March 2021 - Magazine

The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

middle east march 2021

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54

The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

Editor’s
Note

In this issue, Managing Partner:
Ziad Maarouf Amine
In this month’s issue we have projects from around the world, starting Copy Editor:
out in Vietnam with a reimagined traditional family home centred around John Hampton
the veranda and surrounding landscape. If only the walls could talk! (pg Sales Manager:
20) Then it’s across to Northern Italy, where we feature Teca house, an Boushra Dinnawi
all glass facade tucked in the Biella Hills and embedded into its natural Administrative Assistance:
surroundings. (page 14) Sarry Gan
Art Director:
The new Convention and Exhibition Center in Buenos Aires is a city Ramon Andaya
landmark that will last for generations to come, thanks to its innovative Contributors:
design features and sustainable properties including, solar panels, the Sophie Elias, Ramon Mosterd,
use of natural light to save energy, and the collection of rainwater for Jimena Martignoni, Thanh,
watering plants. See it on pg 24. Veronika Driga, Abdulaziz Kharouf
Printed by:
A timely resilient and flexible social space at the University of Michigan in Al Nisr Publishing LLC
the US is on display on page 10 — we can all learn from this one. Webmaster:
www.pdinventive.com
Please enjoy the issue and get in touch with us if you’d like to be featured
or have any questions or comments For free subscription and to view the magazine
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contents 10
14
March 2021 - Issue 165

6 Irrigation scheduling and saving

8 Interview with Veronika Driga,
Landscape Architect

10 A new heart for social interaction

14 Teca House Territory Connection

16 Forest Sports Park wins Best Landscape
award in China

20 The Secrets of a Veranda

24 Buenos Aires’ landmark Convention 16
Center is a beacon of sustainability

24 20

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TThheeFFirirssttSSppeecciaialilsiseeddLLaannddssccaappeeMMaaggaazzinineeinintthheeMMididddleleEEaasstt

43573

I news & Events

Grand Opening of CYPEX’s Umm Ramool branch in the presence of
Mr. Hashem Aljamal (CEO) & Mr. Ahmad Bin Rashed (Dubai Sports Society).

CYPEX Group
expands its business
and opens new HQ

The Sports and flooring company
diversifies into cleaning and
disinfection

Cypex Group is one of the leading “Strategic planning is a lifestyle Mr Aljamal earned his degree in
companies in the region specializing in for Cypex Group’s management,” said Management Information Systems from
sports, playgrounds and flooring. After Jordanian businessman and Cypex the IT college at Yarmouk University in
the pandemic hit in early 2020, they CEO, Hashem Aljamal. “Every day Jordan. While his degree exposed him
quickly future-proofed their business we have new goals and achievements to the Information technologies side of
by diversifying into cleaning and which keeps us escalating our the world, the rest of his education was
disinfection. As one of a few approved performances to achieve the highest in business strategies and tactics. He
service providers in the UAE by Dubai peaks in the business, in order to has a passion for sports and fitness,
Municipality for disinfection and keep ourselves in the same place as a which is why after his graduation,
decontamination against Covid-19, market leader.” he continued working for his family
Cypex has become a recognized name business in the sports equipment
in the front-lined defense of the virus. manufacturing industry. He explained,
In addition to disinfection, Cypex “It had always been a dream of mine
provides cleaning services, by serving to be an entrepreneur in this business
all sectors with 4000 plus projects in that’s why I chased this dream and
less than one year. came to Dubai in 2010, which is
Led by their CEO, Hashem Aljamal, considered one of the most important
Cypex Group represents top quality business hubs worldwide.”
brands from the international market
having secured exclusivity in the GCC
and North Africa for supplying their
materials and equipment. The group
recently opened a new branch in Umm
Ramool compromising of head offices
and warehouses.

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I landscaping specialist The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

Why indoor
plants matter

By Tijana Popovic Houseplants Reduce Allergies
A number of studies have shown that the level of allergens
Founder of Tgreen Life such as dust and mold is reduced in indoor spaces which
are rich in houseplants.
Whether it’s your living room or your office space,
indoor plants are an indispensable element of any well- Houseplants Help You Sleep Better
decorated interior. Apart from having an aesthetic role Some species, such as Dieffenbachia Camille, Philodendron
which beautifies your working environment as well as Heartleaf, Monstera, Snake Plant, etc., release oxygen
your home, it has an enormous impact on your both during the night . Therefore, the best option is to place
mental and physical health. According to a new report them next to yo ur bed in order to get more fresh air.
by Research Gate, UAE residents are spending 80- 95%
of their time between “four walls’, and the Environmental Indoor plants stimulate productivity and
Protection Agency (EPA) have noted that concentrations concentration and improve the memory but also
of some pollutants are often two to five times higher affect patients’ healing process and recovery.
indoors than typical ones outdoor. Therefore, it’s more Previous British research has shown that 47% of
important than ever to cultivate a calm and purifying employees are affected by bringing indoor plants into
environment with the use of indoor plants. the workspace which stimulate better focus, increase
productivity and also boost their immune system. In
Houseplants That Can Help You Breathe Easier addition to this, if their workspace was beautified by
Plants purify the air, protect us from various toxic air indoor plants, 45% of the employees were not only more
pollutants such as wall paint colors, different types of creative but also more constructive in their decision-
sprayers and, of course, cigarette smoke. What is more, making process.
they are also responsible for maintaining humidity in Offices are not the only place where plants have a
the indoor space since they release a lot of vapor to positive impact on the environment. Think about hospitals or
the atmosphere. In this part of the world especially, schools, for example. The students who are exposed to more
this is priceless if you take into consideration the indoor plants will memorize in a faster and easier manner. In-
fact that you spend most of the year under AC which patients who spend time in hospitals filled with indoor plants
excessively dries out the air in your home. tend to recover faster.

5

I Case study

By: Abdulaziz Youssef Kharouf

ICON - Intelligent Consult

Consultant Engineers®

Irrigation
Scheduling and
Saving

Introduction agriculture”, and pointed out that all solutions fall under
Innovative irrigation practices are becoming more essential one of three categories: efficient irrigation technologies,
considering the rapid technological advancements and improved irrigation scheduling, or regulated deficit
environmental resources strains elevating the necessity irrigation, where the category with the largest potential for
of breeding innovation to enhance water use efficiency, water savings is improving irrigation scheduling.
gain an economic advantage and reduce environmental In this case study’s project, a survey was conducted
burdens. Innovative measures can often be as simple as on the existing irrigation and landscape assets to
applying or re-applying the basic principles effectively. identify existing system’s condition and problems with
In this case study, we will explore the irrigation water the irrigation system that reduces performance and
saving achieved by merely re-visiting/re-scheduling the overall irrigation efficiency. All the existing irrigation
existing irrigation controller schedules of an automatic assets were surveyed and assessed including the supply
irrigation system serving a large private plot’s landscape source, tanks, pumps, lines, valves, controllers, irrigation
in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates without any other devices, meters and soil condition. A full report was
modifications on the existing irrigation network/system produced with the assessment and recommendation of
(zero cost intervention). According to the results, simple cost-effective interventions that can be applied to
irrigation water saving of around 20% was achieved by improve the efficiency of the system element. As a first
only adjusting and optimizing the irrigation schedules. step, it was decided to only implement improvements
on the irrigation schedule to assess the achievable water
Implementation saving from that intervention alone.
A study worth mentioning in this context by Cooley et Regarding the existing irrigation schedules, it was
al. (2009) compiled a list of currently available options found that they were a mix of multiple timings and
for “improving the efficiency of water use in California were not consistent. Manual irrigation instances were

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The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

also applied randomly and relatively intensely. Also, the Results & Discussion
applied irrigation demand rates were not following the The implementations above resulted in considerable
local municipality irrigation demand rates (which are water saving by; monitoring/controlling manual
carefully selected irrigation rates based on studies and irrigation to apply it only when required for operation
experience to select optimal values that match with the and maintenance activities (education/awareness
actual plantations water requirements) and were indicating sessions for labors and operators) and rescheduling the
over-irrigation. irrigation operation to:

Firstly, the plot’s operations/maintenance team were re- • Apply automatic irrigation schedule respecting
educated on the correct practices in regards to applying clustering of plantations which are irrigated with the
manual irrigation only when necessary. A Foreman was same irrigation device
assigned to monitor and ensure that no unnecessary
manual irrigation was applied during the study period. • Cluster valves under the same irrigation device type
in cycles of very close cycle flows that fully utilize but
Secondly, the current irrigation demand rates applied do not exceed pump capacity.
needed to be adjusted to the local municipality guidelines’
demand rates, as the municipality demand rates are • Run time for the hydro-zones have been selected
optimal and consider seasonal adjustments. However, this carefully verifying the irrigation application for each
adjustment requires comprehensive interventions on the plant according to the local municipality requirements
overall system and existing irrigation devices. For the sake taking into consideration the seasonal adjustment,
of this study; only intervention on the irrigation scheduling which ensures higher efficiency of the system and
was done. delivers the different plants water requirements without
over or under irrigating.
Finally, new irrigation schedules were formulated for the 3
existing pump sets. Valves for the same irrigation device More interventions were explored such as installing
(bubbler, drip, sprayer) were clustered in cycles in a way to flow sensors downstream the pumps to read flows
ensure that cycle flow does not exceed respective pump’s outside the automatic irrigation cycles, solar syncs for
capacity. Also, the operation time for valves under the same each controller (semi weather stations) that can update
irrigation device were unified, where the operation time was seasonal adjustments factors and other interventions.
selected to optimize achieving the required irrigation water However, for the sake of this study stage it was decided
demand for the specific plant type based on the irrigation to only apply enhancements on the existing irrigation
device application rate (volume unit over time unit). schedule to assess the strong ramifications a poorly
studied irrigation scheduling could have on the overall
irrigation network.

Conclusion & Recommendations
Improving the irrigation scheduling for this subject
existing automatic irrigation system helped achieve
water saving of around 20% with zero cost required
for the intervention. The existing irrigation schedules
were re-assessed and basic principles were applied
to enhance efficiency. With the currently available and
rapidly developing irrigation technologies; it is vital to
periodically revisit existing irrigation systems to re-
assess their efficiency and study potential interventions
that would help with water saving, gain an economic
advantage and reduce environmental burdens.

References
H. Cooley, J. Christian-Smith and P.H. Gleick. 2009.
Sustaining California Agriculture in an Uncertain Future.
Pacific Institute, Oakland, CA. Available online
at: http://www.pacinst.org/reports/california_agriculture/
(verified 29 Jan. 2021).

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I Interview

tactile sensations from materials and finishes; sounds
of water features and birds; and if possible something
edible. If all these boxes are ticked, people will feel very
relaxed and comfortable in a garden space.

Interview with Where do you draw inspiration from when
beginning a new project?
Veronika I usually begin by determining the needs of my client
Driga and what needs the landscape design should satisfy, and
then create a general concept, zoning and complement
Landscape Architect the architectural style of the whole environment.

Where did you study Landscape Architecture? What kind of projects excite you? Can you share
I have successfully completed my Master’s Degree in any you are working on?
environmental design from the Kiev University in 2012. At the minute, I’m really enjoying working on projects for
I have worked across landscape architecture and interior private villa gardens and public parks. In the future, of
design in Ukraine, Montenegro and UAE. I have been course I’d love to work on more iconic projects.
living in Dubai for the past 4 years and working on my
own projects. What is the most frustrating aspect of your work?
And the most rewarding one?
Why did you decide to start your own landscape Having to have patience is the most frustrating aspect of
company? our work as we have to wait for the landscape to grow and
I have a lot of experience in Landscape design and I’m bloom! However, equally it’s the most rewarding as when
confident in my skills so it made sense for me to start my you see one of your projects in a few years’ time, and it’s
own company. It’s a risk but I believe I’ll be successful. fully developed, then that is also rewarding and makes it
all worthwhile as you know it will last for years to come.
What’s your experience been like operating in the
UAE so far? What are your thoughts on how the global
It’s still early days, I’m just starting out and I’m slowly pandemic (Covid) has affected the Landscape
building the business but I’ve already had some projects Architecture industry both ere in the region and
reach completion stage and I’ve had good feedback from globally?
clients so it’s all positive! Covid-19 has affected the economic situation in every
country. Many projects are frozen and landscape design is
not developing as before. But the situation with increased
restrictions and social distancing can add some value to
residential landscape projects because people stay home
more often and they want to have comfortable and well
designed outdoor space.

Describe your approach to Landscape design?
There are many aspects to my landscape design approach,
however, my main concern is to ensure that every design
satisfies all of the senses: it should be aesthetically
pleasing, blend shapes and colors in harmony; invigorate
your sense of smell with flowers and herbs; provide

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The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

How have you adapted its working design in the
post Covid climate?
I hope we will get back to normal life very soon. But
nowadays we have a more flexible schedule, and the
possibility to work remotely from anywhere in the world.

What is the difference between the landscape
industry here in the Middle East compared to in
other countries.
The climate in the Middle East is very hot and dry
especially in GCC. And of course, it affects softscape
design. We can’t create English gardens with a lot of mix
borders, flowerbeds, fruit plants, free style of landscaping.
Instead of that landscape architects must think about
sustainability and also be creative to compete with the
very modern and futuristic environment of the UAE. And
this actually opens up great opportunities for designers
to realize some of their crazy ideas and innovations. My
country (Ukraine) is very green and has the most fertile
soil in the world. But often we can’t create something
new because we have to complement the existing old
European style of cities.

If you had one professional motto to live by, what
would it be?
One of my favorite quotes: “Design is intelligence made
visible.”

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I INSTITUTIONAL LANDSCAPE

shAinoetcnaeirreatawlcfotiron

Eda U. Gerstacker Grove:
a flexible and resilient social space
at the University of Michigan

By: Stoss

The Eda U. Gerstacker Grove is a renovation of a
4-acre underutilized campus quad at the center
of the University of Michigan’s North Campus.
The Grove activates the space for the students,
faculty, and administrators on campus, while it
also serves as the heart of student social life.
The project goals included; to create an outdoor
civic space that effectively knits the campus
community together, encourages collaborative,
multidisciplinary learning, connects to the
natural systems that underpin the campus, and
provides a sense of place.
Programming, flexibility, and seasonality
The Grove is a lush and active space that can
accommodate a range of rotating performances,
events, and everyday activities. It was conceived
as a flexible green quad, with clearings in an
elegant grove that can host larger-scale activities
like musical and arts performances, student and
alumni events, and casual play or recreation
including beach volleyball and swings. The

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The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

configuration of the central plaza, paths,
landforms, flat lawns, and volleyball “beach”
were designed to maximize different types of
programmatic use including a large tent, food
trucks, event staging, and market stalls. The
space hosts a series of changing installations
by engineering and architecture students that
combine interests in technology, design, and
play. Designed to amplify daily and seasonal
change, the space brings to life different parts of
the quad in warmer and cooler months: flowering
amelanchier signals the arrival of spring, while
a ring of red and orange foliage trees transform
in the fall.
Formal expression
The plaza paving is an expressive feature that
in actuality was conceived as a cost-saving
measure. With little budget for high-end pavers,
the design team utilized pour in place concrete
and the required expansion joints in an innovative
pattern, creating a truly unique look and feel.
Equally distinctive, sinuous custom benches of
concrete and steel frame the walkways, providing
space to sit, lounge, perch, play, and socialize.
Finally, a playful topography creates a diversity
of scale and experience. The green quad is
marked by dramatic topographies, with grassy
hills rising from an otherwise flat site to form

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I INSTITUTIONAL LANDSCAPE

shaded overlooks and lushly planted infiltration cypress trees and lush ferns in the gardens
gardens probing deep into the quad’s surface provide a reading of current weather conditions
to collect stormwater. Hillocks provide the and illuminate rainy days: as stormwater enters
gathering function of an amphitheater, without the gardens, the rods gently flicker, creating an
creating a void when empty. Clear sight lines extraordinary sensorial experience for passersby.
were prioritized, with landforms rising no higher
than 5 feet. Ecological performance
A performance study conducted by the Landscape
Interactive lighting design Architecture Foundation found that the project
Infiltration gardens collect rainwater on site while has had a measurable ecological impact. The
a weather station reads rainfall, temperature, design reduces peak storm water runoff rates by
and other data. One hundred acrylic rods with up to 100% for a 2-year, 24-hour storm event
LED lights distributed between the prickly bald and up to 34% for a 100-year, 24-hour storm

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The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

event; and improves water quality by removing The Grove is a new meeting ground and space
up to 80% of total suspended solids for a 2-year, for creative engagement for a diverse campus
24-hour storm event. The planting of 179 new community, strengthening the university’s
trees and the preservation of 39 existing trees has connections between and among disciplines, and
contributed to sequestering an estimated 2 tons establishing a new heart for social interactions.
of atmospheric carbon annually; the trees onsite Demonstrating principles of flexibility,
also intercept an estimated 27,000 gallons of sustainability and innovative design, Gerstacker
storm water annually. Species were also selected Grove is a responsive, resilient open space for
and placed to minimize irrigation needs: for the University. The space effectively enhances
instance, topographical high points were planted social connection, improves ecological health,
with drought tolerant no-mow grass. and strengthens community wellbeing.

Lead design team: Chris Reed,
Amy Whitesides, Tim Wilson, Difei Ma, Jarrad
Newman
Project consultants: Mannik Smith Group,
Illuminart
Project completion: 2016
Client: University of Michigan
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Photography: Millicent Harvey (p10-12) and
Mike Belleme (p13)

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I RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE

HTouecsea
Territory
Connection

Formerly a small rustic building in the idyllic Drawing inspiration from Philip Johnson’s Glass
setting of the Biella hills in Northern Italy, Teca House, Teca House has a built area of about 80
House has remerged as a modern masterpiece. m2 over three floors. On the ground floor, the
The transparent container is embedded in nature access zones emulate the natural elements of the
and suspended in space were the old masonry exterior through stone mural inserts and wooden
work becomes the base for a contemporary boiseries. An intimate conference room in the
architectural structure rooted and perfectly in basement is ideally suitable to host work groups
tune with its territory. and meetings. On the top floor, the living and
The symbiotic connection with the natural bedrooms are located.
elements is conveyed by the structural and
visual permeability of the building: it shows
in the outdoor areas perfectly integrated into
the orography of the place, the materials used,
the delicate and refined colour schemes, the
technological solutions adopted.

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The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

Common spaces, such as the kitchen and
the living room, face toward the exterior of the
house, turning their gaze from the inside to the
outside. Sculpted in metal, wood and concrete,
the stainless-steel taps and fittings by CEA, here
with black diamond finish, engage in a dialogue
with the architecture, echoing its lines and
underscoring the architect’s and client’s stylistic
choices.

www.ceadesign.it
Project: private residence
Architecture: Federico Delrosso Architects –
www.federicodelrosso.com
Location: Biella, Italy
Product name: FLAG + FREE IDEAS
Photo Credit: Matteo Piazza

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I park

City view from the landmark Red Path.

Forest Sports Park
wins Best Landscape

award in China

The innovative project scooped the WAFChina 2020 award

By: LOLA Landscape Architects

At the very first edition of the World Architecture
Festival China, the design of the Forest Sports
Park was granted no less than two awards. During
the live ceremony, the project was first awarded
the WAFChina 2020 for Excellent Design, later
followed by the overall Best Landscape award.
This new park for play, sport and relaxation is
the result of a mutual design by LOLA Landscape
Architects (NL), Taller architects (COL/NL)
and Land and Civilization Compositions (CN).

16 Masterplan Forest Sports Park Guangming.

The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

Birdseye view Forest Sports Park - impression.

The Shenzhen area is all about innovation, the views of the surrounding city and the ability to
therefore the ambition was to make a park that is immerse yourself in the thick forest. The Forest and
as innovative as the city itself. A park that can adapt Sports Park forms a slow transition space between
to the constant evolution of sports and were we can the city of Guangming and the forest reserve.
constantly contribute to a more resilient nature. With the first phase of the 600 ha. park almost
An elevated red path gives universal access to the completed, the park is to become a unique
forest. With a steady soft slope, connecting ramps destination for Guangming’s Big Bay area. As this
and elevators it provides users from all age groups metropolitan region finds its success in innovative
a safe and easy way to visit the mountain. To enjoy industries, the park focuses on innovation in sports

Section Forest Sports Park shows the wide variety in biodiversity and use. 17

I park

Diagram of the parks landmark
Red Path design.

and ecology. Two R&D centres, one for sports,
one for botany are centrally located in the park.
From here, a constant evolution and diversification
of the park will take place. On the central park
loop, a linear plant and tree nursery is integrated.
In a natural forest setting, visitors are able to
get to know new and forgotten sports, as well as
the latest techniques used in sports. A range from
open valleys to lower hills and mountain forest
offers the natural background for these sports and

Drone photo Red Path Forest Sports Park.

The elevated Red Path runs
through the whole park.

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The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

Stairs to the starting point of the Forest Sports Park

active leisure. The Red Path forms a landmark that impact, the pavilions are modular and prefabricated.
connects the park to the city and the forest; a scenic By placing them on stilts they avoid direct contact
route that passes by all different types of forest. In with the ground and at the same time provide
the park a series of pavilions hosts functions like shadow so that visitors can escape the summer
a restaurant, restroom, viewing platform and forest heat. The construction of the second phase of the
cabin. In order to minimize the environmental Forest Sports Park is expected to start in 2021.

Drone photo of the completed skatepark, one of many sports facilities. Location: Guang Ming, Shenzhen, China
Size: 600 ha
Design: 2018
Construction first phase: 2019-2020
Organizer: Guangming New District
Management committee
Co-organizer: Shenzhen Guang Ming center
for urban Development
Design team: LOLA Landscape Architects,
Taller architects, Land and Civilization
Compositions
Awards: WAFChina 2020 for Best
Landscape, WAFChina 2020 for Excellent
Design

Photo credit: LOLA, TALLER, LCC

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I RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE

In the memories of many people, the veranda is not
only a transition space between inside and outside
of the house, a cover from the sun light, rain but I
can catch the cool breeze, but also a place where
children sit and wait for their grandmother’s cakes
coming back from the market, where mothers pick up
vegetables or the family gather to pack cakes for Tet
holiday in VietNam. In this house in Tay Ninh, apart
from two awnings arranged at the front and back of
the house, there are also two other verandas inside
the house, surrounded by old fish-scale tiles re-
used from the old house, creating emotions for this
particular space.

The home would be interesting on its own if it was
built from the stories of the people living in it. The
first brick of the house was actually constructed by
family members from the moment they told their
stories. This is a house for two generations, common
accommodation with two bedrooms, living space,
kitchen, dining area. The homeowners have the same
passion for nature and love simple, rustic things,
especially the husband who is also an artistic and
romantic soul. They have two lovely little girls who
always want to be close to their parents. However,
there was a concern about a long narrow house and
everyone in the house being separated.

ThaeVSeercarnedtsaof

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The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

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I RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE

22

It was proposed as a two-story house, which took up The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East
less than half of the land area. The rest of the land is
used for gardening in the front and back of the house, In terms of materials, the house was built mainly by
which is both landscape and a space for friends red common bricks and old fish scale tiles kept by
gathering, where the husband takes care of trees, his the family from their old dismantled house, which are
wife grows vegetables, and children play. The garden close to nature, bringing a distinctive feel but suitable
provides the natural wind and light for the house in an with the spirit of the building. Raw brick, without
urban area where concrete buildings keep growing. cement plastering, has been treated to bring a warm,
The living room, kitchen and bedrooms are divided simple feeling but still create a strong emotion,
into two blocks, connected by two verandas, void and ensuring aesthetics and hygiene for use. In addition
green garden between the house. The separation of to determining enough demand for construction,
the building blocks ensures ventilation, maximizing the use of raw brick walls also reduces the cost
the use of natural light for all spaces, limiting energy of wall finishing or annual maintenance costs for
for lighting and cooling. The two-verandas space cracking, painting and repairing walls. The recycled
inside the house is a common place for the family to old fish-scale tile has brought a sense of time and
get together, making it easy for everyone to see each place, giving us a sense of rustic and intimacy that
other. This is a place where the family dine together, the new tile color can hardly provide. The fish-scale
where the kids study, dad lies in the hammock, mom tile system encompasses four verandas inside and
relaxes, reads books or cooks. The lowered eaves, outside the house, creating a shape in harmony with
enveloping the learning space of two children, use. All create their own “equanimous veranda”, a
creating a space that evokes a sense of warmth and peaceful place that holds all their family memories.
safety but still airy and flexible.

2HIEN
Client: Ms.Trang
Year completed: 2020
Location: Tay Ninh, VietNam
Ground Floor Area (GFA): 75m22
Storey: 02 floor
Construction: Hong Phuc Co., Ltd ; Huynh Anh Co.Ltd
Suppliers: TOTO Sanitary. Viet Nhat Glass. Xingfa Aluminium
Profiles Doors and Windows. Philips Lighting. Daikin Air
Conditioning Solutions. Ha Tien Cement
Photographs: Hiroyuki Oki
Youtube:https://youtu.be/cFCdAHmE5j4
Design: CTA | Creative Architects
Web: ctacta.com.vn

23

I sustainabilty

lCanednBmteuarerinksoaCsboAeniavrceeosn’ntioonf
sustainability

The centre’s three underground levels allowed the preservation
of surrounding green spaces and trees, while innovative design
features include solar panels, a careful use of natural light to save

energy, and the collection of rainwater for watering plants.

By: Jimena Martignoni
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The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

The Convention and Exhibition Center in Buenos The wining project proposed to bury the building
Aires was born out of a national competition in 2012, for the Convention Center and to create a large
run by the Ministry of Urban Development, a division green roof, or “topographical roof”, which would be
of the City Government, and the Central Society of perceived as another park. Not a separate park but a
Architects (SCA). Architects Edgardo Minond and piece of a larger single green plain crisscrossed by
Estudio Bulla scooped the prize to design the new a pedestrian integrating path system.
convention center and the project is now in its final Lucía Ardissone, one of the partners of Estudio
stages, with a first of its kind park displaying large Bulla, explained: “We wanted the three parks to
masses of native plants already open. be read as a single urban green piece; an ecology
The site is enclosed in an area known as the patch within the city. A natural place to serve our
museums’ corridor, forming part of an urban axis, native fauna, attracting butterflies, birds, insects,
which connects some of the most important local especially being so close to the Ecological Preserve
museums. At one end, it connects with the traditional of the City of Buenos Aires.”
building of the Faculty of Law of the Buenos Aires Today, with the new building, the access plaza
University and an existing large park, and to the and the green roof completed, it is fair to say that
opposite side with another large traditional park. the original goal of the landscape designers was

25

I sustainabilty

achieved. Covering an area of 18,000m2, the green
roof is established as an urban prairie, a landscape
which evokes that of the local pampas, bringing
bucolic images into the city and creating a new
image more nature-related. Undoubtedly, what
makes this project all the more remarkable is the
creation of a new kind of park within the city: in
Buenos Aires, where the old traditional parks present
countless clusters of large trees mostly non-native
and extensive areas of lawn, the incorporation of
a place only planted with grasses and herbaceous
extending for 240 meters means not only a novel
image but especially a new kind of urban awareness
for citizens. Planned in thick strips (a list of eleven
species mostly native and a few widely adapted),
the plants outline the path network. “The layout is
clear,” explains Lucía Ardissone, — “Tall strips [of
plants] at central spaces and short strips at the edge
of the footpaths.”
Golden hues provided by the grasses and
colorful patches made by native groundcovers and
vines are what visitors find when walking the paths

26

The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

up and down. Rapidly taken in as a new jogging reaching seven meters above street level, the park
circuit, which begins in one of the existing parks and acts also as an urban veranda offering views to the
ends in the sunken access plaza of the Convention city never possible to be enjoyed in the past.
Center, the green roof’s pathway becomes also a The long and wide vistas to the traditional avenue,
new panorama trail opening onto the city. Formerly, the distant city skyline and the large existing trees
the old convention center was built at street level are a bonus, and considered as one of the most
and facing the wide avenue where most of the most interesting points about the project.
important local museums are located. Now, with the Completing the design for the green roof, a
semi-buried building and, on top, the green roof series of artificial mounds dots the space along
the paths. Finished with a gentle slope and with a
diameter of an average of seven meters, these green
pieces break the horizontality of the new park and
the frank reference to the pampas, thus adding a
more dynamic visual experience.
In order to reduce the loads on the main slab,
the main structure of the mounds is made up of
expanded polystyrene (EPS). On top, a layer of earth
becomes the lawn growing medium.
Although the green roof, or new park, is
completed and started to be comprehended by

27

I sustainabilty

Buenos Aires’ inhabitants as a new (and now from the green roof. Standing at 5,900m2 and 3.25
permanent) significant urban piece in a central area meters below street level, the plaza appears as a
of the city, the project is yet to shine. main open gathering space before entering the main
At the time the contractual documents for the building. Combining concrete and planted areas,
project began, after the competition’s results this plaza is especially known for the three large
were presented, the City Government announced Tipu trees (Tipuana tipu), native to Argentina, which
some important changes for the site’s proposal. were preserved at their original locations. Three
Consequently, this meant some important design massive concrete planters contain the trees and now
changes. Edgardo Minond explains: “After we are a strong landmark, or reference of the site.
started the set of contractual documents, two main The excavation works for the project were huge
changes were made: the bus transfer center had to and the full extension of the site is bordered by a
remain at its original location, in front of the new retaining wall system comprised by double concrete
building [on the same avenue] and a new subway vertical structures.
station would be incorporated into the site, with a The final stages of the project will entail the
large public lobby integrated with the access plaza construction of a public underground parking area
of the Convention Center and the existing Faculty of that is directly connected to the subway station
Law. This meant big changes for us, but instead of and access plaza; and a sprawling green wall to
viewing it as a problem we saw it as an opportunity cover up the building’s facade that extends out
to make a more profound urban commitment.” from street level.
The new architectural and urban proposal The completion of the subway station and
cohesively redesigned the access plaza in a way the long-awaited connection between the three
that is integrated with the levels of the subway parks, will position the Convention Center and
station, truly changing the pedestrian arrival to the surrounding green areas as the focal point of the
Convention Center both from the street level and city’s urban fabric.

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The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

Location: City of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Client: City Government of Buenos Aires
Master plan and architecture: Minond
Estudio (Edgardo Minond)
Landscape Plan: Estudio Bulla (Ana
García Ricci, Lucía Ardissone and Ignacio
Fleurquin)
Lot area: 48,500m2. Green roof area:
18,000m2. Built Area: 25,000m2
Date of completion of building, access
plaza and green roof: 2017
Photography: Gustavo Sosa Pinilla

29

I Book review

Books of interest

ROOTED IN SESIGN

ISBN-9781607746973
PRISE-107.00Dhs.
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
A stylish and full-color guide to creatively integrating indoor plants with home decor from the owners of the popular Sprout
Home garden design boutiques.
Indoor plants play a large role in the design and feel of a space. Focusing on indoor gardening--from small containers
and vertical installations with air plants to unique tabletop creations--Rooted in Design provides readers with the means to
create beautiful and long-lasting indoor landscapes. Tara Heibel and Tassy De Give, owners of the successful Sprout Home
gardening stores, offer expert advice for choosing plant varieties and pairing them with unique design ideas. Sharing practical
tips honed through hundreds of plant design classes, Heibel and DeGive tell readers everything they need to know to care for
their one-of-a-kind green creations

OUDOLF HUMMELO

ISBN-9781580934183
PRISE-215.00Dhs.

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
“Piet Oudolf is best known for his now-iconic designs for the High Line in New York City and Millennium Park in Chicago.
Hummelo, his own garden in The Netherlands, is visited by thousands of gardeners each year. It serves as his personal design
and plant propagation laboratory, and is where he has honed his aesthetic and created new varieties of plants for over three
decades. This title charts how the garden of one of the world’s best-known and most-loved plantsmen has evolved, and gives
frank assessments of his experiments that have gone both well and awry. Hummelo, timed to coincide with Oudolf’s 70th
birthday and his acceptance of Holland’s most prestigious cultural award, provides his throngs of followers with a chronology
of how his naturalistic style and career has developed. Lush photography documents how the garden has changed and inspired
him over the years, and text by prolific garden writer Noel Kingsbury will ensure a lively read for all home garden enthusiast”

Urban Environmental Landscape

ISBN: 9781864706307
Author: Dieter Grau
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publication Date: (10 Jun. 2015)
Book Descriptions:
The book provides the latest trends in urban environmental landscaping, with informative chapters on basic principles,
dimensions, reference standards and considerations across a range of themes, such as public parks, public plazas, waterfront
public open spaces, and urban street environments It Showcases a broad range of informative high-quality projects spanning
the United States, Mexico, Australia, China, and Europe and provides comprehensive reference material for architects,
urban planners, preservationists ,and landscape designers, and all who are directly involved in town planning in the urban
environment. For each part, we selected the most striking cases with the newest design standards to showcase spectacular
landscape design

With its headquarter in Tokyo, Japan and world class stores spread over countries like America, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Thailand, Australia, Taiwan and now in DUBAI – UAE, Kinokuniya is a globally known book seller of repute.
The store in Dubai Mall is a massive 68,000 square feet wide paragon book gallery which stocks more than half a million books
and thousand magazines in English, Arabic, Japanese, French, German and Chinese at any given time.
The Store is also a distinct cross cultural hub wide range of time to time multicultural events such a comic art demonstrations,
language learning workshops, book launches etc.
The pleasant ambiance, stenographic design and add to it the impressive view of modern skyline – world’s tallest building, Burj
Khalifa, Kinokuniya at The Dubai Mall is just the place to evoke emotions and add pleasure to your book shopping. You may like to
visit our website for more information. www.kinokuniya.com

30

Masdar Central Park, Abu Dhabi The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

Delivering Solutions WTB Middle East FZE
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[email protected] | www.wtburden.ae

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32

The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East

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