West 8

Founded in 1987 by Adriaan Geuze, West 8 is an urban planning and landscape architecture firm based in
the Rotterdam, Netherlands. Part of the Dutch wave of architects that have gained major international recognition
for innovative design approaches and urban solutions in the past few decades, West 8 currently has offices in both
their native Holland and New York City.
+ Landscape Design Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier
1991-1992 | Zeeland, Netherlands | 41 800 sqm | Installation
- dark and light coloured mussels attract black and white birds respectively
- viewed from the vehicular perspective
- tidal movement washes away the mussels and captures the idea of an uncontrollable
nature
- contrast between austere utility of the barrier and the ephemeral installation
+ Schouwburgplein
1991-1996 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 9 150 sqm | Plaza
- an open plaza that replaced an unused parking lot, situated in a dense city center
- revolves around different programmatic uses, which govern material choice
- the square is also programmed around the times of day, instructing the plan
- mechanical lights are implemented to awaken the spaces at night
- on a raised platform to act as stage for the city
+ Expo .02
1998-2002 | Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland | 185 000 sqm | Pavilions
- pavilions house exhibition spaces, media installations, and concessions for Expo 02
- the idea of transplanting dutch flower landscapes and hills on the site
- artificial dunes, bombardment of flowers, and psychedelic patterns play on visitors senses
- landscape and structure were designed to be dismantled within one year
+ Toronto Central Waterfront
2007-2009 | Toronto, Canada | 1760 sqm | Waterfront
- an effort to rejuvenate the Toronto waterfront by creating a continuous water edge
promenade connected by a series of pedestrian bridges
- the timber wave decks rise up and down playfully to reflect the contours of the Canadian
lakefront shoreline
- the rising curves create ledges for seating, different vantage points from which to admire
the lakefront and thus different experiences of the city
+ Garden of 10,000 Bridges
2010 - 2011 | XiAn, China | area unknown | Landscaped Garden
- temporary installation designed for the 2011 XiAn International Horticulture Exhibition
- concrete bridges installed in a landscaped bamboo forest
- explores notions of poetry and narratives with a winding path through nature
- consisting of a variety of bridges of different height and spans, the circulation raises and
lowers the occupants in order for them to explore and observe the landscape from various
vantage points
+ Miami Beach Soundscape
2011 | Miami Beach, U.S.A | 23 700 sqm | Landscaped Garden
- landscaped garden with media and vegetative installations that responds to site context
(New World Symphony Building)
- natural palm vegetation used to protect against hurricanes
- focused on creating an intimate, shady, and soft park that can be comfortably enjoyed by
occupants

ARCH 425: P1
James Corner Field Operations

Jiyeon Kim, Michelle Piotrowski, Victor Poon,

Liwei Wang, Janice Woo, Jennifer Yong
SEQUENCE / TIME
REMEDIATION / RECOVERY
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY WORK

Part 1: Background and Theory

- In a timeline of Corner's career in landscape architecture, there is a
clear reflection of his stance that writing and designing are
intertwined modes of working
- Influence and education from McHarg
- Writing was prompted by the divided state of landscape architecture
in the late 80's between environmentalists and artists
- Essays, collected in "The Landscape Imagination", show his interest
in the larger impacts and discourse of the field

Part 2: Representation and Creativity

- Corner advocates eidetic representations that leave not only a visual

impression, but express a broad range of ideas
- Discusses drawing in three distinctly different types: Projection,
Notation and Representation
- He develops a mapping style that is a composite montage, allowing
for a multiplicity of issues to be layered and read at once.
- Was extremely interested in aerial images and representation from
above, as well as the consequences of this new technology.

2014

2014

Part 3: Landscape Urbanism and Practice

BUSAN CITIZENS PARK

Busan, South Korea

- Cultural, ecological remediation where disconnected void in the city

is transformed into vital piece of urban fabric
- Model for new park typology for expectation of 80+ returned
decommisioned military sites
- Poetic nature expressed through five themed zones within park that
addresses history of Korea and the site

HIGH LINE

New York City, New York

2020

2016

- 23 city block-long elevated park constructed of a reclaimed railway

on the West Side of Manhattan
- Captures the charm of self-sowing plants overtaking an industrial
relic
- Built in three episodic phases, including plains, pits, flyovers, ramps,
etc., each of a different character

DOMINO SUGAR FACTORY

Brooklyn, New York

- Complex includes renovation of 19th century heritage factory plus

addition of 5 new buildings
- Includes a series of public parks, gardens, sports fields organized
by function and laid out as a series of strips
- Proposal maintains some of the existing industrial elements of the
factory site, such as cranes and gantry towers

QIANHAI WATER CITY

Shenzhen, China

- Master plan for a new city on 18 square-km of reclaimed land

- Five sub-districts defined by water fingers that filter stormwater,
create parkland, organize development
- One monument and transit/commercial hub in each district, with
retail, residential, infrastructure, mixed use, and civic programmes

TURENSCAPE
Natalie Bellefleur|Monty de Luna|Stephane Gaulin-Brown|Evelyn Hofmann|Jack Lipson|Lia Tramontini

Kongjian Yu is a practicing Landscape architect in China. He is the founder, director and professor at the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at Peking University, and the lead designer at Turenscape. Turenscape is a practice that does architecture, landscape architecture and
urbanism in China. It has over 600 employees, and has gained national and international recognition for its work in China. When Konjian Yu presents his work, he does so under the title of the Art of Survival. He develops a New Vernacular, a strategy that attempts to mediate between the
traditional Chinese Garden and the traditional farmland, creating a combination of aesthetic and function to address Chinas pressing issues of pollution and depleting clean water supply. This strategy includes four strategies:
1. Address the relevant issues of survival
2. For the people, the common and ordinary
3. Use modern technology and materials
4. An integration of contemporary art and ecology
Turenscape as a firm addresses three objectives: ecological targets, giving sites cultural relevance, and the communication of the New Vernacular.

Zhongshan Shipyard Park

Red Ribbon Park

Shenyang Architectural University Campus

The Floating Gardens

Tianjin Wetland Park

Qunli Stormwater Park

The Zhongshan Shipyard Park succeeds in

aspects of preservation of vegetation, the
protection of old banyan trees along the river
side, the reuse of rails, the decoration of water
towers, and the creation of the red box.
Turenscape successfully creates a network of
paths through a park that considers all parts of
a functional renewal scheme.
All elements including the recycled water
tower, new planters, pavers and docks are
carefully designed and well executed. Paths
and urban interventions allow the park to
merge
into the urban fabric quite seamlessly - with
program including the tea house bringing in
visitors, Water elements merge via the inlet
from the sea that fluctuates along with ocean
tides allowing the park to respond to the
context.

To protect the natural habitat along the

river while creating new opportunities for
recreation & environmental education. The
solution is the Red Ribbon.

The Shenyang Architectural University

Campus in Liaoning Province is a model for
new hybrid landscapes. In relocating to a
suburban campus the landscaping strategy
takes advantage of the regional rice fields,
which creates a dialog between sustainable
development and agriculture. The rice fields
not only benefit the school but also engage
the surrounding community, which links the
spirit of the site to the present.

The Floating Gardens succeed in creating a

park that infuses a need for flood and drainage
control in a country that generally builds
quick with little regard for consequence.
Through a clear layering strategy the park
redefines the urban wetland as a place of
communal pleasure and recreation - one that
finds balance in form and function.

The Tianjin Wetland Park is a stormwater

runoff basin and soil remediation project
in the dense urban fabric of the city of
Tianjin on the former site of a contaminated
garbage dump. Inspired by local adaptive
communities of plants, the project uses cells
of different sizes and depths to curate the
optimal qualities for different local plantings
to thrive resulting in a low maintenance
design. The pedestrian interventions are quite
minimal and consist of a network of paths and
numerous observation points dotted across
the park, constructed from reclaimed railway
ties. Since opening, independent sources have
measured a decrease in noise levels in the
park, return to neutral pH of the soil, and an
increase in the number of wildlife species.

Qunli stormwater park is a park at the scale

of Chinese urban development. Built before
the onslaught of rapid urban boom, the park
represents the last vestige of wetland in the
area. These wetlands function as stormwater
storage, so that the water systems of Qunli are
not overburdened. A ring park surrounds the
wetland. The cut and fill construction of this
park creates filtering ponds for the stormwater
and a heterogeneous landscape for the
residents of the area.

The Minimum Intervention

Most contemporary designed landscapes
are too costly both financially and
environmentally, especially in China. Use
natural processes & services, but with a
minimal intervention to have a maximum
impact. The project demonstrates and
harmonious marriage of art and ecology.

CLAUDE CORMIER
Early studies in Agronomy (agricultural science and technology) at the University of Guelph 1982

Studied Landscape Architecture at the University of Toronto 1986 and completed Masters of History & Theory of Design, Harvard GSD 1995
ARTIFICIAL BUT NOT FAKE
The experience takes precedence over traditional concepts of garden, creating genuine experiences using manufactured objects. Landscape is
represented, not replicated, by drawing inspiration from art and technology. It is the evolution of our visual culture in which Claude Cormier challenges
our preconceptions of the types of objects that can carry the experiences achieved in landscape urbanism.

3P PHILOSOPHY
The success of a projects relies on achieving two of three; people, project interest, and profit.
PINK BALLS
The Pink Balls is an seasonal installation located in Montral on Rue Sainte Catherine Est. The project is
composed of 170 000 pink plastic balls suspended at 6.5 m for a full kilometer.
The project came about from a request by the city of Montral to improve the social conditions of Sainte
Catherine Street and the Gay Village. The result was an installation that involved the entire community
and gave a new identity to the Gay Village in Montral. The repercussions can be seen in the social media
and public interactions with the installation. It has become an icon for the city of Montral and a popular
tourist attraction. The project successfully achieves the 3P philosophy of the firm by by revolving many
of the social problems of the Sainte Catherine Street and revitalizing the quarter.

SUGAR BEACH
Sugar Beach is a contrived beach that acts as an urban escape without the cost and automobile
constraints. Set between the vertical city and horizontal lake, it responds to the industrial past of the site
and links to the greater Toronto Waterfront Revitalization. Inspired by the 1884 painting by Georges
Seurat, Bathers at Asnires, the project attracts different city dweller, workers and visitors to retreat and
be idle. The strong aesthetic has become an icon for the waterfront and well loved public space that
holds many formal and informal gatherings.

TOM I, II, II
The temporary installation has been re-imagined each year on the Avenue du Musee using TOMs
(Temporary Overlay Markers) attached to the asphalt.. The concept of the series is to bring the landscape
into the city, and has become increasingly complex in reference, conception, and execution.
TOM I: Pointillism, field of daisies, 3500 yellow/white TOMs
TOM II: Impressionism, Field of Poppies by Van Gogh, 6000 red/green/white TOMs
TOM III: Geometry and perspectival games, Faberge egg, 10 000
yellow/blue/white/black/red/orange/purple TOMs

BLUE STICK GARDEN

The Blue Stick garden was stated to be the expression of the evolution of our visual culture, from
impressionistic brushstroke to digital outputs. The Blue Sticks are the pixelated product of an image of
the iconic Blue Poppy of the Metis Garden in Quebec. The installation, originally installed at Les Jardins
de Metis in 2000, the Blue Sticks have travelled to 4 other sites; Canada Blooms in Toronto, Hestercombe
Gardens in Somerset UK, Flora International in Montreal, and returning to Villa Estevan as a permanent
garden.
The Blue sticks represent an artificial interpretation of the floral, but produce a chromatic experience
that challenges our preconceptions of what landscape is. The 3500 sticks are painted blue on three sides
and orange on the fourth. As perception and time progress through the project, the experience of
peering through the stems of the blue sticks produces a similar effect of that of real tall plants, as well as
perception of the changing colour..

LIPSTICK FOREST
Lipstick Forest was an installation project displayed at the Palais des congrs de Montral from 1999 to
2002. The project features 52 pink concrete trees sculpted by local concrete sculptors. This installation
symbolizes the idea of nature living in harmony with the city centre, the concrete trees were inspired by
the trees lining Montrals Parc Avenue and were painted lipstick pink to celebrate the citys flourishing
cosmetic industry and manifest Montreals inexhaustible joie de vivre. These trees were deliberately
constructed out of concrete, instead of trucking in real trees and fighting against the local climate to
keep them alive, as a way of conveying the reality of nature in our contemporary world.

Andrew Cole, Christina Liu, Eveline Lam, Louis-Pierre Belec, Sheng Wu

Diana Balmori
Arch 425: Project 1
Evan Brock, Mona Dai, Jeremy Jeong, Christina Robev, Andjela Tatarovic, Sheelah Tolton
nostalgia vs reality
Nostalgia for natures past & utopian ideas of societys
future are unproductive and irrelevant; one must look
at the present-moment real-world juxtaposition of
natural landscape & human progress, and work to
integrate them holistically and effectively.
Projects:
ARC Wildlife Crossing, Long Island Green City

constant change
Everything around us is constantly changing: we are
surrounded by systems of interacting components.
Landscape asserts this constant fluidity present in life.
Projects:
Botanical Research Institute of Texas

SITE opportunities
Landscape can be used to repair our relationships
between ourselves, others and nature, in spaces
lacking nature and place.
Projects:
Bilbao Riverfront, New York Floating Landscapes

landscape as art
The artist and designer can use their craft to form a
unique bond between nature and art. Together they
create something more compelling than either on their
own.
Projects:
Making Circles: Metis Garden Festival

landscape & city

Landscape in the modern city must integrate with
the urban context and nature. The city must derive
its form from the processes of nature.
Projects:
Sejong Master Plan

societal forces
Landscape is both shaped by, and a shaper of
political and social forces. One can read in a
landscape, the assumptions and values of its
surrounding society.
Projects:
Sejong City Master Plan

GEORGE HARGREAVES

ARCH 425
J CAMERON PARKIN MARIO ARNONE TRISTAN ROBERTON
PAVEL TSOLOV KRISTIN ALLISON HANEEN DALLA-ALI

In Hargreaves early projects, he begins to tie his site moves to

elements which would be otherwise un-experienced. In Byxbee
Park, Hargreaves references the landfill below with poles
that are meant to signal the movement of the garbage under
the clay cap. In addition to this, chevrons point to air traffic
paths that exist above the site. In Crissy Field, Hargreaves
references the sites history by re-creating a salt marsh, and
preserving the military components on the site. In his early
work, Hargreaves also begins to establish his vocabulary of
berms, strong angular paths, and relationship to water.

Urban projects feature more hardscaping due to less amount

of site available. Hargreaves establishes connections between
dense urban situations by creating places with street furniture,
water features, stepped terraces and vegetation. In certain
conditions, he uses expressive landforms and sculptural
elements to relate his compositions back to the history of the site.

Hargreaves balances ecological rejuvenation and public

recreation in his waterfront projects. In Renaissance Park
Hargreaves turns a post-industrial site into a water remediation
park which is able to educate visitors and instill a sense of
ecological responsibility. In South Pointe Park Hargreaves uses
berms to separate program and planting areas, creating a lively
publics space which can be utilized by a diverse group of users.

Hargreaves, George. Landscape Alchemy: The Work of Hargreaves Associates. Pt.

Reyes Station, CA: ORO Editions, 2009. Print.

Hargreaves Associates. - Projects. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 June 2015.

http://www.hargreaves.com/projects/index.php

KATHRYN GUSTAFSON
G U STA F S O N P O R T E R , L O N D O N
G U STA F S O N G U T H R I E N I C H O L , S E ATT L E

CULTUURPARK WESTERGASFABRIEK - AMSTERDAM

Design of a public park as part of a new cultural center

on the regenerated site of a 19th century gasworks
Key Themes
- Water interactivity
- The changing relationship between people
and the environment
- Sustainability and reclamation

DIANA, PRINCESS OF WHALES MEMORIAL - LONDON

A monumnent that is inclusive like Dianas personality,

which generated the projects concenpt of Reaching out/
Letting in.
Key Themes
- Water interactivity
- Sculpted landscape
- Dynamic experience

LURIE GARDEN - CHICAGO

A garden roof atop an underground parkade, the design

provides a sculptural, continuously changing landscape
where varying perspectives offer new views.
Key Themes
- History of Chicago
- Changing landscape
- Fabricated topography (south sloping)

NEW OLD MARKET SQUARE - NOTTINGHAM

The winning proposal in a competition to redesign the

oldest Market Square in the UK. The competition brief
called for an safe, accessible, integrated and revitalized
space to the currently under-performing city square.
Key Themes
- Water interactivity
- Community Engagement
- Connection to History of SIte

BAY EAST, GARDENS BY THE BAY - SINGAPORE

One of three distinct waterfront areas designed with the

goal of transforming Singapore from a garden city to a
city in a garden.
Key Themes
- Water interactivity
- The relationship between the human body and the plant
world
- Sustainability and reclamation

PIKE-PINE RENAISSANCE - SEATTLE

Revitalization of an area at the heart of downtown

Seattle, with objectives at three different layers of
streetscape: Light, Middle, and Deep.
Key Themes
- Enhance attractiveness and urban/pedestrian
experience
- Increase connection to the Waterfront
- Major transportation and public space improvements

KEN SMITH

Yunyue (Tonks) Chen | Cynthia Eng | Elizabeth Laing

Monica Lalas
| Shu Pui Lui | Yue (Chelsea) Qiu

Themes
Appropriation
redeployment of found or recycled objects and off-the-shelf materials
Simulation
replacement of the natural with the artificial
projects have incorporated artificial flowers, fake rocks, plastic boxwoods and shrubs
Seriality and Repetition
copy-paste elements
interest in shifting systems of order, and organizaing systems altered by random selection
Public Interface
engagement at various scales and distances

Background
Grew up in Iowa in the 1960s and 1970s
Influenced by Pop art in the 70s
Completed undergraduate studies in Iowa State University in 1976
Trained as an apprentice for sculptor Paul Shao
Graduated from GSD Landscape Architecture in 1986
Worked in the office of Peter Walker and Martha Schwartz
Started his own office in New York in 1992
Founded a new office Ken Smith Workshop in California in 2005

Graphic Expression
influenced by Pop art: bright colours, hard edges, graphic quality
illustrated versus the picturesque
Glowing Topiary Garden

New York, USA | 1997

two-month installation in Liberty Plaza in Manhattans financial district during winter holiday season
collaborated with Jim Conti, lighting designer
the large cone-shaped topiary lanterns formed an artificial garden space and calming soundscape located in the midst of a crowded urban setting
the artificially constructed landscape, replaces the traditional more natural landscape as a place to relax in the heart of the city
New York, USA | 2006

Wallflowers

a large-scale flower scrim for the front of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum
over-sized flower shapes fabricated from brightly colored varieties of erosion control fabrics typically used for landscape construction
three-dimensional silk flowers ornament the flower cut-outs, which were attached on a scrim of safety orange construction fencing
investigates cultural interest in artificial flowers and in designs simulation of nature as an art form
Firehouse Atrium Vertical Garden

New York, USA | 2005

a small scale permanent project for an accessible garden in a tall, narrow room
uses repeated wall-hung tropical potted plantings in addition to shade tolerant ivy
a mirror wall visually enlarges the narrow space
rubber gravel used as a floor covering for its moisture tolerance
faux-antler light fixtures draw visual interest upward to the glass roof
MoMA Roof Garden

New York, USA | 2005

used camouflage and simulation as design strategies to build an inaccessible roof that is visible to adjacent high rise buildings
employed plastic rocks and plants on the surfaces of the roof to minimize maintenance
inspired by Japanese dry Zen gardens with a relatively flat garden of white gravel
materials used were recycled black rubber, crushed glass, sculptural stones and artificial boxwood plants
Pacific Coast Residence

Southern California, USA | 2013

garden redesigned for elderly client who has a passion for art
terraced garden covered with crushed stone and glass, shredded rubber, and xeric plants, which require minimum maintenance
great backdrop for art display

East River Waterfront Esplanade

New York, USA | 2010-present

work with multiple city departments to enhance Lower Manhattan waterfront accessibility for recreational purposes
planning embraced existing infrastructure, the FDR highway
adaptive kit-of-parts strategy to engage public interactions
pavement design inspired by the rippling effect of water
variations of railing and seating anticipate diverse use and shape experience
Santa Fe Railyard Park

City of Santa Fe, USA | 2008

turns water harvesting system into aesthetic element

design showcases railway artifacts clearly, but is firmly grounded in landscape architecture
uses a new design vocabulary to do things like they fit into a rail yard
linear features are a departure from traditional Santa Fes curvilinear forms, but Smith uses this linearity to reflect history of railway
spaces serve multiple uses and public furniture is built directly into the landscape
Orange County Great Park
built on the site of former El Taro Marine corps air station
an open space corridor replaces the north-south runway of the air base
agricultural past of the site is reflected in the fields and gardens of the strategy
park connects a chain of land reserves from the mountains to the sea
communities are linked using riding, hiking, and walking trails
artificial lake and canyon will change the now flat landscape
materials are salvaged, recycled, and waste-neutral
water is managed using porous pavement and infiltration devices

Orange County, USA | 2007-present

MARTHA SCHWARTZ

With beginnings as a visual art enthusiast, her work of provocative

garden designs is still viewed on many aspects as landscape
pop art. Bright colours, irrelevant humour, strong imagination,
unusual materials, limited range of plants, and surreal scale of
objects create a source of surprise in her work, mitigating against
the more conventional design values that she uses: controlled
rigour, practicality, orderly methodology with artistic intentions.
Her work aspires to add value by using the economy, the culture,
and the history of her sites as tools.

MCLEOD TAILINGS | Geraldton | 1998

The McLeod Tailings project in Geraldton, Ontario successfully
utilized the waste products of gold mining, an economic driver,
to address the economic void that the town inherited as a result
of the depleted resource. By applying a strategy of cut and fill to
simply change the form of the valueless tailings, the project has
been able to generate interest in the historic site and sustain the
population of Geraldton.

EXCHANGE SQUARE | Manchester | 2000

Exchange Square, located in Manchester, England, is a project
which aims to revitalize a dying city centre by creating a new
cultural and commercial hub, providing a destination for people
from all over the city. The projects success can be attributed to
successful connection between the old and the new portions of
the city, creation of flexible infrastructure and emphasizing the
citys industrial past within the modern context.

CENTRAL PARK MONTE LAA | Vienna | 2002

The Monte Laa Central Park successfully mitigates the issue
of shifting populations, negotiating continuously transforming,
diverse, and mixed-use neighbourhoods. The linear park is
an urban infill project that creates a compact city, bridging
two existing neighbourhoods through an extensive parceling
and breakdown of spaces that accommodates a wide range of
demographics and their respective activities.

10

20m

MESA ART CENTER | Mesa | 2005

With the Mesa Arts Center, Schwartz is given an opportunity to
work with a city that is like a blank slate. Mesa, Arizona suffers
from a sprawling grid that is a result of the automobile era.
Martha Schwartzs design brings together shade, vegetation,
and flowing water in theatrical interplay to create an oasis-like
condition in this Arizona city. The Arts Center hopes to be the
spark that can fuel the generation of a city center in a place of
nonexistent urbanism.

MASSAR DISCOVERY CENTER | Damascus | 2008

Martha Schwartz design of the public realm for the Massar
Childrens Discovery centre is pivotal to the cultural and
educational identity of Damascus. The design carries the theme
of a cultural corridor with a rich journey through the site, feeding
in and out of the discovery centre, whose design is based on the
Damascus Rose.

Trimira Garach, Safira Lakhani, Paniz Moayeri, Maryia Sakharevich, Snehanjali Sumanth, Ronald Tang

MICHAEL VAN
VAULKENBURGH
APPROACH:

It is my conviction that
landscape design is both
personally expressive and
socially motivated. Inspiration
for imagery arises from these
and other, unsuspected sources:
dreams, fleeting thoughts,
memories.

CORKTOWN
COMMON
TORONTO, ON. 2013.
-Remediates industrial land
-Integrates flooding into scheme
with wet and dry sections
-95% native plant species, inspired
by Ontario landscapes

ICE
WALLS
CAMBRIDGE, MA. 1988-2009.

-Temporary installation
-Irrigation of water down chain link
fence creates ice forms that thicken
or thin depending on temporal
conditions of site

GENERAL
MILLS
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. 1989.

-Regionalism
-Native plants chosen to simulate a
mid-western prairie
-Controlled burning encourages
regeneration

TEMPORALITY

LOWER DON LANDS

ALLEGHENY RIVERFRONT

TEARDROP PARK

BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK

TORONTO, ON. ONGOING.

-Remediates industrial land
-Reshapes Don River to naturalize
flow of water
-Integrates into existing city fabric

New York City, NY. ONGOING.

-Hypernature
-Urban oasis and community park is
created using regional materials and
exaggerating their natural forms

PITTSBURGH, PA. 1998.

-Urban contextualism
-Scissoring: city+river+highway
-Willfully wild vs. intentionally
urbane
-Use of local blue stone and reeds

New York City, NY. 2009.

-Urban contextualism
-Master plan links varying public
amenities and programmes
-Water features encourages
interaction with coast

PETER WALKER

Banks | Brown | Cocuz | Verkley | Willms

ARCH 425 | 2015.06.08

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Peter walker is an influential landscape architect who has produced many significant projects around
the world. His landscapes often integrate closely with the work of architects and artists, resulting
in ambiguous distinctions between building and landscape, sculpture and garden, natural and constructed. Many of his designs play rigid geometries and natural forms or objects against each other:
the natural is present, but does not pretend to be untouched by man. The result is often pleasantly
contradictory. Recurrent themes are experimentations in horizontality, grid variations, and carefully-configured surface patterns. A minimalistic approach to plant material prompts the viewer to
understand natural cycles.

SELECTED PROJECTS
Three of these projects are selected from a particularly experimental period. The most recent, from
2011, is notable because of its symbolic significance and its involvement with other prominent
architects.

TODOS SANTOS PLAZA

1987-1989
Concord, CA

TANNER FOUNTAIN
1984
Cambridge, MA

BURNETT PARK
1983
Fort Worth, TX

WTC MEMORIAL
2011
New York, NY

An expose on the nature

of Concords community;
an ironic landscape which
reacts to the lack of community in suburban life.

An investigation into rigid

organizations of natural
objects and the phenomenology of water and stone.

A combination of park and

plaza via highly-controlled
horizontality and geometry.

A large-scale place of contemplation and remembrance which makes use

of repetitious plantings
and landscape elements.

PIET OUDOLF
> born 27 October 1944 in Haarlem, The Netherlands
> nurseryman, garden designer: employs a naturalistic approach, pioneer of the new perennial movement
> begins designs with bubble diagram plans, spray paint plans to scale in order to plant accordingly
Design Approach //
Form
concerned with individual plant structures themselves as well as amongst a multiplicity
Layering
employs different heights and shapes of plants in order create a hierarchy in the way plants are viewed,

becomes a dense blending of different species
Seasonality
each plant dies and is reborn, each is chosen for transformation through time and considered in all
seasons
Dynamics
movement, mood, and rhythmic spatial qualities of groupings
Scale
transforms an individual object into a togetherness and an overall concept
Oudolf Personal Garden // Hummelo, The Netherlands // 1982-present // 10,000 sqm

> isolated personal garden for experimentation

> nursery to develop own plants at small-scale production
> constantly changing due to seasonality and inspiration striking
> culmination of personal design values, trials for conceptual ideas

Dream Park // Enkoping, Sweden // 1996 // 4000 sqm

> species suitable to the climatic conditions

> idea of monocultural blocks of plantings, from hedges to perennials

County Cork Garden // West Cork, Ireland // 2006 // 5500 sqm

> expansive, windy site with shallow sandy wet soil

> sturdy, wind-resilient plants, low to ground, clumps of grasses catch wind
> a garden meant to be visited

Berne Park // Essen, Germany // 2010 // 3000 sqm

> collaboration with Gross Max

> designed and sited to promote troubled neighbourhood
> manifestation of layered technique
> spiral route through rhythm of structured plants

Lurie Garden // Chicago, USA // 2004 // 10,000 sqm

> collaboration with set designer, Robert Israel & landscape architect, Gutherie Nichol Ltd.

> aimed to create two distinct moods within the framework of Guthrie Nichols scheme

> began as a plant list, generated by seasonality and dynamics, organised and placed
according to parti

High Line // New York City, USA // 2009-2010 // 11,000 sqm

> collaboration with Diller Scofidio & Renfro and James Corner Field Operations resulted in more
architecturally designed planting
> sustainability was a key design factor when choosing plants.
> inspiration drawn from existing conditions and plant life that was found pre-restoration
> relatively large scale becomes more intimate by dividing it into sections based on the existing
urban conditions and the resulting 'micro-climates