Green Public Bicycle - Vélib'

When I visited Paris, I could enjoy the night view of Paris thanks to public bicycle rental programme Vélib'. It was cheap and easy system.

Vélib’ means free bicycle or bicycle freedom in English. The system was launched on 15 July 2007 by Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë. Ten thousand bicycles were introduced to the city with 750 automated rental stations each with fifteen or more bikes/spaces. This number has since grown to 20,000 bicycles and 1,450 stations, roughly one station every 300 metres throughout the city centre, making Vélib’ the largest system of its kind in the world.

I believe Public bike rental system is truly good way to save energy and have environmental benefits as well as to offer easy transportation for tourism. A lot of other Europe Cities, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Luxembourg, etc. also have this system. In case of London, Mayor Boris Johnson, himself a keen cyclist, has plan to introduce a similar system in London in May 2010.

If you're struggling for inspiration.....

http://landscapeandurbanism.blogspot.com/search/label/representation
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Leo recommanded useful and nice landscape urbanism blog

May Palace in Seoul

found some interesting temporary projects to get inspiration for King's Cross Project studio work.

Huge white canopies covered square of Seoul city hall during festival period. It offers huge shadows to make visitors have a rest at lawns. The proposal was inspired from the roof of Korean traditional palace. That's why the project was named as 'May Palace'. simple but nice TEMPORARY idea.

Three Colors: Blue

Three Colors: Blue (French: Trois Couleurs: Bleu) is a 1993 French film written, produced and directed by the acclaimed Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski. Blue is the first in the Three Colors trilogy, themed on the French Revolutionary ideals; it is followed by White and Red.

I watched this film before going Paris trip. I focused on the blue colour and image of Paris (Paris is the background of the film). In the film, blue colour appeares in the various spaces and situations with urban atmosphere of Paris. It is interesting experience to link together with one colour and the image of a city.

Paris Trip

Musée du Quai Branly

The Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir

The Passerelle Simone-de-Beauvoir is a bridge solely for pedestrians and cyclists across the Seine River in Paris. It is the 37th bridge on the Seine to Paris. It is located between the bridges of Pont de Bercy and Pont de Tolbiac and links up the 12th and 13th arrondissements of Paris. Nearest Paris Metro station is Quai de la Gare.

Exhibition_ Le Grand Pari

Le Grand Pari(s), dans les coulisses
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Visited awesome landscape architecture exhibition during the Paris trip.

Gardens by the bay

This video is commercial show reel of Squint/Opera's 'Gardens by the bay'. I was impressed by this moving image, and I realized importance of using high quality digital media for landscape architecture design proposals. Classy digital media skills support to suggest and introduce strong proposals.

Laban Dance Centre - Site Grading

Potter's Field Park

Potter’s Field Park lies at the very heart of London and has a unique riverfront location and iconic position within the historic context of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. The Park offerssweeping views of the river Thames, Gherkin and City Hall. Potter’s Field Park is a strategically significant green space on the London metropolitan area.

Its overall design objective is to accommodate the requirements of all its various users: local residents, office workers, tourists and the park serves its purpose very well.

I suppose that the design team Gross. Max. has considered carefully the public consultation in the design of the scheme. The site clearly benefitsfrom the renovation and improvement of the park.

Radical Nature: Art and Architecture for a Changing Planet 1969-2009

I went to see Radical Nature: Art and Architecture for a Changing Planet at the Barbican. Radical Nature is exhibition to bring together key figures across different generations who have created utopian works and inspiring solutions for our ever-changing planet. There is so much to see and many interesting work focusing on landscape, nature, and environmental issues.

I particularly liked Agnes Denes's 'Wheatfield - A Confrontation' and 'Tree mountain - A Living Time Capsule'. Her conceptual land art was truly novel for me. Another really interesting piece was Tomas Saraceno's 'Cloud Garden'. It was plastic spheres installation inspired from cloud and air temperature. Their work let me have a chance to think about how artists and architects get inspiration from nature.

Sustainable Design Solutions Charrette

As part 2 of Teach-in programme, there was one day design workshop 13th October at Kingston University Landscape studio. I made a group with Michael and Lily and we decided to redesign landscape of the Knights Park campus for biodiversity, productivity and joy. There was a lot of things to green in Knights park campus! We decided to change concrete roofs as green roofs and also thought about keeping natural spaces within the campus. Before taking this workshop, I thought sustainable design demand highly professional knowledge. However, it was really effective way to learn sustainable design during just one day and make me feel closer.

Teach-in lectures

I attended 2012 Imperative Teach-in programme at the V&A. It was series of lectures focused on urgency of current changing climate and ecological thinking to solve this serious situation. It was time to remind us what should we act now especially as designers.

We need to look at our problems and learn to make real sustainability happen. I believe that Landscape architecture and architects could be a key to solve environmental urgency. But, if they don't mind this issues when they design, their works will be disaster. To avoid this, designers have to always mind situation what will be happened in the future through their design. have to learn and think more for sustainability.

Public spaces in Barcelona

I visited Barcelona during the last easter break.
There were lots of brilliant ideas for Public spaces.
Many of the spaces was using well for people.

people who were exercising together in the square.



One inventor(?) artist(?) exhibited his recycling works in the square and people was enjoying it.An huge intersting water feature.

There was some events for kids as well. They can use free recycled materials to make dolls or flights in square. It was great idea to have good time parents and children together and also it could be green.