West 8

It was interesting looking through West 8 projects, they have such a big presence within landscape design, constantly expressing new and refreshing ideas. They are a multi-disciplinary practice situated in New York, Rotterdam, and Belgium, founded in 1987. Architects, Landscape Architects, Urban designers, and industrial engineers collaborate on their projects, continuously creating successful public spaces with sustainable and feasible designs. 

They are proud of their Multidisciplinary approach, and I think this is key to how successful they have been. 

They express on their website that they have two ways of designing, a logical way that is based on utility and necessity. The second approach is to create place specific design. They create “Landscapes that respond to pragmatic demands (water management, population growth, traffic congestion) and also reinforce the culture to which they belong (identity, symbols, expression)”. This is taken straight from their ‘second nature’ approach to design, I think that it is a great way that they expressed the basis of all designs, to solve problems, and then to create designs that benefit the communities that surround them. 

One of the Public parks that caught my attention was the Jubilee Garden in London. Its situated adjacent to the London eye, and I think that makes it such an interesting project as you have two very different planes of vision, one from above ground level, and one on ground level. They have created this public park well and I think both viewpoints have been effective. I like the circulation that as been created out of what was a still landscape, there’s a clear defined route throughout with pockets that people can relax in. 

Its practical, with the London eye being such a big tourist attraction, you need space for people to congregate and good access which this site provides.  

The gentle varying topography invites people to use the grass areas for seating, playing and even holding event on. It’s a flexible park design with purpose. The kids play area is fun, while still on theme with natural green colours, and wooden play frames. 

The varied tree density across the site helps keep the park looking interesting, and have areas where there’s full coverage and refuge, to areas that are in full sun. 

The twisting shape of the planting give flow to the site and include really bright intriguing colours.