international policy makers, thought leaders and renewable energy experts to discuss the challenges of providing safe, secure and sustainable energy. This year’s event included a host of additional features held alongside the summit and exhibition, including the “Young
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Future Energy Leaders” programme, round table discussions, technology showcases and “The Project Village’. Speakers and exhibitors have hailed WFES 2011 a success, commending Abu Dhabi’s commitment to furthering renewable energy solutions, facilitating debate and innovation, and gave their outlooks for the industry. In an address during the Opening Ceremony of WFES 2011, HE Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General, said, “Abu Dhabi is becoming justifiably renowned as a hub of progress. You have brought remarkable wealth from the desert sands, and used it to create a vibrant modern nation. And your Masdar Initiative speaks of something more - a vision to build on and go beyond the age of fossil fuels to a new sustainable future. The decisions we make today on energy will have far-reaching consequences.”
China, France, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA and the UK. One of the key exhibition highlights this year was the inaugural Project Village, which took place on the WFES 2011 exhibition floor, and has been widely hailed as success, providing project developers with real opportunities to garner interest in their latest innovations from world leading technology and finance solution providers. Grant Calverley, President and Co-Founder of SkyMill Energy Inc., one of the exhibiting companies, said, “The level of interest we have received from visitors and potential partners at the Project Village is very encouraging and we have had a number of interested parties expressing interest in
meeting us again. We have also been ranked Number One Most Innovative Project at WFES by the UK’s Guardian newspaper, which we couldn’t have achieved without being a part of the Project Village.” Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and hosted by Masdar, the Abu Dhabi based Mubadala company focused on developing commercially scalable sustainable energy solutions, the World Future Energy Summit is a unique business platform aiding the global development and commercialisation of renewable energy solutions.
On the second day of the summit, Truman Semans, Principal, Green Order, USA; Former Executive Committee Member, US Climate Action Partnership, USA, addressed Business Forum delegates saying, “The new model we need for engagement between government, business, and civil society requires changing the way we behave. Engagement to achieve a clean energy revolution requires a Culture of Innovation that fosters Trust, a spirit of Collaboration, and strong Leadership. We are entering an age of radical transparency. I urge you as leaders in this sector to ask the uncomfortable questions.... Is it just about technology, or is it also about new models of engagement to tackle the challenges of forging a sustainable energy future?” Speaking during the Finance & Investment Forum on the final day of WFES, Lord Nicholas Stern, Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics, UK, and author of the acclaimed 2006 Stern Review Report on the Economics of Climate Change, suggested the scale of the opportunity for renewable energy is high. He said, “In order that climate change targets can be achieved, we face the need for a new industrial revolution. That industrial revolution needs policy change as a driver to reach the scale of change required. With fundamentally strong policy, we can also increase the pace of that change.” Exhibitors have also recognised the role the event plays in helping facilitate networking and investment opportunities. Sectors most represented include solar, wind, environment, green building and carbon capture, while national pavilions were hosted by countries including Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Portugal,
W P CC protec ts pr imeval forests. O ur first objec tive wa s to d e velop the technology to create a composite wood s u p e r i o r to natural wood in order to combat the thou g ht l e s s l u mber ing of forest trees.
Landscape I www.landscape-me.com I February 2011
news & events Wadi Hanifa Wetlands: A series of natural stone weirs were built in order to introduce oxygen into the water as it passes over and through them and helps to reduce the amount of pollution in the Wadi. Photo courtesy of Aga Khan Award for Architecture / Arriyadh Development Authority.
Five projects receive 2010 Aga Khan Award for Architecture The five projects selected for the 2010 Aga Khan Award for Architecture were announced at a ceremony at the Museum of Islamic Art. His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani the Emir of Qatar and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser joined His Highness the Aga Khan in presiding over the ceremony. The five projects selected by the 2010 Master Jury are: • Wadi Hanifa Wetlands, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia • Revitalisation of the Hypercentre of Tunis, Tunisia • Madinat Al-Zahra Museum, Cordoba, Spain • Ipekyol Textile Factory, Edirne, Turkey • Bridge School, Xiashi, Fujian, China At the Award ceremony, His Highness the Aga Khan presented the Chairman’s Award to Professor Oleg Grabar in recognition of his lifetime contribution to the field of Islamic art and architecture. The
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View of mashrabiyya-type openings, and reflecting pool. Photo courtesy of Aga Khan Award for Architecture / Melissa Walsh, Maximillian Jacobson-Gonzalez
Souleymane Bachir Diagne (Professor, Department of Philosophy, Columbia University, USA) Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj (Architect; Chief Executive Officer, Syria Trust for Development, Syria) Salah M. Hassan (Art historian and curator; Director, Institute for Comparative Modernities, Cornell University, USA) Faryar Javaherian (Architect and curator; co-founder of Gamma Consultants, Iran) Anish Kapoor (Artist, UK)
Kongjian Yu (Landscape architect and urbanist; founder and dean of Graduate School of Landscape Architecture, Peking University, China) Jean Nouvel (Architect; founding partner, Ateliers Jean Nouvel, France) Alice Rawsthorn (Design critic, International Herald Tribune, UK) Basem Al Shihabi (Architect; Managing Partner, Omrania & Associates, Saudi Arabia).
Interior view of the central building after restoration. Photo courtesy of Aga Khan Award for Architecture / Salah Jabeur.
Chairman’s Award was established to honour achievements that fall outside the scope of the Master Jury’s mandate and is made in recognition of the lifetime achievements of distinguished architects and academics. It has been presented on only three previous occasions. The winning projects were selected by an independent Master Jury from a shortlist of 19 projects announced in May 2010. A total of 401 projects were presented for consideration for the 2010 Award. In their statement, the Master Jury noted that a central concern in making their selection had been the issues of identity and plurality and their intersection in an increasingly globalised world. They emphasised the generous and pluralistic visions reflected through the winning projects, and the transformative roles they have played in the improvement of the quality of the built environment both in places with a majority of Muslims and in societies where Muslims are in a minority. The 2010 Award Master Jury The Awards are selected by an independent Master Jury appointed by the Steering Committee for each three-year Award cycle. The nine members of the 2010 Master Jury are:
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news & events The Event was attended by more than 150 professionals representing major consultants, contractors and various governmental agencies.
Water Saving Techniques using Subsurface Drip Irrigation and Weather Based Control Systems
Dr. Michael Dowgert (Director of Marketing, Netafim USA) presented different drip irrigation methods and their various applications with special emphasis on subsurface drip irrigation. He discussed in details the different applications of surface and subsurface drip irrigation and the benefits and the challenges we can expect to face in each application, he went through and discussed the various components used in subsurface drip irrigation systems and the importance of built in emitters in driplines; emphasizing on the fact that the emitters shall be of the pressure compensating type, with continuous self cleaning mechanism and a built-in check valve feature.
Middle East Agriculture Company (MEAC) in cooperation with Hunter Industries and Netafim USA conducted on the 25th of January 2011 in Abu Dhabi a seminar titled Water Saving Techniques using Subsurface Drip Irrigation and Weather Based Control Systems.
Dr Dowgert indicated that all Netafim Pressure compensating drippers posess a physical barrier against root intrusion and an extra chemical preventive measure is also possible by using Tecfilters. He said that the primary goal when specifying drip irrigation system is to reduce water consumption and the key to success is by: · Choosing the Right System: whether Surface drip or Subsurface Drip Systems. · Quality Equipment: (Built in dripper, fittings etc.)
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Dr. Michael Dowgert
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Mr Hanna Zaidan
conservation is the goal, maximizing the efficiency and uniformity of all irrigation systems can be done by the continuous adaptation of the following trends: Weather-Based Irrigation Controllers & Sensors, Low Precipitation rate Equipment, Low Volume Equipment, and High Application Uniformity Equipment
· Proper Design (by experienced professionals) · System Management (Measurement and Control) The 2nd Speaker in this event, Mr Hanna Zaidan (Hunter Industries, Area Manger) discussed in his presentations the new trends in water conserving. Mr Zaidan said water is in critical supply, decision makers and designers are becoming more environmentally conscious and that we are stewards of the most precious natural resource on earth. Hunter Industries are committed to blue and water
He continued to explain thoroughly the seven water saving equipment currently available: · Efficient & Uniform application devices · Sensors · Check Valves · Pressure Regulators · MP Rotator · ET – SMART Controllers · Management & Control Systems Mr Zaidan finally remarked that as an irrigation industry we currently possess the technology and the required tools, products and systems to achieve water conservation while maintaining a healthy and visually appealing landscape.
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new products INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS
Clear – Clean - beautiful Water! – Kasco Marine has the answers
Aeration to Improve Water Quality and Aesthetics Water quality and keeping bodies of water clean has become and will continue to be a hot topic around the world. With limited clean, fresh water available on the planet, it is necessary to help protect and keep water clean and safe. A simple and effective way to do this with surface water is to aerate. Aeration is the process of adding oxygen to a body of water. This occurs naturally through wind action at the surface and through biological processes like photosynthesis. However, often times this is not enough to keep the water clean and in good condition. Supplemental aeration is needed and this is where Kasco Marine is there to help. By adding supplemental aeration, you can assist nature in cleaning the water. Oxygen present in the water will not only help protect the fish and other living organisms in the pond, it also helps reduce organics and contaminants. High oxygen levels throughout the water column will allow for naturally occurring bacteria to more rapidly decompose organic material from plant growth, animal waste, and contaminant runoff. It will also ensure that this decomposition is done by aerobic bacteria that will produce CO2 as a byproduct instead of methane and sulfur compounds, which leads to less harmful gases in the pond and reduction in foul pond odor. Kasco Marine offers a wide variety of products that will help clean and maintain healthy water, no matter what your application. The High Oxygen Transfer aerators are the perfect solution when high oxygen and water movement is
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needed. If you are looking for something more decorative the VFX and JF series fountains provide both beauty and aeration. Robust-Aire diffused aeration allows for mixing and aerating of deep ponds and large bodies of water very economically. Finally, the water circulators allow for directional flow and mixing in hard to reach areas. Improving and maintaining the water quality in your pond or body of water is important not only for aesthetics and the look of the property, but also the overall health of your property and property value. Using supplemental aeration not
only improves the health of the pond, but also the aesthetics. Depending on the condition of the pond, you may need to look at other treatments combined with aeration especially if there are large amounts of plant growth or years of organic deposits. However, aeration should be used with any of these other treatments to improve the effectiveness and protect fish and other species from harm during the treatments. Kasco aeration systems are available in a wide range of convenient easy to install modular formats including optional light kits to further enhance aesthetics for a variety of applications
Kasco Marine products are marketed exclusively throughout the Middle East by Fitco Industries, Jebel Ali ‘Free Zone’, UAE. Tel.: 04-2221217 • Fax: 04-2289130 Email: fitcoind@emirates.net.ae Website: www.fitcoirrigation.com
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interview
Interview with John A. Davis Landscape Consultants
Green house Can you give us a description about your educational and professional background?
Following secondary school in 1959, I was fortunate enough to obtain probationary employment as a nursery boy with the City of Manchester Parks Department in the U.K. This was a natural step for me as I had always had an affinity with the plant kingdom and the natural world in general. After a year, I was deemed worthy of being made an indentured horticultural apprentice and received a comprehensive education in nursery practice and amenity horticulture, which included a year at Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden and a year or so in the department’s technical office, where I experienced the practical application of the principles of landscape and garden design learnt at college.
My period on probation and my apprenticeship has been the bedrock of my career. I feel I am heir
Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden
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to that tradition, and have been much influenced by the combination of architectural features and landscape found in these great gardens.
As regards my professional status, this has been achieved through innate design ability and work in the field. Recognized by my peers, it led to my being elected a fellow of the Society of Landscape and Garden Designers (now the Society of Garden Designers), followed by membership of the Institute of Horticulture; the American Society of Landscape Architects; and The International Federation of Landscape Architects; also, through the design and construction of a garden on a Japanese theme, which was awarded The Royal Horticultural Society’s Gold Medal at the 1983 Chelsea Flower Show. This was the first garden that reflected my personal philosophy: to please the eye, gladden the heart and nourish the soul; and, according to the appreciative comments of visitors to the Show, as well as from a journalist who described it as “a
Stowe Gardens and Chatsworth garden to draw the lines from every furrowed brow and leave you at peace with the world and sinking into its beauty,” it achieved its purpose. Who (or what) are the biggest inspirations of your career?
The biggest inspiration was the realization that I had the ability to design – design on paper that is, for hitherto my design expertise had been expressed on site by physically building a garden from pictures seen in my head – instant garden making!
The realization that I could design on paper in a spatial sense happened during the financial crisis of the mid nineteen seventies. I was a partner in a landscape design and build firm with horticultural retail premises in Chelsea, London. During one particular afternoon, all our A Japanese Garden contracts evaporated. Our Clients, most of who were bankers, one after another telephoned to say that they had lost their job and would not be able to proceed with our services. Consequently, staff had to be laid-off and this included the services of our landscape designer. When the UK economy improved and work began to come in again, I was prompted to undertake the design-work myself and was astonished at what appeared on the drawing board. It seemed that the essence of what had been learnt at college and in the technical office during my apprenticeship, as well as knowledge acquired in the field, was reflected in the designs I produced.
It was through my colleague Ray, that I was introduced to the inspirational spiritual philosophy and work of Lawrence Halprin, the great American landscape architect who passed away last year. Lawrence Halprin’s aim was, as he put it, “to create a mystical place where one would be inspired to reach into oneself.” Another designer whose work has influenced me and, indeed, inspired me is David Summerscales, during my
A park designed by Lawrence Halprin
apprenticeship David was chief landscape designer in Manchester Parks Department’s Technical Office. I am drawing on a reservoir of knowledge absorbed from David in those early years.
Of equal inspirational value, and which has proved to be catalytic to my view of the design professions involved with the built environment, was an experience I had in Athens with a villa designed by architect Nicos Valsamakis, recognized as Greece’s greatest living architect. I realized, as a direct experience that architecture, as practiced by masters
St George’s Gardens such as Valsamakis, can provide a portal to higher states of being and in consequence and in combination with landscape architecture or garden design can lead to happiness. What is the history of your practice?
The practice was established in Britain in the 1970s, initially as a design-build firm, operating in the London before becoming exclusively design-orientated in the mid 1980s, after the firm had begun undertaking overseas appointments, which included Nigeria, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, Oman, Morocco and Italy. There was a break in the late 1980s when the practice was absorbed by Blanchards PLC and following the financial crisis, which soon ensued when the holding company ceased trading I resumed self-employment, undertaking a couple of palace projects in Bahrain. This led to the Ministry of Housing, Bahrain, inviting me to join on a seconded basis (through Arif Sadiq Design Consultants) a newly formed design team at the Central Municipal Council. After termination of this contract I was appointed landscape consultant to the Ministry of Housing Special
The pavement in the Mulberry Walk Chelsea Garden
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interview
Sketches from the garden in Mulberry Walk Chelsea Projects Department in connection with the development of one of the islands that make up the Bahrain archipelago. Following the successful completion of this assignment in 1994, I registered the practice in Bahrain. Since then, while most appointments have been in Bahrain, others have included the UK (this in response to an invitation from the Royal Horticultural Society for a garden design in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales), Malta, Greece, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and India. What is your most memorable project and why?
All of my projects, for one reason or another, are memorable, though those which have been particularly significant in expanding my awareness or raising my consciousness or representing a channel through which the creative principle has been able to express itself particularly clearly, these include the Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal Garden and the Palace Garden in Abu Dhabi. This garden is memorable for several reasons: a) it was my first project in the Middle East; b) I abandoned the brief; c) it was the first occasion I reflected the principles of Islamic garden design; and d) the design intent aimed symbolically to unite heaven and earth.
Another significant project was the Equestrian Palace Garden, though current; this garden is memorable as it’s the first that I have been involved with that is being created mainly in honour of the Arabian horse. The garden allows for paddocks, parkland for grazing, and exercise trails, I designed the approach to the stable or equestrian palace in a formal manner to the glory of the Arabian Horse, this was directly inspired by a visit to the client’s stables at the local racecourse where, for my benefit and that of a colleague, these wonderful animals were put through their paces. The garden will be home to other animals, such as various breeds of Saluki, the Arabian hunting dog, and like the Arabian horse, sleek and elegant. The graceful and sensitive Arabian gazelle will be represented, along with various types of falcon and other birds, including herons, which are a natural feature on the seashore bordering the site. An animal native to the site is the mongoose – I have seen two so far; and there are ring - necked doves and palm doves, which along with other bird life, live among the existing date palms and fruit trees.
Palace Garden in Abu Dhabi 18
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A further memorable project is the weekend retreat. This project marked a milestone because the work has largely been allowed to speak for itself, without its abstract qualities being described - such has been my confidence that it would be appreciated at that level!
The garden was to have a Caribbean feel to it, and though a structure was required, the one shown in perspective is Thai in character and, though not rejected, it was pointed out by the client’s representative that it was not in accordance with the brief. Of course, this was correct, but it was included simply on the basis of its elegance. Also, the pool was circular while the client preferred a rectangular shape.
A perspective shows the scene adjusted to accommodate a structure in Caribbean style, inspired by the architecture of buildings I had seen on vacation in that part of the world last year. The swimming pool in each of the perspectives is infinity edge in style, giving the impression of merging with the sea. Another drawing is a rough sketch in order to meet the date promised for the submission of the revised package. The after-thought came about as I felt that perspective lacked balance, for in redesigning the swimming pool as a rectangle, the plants which formerly occupied the extended area and which balanced the scheme, were removed, creating a lop-sided effect. Reintroducing the Thai style structure restored equilibrium and with the other structure framed the scene and with the client’s boat as the focal point, plus the pool itself merging with the sea, the whole, though not fully worked-up, presented a pleasing picture which, I am delighted to say, the client approved in its entirety. The project actually involves two gardens - that discussed above for the client himself, and the other for his children.
Landscape I December LandscapeI www.landscape-me.com I www.landscape-me.com I February2010 2011
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interview
Sketches from the Equistrian Palace
Sketches showing the Carribean influence in the Equistrian Palace The plans for both, covering the initial concept and the revised one are shown below. Organic and Biodynamic Garden
This will be memorable, as it is the first occasion that I have been approached in connection with this type of garden.
The organic garden is one in which organic, i.e. carbonderived, decomposed materials, such as animal manure, composts and mulches are used to maintain and improve soil fertility, without resorting to synthetic chemical means. The organic garden also eschews the use of chemicals in the control of pests and diseases, relying instead on such measures as insecticidal soap, bacteria, Neem and potassium bicarbonate, as well as, sound horticultural practice; and, in the case of the vegetable garden, the rotation of crops. Another name for organic gardening is traditional gardening – the form practiced for centuries before the introduction of synthetic chemicals. The biodynamic garden, developed from ideas promulgated by Austrian philosopher and mystic, Rudolf Steiner, while incorporating the principles of the organic garden, reflects a more inclusive or holistic approach which seeks to work more closely with Nature and incorporates a cosmic dimension. A similar philosophy may be found in Bahraini date palm gardens, where horticultural practices relate to what are called lunar mansions. These are periods in the year, now for example, i.e. the mansion Al Shaulah – the first half of January, when stars in particular constellations, in this instance Scorpio, are thought to emanate beneficial
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influences on such horticultural practices as the planting of aubergines, water melons and leafy vegetables as well as seasonal bedding plants. It is also an auspicious time for planting fruit trees.
Another aspect of this way of gardening relates to the elements of creation, these being earth, air, fire and water, symbolically found in the layout of the traditional Islamic garden, and which find expression as nature spirits (known as Jinns in Arabia and as genies to children the world over through the story of Alladin’s Lamp!) capable of communicating with humans sensitive enough to be aware of them.
Though I was not aware of elementals contributing to the design of the Nigerian garden, I included a sculpture of a unicorn as the terminal point of the drive leading up to the entrance of the client’s residence. Perhaps influenced by the healing, reconciliatory intent of nature spirits, I designed planting beds with semi-enclosures for featuring examples of Nigerian tribal art as a means of contributing to the healing process and in pursuit of national unity. Despite the fact of not being aware of nature spirits, as individual entities, as such, this does not apply to the landscape, for I have a deep affinity with the land and am keenly aware of the genius loci or the spirit of place, which speaks to me in an abstract language and translates as mental images, which I then copy on paper. www.johnadavieslandscapes.com
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international designs By Natasha Tourish
Aerial photo by Jim Olive
A
prime example of how an opportunity to re-develop a deserted downtown area was not passed by can be seen in Texas, USA, where a twelve-acre public park was constructed in the heart of downtown Houston and has not only transformed the look of the immediate area but has also facilitated the revitalization of the surrounding urban district.
Discovery Green was constructed from a site that was a ‘left over’ piece of land between the core of downtown Houston, the convention center and hotel, and two major sports and entertainment venues - 12 acres comprised largely of windswept surface parking, a somewhat “desolate site” according to Ms Mary Margaret Jones, the Sr. Principal in charge of Discovery Green and a representative of Hargreaves Associates- a landscape
architecture and urban design firm with offices in San Francisco, New York, Cambridge (Massachusetts) and London. The team who transformed downtown Houston included the architecture firm Page Sutherland Page, headed by Lawrence Speck as the architect for the buildings within the park; Lauren Griffith a local landscape architect who assisted in plant selection, materials and local landscape issues; and the artists: Margo Sawyer and Douglas Hollis as well as a full range of engineers and other specialty consultants. Hargreaves Associates led the consultant team’s work from design through to construction observation for the $52m park and below-grade garage projects. Mary Margaret credits the Mayor of Houston and philanthropic
Discovery Green revitalizes downtown Houston In the midst of downtown urban living it’s a luxury to have a Green open space that acts as focal point for residents to come together to eat, play and relax. The social and environmental importance of such parks is often overlooked by expenditure-orientated CEO’s who fail to see the potential of rejuvenating derelict open spaces in urban areas. 22
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The Oak Trees along the Brown Foundation Promenade Photo by James Lacombe
The Grove Photo by Jeff Fitlow
leaders who took the decision to create a park for downtown Houston and; “develop a place that would help reposition downtown and that would spur urban and social change in the area, whereas previous to this all future plans for the city called for mixed-use developments all around the site but there were no specific developments proposed for the area.” She said: “Since it’s opening in 2008, the park has surpassed all expectations with park visitation numbers exceeding 500,000 between April and December 2008. The park has already proved to be an extremely effective catalyst for redevelopment; adjacent residential and office towers are currently under construction, and two additional hotels will soon occupy the remaining open blocks next to the park.” It’s evident from the unique ‘sense of place’ that the park reflects in it’s design that Mary Margaret’s involvement with Discovery Green ran deeper than her role as lead landscape designer for Hargreaves; she explained that she grew up just outside of Houston so she was privy to facts about the local environment and culture, along with a familiarity of the local climate, which enabled her to effectively instill the essence of Houston in the design. “It was extremely important that the park be specifically of Houston, and constructed with identity-defining (and sustainable) local materials. In addition to using native and regionally appropriate plant materials throughout the park, Texas Pink and Red granites link the park’s plazas, fountains, and decomposed granite paths to the mountains of West Texas, while the distinctive red-orange St. Joes bricks bring a similar local color palette to the park architecture,” she explained. She also points to the changing trends in residential living as a catalyst for creating Discovery Green: “The revitalization of America’s urban cores and swift increase in residential populations has intensified and diversified programmatic demands on urban parks. Discovery Green embraces this trend by overlaying an extremely high density of programming in creative ways that allow the park to perform as a living fabric of activities and experiences as diverse as Houston’s population. “The positive role major parks play in creating sustainable urban fabric has long been known, but the impressive scale and immediacy of revitalization, radiating outward from Discovery Green, shows the extent to which this new central park is shaping a new destiny for Houston, and transforming the urban experience of residents and visitors,” she said. Discovery Green Planting Design Lauren Griffith Associates who collaborated with Hargreaves Associates on the design of the overall park and developed the planting design for Discovery Green explained how it was her responsibility to create a complex, rich environment for downtown Houston through her ‘strategic’ plant selection in the park.
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international designs
The Lake House terrace and Model Boat Basin Photo by Jeff Fitlow “Because the park is used by both residents and visitors to the convention center who may only experience it once, particular care was taken to have a succession of blooms throughout the year, including Saucer Magnolias and Camellias in winter. “We also strategically placed trees to provide shade and funnel prevailing breezes in the hot summer temperatures. A mix of evergreen and deciduous trees provide structure for the park as well as yearround blooms and carefully balance colours for the fall season,” she said. Ms Griffiths said that the layout and design of the park ensured that there was a place within the park to suit everyone’s needs. “The Wortham Gardens area was conceived as a quieter part of the park where visitors could stroll, sit by a tranquil fountain, play bocce ball, shuffleboard, putt on a green and enjoy rich plantings throughout the year. Themed gardens include a rose garden, lily garden, mixed bulb garden, annuals garden, Texas natives garden, tropical garden, scent garden, global garden with plants from around the world and Texas heritage garden with plants typically found in Houston’s classic landscapes, along with the hummingbird and butterfly gardens. A roof garden continues the pattern when viewed from the adjacent high-rises. Located over the kitchen of the restaurant nestled in the oaks, the garden provides herbs for the kitchen.”
“And it is always a challenge to provide a rich, diverse plant palette that is easily maintained in a public place. We used hardy plants, including old and adapted roses that require no spraying. Discovery Green uses all organic materials in its maintenance program along with a state of the art irrigation system that utilizes a combination of drip and spray heads for water efficiency and ease of maintenance,” she added. Design concepts of Discovery Green Lead landscape architect, Mary Margaret explained that the park was organized around the structure of two dynamically juxtaposed cross axes, inherent within the existing site. The Crawford Promenade, a previous street vacated to consolidate park land, serves as the park’s central activity spine and armature of all major park spaces.
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“The perpendicular Oak Allee celebrates a corridor of 100 year-old heritage oaks, re-creating a historic east-west connection across the site, and linking the Convention Center with downtown retail and office towers. The Oak Allee’s warm limestone path and seating nooks, set within a rich garden environment beneath the majestic overhanging canopies of the historic oaks, are a dramatic counterpoint to the highly-activated Crawford Promenade. At a finer grain, the simple linear east-west organization of tree bands, program bands, and architecture channels cooling summer breezes across the park and accentuates dramatic views of downtown high-rises. “South of the Oak Allee, the unique Urban Garden is a finely-textured and programmed mosaic comprised of themed botanic gardens, small scale recreation, performance spaces, interactive public art, and a small garden fountain. North of the Oak Allee, the Great Lawn occupies the heart of the park and provides multi-use space for active recreation and temporary events, as diverse as ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ and a recent ‘Lyle Lovett’ concert. Further north, Kinder Lake is punctuated by water gardens set between hardwood piers extending into the lake, and lush riparian plantings that transition into informal drifts of native trees and tall gulf coast grasses. Stone seating terraces and the hardwood piers draw visitors to the waters edge, encouraging them to cool their feet in the lake. The lake wraps around the slightly raised central performance stage allowing the audience on the landform amphitheater to enjoy expansive views over the water, Crawford Promenade, Interactive Fountain and Great Lawn, with the Houston skyline as a dramatic backdrop.
However, as it’s a multi-purpose park designed to not just to ‘look pretty’ but be of practical use for diverse activities like playing sports, hosting small concerts, having lunch and quiet reading, the landscape design team had difficulties in finding turf that would withstand the intense foot traffic that the great lawn and amphitheater slope received but Ms Griffiths said that: “Integrating stabilizing fibers into the soil mix created a more erosion resistant lawn.” She added: “The lawn and amphitheater are constructed over an underground parking garage, so the soil had to be fairly porous and lightweight. Careful coordination with structural engineers allowed us to locate trees between upturned beams for greater planting depth.
“This linear plaza, shaded by large Mexican Sycamore trees and defined by iconic paving and lighting, supports farmers markets, art fairs and parades, while linking the central activity of the park to major sporting venues to the north and south.
Gateway Fountain Photo by James Lacombe
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“The quadrant of the park closest to residential development is designed as a family-oriented area with consolidated programming for visitors of all ages, the centerpieces of which are the large Interactive Fountain and the “Central Flyway” Play Area. The Interactive Fountain is a dynamic ‘web
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Mist Tree Photo by Jim Olive
of water’ created by hundreds of small interwoven jets that randomly pulse on and off to the delight of children who dodge and jump through this fluid maze. This low web is periodically displaced by large cascading jets creating a civic-scale display and visual terminus to one of downtown’s major thoroughfares. Dog runs, picnic tables, ample shaded seating, a small puppet theater, and the Lake House Café complete the family area, creating a composite environment that encourages families to often spend the day in the park. “The park’s simple design structure makes the 12acre site seem much larger, by creating a sequence of overlapping outdoor spaces while still preserving a sense of openness and cohesion as a single place, memorable and specific to its context. Many first-time visitors to the park remark upon the extraordinary diversity of activities and spaces, while repeat visitors discover that their experiences are a fundamental component of the parks’ character. The park empowers visitors to make their own play, their own place, and their own program, with ample room for imagination and unscripted uses.” She explained. Sustainability and Water Conservation “The Grove Restaurant, the Lake house Café, and the Park Building are all LEED Silver certified. The park architecture is characterized by expansive glass faces on the north exposure, capturing natural lighting and creating contiguous indoor/outdoor relationships, while large shaded outdoor verandas on southern exposures reduce solar heat gain and encourage outdoor seating and gathering by providing shelter from Houston’s characteristic hot sun and downpours. The veranda shade structures are composed of large banks of photovoltaic panels and solar water heating elements which significantly offset the park’s energy consumption. Even the below-grade garage is tied to the park-wide sustainability strategies, with the permanent dewatering system (and harvested roof water) providing refill for the lake, reducing both water consumption and storm water discharge,” Mary Margaret said.
She added: “In the realization of Discovery Green both the client and us recognized the importance of economic sustainability by successfully integrating a healthy balance of revenue-generating uses that dramatically reduce its reliance upon public funding. The $52M public park was primarily funded by private donations and is operated by a private nonprofit conservancy. Revenues generated by the parks two restaurants, occasional paid performances, fundraising events, and rental of multiple performance/ gathering spaces for private parties, account for the majority of its annual operating budget. Integration of the below-grade garage into the park allowed the City to donate land for the creation of the park while facilitating the City’s annual $750K commitment towards park O&M costs. In an era when public agencies are straining to operate and maintain signature urban parks, Discovery Green achieves a measure of economic sustainability by seamlessly incorporating revenue-generating amenities while
improving the character of the park - without compromising essential public-ness, civic-ness, and experiential qualities.” Mary Margaret said that the importance of creating a sustainable environment could not be underestimated which is why they used drip irrigation where possible in the park and in addition they used LED lighting throughout the park and shade structures incorporated solar water heaters for water use within the cafe’ and restrooms. And finally, unrecognized by many park visitors, a 4-acre, 620-stall parking garage was seamlessly integrated into a layered structure that supports the Great Lawn, amphitheater landform, stage, lake, and café building. “The park design creatively resolved a multitude of technical and design challenges by encasing the large parking structure entrance and parking ramp within the slope and volume of the landform amphitheater, transforming what could have been a major visual nuisance into an attractive and functional park amenity. Garage stairwells and ventilation shafts, typically anomalous objects within a park environment, were designed as evocative public art elements,” She said. However, there were several major challenges to the design of the park - one was to accommodate the many desired uses for the park (as Ms Griffiths already pointed out) without creating a ‘Disney-like’ atmosphere.
Margo Sawyer’s “Synchronicity of Color” Photos by Jeff Fitlow 26
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“The client very much wanted the park to be a draw and to be used as a practical facility, but they also wanted to be sure that it would be beautiful, funky for kids and of course green. In the design of the park, which involved an extensive public process, we sought to find ways to edit the program as appropriate and to find combination solutions to desired elements. Thus, the stand alone tree house instead became the publicly accessible upper deck of the restaurant nestled in the boughs of the existing live oaks, and the bocce court, putting green and dog runs became part of the structure of the gardens, merely additional garden plots within the overall series of different gardens, and the puppet theater
Lynda L. Transier Bandstand Photo by James Lacombe
became part of the park building, allowing flexibility of its ultimate use. This strategic realization of the programming for the park thus gives it an overall open quality and predominately green character.” She continued: “Another major challenge was the schedule; the client wanted the park to be designed and built within a very tight time frame, one that demanded productivity, quick but thoughtful decisions and adaptability in the face of inevitable changes. As the prime consultants for the project we were leading a fairly large team of other designers, engineers, specialists and artists and undertaking tasks concurrently that might often more typically be sequential. Though challenging this did not lead to significant compromises, a fact that is testament to a motivated City and Mayor, dedicated Conservancy, generous philanthropy, excellent management, talented project team and good Contractor. “And finally the other challenge in the designing of the park was to create a place that would answer any and all of the occasional skeptical questions about the park’s possibility of success - the questions of who would go there, why, and would it become one more unused, mostly empty urban space. The park’s overwhelming success and continued high use answer these challenges.” She concluded: “It was always important that the park be specifically of Houston, not a park that would feel right anywhere else. The park is made of local materials and celebrates the landscape of Houston, from the existing avenue of gracious heritage oaks to the gardens filled with a rich array of the plants that will grow and thrive in the region’s climate to the theme of the play area which celebrates Houston’s diverse ecology. It was also critical to address the scale of the site, a site that seemed scale-less, open and comprehensible all at once. The park’s design makes the site seem much larger, a sequence of spaces that create outdoor rooms, while still preserving a sense of openness and cohesion as one place, a place that is memorable and specific to its context, a place just right for Houston.”
John P. McGovern Playground Photo by James Lacombe Landscape I www.landscape-me.com I February 2011
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parks The city of Mendoza lies at the foot of the Andes Mountains and belongs to the province of the same name, in Argentina. This city is built within a very arid and desert-like larger area which, over time, has been transformed into a green and attractive place. The construction of a system of “acequias� (or urban ditches) which are fed by distant rivers and appear throughout the city, has helped to concrete a very efficient irrigation plan and has also became the landmark of the city.
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Abandoned railways land turned into a central park By Jimena Martignoni
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he city, which has 150,000 inhabitants, offers a traditional large park and a series of smaller parks and plazas, but this seems to have been not enough to avoid migration from the city to the periphery during the 1990s. For this reason, the local government decided, in 2000, to create a new large park out of the conversion of a piece of abandoned land located at the exact geographical center of the city. Covering almost 14 hectares, this land was owned by the national government and had made part of an important service area of the railway in past decades, including a main station and a series of warehouses. After some negotiations the land’s ownership was ceded to the city and the local government held an international competition for the design and transformation of the abandoned area. The first stage would focus on nine hectares that would make the park itself, and the rest would provide cultural installations in the renovated warehouses. The competition was awarded to a team of architects based in Buenos Aires, who traveled back and forth to visit the site and accomplish the design. So far, the only portion that has been finished is the park. The conceptual layout of the park responds to the formal presence and significance of the railroad, or what has left of it on the area. According to architect Daniel Becker, one of the lead designers: “The project is not rooted into the geometry of the city, but into the geometry of the remains of the railways.” In this manner, the shapes and lines that crossed the land are taken as meaningful silhouettes or “scars”, which become the symbol and foundation of the project. On the one hand, the northwest-southeast position of the
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warehouses on the site determines the position of all new esplanades and main built elements of the park, such as paved surfaces, planted areas and the lake; on the other hand, the virtual overlapping of horizontal planes and lines in the park reminds those of the old railroad. The nine hectares that constitute the park and the five hectares that are occupied by the warehouses were previously separated by a vehicular street, running north-south. In the competition’s program, one of the requests was the creation of a physical connection – specifically a pedestrian bridge – between these two areas, and the team decided to generate an underpass in order to preserve the existing vehicular flow, and to build retaining walls on the border of the park. The new two pedestrian bridges are parallel to the old industrial constructions, following the directions of their architectural lines on the land, and connect directly to the linear esplanades of the park. Another main decision for the conceptual layout of the project was the comprehension of the park as one which is halfway between the scale of a large park and the scale of an urban plaza. As a result, two different and easily recognizable situations are generated at the site: a green “buffer”, composed of lawn slopes and clusters of large trees, which
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extends around the entire perimeter of the park and more radically around the lake; and a central institutional-looking plaza, or series of interconnected plazas, which offer passive and active recreational areas. In order to incorporate sportive activities through which people can relate to the place in a daily basis, the project provides a jogging circuit developed at street level and framed by flowering trees. Along three of the secondary streets that outline the park, appear also the parking lots requested in the program. The “heart” of the park is a series of horizontal planes, mostly paved, which alternate with water surfaces, green esplanades and some wooden decks. Following the northwestsoutheast direction of these compositions, the project negotiates the existing elevation changes by building a long retaining concrete wall that acts as a solid limit between planes and is also a waterfall. The upper areas of the park become terraces that overlook the lower parts of the park, and which are connected through stairs of different widths and shapes. This strongly linear element provides a markedly sense of direction in the park and demarcate areas; in the southeast tip of the park, this wall establishes a connection with Plaza del Reloj (Clock Plaza), a small access plaza where
Landscape I www.landscape-me.com I February 2011
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parks lies a sun clock. The refreshing presence of water, in the waterfall and in the fountain underneath, attracts groups of people during hot summer days and, at night, when dramatically illuminated, turns into a place of congregation. Additionally, water comes out as a major presence when defines a large artificial lake. Framed, at two of its sides, by green slopes where people gather and sit around underneath the trees, this aquatic component provides a natural ambiance within the park. Wooden decks whose edges are planted with willows, ducks swimming, and the distant view of the mountains, contrast with the paved and stone surfaces of the adjacent areas. Jutting into the water, a pier-like platform offers an arrival area for visitors sitting and walking on the slopes, especially kids who run downwards and want to get as close as possible to the water. At the very end of this pier, an existing large native tree was preserved as a witness of the process of transformation, providing shade and shelter. As part of the project, the architects designed every single piece of furniture, the lighting posts, and the playgrounds. Although not all of the furniture pieces were actually built and incorporated into the site, there are some elements which add a strong architectural image. The public restrooms are concentrated in a box-like volume made of concrete; its main façade, the one facing the park, is finished with wooden pieces that, together, appear as a single plane which repeats the linear silhouettes and constructions in the park. With identical design, but responding to a much smaller scale, are the kiosks and security booths.
The different modules that compose the playgrounds are located, one after the other, in front of the dividing wall and waterfall, confirming a subtle dialogue between the different elements of the park and the reference to the horizontality of the lines of the past. The planting plan follows this poetic too, and creates some rows of dense flowering shrubs along the playgrounds, or rows of large poplars and jacarandas along the connecting paths and pedestrian bridges. After a few years of the completion of a first stage, this park looks quite settled and it’s usually
crowded. However, the level of maintenance is not the expected and part of the original design has decayed. Hopefully, with the long-anticipated second stage of the project, which will renovate the warehouses, the site would be able to recover its initial image. Although it has not been decided yet if the current officials will finish the project designed for the competition, almost ten years ago, the renovation is supposed to follow the same patterns and concepts.
Designers: Architects Daniel Becker – Claudio Ferrari – Oscar Fuentes Project Managers: Daniel Becker – Claudio Ferrari Location: Mendoza, Argentina Size: 1st stage (park): 9 hectares 2nd stage (warehouses): 5 hectares Date of completion: 1st stage: 2005 - 2nd stage: in process
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new technology
Airport Ground Safety Technology has landed in the Middle East By Raymond Sport
S
ynthetic turf has been around for decades to provide maintenance, environmental and durability alternatives to natural grass. As the technology has improved, the number of applications for synthetic turf has also increased. The Latest use for turf has been developed by American aviation surface technology experts AvTurf. They have developed and patented an artificial system that solves many of the challenges of airport managers. The AvTurf system can replace the natural turf groundcover at an airport to control erosion, significantly reduce the debriscausing effects of jet blast, deter birds and animals, and stabilize runway/taxi shoulders and infield islands. It also enhances visibility to pilots on approach, reduces maintenance needs in safety areas, and provides stable areas for emergency response vehicles to drive over the turf and directly to an accident. AvTurf’s President of Sales and Operations Daniel McSwain comments, “We are very pleased to have entered into this exclusive strategic alliance with ACT Global Sports. They
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are the leading artificial grass manufacturer Worldwide with an excellent reputation for integrity and technical expertise. ACT Global is also known to have the highest quality installation standards in the industry. When installing AvTurf at an airport experience and technical expertise are essential components of the project team since the installation must withstand the extreme forces of jet blast.. ACT Global’s ability to market, manufacture and execute large scale airport projects around the world was a major factor when deciding on this strategic partnership”. John Baize, Director of ACT Global states, “AvTurf has pioneered an excellent application for synthetic turf. We are impressed by their patent portfolio and unique system design. This combination along with our manufacturing strength and project management expertise especially in the Middle East will enable a tremendous growth opportunity. With backgrounds in aviation, airport security and the military the AvTurf team demands the highest level of safety and quality.” The AvTurf system technology
is already a proven success. With multiple AvTurf installations around the world including major airports such as the John F. Kennedy Intl. Airport, New York, USA, Toronto Pearson Intl. Airport, Toronto, Canada; Madrid-Barajas Intl. Airport, Spain; Ataturk Intl. Airport, Istanbul, Turkey and the United States Airforce Academy Airfield, Colorado Springs, USA, the future of safety application is here NOW. Represented in the region by Raymond Sport, ACT Global Sports is headquartered in Austin, Texas with manufacturing and client offices across the US, Asia and Europe. Raymond Sport specializes in Sports and Leisure related design and construction activities and has successfully created a formidable reputation for client servicing and quality. Their product line expansion has been continuous for the last 25 years but always with an emphasis on surfaces engineering. For more information about all types of surfacing including AvTurf contact Sujit Tavkar at Raymond Sport on +971 4339 1331 Ext 112 or email him on sujit.tavkar@raymondsport.com
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"#6 %)"#* #")3"*/ %6#"*
LET’S PLAY
international designs
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Easy-Fill TM Planter Bags are fully guaranteed to withstand the harshest climates world wide.
Always insist on Easy-Fill TM Planter Bags and not imitations or cheap copies.
A Top Quality Easy-Fill TM Planter Bags on forklift. 52 40 36
Landscape I www.landscape-me.com I April 2010 32December October 2010 www.landscape-me.com II February 2010 Landscape II www.landscape-me.com 2011
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PLEASE CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER DIRECT FOR THE LOCATION OF YOUR NEAREST DISTRIBUTOR Unit 4, 105 Inspiration Drive Wangara 6065 Perth, Western Australia Ph: + 61 8 9302 5200 Fax: + 61 8 9302 5266 Email: mail@wangarahorticultural.com.au www.wangarahorticultural.com.au LandscapeI www.landscape-me.com I www.landscape-me.com IWeb: April 2010 Landscape I August 2009 Landscape www.landscape-me.com I December 45 LandscapeI33 www.landscape-me.com October 2010 Landscape II www.landscape-me.com II February 2011
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women in landscape The Middle East provides a perfect scenario for Landscape Architects to put their creative skills to use. Green walls and roofs are some ways in which green architecture can be promoted.
Women in Landscape with Danuta Dias Private villa Design
Please tell us about your family and educational background? My family has lived in the U.A.E. for over 30 years. I was raised in Sharjah where my parents currently live and work, and I have a brother who is currently studying Architecture. I graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2006 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture and a minor in Interior Design. What inspired you to get involved in the landscaping industry? I have always had a creative streak in me. I’ve been drawing and painting since a child, and I believe this helped me opt for a career in Design. It was during my final year of studying architecture that I began to take an interest in Landscape Architecture. The nature of my graduating thesis project prompted me to look beyond the building I was designing and address landscape related design issues. It was then that I started 38
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Zuelpich Landscape Garden Show
considering Landscape Architecture and its influence on the built environment. Environmental responsibility, sustainability, carbon footprints and water conservation are the big issues affecting the landscaping industry at the moment. How do you ensure these key factors are incorporated into your work without sacrificing on the overall design and layout of a project? I find it helpful to keep all these factors in mind whist producing initial design ideas for a project. This allows them to become a part of the overall design process rather than a late thought. Early consideration of these factors helps determine the overall design, and provides the designer with constructive challenges of budget, client needs and design delivery. Do you think that the scarcity of water in the region has put pressure on
landscape architects to create more hardscape with arid desert plants and trees that can withstand the heat? Yes, I think Landscape Architects designing in the region have to find ways to work around issues such as scarcity of water. A great responsibility lies on us to introduce xeriscaping concepts in the region, promote new products that conserve water, and look towards innovative long-term solutions. If so, do you agree that the need for water conservation and less irrigation will have a negative impact on your creative abilities when it comes to designing ‘green’ landscape? Not at all. In fact, sometimes we need limitations such as these to maximize on our creativity. The Middle East provides a perfect scenario for Landscape Architects to put their creative skills to use. Green
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women in landscape
walls and roofs are some ways in which green architecture can be promoted. Which project have you been most proud of throughout your career and why? That’s a difficult question for me to answer as I am in some way attached to every one of my projects whether it’s a small garden or a large development. I have no particular favorites as such; each is unique and has its own distinctive impact to its environment and its users. If you could create your dream project, what would it entail? My dream project would be a climatically and culturally sensitive urban intervention, with landscape and architectural design input. The final product would read as a single entity with a seamless connection from inside to out. As a woman in a male dominated profession, what has been your experience working in this field in the Middle East? People have generally been very receptive and open to new ideas. Growing up in the Middle East has been a great advantage to me since I have an understanding of local culture and customs which I can apply in the workplace and in my designs. It has been extremely exciting to see this region develop over the past decades.
SKMC Dialysis Centre
How do you see your field developing in the Middle East? Do you have any concerns, advice, opinions regarding this? With recent encouraging developments in building codes from planning authorities, I hope to see projects develop as an investment into overall community life for generations to come. As mentioned earlier, I hope to see designers plan with long-term use in mind and help establish benchmarks in terms of designing livable spaces for this relatively young region.
What advice would you give other women wanting to enter this profession, both here and overseas? Explore the full potential of the profession; expose yourself to sub-disciplines and related design fields. This enriches your experience as a Landscape Architect, enhances your creative understanding of the field, and helps you develop as a wellrounded design individual.
Xeritown Masterplan 40
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international designs
The Vegetal Cathedral By Mario Pisani
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n first viewing Giuliano Mauri’s Vegetal Cathedral at the foot of Mount Arera on the outskirts of Bergamo in the North of Italy, the observer will surely be amazed and astonished. Its innovative and impressive inter-relationship between a calculated man-made design project and the spontaneous growth of nature, gives this project a rare and evocative stature. In a way, it evokes the formulas utilized in the Italian gardens of the past. Yet what distinguishes this project from these historical interventions of the Mannerist period (apart from the planting of beech, hazelnut, ash, birch, spruce and other trees, amalgamated with a rich alpine flora), is the allocation of space allowing nature’s own development and growth, thus attaining an eventual bonding and amalgamation of the pre-established design with nature’s own spontaneous growth.Giuliano Mauri, the artist of this innovative project, was well known for numerous such creative projects, always rich in poetic content and elegiac ambiances. His
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Giuliano Mauri’s Vegetal Cathedral
work could well be defined as a form of architecture of nature, yet it is a work which extends well beyond the boundaries and limitations of the socalled land art, being closer to what Paolo Portoghesi has defined as geo-architecture; a realm of artistic creation involving architectural spaces inspired directly from the realms of nature, and utilizing the passage of time to eventually combine the designers concept with nature and its elements.Mauri’s work had been well represented in various important exhibitions. In 1976 he participated at the Venice Biennale, in 1992 at the Milan Triennale and in 1994 at the Penne Biennale. Utilizing tree trunks,
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international designs
Panoramica Catt Verde Neve
Vista Parziale Da Valle
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branches and other natural materials, he always succeeded in creating intriguing and fascinating works. The philosophy behind these creations always focused on the spontaneous growth of plants, trees and flora, to eventually overtake the designed spaces and left over voids in order to establish a crossover dialogue between the original concept itself and its eventual realization and taking over by nature over the passage of time. Among the many works worthy of mentioning are ‘I Mulini’, windmills caressed by what Mauro poetically terms ‘imaginary’ winds, the ‘Scala del Paradiso’ and the ‘Bosco sul Isola’ project on the Tromo del Lodigiano, as also the Osservatori Estimativi realized in Germany, Gorlitz, Poland and Zgorzelec.The Vegetal Cathedral, completed by his son Roberto, after the architect’s demise, was inaugurated in September 2010 under the artistic direction of Paola Tognon. Situated in the region of Oltre il Colle (BG), in the Orobie Alps, the work consists of a sacred locus conceived specifically as an open to the sky vegetal cathedral, extending to a height of over 1.300 metres over a ground area of 650 square metres. The nave houses 42 columns, of a diameter of 1.50 meters, which define the internal space which echoes, recalls and evokes the soaring solemn spaces of the Gothic cathedrals. The project
makes use of 1,800 spruce trunks and 600 chestnut tree branches which are bound together by over 6,000 metres of hazelnut twigs, utilizing local traditional methods of intertwining and weaving. Varying in height externally to internally from 5 to 13 metres, to a length of 28.5 metres and a width of 24 metres, this is a particularly imposing work of vegetal architecture. Laid out on a plan of five naves, the central one measures 5.5 metres wide, the lateral ones 4.5 metres and the external of 5 metres. Between the intertwining binding coiled twigs of the columns, the architect has placed a series of young beech trees. The eventual growth of these saplings over a period of time (approximately two decades) will serve to manifest a complete transformation of the original concept, allowing nature to take over and dominate the architect’s original creative design. In this way, Giuliano Mauri has created an architecture, which while relating and adhering to the rules of nature, is also an architecture undergoing a constant process of mutation. The work is a significant demonstration of how the man-made can integrate itself and fuse into the dynamic evolutionary patterns of nature itself.Mario Pisani
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new projects middleeasttenders.com
+971 2 634 8495
NEW TENDERS Project Number & Name
Country
Client
Description
Closing Date
4000002920012-SA Public Gardens Construction Project
KSA
Jeddah Municiapality Tel (+966-3) 667 0896
Construction of public gardens for a municipality
March 8,2011
4000001061020619-SA Gardens & Irrigation Networks Project
KSA
Hafr Al Batin Municipality Tel (+966-3) 722 0535
Construction of gardens and irrigation networks for roads to a municipality.
February 27, 2011
QF/2011/B030/8474-Q Landscaping/Irrigation System Maintenance Support Services
Qatar
Qatar Foundation Tel (+974) 454 0000 info@qf.org.qa
Provision of maintenance support services for landscaping/ irrigation system at the accommodations and compound on call-off basis for an educational foundation.
February 7, 2011.
171/2010 Administrative Centre Area Development & Landscaping Works Project
UAE
Department of Municipal Affairs - Al Ain Municipality Tel (+971-3) 763 0212 contracts@am.ae
Development and landscaping of the Administrative Centre area for a municipality.
February 13, 2011.
40000068202008019-SA Public Gardens & Walk Lanes Construction Project
KSA
Qassim Municipality Tel (+966-6) 326 5000 www.qassim.gov.sa
Construction of public gardens and walk lanes for a municipality.
February 20,2011.
36-SA/16 Prince Salman Park Completion Project
KSA
Riyadh Municipality Tel (+966-1) 411 2222 www.alriyadh.gov.sa
Completion of Prince Salman Park for a municipality.
March 5, 2011
NEW & CURRENT PROJECTS Project Name
Description
Client
Country
Consultant/ Contractor
Budget (USD)
Mansoura Retail Centre Development Project
Development of Mansoura Retail Centre.
Six October Development & Investment Co. - SODIC (Egypt)
Egypt
N/A
3.7 Billion
Marina Mall Project
Build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract for the development of Marina Mall.
Mazaya Qatar Real Estate Development Company (Qatar)
Qatar
N/A
2.75 Billion
Mall of Egypt Project
Construction of Mall of Egypt.
Majid Al Futtaim Group (Egypt)
Egypt
N/A
772 Million
King Abdullah Sports City Project
Construction of King Abdullah Sports City covering an area of 9 sqkm featuring a main stadium with capacity of 60,000, with five other sporting arenas, including a specialist hospital for sporting injuries, indoor arenas and accommodation facilities.
Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco)
Saudi Arabia
Arup (UK)
10 billion
Qatar
N/A
120 Million
Qatar National Museum Project
Construction of new Qatar National Museum, which will provide 86,000 sq feet of permanent gallery space, 21,500 sq feet of temporary gallery Qatar Museums Authority (Qatar) space, a 220-seat auditorium, a 70-seat food forum / TV studio, two cafes, a restaurant and a museum shop.
Development of Nasamat Al-Riyadh residential scheme comprising (2,000) Nasamat Al-Riyadh Residential villas and (2,100) apartments, including a recreational sports centre, social Development Project club, large shopping mall, four schools, medical facilities and mosques.
Talaat Moustafa Group (Egypt)
Saudi Arabia
Zuhair Fayez Partnership Consultants / Saudi Binladin Group 1.9 Billion (Saudi Arabia)
Burj Rafal Mixed-use Project
Development of Burj Rafal mixed-use scheme comprising a 62-storey tower consisting of luxury apartments; a 2,000-person-capacity ballroom and meeting rooms on one floors; a Kempinski Hotel and 54 serviced apartments; office space, which will occupy 13 floors; wellness spas; and 4,000 sqm of retail space.
Rafal Real Estate Development Company Ltd. (Saudi Arabia)
Saudi Arabia
Rider Levett Bucknall Consultants (Saudi Arabia)/ Dubai Contracting 800 Million Company L.L.C. (Dubai)
Coral Beach Hotel Project
Construction of 5-star Coral Beach Hotel comprising 2 basement levels, a ground floor, a mezzanine floor, 6 additional floors offering 243 rooms and 2 penthouses, including amenities such as a gymnasium, a swimming pool, a fitness centre and 24-hour security.
Coral Beach Resort (Sharjah)
UAE
KEO International Consultants (Dubai)/ Actco General Contracting Company L.L.C (Sharjah)
Shopping Mall Project - Yas Island Development
Design and construction of three-storey shopping mall comprising (700) stores, including associated facilities, as part of Yas Island development project.
ALDAR Properties PJSC (Abu Dhabi)
UAE
Shankland Cox Ltd. / Six Construct 200 Million Ltd. (Abu Dhabi)
Al Marina Mixed-use Development Project Kingdom City Development Project
Development of Al Marina mixed-use scheme covering an area of 3.3 million Injaz Development Company (Saudi sqm, including a 4 km -long industrial lake and 300,000 sqm lands. Arabia) Development of Kingdom City comprising a 1,000 m high skyscraper, residential and commercial buildings, hotels, including leisure facilities.
Kingdom Holding Company (Saudi Arabia)
Sheikh Zayed National Museum Design and construction of Sheikh Zayed National Museum comprising five Tourism Development & Investment Project - Saadiyat Island galleries, and others. Company - TDIC (Abu Dhabi) Development Ritz Carlton Hotel Extension Project - Dubai Marina
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Carrying out extension works of Ritz Carlton hotel involving construction of two basement floors, a ground floor and five upper floors.
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Al Mulla Group (Dubai)
N/A
Saudi Arabia
Rikaz Development Company (Saudi Arabia)
1.3 Billion
Saudi Arabia
HOK Canada Inc.
27 Billion
UAE
AECOM Middle East (Abu Dhabi) 200 Million
UAE
Rice Perry Ellis / Khansaheb Civil 68 Million Engineering (Dubai)
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exhibitions
February 2011 Spatex 05-07 February 2011 Buckinghamshire (UK) www.spatex.co.uk/
Garten München 16-22 March 2011 Munich (Germany) www.garten-muenchen. de
Gardening & Landscaping 29 Apr.- 1 May 2011 Estonia www.fair.ee
Petra 12-20 February 2011 Modena (Italy) www.modenantiquaria.it
GULF LANDSCAPING 2011 8-10 March 2011 Abu Dhabi (UAE) www.gulflandscaping. com
June 2011 Demopark + demogolf 26-28 June 2011 Thuringia (Germany) August 2011 WAVES Pool | Spa | Bath International Expo AUGUST 10-12, 2011 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi
Floriga 27 February 2011 Leipzig (Germany) March 2011 Saudi Construction Show 21-25 March 2011 Riyadh (KSA) Garten Munchen 16-22 March 2011 Munich (Germany) www.garten-muenchen. de INTERMAT Middle East 28-30 March 2011 Abu Dhabi (UAE) www.intermat.fr Arabian Construction Week 28-30 March 2011 Abu Dhabi (UAE) www. arabianconstructionweek. com
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1st ECO HOUSE & ECO BUILDING EXPO March 2 - 4, 2011 Tokyo (JAPAN) www.ecohouseexpo. jp/en/ April 2011 WOOD SHOW 5-7 April 2011 Dubai (UAE) www.dubaiwoodshow. com Garten 14-17 April 2011 Stuttgart (Germany) www.messe-stuttgart.de Gardening AustraliaBrisbane 15-17 April 2011 Queensland (Australia) www.abcgardeningexpo. com.au
September 2011 IPM Dubai 26–28 September 2011 Dubai (UAE) www.imp-dubai.net Pool & Spa Asia 21-23 September 2011 Bankok (Thailand) www.poolspaasia.com October 2011 Piscina BCN 18-21 October 2011 Barcelona (Spain) www.salonpiscina.com TOOL JAPAN Oct. 13-15 2011 Makuhari Messe (Japan) www.tooljapan.jp/en/
Athletic Fields City Parks
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Streetscape
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MEAC Saudi Tel.: +966 1 493 8627 Fax: +966 1 493 8038 P.O. Box 49921 Riyadh 11531, KSA
MEAC UAE Tel.: +971 4 886 1151 Fax: +971 4 886 1152 P.O. Box 261237 Jebel Ali, UAE
MEAC Qatar MEAC Iran Tel.: +974 432 6598 Tel.: Fax: +974 431 1968 Fax: P.O. Box 3082 Islamic Republic of Iran DohaLandscape Qatar 49 I www.landscape-me.com I February 2011 www.meac.net
• Landscaping development the hard and soft scape • Irrigation • Horticultural supplies, lawns and specimen plants • email: info@zaidg.com • PO Box 4756 Riyadh 11412, KSA • email: dubai@zaidg.com • PO Box 181581 Dubai, UAE • website: www.zaidg.com
RIYADH: King Khalid Airport Road: Tel. No.: 00966 (1) 4655555
50
KHOBAR: Coast Road Tel. No.: 00966 (3) 8590066
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JEDDAH: Al Andalus Tel. No.: 00966 (2) 6686666
DUBAI Sheikh Zayed Road Tel. No. 00971 (4) 3296630