Inhabitat » Landscape Architecture

Hanging Bamboo Gardens Make Beautiful Biofilters

If you were at West Coast Green this past weekend you would have surely noticed the elegant bamboo structures along the waterfront surrounded by beautiful native landscaping. What you may not have realized unless you looked closely is that the structure was actually supporting hanging gardens of marsh grass and was a way of preventing and remediating pollution from water runoff. A collaboration of The Natural Builders, Design Ecology, Floating Islands and Bertotti Landscaping, the installation was the talk of the trade show and highlight for us at Inhabitat.

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Floating Green: A Grassy Bench

by Olivia Chen, 09/26/09

A lush lawn can be a wonderful thing to stretch out on. Unfortunately, the high-maintenance needs, which include frequent seeding and fertilizing, of grass can make it more of a pain than a joy, leaving would-be loungers disappointed. Fortunately, grassy seating can put back some of the fun. The idea of creating seating out of grass is no new concept, as you may find with the lawnge chairs or living lawn chaise. In this formulation, the Floating Green, by Ling Fan, is a stretch of lawn that appears to have rebelled against horizontality by springing from the ground, doing an elegant twist and then settling into a vertically folded position to offer passers-by a place to sit.

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West Loop Park Infuses Chicago With Green Urban Space

by Olivia Chen, 08/31/09

As the construction process for Hudson Yards drags on in New York, we’re glad to see green urban design is alive and well in Chicago. The windy city is no stranger to sustainable building, and this urban park, located on the fringe of the city’s downtown, will certainly give Chicago even more green cred. Perkins + Will, the architects behind the design, developed the park to create more open space for the city, but the greenway also proves to be a pedestrian-friendly gateway that connects the existing downtown to any future development across the Kennedy Expressway.

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The Brooks Ave House: A Californian Study in Green

by Danielle Rago, 08/19/09

Vancouver-based architecture firm Bricault Design’s vegetation-clad house in Venice, California is a sexy study in green. The mod abode incorporates sustainable design in a new residential addition that features a lush living wall on three sides of the house and a breezy roof garden perfect for relaxing in the sun. Read on to see the other eco-conscious touches that make other homes green with envy.

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Telok Blangah Hill Park’s Flying Infrastructure in the Sky

If you enjoyed our coverage of New York City’s High Line raised park, we think Telok Blangah Hill Park’s dizzying infrastructure will “elevate” you to an ever higher level. Located in Singapore, the park’s fly-over style “walkways” are reminiscent of those ancient rope bridges you see suspended over caverns in movies, giving you the very rare experience of viewing towering treetops from a monkey’s perspective. The pathways and suspension bridges are anything but rickety though. In fact, many of them are elegant works of art and architectural precision. But at 120 feet above the forest floor at their highest points, they aren’t for the faint of heart!

Making Public Places: Forum on Placemaking in Cities

On Monday, July 13, 2009, Diana Balmori and her NYC-based landscape and urban design firm hosted a forum that was part-academic discussion, part-social media experiment. The forum, called Making Public Places, was hosted in the Meatpacking District (MPD) while it streamed live online via Twitter and Ustream. The design firm was joined by 40 landscape architecture and urban design students from the Netherlands. Photos and tweets were updated throughout the event and yours truly was there to see it in action and provide you with highlights. But for more in-depth information, you can check out Balmori Associates‘ recently launched blog focused on public places.

The Swimming City: A Water World for Future Generations

Much like a floating Club Med, “The Swimming City” by Andras Gyorfi could be the perfect solution for ocean-bound adventure seekers. As most of us have daydreamed about abandoning our complex land-ridden existence for the simple life at sea, Gyorfi – the winner of Seastead’s first design contest – has brought this idea to new heights. His design is playfully inviting, with many recreational facilities including a large swimming pool, outdoor amphitheater, helicopter landing pad, and shaded marina.

US Government May Bulldoze 50 Cities; Create More Green Space

It seems virtually everyone—from Wall Street bankers to small business owners—has been affected by the economic downturn. Now, the recession’s latest victims may be American cities. The Obama administration is reportedly considering plans to raze sections of 50 economically depressed US cities, condensing these towns’ shrinking populations and city services to smaller areas. The plan, dubbed “shrink to survive,” may seem kooky, but it could be big news for environmentalists: In many cases, bulldozed districts would be returned to nature via forests or meadows.

Holey Concrete: Pervious Paving Reduces Stormwater Run-off

Let’s be clear – paving a surface does not reduce storm water run-off, but if you must create a street, parking lot, driveway, or any other form of this detriment, an apples-to-apples comparison between pervious concrete and asphalt paving will show many exciting benefits from this innovative form of paving. First of all, those little air pockets mean less material overall, and with the cost of oil as unstable as the resource itself, petroleum-based asphalt is no longer the cheapest form of paving. For the first time in history, the cost of concrete and asphalt have reached comparable dollar values. Add in the cost of additional storm water management devices – grids of piping directed towards drains and retention ponds, and suddenly permeable concrete starts making a lot more sense. Then there is the environmental cost of leaching toxic chemicals, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) used as a sealcoat on asphalt, into what should be nature’s flow of water back to the ground table.

Links Roundup of the Week: The High Line

The High Line opened this week!! The Inhabitat team was lucky enough to gather together to see it this week on Monday, and we loved it! It’s green, it’s public space — and visitors feel like they are walking above the city, so what’s not to love? And in case you weren’t already as ecstatic over it …

Inhabitat Exclusive Video: The NYC High Line Opens!

This week the highly anticipated High Line Park in NYC opened to the public for the first time. We were super excited to be on the scene for a sneak peek of the new elevated park, which was built on the remains of an abandoned rail system in New York City. Check out our video of the new High Line, with exclusive interviews with the design team including Lead Designer and …

New York’s High Line Park in the Sky Opens Today!

An elevated park in the sky built on top of the skeleton of an old rail system? It may have sounded impossible only five years ago, but today, the eagerly awaited High Line elevated urban park officially opens for thousands of New Yorkers looking to escape the hubbub of the city below!

Here at Inhabitat, we have been following the journey of the High Line for the past several years and were super excited to get a sneak peek yesterday of the new park, which was renovated / designed by James Corner Field Operations, Lead Designer, with starchitects Diller Scofidio + Renfro. We were thrilled to get a chance to scope out the High Line yesterday as we’ve been waiting for this for ages!), so check out our pics below!

A Clearing in the Streets: NYC Spouts a Meadow Amid Concrete

As the topic of urban restoration garners more attention, we have seen an increase in the investigation and experimentation relating to NYC’s ecological past. NYC Wildflower Week demonstrated a rise in popularity of plants native to New York City. Coupling urban restoration and indigenous plants, Julie Farris and Sarah Wayland-Smith, both landscape designers, were commissioned by the Public Art Fund to design and construct ‘A Clearing in the Streets,’ a 15-foot wide, plywood structure containing the beginnings of a meadow. The temporary installation, meant to invite passers-by to appreciate and watch the “re-insertion” of nature back into the city, offers a glimpse into NYC’s native landscape.

Vertical Park: Stackable Solar Skyscraper for Mexico City

In the ever-expanding metropolis of Mexico City, green space is hard to come by. An estimated population of 22 million inhabitants bears an impressive weight on the Valley of Mexico and, in recent years, architects and urbanists have been examining solutions to combat the thickening smog. This stunning Vertical Park by Jorge Hernandez de la Garza intends to infuse the city with much-needed green space in the form of a modular skyscraper made up of a series of stacking units. The solar-powered structure contains sky-gardens in addition to spaces for living and working, and recycles all of its own water.

New York’s High Line Sky Park to Open in June

New York City will soon be receiving a brand new stretch of green space as the once-abandoned High Line railway is renovated to become a lush public park. Designed to capture the majesty of both nature and NYC’s industrial ruins, the first section of the elevated garden promenade is set open this June, and an online video series on the Sundance Channel gives an excellent first look at the project. Featuring ten short narratives, the series shows the diversity of support that the project has garnered over the years — and how far the High Line has come, from being a neglected “industrial relic” to a much-anticipated “park in the sky.”

Skate Parks Jump the Gap To Green Design

It seems like almost every community has a skate park–a place for the youngins’ to go, try out some sick tricks, and hang out with friends. City officials like them because they keep kids off the streets, and kids like them because they provide an adult-free haven where kids can be on their own. But despite their appeal, skate parks are basically empty swimming pools, made almost entirely out of concrete, and do nothing to reduce urban heat island effect or filter stormwater. Now, however, skate park designers are starting to incorporate greener features and nature into their designs. Read on to see how projects like the Ed Benedict Skate Plaza in Portland, Oregon are leading the charge.

Green Roofed Cooper Point House Blends Into Big Sur

Fading right into the Big Sur landscape, this three-bedroom house is nearly invisible when viewed from certain angles. And that’s just how Mickey Muennig, the mastermind behind the project, wanted it. The 74-year old architect kept the environment in mind when he designed the sod roof and seeded it with native grasses and wildflowers. The roof is part of a garden that starts at Cooper Point, Big Sur, and stretches out to the Pacific Ocean.

Topiary Joe’s Incredible Green Garden Sculptures

For those that consider themselves sophisticated designfolk, topiaries may seem the stuff of Edward Scissorhands suburbia or the artistic outlets of a housewife with hedge shears. But consider this – these carefully crafted plant forms are an eco-friendly alternative to promotional billboards or waste-making flyers, and can add to the environment rather than take away from it. If you’re in the market for some seriously impressive shrubbery, there’s no better man for the job than Topiary Joe.

Natural Swimming Ponds Ditch The Chemicals

This gorgeous swimming pool isn’t a typical chlorine-filled watering hole–it’s actually a natural swimming pond that relies on plants to filter the water. (Don’t worry, you’re not swimming among the plants and stepping in squishy mud; the plant regeneration area is kept separate from the swimming area.) Even if you already have a swimming pool, you can enjoy the benefits of a chemical-free pond and relaxing natural environment using the structure you already have with a few design changes.

Cracked Concrete Garden Springs up to Claim ASLA Award

Think you need an open plot of land with plenty of soil in order to cultivate a garden? Think again. CMG Landscape Architecture’s Cracked Concrete Garden proves that many plants have a way of surviving even with minimal resources. The project took a site that was previously paved with concrete and transformed the land into a true piece of urban wild. Garden rows were created with jackhammers, and then vegetated by herbs and flowers. A Jacaranda tree on the far side of the garden and two species of vines climb the surrounding fences to complete the green space.

Food City: Dubai’s Self-Sufficient Ecotopia

This past February, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce authorized the development of a “free zone” dubbed Food City. GCLA, a green landscape architect firm, proposed a master plan for the city sector to turn it into an incredible off-the-grid, self-sufficient metropolis. GCLA’s future-forward urban quarter incorporates an extensive list of sustainable urban planning ideas, including vertically stacked landscape surfaces, artificial roof landscapes, renewable energy systems, aquatic farms, and thermal conditioning.

Generating Giant Sandstone Walls to Fight Desertification

Desertification, the degradation of land in arid areas, is a growing problem due to deforestation, fires, and climate change. Magnus Larsson, a student at London’s Architectural Association has a drastic solution–a 6,000 km long wall of artificially solidified sandstone spanning the Sahara Desert from east to west. Dunes along Larsson’s sandstone wall will act as a combination of refugee housing and a block against the desert.

EDEN BIO: Paris Grows a Green Heart

Villas des Vignoles or EDEN BIO is an entire block of public housing nestled in urban Paris. The newly unveiled dwellings are enclosed in a small alley with plenty of nooks and crannies for gardening, composting or even small rabbit hutches—as designer Edouard Francios so picturesquely envisioned. Green walls or vegetable facades will hug the exterior of the housing block, and in the coming months trees will begin to shoot off branches. The landscaping will continue to grow into its surroundings aging like a fine French wine.

Fibonacci-Inspired British National Wildflower Center

You might not intuitively associate wildflowers with mathematics, but as Ian Simpson Architects proves, the relationship between the two can inspire beautiful architecture. The architecture firm was part of the winning team in an open, international design competition to design the addition to an existing building at the British National Wildflower Center. The addition is meant to offer additional space for educational purposes, conferences, and seed production. In Ian Simpson’s winning design, a Fibonacci spiral sits slightly offset from beds of wildflowers, a metaphorical embrace of the mathematical patterns found in nature.

Bird Bridge in Sweden by visiondivision

We may be biased, given our love of owls here at Inhabitat, but the “Bird Bridge” by architectural firm visiondivision is quite a poetic design solution. Located deep in a forest in Gothenburg, Sweden, the Bird Bridge crosses a rift, linking a hospital to a series of botanical gardens. Two pedestrian bridges are also intended as bird-friendly, providing secret resting places for the our avian friends.

The Flowing Gardens of the World Horticultural Expo

From the manicured forms of French estates to the sculptural gestures of Japanese gardens, the adjectives we use to describe a garden are often subject to the characteristics of the plants (or lack thereof) that grow there. No wonder horticultural research and experimentation have long been a fascination of scientists and gardeners alike. Which is why The World Horticultural Expo, slotted for 2011 and located in the city of Xi’an in China, will gain tremendous attention. The commission of designing the event’s masterplan was recently given to winning design team, Plasmastudio and Groundlab. The project, entitled The Flowing Gardens, was inspired by the convergence of the different types of expertise that will be brought together by this event; principally horticulture and technology, and landscape and architecture.

MIO Debuts Line of Eco Products for Target!

We loved MIO’s Flat Pack Origami table at first sight and couldn’t wait to see what would come next from this Philly fave. Luckily for us, Brothers Isaac and Jaime Salm do not disappoint. Just in time for the long dog days of summer, the duo has teamed with Target to launch a new line of beautiful, sustainable, and affordable eco-outdoor goodies, like the herb planter pots made from recycled paper (above), all for under $100.

Michelle Obama To Plant White House Edible Garden

Eleanor Roosevelt’s World War II-era Victory Garden was a shining example to Americans that they could grow their own food. And now Michelle Obama is following in her footsteps, taking up the cause by planting an 1,100 square foot edible garden on the South Lawn of the White House. Her hope is to educate children about locally grown food, inspiring them to eat healthier and encourage their families and community to follow suit.

Brazil Promotes Sustainability with São Paulo Eco-Park

Anna Dietzsch, Managing Director of Davis Brody Bond Aedas‘ São Paulo office and Levisky Arquitetos Associados designed this beautiful eco-park on what was once a contaminated brownfield in São Paulo, Brazil. The 130,000-square-foot site was previously the home to a garbage incinerator, so even after the area’s clean-up the team strove to minimize soil excavation by building a deck that, on average, floats three feet above the ground. Victor Civita Plaza also includes solar panels, the extensive use of reclaimed wood, and a retro-fitted museum that explains the sustainable features that were designed into the site.

Monterey Bay Shores Set to be Greenest Ecoresort in the World

Monterey Bay Shores is a stunning new development set to break ground this month that will convert a desolate disused sand mine into a thriving environmental preserve and eco-resort. Replete with living walls and a five acre green roof, the development boasts an impressive list of green design elements and is working towards LEED Platinum certification. Now, saying that you’re the “Greenest Eco Resort” is quite a claim, but if the Resort builds out all that they have promised, it really will be the most environmentally friendly resort in the US, and possibly in the world.

Passive Designed Llorenç House Optimizes the Sun

Located in Mutxamel, Spain, this gorgeous green home designed by Eneseis Arquitectura is half buried into the ground in part to take advantage of passive solar design techniques, but also to provide some privacy from its neighbors. The Llorenç House connects to the public street via a narrow 40 meter long driveway and is surrounded on three sides by other homes, while the fourth side opens up to beautiful mountain views. The Llorenç Home takes advantage of southern orientation, a man-made hill, and rainwater harvesting to create a beautifully sustainable secluded home.

Europe’s Grass-Lined Green Railways = Good Urban Design

Although it’s certainly not a new idea to combine landscaping with public transportation, we love the sight of these European trams gliding along on beds of grass. From Barcelona to the Czech Republic, Frankfurt, St-Etienne and Strasbourg, these public transit greenways are showing the potential of incorporating landscaping into good urban design.

Bruce Munro’s Brilliant Fiber Optic Fields of Light

Bruce Munro’s gorgeous fiber optic ‘Field of Light‘ installation is inspired by the beautiful displays of flowers that burst forth from Australia’s desert landscape. The UK based lighting designer conceived of the installation 15 years ago while driving across Stuart Highway on a road trip through Australia. Every night he would stop to rest at roadside campsite, where green grass and surreal sculptures struck a stark contrast to the surrounding red desert. Munro was fascinated by these oases, and how dormant desert seeds would burst into beautiful flowers when it rained. The idea followed Munro for years all the way back to the UK until he could finally bring it to life in a brilliant installation at the Eden Project in Cornwall.

Re-mixed Topographies: Maya Lin’s Systematic Landscapes

As in her work on the Vietnam War Memorial so many years ago, the contemporary pieces of artist Maya Lin hit the emotional nail right on the head. In her exhibition Systematic Landscapes, which is showing now at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, the famous artist remixes topographies and terrains into real, walkable places ready to be explored and dissected by willing spectators. From Bodies of Water, representing landlocked saltwater seas with stacked plywood, to her large wire rendition of the San Francisco Bay Area hanging near the new California Academy of Sciences, her landscape representations combine our scientific tendency to chart landscapes without compromising the wisdom and wonder of studying natural phenomena.

Diller Scofidio & Renfro Dancing Trees at Liverpool Biennial

With all eyes on the much anticipated first installment of Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s NYC High Line project this winter, it is refreshing to experience their work as ‘moving’ art with Arbores Laetae (Joyful Trees) at this year’s Liverpool Biennial. This architectural trio is well known for their interdisciplinary practice – melding architecture, urban design, visual art, site-specific installation, and electronic new media in ways that playfully investigate performance and landscape interpretation. For the 2008 MADE UP Liverpool Biennial, S D + R created an arboretum on a former brownfield site. The installation included rotating trees that engage viewers in a totally eerie spin on human nature, emotions, and choreographed interaction.