Keynote speakers
Download Tilman Latz presentation here (6.3 MB)
Download Maria Ignatieva presentation here (8.1 MB)
Download Sulev Nurme presentation here (27.5 MB)
Download Jan Gehl presentation here (35.7 MB)
MARY BOWMAN
Gustafson Porter Ltd
UNITED KINGDOM
Mary Bowman was born in California in 1958. She studied architecture at the University of Virginia and at the Architectural Association in London.
Mary joined Foster + Partners in 1988 and became an Associate with the practice in 1993. She was the project architect for the Bilbao Metro, oversaw the design and construction of the Duisburg Microelectronic Centre and the Valencia Congress Centre. Mary was responsible for the concept design of Stratford Station of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and worked with Norman Foster on the design of a private house and gallery in the US. Mary also gained experience in masterplanning while at Foster + Partners with the Linz Solar City and Regensburg Masterplans as well as Green Park in Reading.
In 1999 Mary joined Walters and Cohen a small architectural design practice where she was a Director responsible for the detail design and construction of a health club and spa in Canary Wharf and the design of six exclusive penthouse apartments.
In 2002 Mary joined Kathryn Gustafson and Neil Porter as a Director at Gustafson Porter. She brings experience in large-scale construction projects and promotes the relationship between architecture and landscape. She has been involved in the design and construction of the Treasury Courtyards in London, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, the Swiss Cottage Open Space and the Liverpool Conference Centre and Arena. She is currently involved in the landscape masterplan for Valencia Parque Central.
Mary has taught at the Architectural Association and has been an External Examiner at Chelsea College of Art and Design. She has been a Council Member at the Architectural Association since 2002 and was Vice President of from 2005 to 2007. She was judging the 2011 RIBA Awards for the East Midlands, as one of 17 RIBA judges this year selected for their professional eminence.
Mary has published and lectured internationally on architecture and landscape architecture, and promotes the role of women within both professions.
Presentation - WATER Too Much Not Enough
The presentation will look at the importance of water (or the lack of it) in designing landscapes around the world. Gustafson Porter Ltd is working in diverse environments from the tropical gardens at Bay East in Singapore (too much water) to the restoration of a desert park in Abu Dhabi (not enough water). How does one respond to the availability or lack of water? The presentation will explore the importance of understanding how water influences design and how we design with water. The talk will explore these themes through our recent projects.
MARIA IGNATIEVA
Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences
SWEDEN
Maria Ignatieva is a professor in urban ecology and design at the Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences. She has worked extensively in Russia, the USA, New Zealand and recently in Sweden. Her current interests include ‘putting nature back into neighborhoods’, theoretical, methodological and practical approaches to sustainable landscape design in the era of globalization with an emphasis to urban biodiversity and design as well as history of landscape architecture, restoration and conservation of historical parks and gardens.
Presentation - Global urban landscape of the 21st century: paradoxes and searching for sustainable solutions
Waves of globalisation can be found in different periods of landscape history. Political, economical and social changes reasoned behind the shape of modern global landscape. In this presentation I will argue that the most influential landscape architectural approaches such as English landscape-picturesque and Gardenesque reshaped most of the Western world, and by the end of the last century started to be the main essential features in global urban landscape. Special attention will be given to the main “symbols” such as lawns and flowerbeds. I will
also share the fascinating story about creating a “global pool” of “chosen” plant material in temperate climates and in tropical paradises. My talk will be concluded by an analysis of existing landscape architecture solutions from around the globe which are trying to struggle with the process of unification and homogenisation of our urban global landscape and search for more sustainable solutions which at the same time can be seen as the supportive tool of achieving national identity. Particular emphasis will be given to projects dealing with urban biodiversity and design.
SULEV NURME
Tallinn University of Technology, Tartu College, Department of Landscape Architecture
Artes Terrae OÜ
ESTONIA
Sulev Nurme is a landscape architect and a partner in the landscape architecture office Artes Terrae in Estonia. In 1993 he finished his studies on landscape design in Jäneda Tehnikum (Technical School), 1997 he earned his BSc in Forestry Management and 2000 MSc in Landscape Architecture from the Estonian University of Life Sciences, former Estonian Agricultural University. At present time he is concluding his PhD thesis.
Sulev Nurme has professional experience in the field since 1994 and teaching experience since 1998. He works also in the Department of Landscape Architecture in Tartu College of Tallinn University of Technology, where he teaches history of landscape architecture, dendro-pathology, landscape design, landscape restoration and several landscape project studios.
From 2006 he is a member of Landscape Architecture Expertise Council in the Heritage Conservation Advisory Panel of the National Heritage Board. Sulev Nurme is one of the most experienced landscape architects in so-called new landscape architects’ generation in Estonia. He has conducted many landscape design projects, historical landscape restoration projects (incl manor parks), totalling up to 400. His projects also include evaluations and inventories for greenery and compiling the special conditions for heritage conservation. Sulev Nurme is a founding member and an active participant in the Estonian Landscape Architects’ Union.
Presentation - Myths in Estonian landscape architecture
We live in an era where the speed and extent of the changes are incomparable with former times. Globalization, virtualization,
vanishing of the borders are just some of the phenomena, which reflect changes in their total scope.
Changes have taken place also in landscape architecture, where the discussion, approach and as well the attitude towards the object - the landscape, is constantly transforming. The changes in Estonia, after the communist regime, are probably much more sharper and faster than in Western Europe.
This is inevitable and necessary to recover from the 50 static years, but usually this accelerated tempo stops us from deeper
explorations. Since the teaching of the profession and the wider professional practice is barely 15 years, it has not yet reached sufficient professional experiences or "filters" to adapt all of the new and interesting solutions from the world to the local context. Thus, situations arise where we begin to address pseudo-problems by adopting worldwide practices and fail to find best solutions for our “unique” local ones.
Still, many other hidden problems arise with the speed of change. To create attractive and photogenic (landscape) architecture without looking at how it fits within the local cultural space is one to reflect upon. This way we find ourselves filling the landscape with nameless and meaningless spaces, fashioned according to the most modern trends, without much thought to the most important factor – people.
In this presentation, I will focus on some of these issues in modern landscape architecture in Estonia. Since the local attitude and understanding of the term "landscape architecture" and its content is often misunderstood and often related to the several false interpretations even within the professional sphere, I will refer to the above-cited problems as myths.
JAN GEHL
Gehl Architects
School of Architecture – Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
DENMARK
Jan Gehl is a practicing Urban Design Consultant and Professor of Urban Design at the School of Architecture in Copenhagen, Denmark. He has extensively researched the form and use of public spaces and put his findings to practice in a variety of locations around the world.
In 1960 he earned his BA and MA in Architecture from the School of Architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and began practicing as an architect. Gehl’s publications include “Life between Buildings”, “Public Spaces- Public Life” and “New Urban Spaces”, which have been translated into multiple languages and published in various countries across Europe, North America, and Asia.
Gehl has delivered lectures and courses at universities and conferences across Europe, North, Central and South America, Asia and Australia.
He has been awarded the ”Sir Patrick Abercrombie Prize for exemplary contributions to Town Planning” by The International Union of Architects as well as an honorary doctors degree from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.
Jan is a Honorary Fellow of The Royal British Institute of Architects , of American Institute of Architects of Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and of Planning Institute of Australia.
His company, Gehl Architects — Urban Quality Consultants with works across Europe, North America, Australia, Japan, Singapore and Saudi Arabia; focus strongly on the facilitation of public life in public spaces, often pushing the boundaries beyond common uses of the public realm. To Gehl, design always begins with an analysis of the spaces between buildings. Only after a vision has been established of what type of public life one wants to see flourishing, is attention given to the surrounding buildings and how they can work together to support public spaces.
Presentation - Cities for People
An important change of paradigm occurred around 1960. City planning took off, going from small scale to really large scale in response to the challenge of fast-growing cities. At the same point in time traffic planning took over the eye-level planning to address the rapid influx of cars. In this commotion care for city-dwellers – looked after for centuries by tradition and experience – was completely left behind.
Already in 1961 Jane Jacobs raised her voice warning about this new situation in her book “The death and life of great American cities” But not much happened in the 3-4 decades since the book’s publication. Cities for People became an overlooked and forgotten dimension.
This is the story told by Jan Gehl in his new book “Cities for People” which goes on to describe why looking after people is crucial for the quality of cities in the 21st century, how it can be accomplished and how it is actually done by now in more and more projects and cities. The transformations carried out in such cities as Copenhagen, Melbourne, Sydney, Amman and New
York will serve as examples of this new people-oriented direction in planning.
A new change of paradigm is at hand, where Cities for People – after decades of neglect – are once again elevated to be a central feature in architecture, urban design and city planning.
The book Cities for People by Jan Gehl (Island Press 2010) will serve as point of departure for the presentation.
ANTJE STOKMAN
Osp Urbanelandschaften
Stuttgard University, Institute of Landscape Planning and Ecology
GERMANY
Antje Stokman is a professor as well as a practicing landscape architect. She is director of the Institute of Landscape Planning and Ecology within Stuttgart University since 2010. Together with Sabine Rabe she is founding partner of the landscape und urban planning studio "osp urbanelandschaften" in Hamburg since 2010. Making use of the synergies between science, teaching and practice her work evolves around the aim to develop new areas of involvement and design approaches for the profession of landscape architecture – by defining it as the art of integrating complex ecosystems, infrastructure systems and human lifeworlds. As a member of the interdisciplinary research and teaching platform STUDIO URBANE LANDSCHAFTEN she was awarded the Topos Landscape Award in 2011, the Lower Saxony Science Prize in 2009 and nominated as a member of the German national advisory council on spatial planning in 2010.
Presentation - Bridging the gap – working beyond the limits of landscape architecture
Exploding cities, the rise of sea-levels, increasing flood risks, drought and traffic congestion, accumulating waste piles and water pollution: these are all problems that are making urban sustainability are more and more difficult. Although all the more necessary, solutions are hard to find and even more difficult to push forward.
Many of the problems we face today are resulting from the gaps between different professional disciplines - with every discipline focusing in their distinct disciplinary territories where they are skilled to break down problems to suit their particular tools.
As cities densify and industrialize, it is indispensable to improve sanitary and ecological conditions and introduce urban green spaces for recreation and the enjoyment of nature. However those parts of the city with the worst environmental and living conditions usually are the poorest parts that cannot afford parks and gardens or high-tech infrastructure systems. In these situations, the provision of basic landscape-based infrastructure systems to prevent floods, purify water and soil, and produce food or energy-feeding crops, can be used as the most important and maybe the only possible opportunity for the creation of public green space otherwise lost to other development. This provides a strategic chance for the profession of landscape architecture to bridge the gap between professions.
By practicing the art of managing complex, living systems, landscape architecture can lead the way to provide multiple economic, ecological, social, and cultural functions in support of urban sustainability.
ELIAS TORRES
Martínez Lapeña & Torres Arquitectos S.L.P
Escola Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona (ETSAB)
SPAIN
Elías Torres Tur is a Spanish architect and partner in the firm Martínez Lapeña-Torres Arquitectos. His work varies from detailed street furniture to large scale urban renewal projects.
Among Lapeña-Torres Arquitectos best-known projects are the Vila Olímpica Housing Complex (Barcelona), the La Granja Escalator (Toledo), the Restoration of the Ronda Promenade in the City Walls (Palma de Mallorca), the Restoration of Gaudi's Park Güell (Barcelona), and the Forum 2004 Esplanade and Photovoltaic Power Plant (Barcelona), as well as several works in Japan including the Kumamoto Museum Annex.
Their projects and completed works are widely exhibited and published in numerous monographs and catalogues.
Elías Torres has been a visiting professor at Harvard University and is currently a doctorate professor at the ETSAB.
Presentation - Public Open Space” - Outdoor Architecture
The necessity to find a balance between the public and private sector in our projects forms a starting point and suggests that exterior public space has to have the following features:
- It needs to be a place where new collective relations can potentially result in social, even unexpected experiences.
- New places which ‘speak’ adequately with their surroundings or updating of other existing places while preserving their identity.
- Places that command respect and esteem and that promote conviviality.
- Places that maintain their integrity as they are being used.
- Places with essential design avoiding wasting time on that what is superfluous.
(Examples of imprecise limits in public spaces that I remember: the sweeping of the pavement in front of a house, conversations of the elderly in chairs in front of the house, the display of products on temporary counters, the opening door that is being used for the display of which all kinds of merchandise dangles, that opens both ways, the sun blinds form an extension of the façade…)
TILMAN LATZ
Latz+Partner
GERMANY
Tilman Latz is a landscape architect, architect and urban planner. He graduated from the University in Kassel in 1993 and 1997 and completed his studies with an intermediate year at the Architectural Association in London 1995/96.
From 1997 - 2001, he worked at the studio Jourda Architectes in Paris as a project leader on projects in France and Germany. Having been a partner at Latz + Partner since 2001, Tilman became the sole owner of the office in March 2011.
Tilman taught studios at the School of Design, University of Pennsylvania, he worked as a guest critic at different Universities and gives lectures on an international level.
In his work Tilman Latz deals primarily with redevelopment projects, with the interface of architectural and engineering constructions and landscape, with the meaning of material and memory as well as with the ecological, social and political capabilities of combined strategies for architecture and landscape in urban spaces.
Presentation - Structure/Infrastructure
Cities grow in different ways, with different speed and in different forms; they grow into open landscapes, into gaps in a given fabric and when shrinking, space is given for redevelopment, sometimes renewal. The speed of the transformation has accelerated parallel to the technological possibilities and the seemingly unlimited availability of resources.
Our urban life is based on technical structures – infrastructures for transport, energy supply and storage, services, communication, waste (and its treatment), industry …But when we discuss our cities we tend to avoid thinking about them. Its side effects are very often pushed behind the periphery of our cities and of our thinking.
But what happens when cities continue to develop further or grow around the elements we like to forget about? We cannot make them disappear or decorate them to an extent that they are really invisible. The Infrastructures are essential parts of our world and should start better today than tomorrow to develop ideas which have the potential to transform them into positive and
usable parts of our life.
The intervention addresses the side effects of our modern society, such as the storage of energy, the treatment of waste, vacant industry, transport … Four projects in Europe witness the potential of infrastructures to become veritable symbols for change,
usability and possibly beauty and identification.
JULIETTE BAILLY-MAÎTRE
Mutabilis paysages
FRANCE
Juliette Bailly-Maître, born in 1973, is a landscape architect, graduate from the National School of Applied Arts Olivier de Serres (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués Olivier de Serres) in Paris and from the National School of Landscape in Versailles (École Nationale Supérieure du Paysage de Versailles) in 1998. She practiced in many offices of landscape architecture in Paris before working in the landscape office Acanthe. She also worked as a guest critic in the National School of Landscape Architecture in Versailles and gives different lectures in France.
The office Acanthe Paysagistes, recently renamed MUTABILIS paysages, is directed by three young landscape architects, Juliette Bailly-Maître, Ronan Gallais and Marion Guermonprez. All the three associates are from the National School of Landscape in Versailles (École Nationale Supérieure du Paysage de Versailles). Mutabilis Paysage was hounered in 2006 with the NAJAP Price (New Album for young landscape architects), given by the Ministry of Culture of France.
Presentation - Man at the heart of the project, ensuring project lifetime
Water, inseparable from the act of living, is the starting point for a landscape project and foundation of the city. Together with the topography, water has guided the establishment of cities providing defense and/or fertility while binding installation. How is nowadays? After decades of neglect and non-management, water is now integrated or reintegrated as a tool to project in a symbolic need. Is the reintroduction of water in projects or the attention that it creates, improving the environment in everyday life? How can we best use this resource to improve wealth? And how it can change our behavior?
Beyond the “soft landscape” (context, water, topography), the landscape project must have a goal of life, particularly in urban or suburban environments. It’s here that water play a key role in creating identity, engine and drawing attention to the public space. Water in the engine project, becomes a source of inspiration, part of the magical return to nature in the city as well as preservation, support and dream.
Through a dozen projects of the Mutabilis studio and multiple references, we intend to explore this theme by placing people at the heart of the process, bringing a new understanding of space.
