Author: Mary Gray

10 Best Tourist Spots for Landscape Architecture in Asia (part 3)

 

  1. LalaportToyosu – Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo is a city which seems to never sleep and always amazes not only its inhabitants but also its visitors from any part of the world. Japan’s capital is the successful combination between thousand-year-old cultural heritages and the latest trends. Among Tokyo’s famous tourist spots, located on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay, LalaportToyosu is an art and shopping center which offers not only a mall with over 500 museums, shops, and a radio station but also a lot of open spaces. Especially, if you are a landscape architecture lover, its spectacular oceanic adventure offered through a park and public plaza will make you really amazed and surprised.

LalaportToyoso’s entire landscape was designed as an ocean – the ground plane emulates waves, benches are formed as corals, and seating elements imitate islands with a wavy surface. Moreover, there are many relics which remain as a reminder of its history, and many different fountains and water basins for children to play.

  1. The Blue Island – Matsu, Taiwan

Every year, many tourists travel to the beaches of Taiwan at night in order to witness the spectacle of bioluminescent algae. Matsu, a small town of Taiwan, is the home to the art installation The Blue Island by designer Island Chen. This glass box shows the bio-digital installation prototype of a visible ecosystem which recreates the natural habitat of the toxic bioluminescent algae.

The aim of The Blue Island is to act as an educational tool which helps people to understand that the aesthetically pleasing algae have detrimental effects on the marine environments. If you are planning your next trip to East Asia, you should really take the chance to not only enjoy the beautifully glowing waters at night of The Blue Island but also to educate yourself and support the installation as a viable and much safer option for eco-tourism.

10 Best Tourist Spots for Landscape Architecture in Asia (part 2)

  1. Free the Bears Store – Kuang Si Falls, Laos

The international organization “Free the Bears” works to fight against the illegal trade in bears. They also provide a safe sanctuary for rescued bears in the Tat Kuang Si Rescue Centre, Laos PDR. The new store will make this organization be able to sell items to receive the needed donations that help them continue their endless efforts to protect bears in Laos and beyond.

The centre has a simple but special architecture with the bamboo canopy built in conjunction with the local community. It enables visitors not only to see one of Laos’ most endangered species and discover the life and threats of them but also have the opportunity to admire the beautiful and unique landscape architecture of the store.

  1. SCG Headquarters – Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand is one of the most favored tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. Especially, travelers who prefer harmonious, modern, outstanding landscape architecture should not miss CSG Headquarters in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. The well-developed landscape design has bound the disparate companies’ buildings together and has created an attractive and harmonic stage on which to enjoy the environment through a mixture of nature and architecture.

The designers used curved geometry in a simple 3-D design pattern, which was accompanied by the furniture and emphasized by materials, to organize the open space. You can visit CSG Headquarters to enjoy the landscape views of the most powerful Thai companies.

  1. Quzhou Luming Park – Quzhou, China

Every landscape architect must have heard about Quzhou Luming Park, a Chinese hope-giving park by now. Its popularity remains undiminished since its first part was opened in 2015.

Designed by the well-known Turenscape bureau, Quzhou Luming Park shows three design concepts: a productive farming landscape on the fertile soil, minimal intervention to preserve the red sandstone hills, and water resilience to respect the natural water flow in the floodplain. If you plan to travel to China, you should definitely visit and get inspired by its Luming Park.

 

10 Best Tourist Spots for Landscape Architecture in Asia (part 1)

Asia, the world’s biggest continent, seems to also be the most diverse part of the Earth. Therefore, it is not a surprise that there are hundreds of must-see places all over Asia. Although not many of those have the modern landscape architecture, you will find some of the world’s greatest landscape architecture in this list of 10 Asian landscape architecture spots.

  1. Cape Royale Resort – Sentosa, Singapore

Are you bored with lousy hotel gardens? Or do you want to enjoy a special treat while visiting Singapore? Try the Cape Royale Resort garden, which creates a peaceful reality in the middle of the rush of the busy city of Singapore. This resort with beautiful views of the sea is one of Singapore’s greatest tourist attractions. The hotel garden seems to magically connect sculptures, water features, original planting, and differentiated paving.

In the resort, there are a lot of pools in which you can swim, walk, and sunbathe on lounge chairs in shallow water areas. If you do not like to stay in the main garden, you can find your own serene spot under the native trees’ shade. Come and enjoy the high-end landscape architecture at Cape Royal Resort.

  1. Wadi Al Azeiba Park – Muscat, Sultanate of Oman 

Oman is said to be the obvious choice for those who are seeking out the modern face of Arabia while still want to sense its ancient soul. Indeed, this country holds various natural beauty and towns with their traditional charms.

One of these towns is Oman’s capital, Muscat, the home to a well-known park called Wadi Al Azeiba.  The word “wadi” means the gateway for water on storms in the rainy season. The city of Muscat embedded its formerly abandoned wadi into a new park. The ground contains the naturally planted area with walkways below the lawn and palm tree part reaching out to the surrounding neighborhoods. This modern park serves as the city’s new greenway which is central to many hubs of activity and is one of the reasons to visit the beautiful city of Muscat.

TOP CITIES WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURE IN EUROPE

Europe is one of the best places for architecture buffs in the world. It is a wonderland for design lovers because it has a rich cultural and architectural history. From the classical styles of the Greek and Roman period to the florid Baroque and Art Nouveau, architecture in Europe contains everything of all taste. Each European city has a distinct look and makes you feel that you can identify each one by how the structures are built. The list of the beautiful cities in Europe is so long, but these are the ones which owe their fame mostly to their landscape architecture.
1. Barcelona, Spain


Have you ever heard of Antoni Gaudi? He is a famous Spanish architect whose works were greatly influenced by nature. And the best place in the world to experience his art is Barcelona. His works have made Barcelona become the center of Modernism. This city is dynamic, creative, and has many delicious foods, too. When you visit Barcelona, don’t miss the dream-like buildings of Gaudi, especially his most famous work, the unfinished Sagrada Familia cathedral.
2. Amsterdam, Netherlands


Amsterdam, Netherlands’ capital, is famous for its canal and boat homes. Along the river, you can find the picturesque houses converted into museums, hotels, and offices. The most excellent way to travel around Amsterdam is walking or driving a bike, that can help you see the canal district and Renaissance architecture that makes Amsterdam so stunning. Just enjoy the cafes by day, the bars by night, and visit some world-class museums in between.
3. Rome, Italy


Rome, the ancient city with Roman ruins, fountains, churches, and squares, will not disappoint any travelers. As a cradle of culture, the city is a typical symbol of Roman architecture, especially the Colosseum, Pantheon, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Staying everywhere in Rome, you will be surrounded by world-class architecture.
4. Stockholm, Sweden


AS a breathtaking coastal capital spread across 14 islands, with the world’s very first twisting skyscraper, Stockholm offers some of Europe’s most diverse architectural landscapes. It instantly impresses everyone with charming medieval streets, traditionally painted homes, immaculate blooming parks, and vibrant waterfront promenades. It sometimes makes you forget that the city has escaped heavy destruction from war.
5. Venice, Italy


It can be said that Venice is one of the most romantic cities in the world. Just wondering through the city can give you the feeling of the most beautiful architecture in Europe that you’re not likely to see anywhere else. Just ride through the small canals to get a perfect look at Venetian Gothic architecture. Don’t forget to check out Saint Mark’s Basilica, and spend the afternoon in the beautiful Peggy Guggenheim museum.

No Space Balconies Can Be Magical

The city dweller has all the luxuries like entertainment, variety and the energetic pulse all at their doorstep. For most, it is a perfect life, never far from anything and always spoilt for choice, yet the one thing that could be short is a patch of tranquillity, a corner filled with greenery to make the concrete jungle a bit more peaceful.

Balconies are city-tenants escape back to nature, it is what keeps everyone sane in the concrete jungle, and in most cases the balcony is tiny. No matter the size with a bit of planning and a clever layout it could become the most favourite part of city life. The balcony needs to offer the tenant a sense of freedom, a gateway to relaxation and the perfect place to entertain. But with the correct amount of planning and a small investment, your balcony could become your private space, to special to share and a place where you get to escape the hassle and bustle of city life.

Steps Involved in Planning the Perfect Balcony

No matter how big or small the first step in transforming your balcony is considering the exposure to the sun, accessibility, maintenance and water as these are the factors that most affect the style, design and types of plants. It also determines how usable space is and if it could be an extension of your entertainment area or simply a corner of nature. No matter the design its always best to plan it with low-maintenance while keeping it user-friendly.

Grab Your Plan and Visit the Nearest Nursery

Your best advisor is the local nursery. They know best which plants thrive in what conditions. If space is cramped, you could fill it with pots overflowing with herbs or ferns.
Apart from the type of plants, the next most important is the pots or containers as these need to fit the style you have in mind for your garden. Pots could colour coordinate the look you wish for, blue and dark blue could compliment a Greek-Island style, while white is perfect for a zen-type garden, while a more forest-look could be created with natural pots in brown colours.

Maintenance and Accessorizing to Perfect the Balcony Escape

Once the plants are placed space will need to be decorated and furnished with comfortable seating, outdoor rugs and a few colour coded cushions. The furniture needs to fit the space while still leaving enough of an area to comfortably move in. Soft lighting can do wonders for a Zen-type garden, while candles, shells and a glass table will bring an element of nature. If space allows for a small waterfall, it could bring peace to the entire living area if the door is open, if not use small furniture made of glass to create a look of space. Stones are another great way to create a feeling of being outdoors, but in the end, it all starts with the planning and how much you plan to spend.

Best Gardens For People Who Live in the City

While a domestic garden may seem simplistic in name, the roots are much deeper than one would initially assume. For starters, the word domestic is taken from the Sanskrit language. If you break the word down into three parts, the Avestan demana, Damah, and Greek – you will see that domestic means house. Which in turn means a domestic garden is simply a garden what is connected to your home in one way or another.

While domestic gardens have been seen all throughout history. The earliest recorded domestic garden first appeared in ancient Egypt, and it features the similar appearance of a modern domestic garden. The only difference is that the garden which was seen back them only belonged to the rich and royalty, such as the pharaohs. Nowadays, anyone can own a domestic garden and customize it to be filled with your favorite plants as well as adding in walkways and seating areas.

Cottage Garden

The cottage garden has a rich history. When looking at its name, “cote” has a French origin. Then when combined with the English suffix was added in, a cottage became known as a property which is combined to a cote, which is known as a small shelter.

While it is easy to picture what a cottage looks like, it’s a bit harder to place what kind of plants were found in these gardens. The best place to looks is in the Middle Ages were cottages were becoming the norm regarding a living situation. Although there is no record of what sorts of plants were planted, it can be easily assumed that the land was used to sustain life instead of for aesthetic purposes. So, the safest assumption would be that veggies and fruit were commonly planted. Even when certain flowers were planted, such as roses and lilies, they were most likely used for some household reason.

This was the norm until the end of the 19th century was approaching. Guided by the rise of romantic arts which was focused on capturing the beauty, these gardens slowly became cesspools for planting a variety of stunning flowers that would cause anyone to stop to view the beauty. Since them, the cottage garden aesthetic started to bloom and became a commonly found site no matter your social rank.

Even in modern times, certain icons, such as the music legend Bob Dylan admitted that all he wanted in his life was a stunning cottage that had a garden filled with vibrant roses where he could escape to. Which wouldn’t be too hard to create depending on the area of the cottage and the person dedication to growing plants.

Herb Gardens

Herbs are nothing new as growing herbs have been in practice for centuries. No matter the culture, herbs were commonly seen for wither culinary reasons or health-related reasons. There are even reports of herb gardens being grown for pharaohs in ancient Egypt for both of the previously mentioned reasons. While today, hers is grown mainly for medical, culinary, and aesthetic purposes. They are some of the best household pans to keep for those exact reasons and could be the needed touch to make your apartment or home seem more connected to nature.

The Voices Behind the Blasen Landscape Architecture

As modern landscape architecture is becoming popularised in everyday homes – certain designers, such as Blasen Landscape Architecture, are being highly sought out due to their stunning work. The company was founded in 1993, and they are currently based in San Anselmo, California. While they do create stunning landscape architecture for homes, their work can also be found at various workshops, schools., and high-profile corporate offices.

Gardens of Tomorrow

The Blasens – Eric and Silvina, are some of the most thoughtful creators in the landscape architecture industry. This is shown by their array of clients who range from the everyday homeowner to billionaires prevalent in Hollywood. Recently, their garden collection has gained more attention, and they decided to personally CommNet of the thoughts regarding their work. Silvina compared gardens to a meditation area where people can just reflect and escape or a while. She then goes on to add how she is proud that their work respects nature and instead of changing it – they just add more beauty to the preexisting one. Eric continued that sustainability is the core idea of every project. On the Blasen official website – they feature some of their top work and shows how the instead try to incorporate natural changes to the environment instead of completely changing it for the client. Each work features a vast amount of greenery, nature, and beautiful additions.

The Blasen Landscape Architecture Process


The landscape architecture company follows a series of five steps for each one of their projects: sustainability, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, and construction administration. No matter the project, each one of these steps are closely followed and thoroughly checked for any issues to assure that the result will be idea.

Sustainability

In this step – the designers take a closer look at the location and any unique features. This allows them to create stunning landscape architecture choices that will flow beautifully with the land and any surrounding areas. Due to the Blasen’s deep care for the environment, having this step in their design and creation process will allow them to have minimal overall disturbances to the natural land. Plus, the company are current members of the United States Green Building Council – which proves their dedication to their work and its impact on the natural environment.

Schematic design

This step is filled with other internal steps, but the overall idea is to meet with the clients, discuss ideas, begin the process of measuring and accessing the land and the estimated cost of the project. Finally, they meet with a final presentation to the planning department to make sure everything is going to be approved and to squish any misunderstandings.

Design development

During this step, the company begins the process of allocating all the desired and needed materials to begin the process of creating the landscape architecture. This step is usually filled with professional emails and phone calls between suppliers and the Blasen company.

Construction documentation

This step in the process detail outlines for other aspects of the landscape project, such as layout plans, planting plans, lighting plans, etc. After the plans are created, the company and other consultants in charge of certain parts of the plans will discuss and iron out any issues before beginning the building process.

Construction administration

This step is prominent in the actual process of building. This step entails another review of the plans and contracts before the building takes place, pre-demolition, occasion site visits to assure productivity and correctness, and a final site inspection to check for any possible issues.

Great Architectural Cities

There are great architectural cities the world over, but let’s take a look at some of the more popular, as well as interesting, ones. One modern architectural marvel to behold is the Burj Khalifa, which is 2,723 feet high and one of the reasons that the city of Dubai is a hot spot for modern architecture. The architecture firm that designed the Sears Tower, now the Willis Tower, designed the Burj Khalifa. Other architectural amazement s in Dubai are the Burj Al Arab and definitely The World, which is a man-made archipelago that was designed to look just like a map of the world.

Chicago

Chicago is one of the best cities in the world to check out great architecture and the Willis Tower, and the Cloud Gate are just two of the attractions of the Windy City. Architectural legend Frank Lloyd Wright was from Chicago, and you can see his laboratory as well as his home studio and home in a fascinating tour.

New York City

Obviously, you have to put the Big Apple on the list of great architectural cities to check out. The city has fascinating architecture, and the biggest building in the city is the Freedom Tower. Other things to see are the Empire State Building, Time Square, the Chrysler Building, Central Park, and Rockefeller Center.

Rome

Fir ancient architecture Rome is one of the most interesting cities in the world to visit., So, they took many aspects of their architecture from the Greeks, but that is pretty common, especially in ancient times. The awesome Colosseum has to be the first and foremost thing to see in Rome. It was constructed in 72AD, and its architecture and engineering wereahead of its time. Other things to see in the city include the Vatican, the Baths of Caracalla, the Pantheon, the Aqueducts, and the Temple of Vesta.

Shanghai

If modern architecture is your cup of team than a trip to Shanghai should be high on your list of cities to see since it is well known for just that. The tallest building in Asia is in the city in the Shanghai Tower, which is 121 stories, as well as Jin Mao Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Centre, which are a couple of other of the tallest buildings on the continent. The Shanghai Grand Theater, Oriental Art Centre, and Shanghai Grand Theater are all modern architectural marvels as well.

Paris

Paris has great architecture all around the city and is well known for some of the best French Gothic architecture. The City of Light has no lack of great attractions for the lover of things built, and many of them are the top tourist attractions as well. Just a few of the wonders around the city are Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Pyramid, Arch de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur Basilica, and obviously the Eiffel Tower.

Cairo

Cairo is an amazing architectural city and is has so much more than the Great Pyramid of Giza. However, that is a site to behold and is the biggest of the three pyramids and the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World that is intact. Other attractions in Cairo include the International Stadium, Yocubian Building, Cairo Opera House, and the Cairo Tower.

The Rehabilitation of Detroit’s Waterfront

The Rehabilitation of Detroit’s Waterfront is set to get a makeover as the city works to re-establish itself and return itself to the days when people lived, worked and enjoyed the city. Twenty-two acres of prime riverfront in Detroit will soon become its new front yard so to speak as revitalization gets underway. The riverfront spans 5.5 miles and is in the eastern part of the city.

Currently, over 3 miles of the new Riverwalk has been completed and along it features spaces for events such as entertainment, cultural locations, hotels and parks as well as sculpture gardens. The areas is located in the more stable areas of the city, however, prior to the revitalization project, the park was barren with little offered. It’s previously housed a large warehouse owned by the Detroit Free Press that was torn down after being purchased by the Conservancy in 2014, who then installed a temporary park.

The Revitalization Project

The process towards this areas revitalization has been a community affair with both local and professional input being critical to the process. The conservancy accessed the expertise of area residents to help with its design and the spaces they would like to see. Many of those providing input traveled to other city waterfronts to see what become of the space with trips to Chicago, New York, Boston and others. Once all information was collected, and input received, the design process began.

The plan is to include a variety of pavilions along the waterfront to accommodate various social activities such as those for children and seniors. The goal is to create an urban environment that is considered cutting-edge and becomes a draw to the city to generate interest for companies to open businesses and people to choose Detroit as their home city. The pavilions will include pools for swimming lessons and playgrounds so as to create a multi-generational space that all can enjoy and be proud of.

Park to Include Pier for Fishing, Hiking Trails and Beach


The master plan will include a fishing pier, not a common inclusion in most urban planning initiatives. Also expected is a large 3-acre playground that will provide space by the beach for sports and other activities. The fishing pier will face out onto the river, and its topography will have dunelike areas that act as a floating stage of sorts.

The plan is being dubbed “Seedling Park” as the city works to clean up its tarnished images as an unsafe city littered with abandoned houses and high crime rates. The park will be completed in three stages, the first of those will include the creation of large green plant walls that will be used to help educate the public on the importance of living green in an urban area. The other remaining stages will focus on the construction of the planned inclusions and buildings as well as the pier and playground. It also will see the addition of an amphitheater as well as pedestrian paths that connect to various areas of the city.

The Role Landscape Designers Will Have in Cities of the Future

The art of spending time outdoors, for most people, is one aspect of life that brings happiness and pleasure in what seems to have become a world where people spend more time indoors than out. The ability to spend that time outside in well-designed spaces is what makes like in a city more enjoyable. Knowing that, it is somewhat difficult to understand why so many cities fail to make the investment and understand the role landscape designers will have in cities of the future, let alone to properly design outdoor spaces as it impacts the quality of life of those that live there, let alone a city’s ability to attract new business and talent.

As most of us appreciate the time we spend outside, it is interesting to speak with people on their feelings about the outdoor spaces they enjoy most, what aspects about them they find attractive and what draws them to those spaces. For many, outdoor spaces in cities remind them of childhood memories that often are focused on outdoor activities with friends or family.

Outdoor Spaces Increase Quality of Life

Studies have shown that those that invest a greater amount of time outdoors are happier and tend to be healthier as well. The combination of the two has proven to increase lifespans, and those urban areas that feature quality outdoor spaces tend to reap the rewards tenfold in multiple ways. This includes reduced healthcare costs, increased economic output, economic growth and an overall happier population.

History has shown, those cities that fail to get this right and not have an adequate amount of well-designed outdoor space lack the ability to attract younger people to move to their cities. When you consider the cost to design and build these spaces, the minimal investment is returned for generations to come. Studies have shown it not only attracts the young but also attracts urban professionals and those entering their golden years as well who choose to move back to urban areas so as to be closer to health care facilities.

Outdated Trends Hard to Change

It seems the trend to put more thought into indoor spaces, and building designs remains firmly intact, however, what is clear is that the role designers will play in the future towards outdoor space will define a city in more ways than one. It is not uncommon when looking at waterfront cities to hear complaints about its deterioration, and subsequent investment to improve the value water front areas bring to a city. Those cities, such as Chicago that have chosen to make a concentrated effort to revitalise their waterfronts have found an increase in pedestrian traffic in those areas. That investment has allowed them to attract tourism traffic, which collectively benefits the local economy and health of its citizens as they spend more time engaging in walking, sports breathing fresh air.

What is clear is that the need to invest in outdoor spaces will be the determining factor in an ever populated world, one that has over 70% living in cities around the world. Those that design innovative parks, walkways and bike trails will be those that benefit in the future and the role of the outdoor designer will only play a larger importance as new technologies are integrated into public spaces and are combined with the qualities that are unique to our environment.