The subject of the conference this year was 'housing, land use and community'. It was a lot of talk about the role of a Landscape Architect and the recognition of the role of the Landscape Architect. Or the lack of recognition of the Landscape Architect. How small amount of landscape architects are involved in housing and street design. Partly down to the developer - but also down to Landscape Architecture. Housing is not a good interesting project for a lot Landscape Architects.
For me personally I am not bothered about recognition for the Landscape Architect, as long as what we do affects people and places in a positive way. I do agree with the fact that we need new innovative landscape around housing in this country and landscape that works with housing and not against it.
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Good housing that has been around for while - The Lane, Blackheath.
Swedish cool housing in Stockholm - Hammarby Sjostad (Go Sweden - it has been around for years!)
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(Below is list of challenges and questions that came up in the conference or things that I think might relate to it.)
Challenges and Questions to consider
Can good landscape help the life time costs of estates?
Promoting trees in urban landscape - see them as an asset and not a liability
Community spirit linked to good proud landscape
Density - Intensity and landscape
Space before architecture and landscape
Giving residents confidence in managing / taking charge of their space - challenges of jealousy, increase of costs?
Gated developments - good or bad?
Pushing the boundary of the estate
View onto the landscape from the buildings instead of looking in - can create a new angle of landscape
Managing a housing landscape - increase in costs, giving tenants a share - promoting a proudness in the surroundings
Food growing - allotments - keeping chickens etc.
Importance of infrastructure relating to landscape
Importance of landforms and natural environment to be considered more in landscape
The importance of playing fields for kids to play
Opportunities to promote and teach kids about local biodiversity in the landscape
The importance of bringing the natural environment back into peoples life
Housing and the natural environment
Natural estates??
Link between an increase in green space and a decrease in vandalism and violence
Active - Natural - Interacting Landscapes
Friday, October 17
What if food growing
I think a lot of people have heard of the what if - project. Where food is grown in big grow bags on a vacant lot in Shoreditch. This is new way of bringing a housing estate together and helping to bring a sense of community. It is interesting to compare to the well established allotments at the Crown estate.
A good way of temporally testing out the idea of food growing without large scale investment in allotments. It would be interesting to see if anyone dares to give hens a go as well?
Crown estate
As part of the LI conference I went on a site visit to the Crown Estate allotments by Regents Park. In terms of estates it was quite a posh one (if there are posh estates?). The allotments were sunken down in the middle of of a courtyard with apartment blocks on the sides. It was fenced off, but still looked ok on a sunny, bright autumn day. Underneath the allotments is a disused basin and it also has got an underground river running below it. The allotments have been there since 1940's and are very well established. There are no problems with vandalism on the allotments (there are minor problems on the estate landscape).
It was interesting to hear that the allotments are managed by the RHS - the land given over by the housing association. Since management is something that I think a lot of housing associations are concerned about when starting to consider allotments and urban food growing on their estates. Basically the RHS rents out the allotments and a few RHS members with allotments on the estate manages it for free. This is an option more housing association could consider.
There is no water collecting on the site and no promotion of Eco friendly running of the allotments - this is something that should be promoted.
I thought the allotments were great - but this was on an estate that is well managed and secure. With relatively good landscaping. It is more interesting to see how allotments and good landscaping can provide a sense of community on a run down estate? Then the challenge would be on.
serpentine pavillion
The temporary pavilions in Hyde Park have been very cool the last summers and I was really looking forward to seeing the one done by Frank Gehry. I like the materials and the way timber was used in different combinations. The positioning and the angling of the materials. The pavilion works well in the sunlight casting shadows and providing shade or sun - depending on what you feel like.
It would have been interesting to see how it worked in the rain. How the rain flows on the planes on the roofs.
It was busy with people relaxing - steps and balconies done and positioned to where people feel comfortable sitting. I think the balconies were less successful - I wouldn't feel relaxed sitting there and I felt like I disturbed the girl sitting on one of them when I went to have a look at the view from one.
Overall I thought it was cool - quite natural and organic in a sharp way.
Friday, August 15
Gelitin
Link to the hamster wheel exhibition.
Looks cool. I like artists who doesn't take themselves to serious. And I like the concept of us moving at the spot a lot and not getting anywhere. Seems like the world today in some aspects.
Looks cool. I like artists who doesn't take themselves to serious. And I like the concept of us moving at the spot a lot and not getting anywhere. Seems like the world today in some aspects.
Psycho Buildings at the Hayward Gallery
The exhibition at the Hayward gallery shows works of artists who combine habitat like structures with architecture. It is all about big installations which can you can walk in, smell, see and interact with. They are atmospehric, spatial and ulitmatley want people to experience.
My favorite is the boating lake at the top by artist group Gelitin.
The lake contrasts against the surrounding concrete building and creates a different view of the Southbank. It is meant to be fun and playful.
I am all for art to interact with.
My goal for Landscape as well. Interacting Landscape.
Saturday, May 10
Manufactured Landscapes
Abounded marble quarry, Vermont, Canada (http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/index.html)Went to see Manufactured Landscapes at the BFI. It is the documentary about Edward Burtynsky's work from the last 10 years when he has been photographing the way industrialisation has changed the natural landscapes and the environment.
The photos above is how he started by looking at quarries in his native Canada, photographing how our life and industries are changing the landscape for good. The why he photographs it making it beautiful, until you actually start looking closer and realising what the photo is showing.
In the film he travels to China and is looking at the how industrialisation has changed the landscapes and nature in China. I like the why the documentary is made, not blaming China for the industries and the change in the landscape, but recognising our role in west as a major part in this. The industries in China are supporting our lifestyle in the west and ultimately it is our fault for the why China now are trying to cope with industries and the results and backlashes of this.
Some of the parts in the film is like another world. There are these images of what should be a green landscape and you can't see any plants or texture anywhere... It is incredible.
The Three Gorges dam (http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/index.htm)The film shows the making of the Three Gorges dam along the Yangtze river. It is the largest engineering and construction site in the world, which has caused displacement of 1.2 million people and destroyed 11 cities. What is incredible is the the people in the villages are being paid to take down their own houses and the way it is done by hand is unbelievable.
(http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/index.htm)
(http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/index.htm)
But they are building the dam to cope with the huge amounts of energy that the industries take. The say that the dam will take 17 years in total to build and should be finished in 2009.
The film also shows us about recycling and ewaste. A large amount of our waste in the west end up in China where it is recycled and the process for this is mostly done by hand and especially the ewaste recycling is not good for people and it is whole images of ewaste villages and it is a terrible site of what of world might be like if we don't stop with the way we live now. It is like some kind of Scifi film! Scary stuff...
We also see photos from Shanghai and ship breaking down in Bangladesh. You come out from watching the film feeling a bit scared and ashamed of yourselves that we are the cause of those images that at first seem very beautiful - because of the why they are photographed by Edward Burtynski, then draw you in and then you are starting to see the details and start thinking and wondering. Edward Burtynski has said that he thought of making his photos political , but then thought that showing then without a messages, will cause an element of surprise and the viewer has to find out about the details in the photo himself and in the end he thought this was far more effective.
I love his photos and the message. I think it is very inspiring and also very scary. It tears you apart a bit, case we all want to keep living the way we do, but at the same time we realise that we can't.
Friday, May 9
Veggie patch
Thought I should update on how my veggie patch is doing. The potatoes are coming on great, can't see much of the carrots yet, which is a bit disappointing - since I love eating home grown carrots they taste much better than carrots bought in the supermarket. The peas are also coming on well and I need to put up some sticks for them to climb on. I love having a veggie patch, it makes you feel like a little kid again and there is no question that home grown vegetables taste a lot better than supermarket ones! I am gonna get some tomatoe plants during the weekend as well.
I obviously know that my veggie patch is far too small to even make a difference in the amount of vegetables that I buy at the supermarket. But it is a start. I also think that large communal allotments could be a great solution to large estates and work as a social and environmental benefits and at the same time give a forgotten neighborhood a great sense of place. This is something I am investigating and suggesting for a back street in Waterloo.
I obviously know that my veggie patch is far too small to even make a difference in the amount of vegetables that I buy at the supermarket. But it is a start. I also think that large communal allotments could be a great solution to large estates and work as a social and environmental benefits and at the same time give a forgotten neighborhood a great sense of place. This is something I am investigating and suggesting for a back street in Waterloo.
Readings
I have always been interested in sustainable design and decided to try to read up a bit more about the subject. I come across a book called 'Residential Landscape Sustainability - a checklist tool' by Carl Smith, Andy Clayden and Nigel Dunnett. As in the title it talks mainly about residential design, but the principles can be applied across different projects.
The issue with hard materials and landscape architecture is obviously a main concern when talking about sustainability. It is hard to be sustainable with hard landscaping material. Both if you combine sustainable methods with local materials this can be done. When choosing your material you should look at the embedded energy a material has, the process where it is made, the transport length and the life length and the maintenance of the material. For an example timber has low embedded energy, is a renewable material and is grown properly a very good hard material with a lot longer lifespan than clay and brick. The issue with timber is that only a small part of timber production can be described as sustainable. With a large part causing large scale clear felling, the introduction of fast-growing mono culture and removal of mixed old-growth forests.
To be sustainable timber production must consider the preservation of biological resources of the forest, conserve and manage watershed and soils, recognise people's rights and be economically viable. As designers we need to make sure that the wood we use have been produced in these processes. FSC is an international, independent, nongovernmental orrgnaistation which provides certification to forest owners who require authenticity for their timber production. This common knowledge to most people.
I also come across a few points that I hadn't considered before when I was reading the book. The book suggests using crushed waste from a site to provide hardcore for a new project. Which is reusing material already on site and reduces impacts of removing waste from site. I dound this simple and interesting. Other more obvious things are to make sure that if you use concrete, reduce the transport of the concrete and make sure that recycled aggregates are used in the process.
It also talks about simple solutions, like green roofs, brown and grey waste water collection, trees and their positioning to help energy efficiency of buildings, suds and much more. I can recommend reading the book. I will definitely get a copy to keep and use when I am thinking about materials I use in my projects.
The TCPA- the town and country planning association have a lot of interesting publications all download able on their website. The Climate change design by adaption is a good document. One of the most interesting points in there are talking about vernacular design. Which is a design that suits local climates and is a reflection of the customs and surrounding natural landscapes. Since a vernacular design has evolved to suit local conditions in place it is not entirely transferable to other places. But it provides a useful look at how other places and cultures have evolved to deal with the challenges of the current climate. And design in the UK can definitely benefit from this.
The document also talks about the adaptations that we are going to have start to design for immediately and not just in the future. It is good just to remind you what we always need to keep in the back of minds when designing and looking at new places.
The issue with hard materials and landscape architecture is obviously a main concern when talking about sustainability. It is hard to be sustainable with hard landscaping material. Both if you combine sustainable methods with local materials this can be done. When choosing your material you should look at the embedded energy a material has, the process where it is made, the transport length and the life length and the maintenance of the material. For an example timber has low embedded energy, is a renewable material and is grown properly a very good hard material with a lot longer lifespan than clay and brick. The issue with timber is that only a small part of timber production can be described as sustainable. With a large part causing large scale clear felling, the introduction of fast-growing mono culture and removal of mixed old-growth forests.
To be sustainable timber production must consider the preservation of biological resources of the forest, conserve and manage watershed and soils, recognise people's rights and be economically viable. As designers we need to make sure that the wood we use have been produced in these processes. FSC is an international, independent, nongovernmental orrgnaistation which provides certification to forest owners who require authenticity for their timber production. This common knowledge to most people.
I also come across a few points that I hadn't considered before when I was reading the book. The book suggests using crushed waste from a site to provide hardcore for a new project. Which is reusing material already on site and reduces impacts of removing waste from site. I dound this simple and interesting. Other more obvious things are to make sure that if you use concrete, reduce the transport of the concrete and make sure that recycled aggregates are used in the process.
It also talks about simple solutions, like green roofs, brown and grey waste water collection, trees and their positioning to help energy efficiency of buildings, suds and much more. I can recommend reading the book. I will definitely get a copy to keep and use when I am thinking about materials I use in my projects.
The TCPA- the town and country planning association have a lot of interesting publications all download able on their website. The Climate change design by adaption is a good document. One of the most interesting points in there are talking about vernacular design. Which is a design that suits local climates and is a reflection of the customs and surrounding natural landscapes. Since a vernacular design has evolved to suit local conditions in place it is not entirely transferable to other places. But it provides a useful look at how other places and cultures have evolved to deal with the challenges of the current climate. And design in the UK can definitely benefit from this.
The document also talks about the adaptations that we are going to have start to design for immediately and not just in the future. It is good just to remind you what we always need to keep in the back of minds when designing and looking at new places.
Friday, April 11
Tree Lecture
We are just about to start to work on open spaces around Waterloo and I thought as a preparation for my site which is a street and will almost certainly involve trees it would be good to try to learn more about what you need to consider when designing with trees.
Trees are the new black
Went to one of the breakfast talks at the NLA. The subject was trees and held by Martin Kelly from Lovejoy and Jim Smith from the Forestry commission. Both are involved in the Trees and Design Action Group TDAG. The main points they emphasized were:
Trees need space and need to be managed right.
The importance of putting an actual value to a tree, to make other professions understand their value
Promoting an understanding of trees
The cost of manging the tree in relation to the value of the tree. A high value tree might cost more to maintain, but there are solutions to avoid and help management issues for the future.
At the moment there are more trees being planted in London than ever before. The problem is that it is not always the right kind of trees and the way and space where they are planted are not right.
Trees are identified as playing a major part in the climate change scenario. Trees can help to decrease the Urban heat island effect. They are also important to health and wellbeing. They provide shade, but you also need to consider where trees are planted in relation to buildings, not to shade too much sun, that is valuable for the building to absorb heat from the sun to heat the buildings. But at the same time you would want the tree to provide shade in the summer to keep the building from getting too hot.
Trees are the new black
Went to one of the breakfast talks at the NLA. The subject was trees and held by Martin Kelly from Lovejoy and Jim Smith from the Forestry commission. Both are involved in the Trees and Design Action Group TDAG. The main points they emphasized were:
Trees need space and need to be managed right.
Right Tree Right Location - to ensure future tree planting in London is appropriate, sustainable, considered and permits the long term survival of those trees planted so that they fulfill their growth potential and make the maximum contribution possible without causing many of the problems traditionally associated with planting trees in urban areas.
The importance of putting an actual value to a tree, to make other professions understand their value
Promoting an understanding of trees
The cost of manging the tree in relation to the value of the tree. A high value tree might cost more to maintain, but there are solutions to avoid and help management issues for the future.
At the moment there are more trees being planted in London than ever before. The problem is that it is not always the right kind of trees and the way and space where they are planted are not right.
Trees are identified as playing a major part in the climate change scenario. Trees can help to decrease the Urban heat island effect. They are also important to health and wellbeing. They provide shade, but you also need to consider where trees are planted in relation to buildings, not to shade too much sun, that is valuable for the building to absorb heat from the sun to heat the buildings. But at the same time you would want the tree to provide shade in the summer to keep the building from getting too hot.
Trees also absorb CO2 from the atmosphere (but CO2 are also released during deforestation). There is also research supporting trees role in absorbing NO2 from the atmosphere to reduce pollution.
The average value of a tree in London is £8000 - £10 000. The total value of all street trees in London are £2.9 billion. And that is not including the parks. The value of a tree is done by the CAVAT system which can be read more about on the London tree officer website.
For me this has left me with a lot of reading and a better understanding of trees and some of the things that you need to consider when consider planting trees in designs especially in an urban site. I think it will be really important to provide management plans for trees in your designs, so that councils know how to look after the trees and to avoid future problems that the trees could occur. But also trying to sort out existing problems and provide solutions, for example root pruning and extension of existing tree grills. Even though you will probably work with a tree officer on your schemes in the real world I think a good understanding of the basics is very important.
Also promoting new developments to include trees in their schemes and to work with architects to change the building foundations to work with trees.
At another level there is also the opportunities of promoting fruit tree orchards to come to the UK, since a lot have disappeared over past years. I would love to have the opportunity to promote an urban orchard to highlight the issue of the future importance of local food production.
The average value of a tree in London is £8000 - £10 000. The total value of all street trees in London are £2.9 billion. And that is not including the parks. The value of a tree is done by the CAVAT system which can be read more about on the London tree officer website.
For me this has left me with a lot of reading and a better understanding of trees and some of the things that you need to consider when consider planting trees in designs especially in an urban site. I think it will be really important to provide management plans for trees in your designs, so that councils know how to look after the trees and to avoid future problems that the trees could occur. But also trying to sort out existing problems and provide solutions, for example root pruning and extension of existing tree grills. Even though you will probably work with a tree officer on your schemes in the real world I think a good understanding of the basics is very important.
Also promoting new developments to include trees in their schemes and to work with architects to change the building foundations to work with trees.
At another level there is also the opportunities of promoting fruit tree orchards to come to the UK, since a lot have disappeared over past years. I would love to have the opportunity to promote an urban orchard to highlight the issue of the future importance of local food production.
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