8 Great International Landscapes

Landscape architecture is a global discipline. From the Middle East to Eastern Africa to the Pacific Rim, these projects outside North America utilize high-performance design that reflects local culture and values. This Collection also puts a spotlight on exemplary landscape architects outside of North America, many of whom take a global approach to their practice. 

1. Case Study Brief

   

   Shanghai Houtan Park

   Shanghai, China

   “Shanghai's Houtan Park represents a distinctly Chinese aesthetic that reflects the country's agricultural past while also referencing the site's more recent industrial use. The park cleans polluted river water and offers respite for visitors in bustling Shanghai. The park was designed by Turenscape, a Beijing-based firm founded in 1997 by Chinese landscape architect Dr. Kongjian Yu, FASLA. ”

2. Case Study Brief

   

   Eagle View Camp

   Naboisho, Kenya

   “Eagle View Camp in Kenya generates income and opportunity for the local Koiyaki Maasai community while protecting the environment and welcoming visitors to the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This 15-acre ecolodge was designed by Kenyan-American Hitesh Mehta of HM Design, a unique design firm that has consulted on projects in over 58 countries on 6 continents, taking an international approach to sustainability with a focus on ecotourism using integrated and participatory approaches to working with communities. ”

3. Case Study Brief

   

   Ballast Point Park

   Birchgrove, New South Wales, Australia

   “This park on Sydney Harbor uses recycled materials and sustainable building practices to "reclaim" a former oil terminal with a rich history and illustrate its transition from an unsustainable past to a sustainable future. Australian firm McGregor Coxall was founded by Adrian McGregor in 1998, and Philip Coxall joined the firm in 2000. The multidisciplinary firm operates studios in Australia, China, and the United Kingdom. ”

4. Case Study Brief

   

   Riyadh Bioremediation Facility

   Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

   “The Riyadh Bioremediation Facility in Saudi Arabia is the world's largest bioremediation facility. It cleans the City of Riyadh's wastewater with plants and other organisms and is located in the Wadi Hanifah, a seasonally wet valley passing through Riyadh that had become choked with refuse and contamination. Canadian firm Moriyama & Teshima Planners created a Master Plan for the Wadi Hanifah to guide the creation of not just the bioremediation facility, but also a Comprehensive Development Plan delineating a series of parks and open spaces along the 31-mile river corridor, re-establishing the Wadi as a place for people.”

5. Case Study Brief

   

   Huludao-Xingcheng Coastal Trail

   Huludao and Xingcheng, China

   “The Huludao-Xingcheng Coastal Trail connects two Chinese coastal cities renowned for their picturesque beaches along the Bohai Sea. The local ecosystem was under significant pressure from a high volume of tourists. Designers at the Research Center for Landscape Architecture Planning at Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning & Design Institute (THUPDI) addressed these challenges with a 3.7-mile-long trail connecting major sites while protecting existing trees and the shoreline. ”

6. Case Study Brief

   

   Eliseo Collazos Fog Water Farm-Park and Gardens

   Lima, Peru

   “This series of participatory design-build interventions in the informal urban community of Eliseo Collazos in Lima, Peru addresses the complex challenges facing the community. Differing from a traditional, client-based model, the project was undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team of landscape architects, public health professionals, architects, and more. The team worked with community members to conduct participatory processes, ultimately identifying and executing a series of projects to address community needs. ”

7. Case Study Brief

   

   Castiglion del Bosco

   Montalcino, Province of Siena, Italy

   “This historic Italian estate in the Tuscan countryside in was restored with careful attention to historical and natural preservation. The 800-year old cypress trees, vineyards, and culinary institute on-site create a uniquely Italian landscape. This historic renovation by EDSA, a Florida-based firm founded in 1960 with a portfolio of projects all over the world, represents the integration of modern concepts of sustainability into a traditional, agricultural landscape. ”

8. Case Study Brief

   

   Cheonggyecheon Stream Restoration Project

   Seoul, South Korea

   “This restored corridor replaced a bustling highway in Seoul with a natural parkland with multiple amenities for city-dwellers. South Korean landscape architecture firm SeoAhn Total Landscape took on the landscape elements of this engineering and restoration project, which demolished an elevated freeway and uncovered the historic Cheonggyecheon Stream to create an active 3.6-mile corridor in the center of Seoul. ”