ostermanderek's photostream

Claim: It Works!!!
Location: Malmo, Sweden

In August 2007, I spent a few days in Malmo, Sweden, as tourist and curious student / architect. During a walk one afternoon I traveled through the main city parkland and then onto a newer area of development where renowned architect: Santiago Calatrava had just completed a residential building titled the turning tower.

I recalled these photographs and thought they might be compelling as they illustrate the challenges and intrinsic differences of planning for landscape around and adjacent to built form.

In the centralized park system, a formal landscape system of plants surround, compliment, and partly obscure the windmill in the background. In contrast, Calatrava's turning tower stands in opposition to the tiny seeming trees on the ground at the human scale. Because the tower is on the sound separating Sweden from Denmark, wind constantly whips across the trees creating a sense of constant motion - very different from the motion witnessed at the windmill.

Claim: It Works!!
Location: The Botanical Gardens at Copenhagen University

During a trip to Scandinavia in August 2007, I visited the botanical gardens at Copenhagen University. I elected to share this photo because the coniferous and deciduous trees shown relate nicely to the architectures structure and spatial condition created.

Thanks to apical dominance the trees of various species (naming conventions developed by Linnaeus), the trees reach skyward with a similar trunk and canopy structural system as the columns, trusses and skylights that form the space.

Within the canopy the trees provide evidence of life through the network of xylem tube to veins providing water to the trees canopies. The striking green color in the canopy is evidence that the trees are actively performing photosynthesis. You might say a monocot system of parallel venation was replicated and enlarged in the delicate skylight through the placement of the parallel mullions that separate each plate of glass.

Claim: It works!
Location: Kronborg Castle, Denmark

During the month of August 2007, I was lucky to spend a week and a half touring Denmark and Sweden. Shown are my partner and I in front of Kronborg Castle (the site of William Shakespeare's Hamlet - not to worry no one died).

The plants and land in this area work.

Some quick background courtesy of Wikipedia:

The castle's story dates back to a fortress, Krogen, built in the 1420s by the Danish king, Eric of Pomerania. The king insisted on the payment of sound dues by all ships wishing to enter or leave the Baltic Sea; to help enforce his demands, he built a powerful fortress controlling the sound. It then consisted of a number of buildings inside a surrounding wall.

Kronborg acquired its current name in 1585 when it was rebuilt by Frederick II into a magnificent Renaissance castle unique in its appearance and size throughout Europe.

Elaboration of my claim:

I've selected this image to discuss because I believe the plants, land, and materials shown illustrate excellence in sustainable design and each part works together well to enhance the spatial characteristics of the site.

Due to the nature of the site and current building present since the middle of the sixteenth century it is easy to observe the sites resistance to weathering.

The artificially crafted land forms - built first for security - represent good erosion control and some sedimentation. Plantings on the various burms and retaining walls include grasses with fibrous roots and asexual reproductive characteristics. These traits allow the grasses to overcome the selective pressures over the years, though as these plants die during each long winter season it is reasonable to assume that the species alive today may have witnessed some small evolutionary changes.

In addition to the local plants showcase of sustainable design, the castle adorns a roof made of copper. This is significant because it has been in place since the initial construction. Copper has an excellent life span and reuse material property characteristics. Eighty-five percent off all copper ever mined is still in use today - Imagine if that were true of some of our other consumables.

Claim: It Works!!
Location: Louisiana, Denmark

Traveling through Denmark's countryside, we accidentally wandered into a local cemetery one afternoon - we had mistaken the place for a park.

The cemetery turned out to be the most beautifully manicured one I had ever seen. The picture above shows a grid like system of square plots, each planted to suit the style and aesthetic of the family in memoriam. These plots occupy a ridge that surrounds the pond shown below. Looking carefully you can see a walking path carved out between the trees that surround the pond. Along the path are a series of resting points and sculpture gardens.

The great success of the place is the variety of plants, nicely paired to create quiet contemplative resting places for both those above ground and below.

Claim: It Works!!
Location: The Army Academy, Copenhagen, Denmark

I elected to share these photos because thay are an excellent example of a traditional park and urban planning system used in western europe in the past. It was tradition that the elite would have large city homes, designed symmetrically about a center point that would look out over long manicured boulevards or vistas - in this case a park.

This estate is now home to the Denmark Army academy. Behind the historic building, a simple park provides a veiw as far as sight will carry thanks to a very regilar tree line on either side. This view is then enhanced by by a small pond and a series of walking paths.