JB 219279691 Landscape Architecture today

03/09/2021

Tumbling Bay Playground
Location: London
Year built: 2013 - 2014

This park was built to connect spaces such as Queen Elizabeth II Olypic Park and surrounding communities which was previously fragmented and unconnected. As the parks concept was inspired by the shape of an unfurling leaf, with long organic forms that complemented the existing layout of the Olympic Park. It has areas that tell plant life-cycle stories using both soft and hard materials, this enhances the sensory experience for children of all ages and ability. Therefore this park does go with the theme of designing on Princess Vlei as it is inclusive.

According to Landezine, 2009-2021. " The sand and water play area was inspired by the history of the River Lea and its industrial past. It allows children to become water engineers – encouraging them to work in groups and pump sufficient water to dam and divert water through the natural rock pools, rivulets and industrial channels, creating a series of splash pools and sand traps along the way."

The water feature found at this park beautifully connects the park to it's wider natural environment. The source is set within a naturally planted river valley. As seen in the first two images, children pump the water by hand into a series of small pools and tributaries lined with pebbles and fine gravel. The slope of the area is constructed in a way that the water will flow into a canal system where the flow can be directed by budding engineers. This low maintenance feature was designed by an artist called Mel Chantrey so as to convey the message that water is a valuable and precious resource. The Waterworks Fountains operate from March to October and are closed during the winter months due to lower temperatures.

References:
1. Landezine. 2019. Tumbling Bay Playground by LUC

03/09/2021

For this post I have chosen 4 parks;
1. Lafayette Park
Location: San Francisco
2. Joe DiMaggio Park
Location: San Francisco
3. Heather Farm Park
Location: City of Walnut Creet, California
4. Dennis the Menace Park
Location: Montery, California

I have chosen to compare the play equipment found at these parks as they are all on hilly landscapes. One equipment that is found in all parks is the embankment slide. An embankment slide is a slide that follows the contour of the group and at no point is the bottom of the chute greater than 12 inches above the surrounding ground. Designers can plant vegetation or design steps along the hillside if the requirements are met. At the exit of the chute of an embankment slide it is required that there is a protective area.

A hill slide obviously needs a hill to be called a hillslide otherwise if there is no hill then it is not a hillside. Not every park has a hill, that is why if the park you want to design on does not have grade changes, a new topography can be introduced into your design and that adds play value to the playground equipment.

Mounding with surfacing is a versatile approach to playscape design and can be introduced in most areas. This can be accomplished with the use of a foam base, compacted baserock, or by creating a series of retaining walls or stacked stone to create a hillside, as in Lafayette Park in San Francisco.

Using natural topography to introduce embankment slides is rarely successful without some modifications to the area. Embankment slides are just like every other slides which are constructed for fun. The required angle for fun and safety for these type of slides is 30 to 45 degrees. According to the CPSC Playground Safety Handbook and ASTM F1487-11, an embankment slide should be designed to an average angle of 30 degrees and it must not exceed 50 degrees at any point.

Not only is the slope and angle considered but also the material used to construct the slides become important. Plastic is one of the materials used to construct an embankment slide. Take for example the slide shown in figure 4.1 of Dennis the Menace Park, it is made out of plastic. The plastic slide can be designed in a series of twists and turns and this is not omly fun but created a dynamic sliding experience that can be designed for long for ling hillsides. This type of material which is plastic should not be the first option for designing an embankment slide though if the park is an inclusive park which is for people and children of all ages and abillities as it can interfere with cochlear implants because of the static generated by plastic. The material used on the hill sides found around slides which is low maintainance is the concrete that is made out of a smooth polished concrete. The bedways are slick and never require additional polishing.

The second material is steel. This material can only be considered in cool areas or in shaded areas as it can attract heat. Slides made of steel can also be positioned in a North facing orientation which also helps keep them cool. My lecturer for IDS 2 did mention in his feedback submission video that buying a slide off the shelve can never be a good idea so rather have the manufacturer of the slide come to the site together with the site inspector, and installer and assess the site.

These parks all have embankment slides on different topography whether the topography is natural or made but children can have fun.

Reference:

1. ALSA staff. 2016. Playing with Topography - The Field - ALSA. Available from: https://thefield.asla.org/2016/09/08/playing-with-topography/. Accessed on 01 September 2021.

2. Citybop. 2021. Joe DiMaggio Playground. Available from: https://citybop.com/san-francisco/joe-dimaggio-playground. Accessed on 30 August 2021

3. Witney, M. 2020. Worth the Drive: Heather Farm Park & Playground in Walnut Creek. Available from: https://www.510families.com/worth-the-drive-heather-farm-park-and-playground-in-walnut-creek/. Accessed on 30 August 2021

4. Play Parks Creative LLC. 2014. Dennis the Menace Playground in Monterey, California. Available from: https://funorangecountyparks.com/dennis-the-menace-playground-monterey-california.html. Accessed on 30 August 2021.

03/09/2021

Project: Activity Landscape Kastrup
Location: Kastrup(Copenhagen), Denmark
Architects: Masu Planning
Year of construction: 2015

Activity Landscape Kastrup is a neighborhood park which was once a deposit area of excess soil and building materials. The park is built on an area of 15 000 SQM which is long and slim. It has steep hills stemming from construction sites in the surroundings which is more like Princess Vlei.

The view once a person has climbed up the steep, green rubber hill makes a person be proud of what they have accomplished. This park has low maintenance and I've noticed that since they sown mixed meadow grass seeds on the sides of the steep hill. These seeds are allowed to grow high and wild so as tto minimize maintenance costs. This park doesn't only cater to children as most parks but it also caters to adults.

The red thread that is visible in the photos below is a path that connects the park to the different themes found. Winding between the plantation, going up and down the hills, the path beings new experiences and surprises around every corner. This is also a great park for people who want to do athletics as they can train there since there is a track that measures distance ran.

According to Masu Planning, "The looped path going through the area combines the sloping landscape with seven new thematic areas for play, quiet rest, sports and dog training.The new activity areas combine existing facilities with new and improved functions."

Reference:

1. Landezine. 2019. Activity Landscape Kastrup. Available from: http://landezine.com/index.php/2019/06/activity-landscape-kastrup-by-masu-planning/. Accessed on 01 August 2021.

2. Gooood. 2019. Activity Landscape Kastrup by MASU Planning
From former deposit area to neighborhood resource. Available from: https://www.gooood.cn/activity-landscape-kastrup-by-masu-planning.htm. Accessed on 01 August 2021.

26/08/2021

Doing Task 2 for Intergrated Design Studio 2B I had the opportunity to research further about a park named Royal Park Nature Play Playground which was done by my fellow classmate Keeditse Makung. She chose a park very inclusive as it is also for people who are sick.

Project name: Royal Park (Nature Play Playground)
Location: Parkville, Victoria, Australia

The design concept is broadly around being inclusive and being a retreat for people in the hospital.
Sometimes nature can be the cure to ones illness, seeing other people playing around and happy can
make a person have hope and faith that they will be better. This park is not only for healthy people but
for those who are ill as well. Sometimes one might see a patient being wheeled on a bed around the
park up to the edge of the water play. There are also Park ranger programs which help build knowledge
of the children. These programs are made to ensure that future generations become active stewards of
the natural environment. Special attention was also paid when the park was built to enable children
with special needs to be included in the play too.

The idea behind creating this park was to provide the opportunity to take risks. “That gives [kids]
confidence to do more. It's no more or less risky than any other place,” says it's principal landscape
architect Skye Haldane. The Royal Park is located adjacent to the Royal Children's hospital complex. It is
built in the location of the former Royal Children's hospital, therefore it is very special to the people of
Melbourne. As it is sited in a busy area since there is a hospital nearby and a main road, parking is very
hard to find. However a person may be lucky and secure a parking space on Gatehouse Street for
R29.92.

As this is an urban play park, the material used to construct it are natural materials such as logs, wood.
This material is locally sourced therefore the community benefits from this. “ We used natural materials
such as rocks and logs to form spaces, creating opportunities for play as well as seating or gathering,”
says Jeff. The playground is separated into two areas – an upper playground and a lower playground.
The lower playground has lots of climbing structures, from wooden, rope to metal, a sandpit and nest
swing. There are also Wooden Climbing Logs. The metal structure is actually meant to act as a nature
cubby. At the upper playground, there are four slides with varying degrees of speed and a large rope
obstacle course which is suitable for older kids as they have long legs and more confidence.

This park is constructed in a way that it defines playfulness and acceptance of risk. The qualities of the
park are inbuilt In the play structures, the dams, pumps, water fountains, and in the rocks that lead
stepwise into the gullies to meet the giant climbing fortresses. There is also planting as part of the play
experience, there are winding paths through tunnels of plantings. Children can play hide and seek
behind the cluster of standing rocks. Royal park is rich in experience, it offers meandering paths, big open lawns creating space, people can gather there to reflect and retreat, connecting to big skies. The
park's attention is around active and imaginative play spaces.

References:
1. Australian Institute of Landscape Architects. Nature play at royal play park. Available from:
https://www.aila.org.au/AILAWeb/Australia_Best_Playground/Nature_Play_at_Royal_Park.aspx
Accessed on. 20 August 2021
2. Lucas, C. 2016. Royal Park's Nature Play named nation's best playground by landscape architects.
Available from: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/royal-parks-nature-play-named-nations￾best-playground-by-landscape-architects-20160530-gp7fun.html Accessed on 23 August 2021
3. Josh, S. 2019. Top playgrounds: Royal park Nature Playground, Parkville. Available from:
https://australiandad.com.au/royal-park-nature-playground-parkville/ Accessed on 20 August 2021
4. Jullian, B. 2012. Royal children’s hospital Landscape.
Available from: https://architectureau.com/product-selector/news/nature-based-play-at-melbournes￾royal-park-playground-1 Accessed on 20 August 2021
5. Rob, A. 2012. Available from: https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-council/committees￾meetings/meeting￾archive/MeetingAgendaItemAttachments/599/10457/5.5%20RETURN%20TO%20ROYAL%20PARK%20SC
HEMATIC%20DESIGN%20AND%20PROJECT%20UPDATE.pdf Accessed on 23 August 2021
6. Sally, W. 2016. Nature play at royal park: Australia's best play park. Available from:
https://theplanthunter.com.au/gardens/royal-park/ Accessed on 21 August 2021

12/08/2021

Designing a plaground on different slopes can be seen as difficult but can be very easy if the designer knows how to play with the slopes.

You can create play spaces that are unique by using non-typical materials and concepts which are referred to as Playful Landscapes. The type of play spaces shown below are ones who necome very popular as they are attractive because tgey are different by design. Playful Landscapes offer a wide range of play, allow people to be creative and use their imagination.

Playful Landscapes incude:
1. Mounds- these areas or spaces look and feel like a natural environment, using rocks and boulders, mounds created within the play area using poudered in place rubber safety surfacing combined with handholds, nets and robes for climbing.

2. Slopes- encourage free play, provide opportunities for safe risk taking and challenges. Hand holds are added for climbing, robes and nets as well. Slopes add interest and dimension.

3. Hillside slides- Designers can incorporate the topography of a land where they are building the public play space by adding another element of play.

4. Bouncers- create multigenerational play spaces. They encourage physical play or activity. It is more of exercising as well.

5. Play sculptures and playground equipment- encourage your mind to run wild . Adds art to the playground and decorate the look and feel of the playground. Adds interest, can be used as a focal point or link it's heritage to thecommunity.

6. Outdoor musical instruments- music is the universal language of all kinds. Music connects people and create a mood therefore adding outdoor musical instruments to a playground makes it inclusive and multigenerational. Music encourages healthy development including cognitive, emotional and social growth. It can be a passive or active form of play bringing joy to everyone.

7. Water play equipment- provides a cooling effect to the playground. Imagine playing in a hot summer and having no place to splash and cool down.

Create a playground with such playful and inclusive landscapes bring people together with fun and laughter.

Reference:
1. Studio Design. (2021). Playful Landscape Design Concepts & Water Play[online]. Available from:
https://crstudiodesign.com/playful-landscapes-water/ accessed 08 August 2021

12/08/2021

I have never heard of an "infection-free" playground up until now that I have to research about playgrounds. I have always thought that playgrounds are places where children can go play and get dirty and you can worry about infections after the fun😅. I get to learn new things everyday and be aware pf my surroundings all the time in my course of study.

We all know we are in a time of struggle with the corona virus but designers always see the need to design new and improved things all around us to make life easier. Berlin based designers Martin Binder and Cladio Rimmel came up with a concept to design an "infection-free" playground for children. This playground will be where they will play and interact safely during the covid-19 pandemic. This is a space where children can be protected from the virus but can still interact with each other.

Made up of a group of individual play areas shaped like a cluster of water lily pads on a pond is a Rimbin concept. Each child can have their own play area with paths leading to separate entrances where they can see and interact with each other but still keeping the social distance rule. To communicate theycan use hollow tubes and when a space is occupied one can see from the entrance that the space is occupied therefore they cannot enter.

Some areas contain sand, some seasaws's while others have ladders or horizontal hamster wheels inside. Different types of games and activities are accommodated by this park. The elements are made of metal so that they can be easily sanitised and it was proposed that the installing of disinfectant dispensers is a great idea to contribute to the cleaning process.

The creators condacted telephone interviews so that they could better understand the need of both parents and children of a playground that is safe and "infection-free" and for them to describe how life is for them during lockdown.

The Rimbin design is based on the shape of a leaf of an Amazonian water lily which is known to carry a heavy weight. The word Rimbin consists of two seperate words whi are Rim- which stands for edge and bin- which stands for container. The words aldo stands for the first syllables of each of the surnames of the designers. Binder and Rimmel envision this playground being used even after the covid-19 pandemic so thst if ever something like it ever happens again, children do not have to be locked inside houses and not have fun and play.

Reference:
1. Mary Meisenzahl. (2020). Designers created an 'infection-free playground' for children made up of individual play areas — take a look. Accessed from: https://www.businessinsider.com/german-playground-concept-enforces-social-distancing-for-safety-2020-5 accessed: 07 August 2021
2. Natashah hitti. (2020). Rimbin is an "infection-free" playground concept designed to look like water lilies. Accessed from: https://www.dezeen.com/2020/05/19/rimbin-playground-concept-coronavirus-design/ accessed: 07 August 2021

11/08/2021

Hi🙂, welcome to the second semester of JB 219279691 Landscape Architecture today. In my course of study, I work with a theme for 4 of my modules which are Construction 2B, Construction Drawing 2B, Design theory 2B and Integrated Design Studio 2B. This semester, the theme is Princess Vlei and I will be designing around that.

Princess Vlei is a wetland found in Cape Town, Western Cape. The site is inclusive which means it does not exclude anyone from being there. Everyone is welcomed. To accommodate the inclusiveness that I am stating, the site is of heritage value and is very diverse. Princess Vlei is filled with rich history and once upon a time not so long ago the City wanted a mall to be built at Princess Vlei but the community around it did not see that as a great idea even though there would have been job opportunities created for them but let's get into that a liitle bit later.

What I love most about this blog is that I get to tell a story or stories in between learning about the sites and areas that I research about. With Princess Vlei comes a lot of myths which are very interesting like how the name Princess Vlei came about. It is said that the name came about when a Khoi Princess was overpowered by Portuguese sailors, the tears of the Princess flowed down the mountain and filled up the Vlei. There's plenty of myths that people keep passing down from generation to generation and this proves that Princess Vlei of historical value to the people.

The history of Princess Vlei is also political as it was one of the few natural areas that Coloured, Black, Khoi and Indian people could visit during the Apartheid era. This was after they were forcibly designated and moved by government to housing estates and townships at the margins of the Europeanised city centre in the 1950s. As this is a place where people see it as of impprtance but then again the City wanted to sell the land to private developers. There was a plan to build a shopping centre at Princess Vlei but the community did not agree to this and that is when the Princess Vlei forum came to the rescue to fight for the Vlei and not have a mall built there.

A lot has since been done to the Vlei but still a lot needs to be done. According to Ekin Thompson, 2014. "The variety of human expression and activity that takes place at the vlei define it as a cultural space whereby the practises and relationship of the community with the site are what form it's unique character and provide a strong basis for it to be conserved and enhanced.

It is very unfortunate that the City of Cape Town has been accused of negligence and causing ecological damage in its approach to the recent clearing of invasive plants from the Princess Vlei wetland in Grassy Park.The City's response was that they are investigating the matter. The images below show a great deal of negligence and these were taken in May 2021.

Reference:
Articles
1. Ernstson, H. The political nature of urban wetlands: speaking from Princess Vlei wetland, Cape Town. Urban Wetlands: South Asia, pp.2. Available from: Google Scholar [accessed 06 August 2021].
2. Thompson, E. Embodying the intangible at Princess Vlei: Capturing memory, history and imaginings in landscape and architecture, pp.2. Available from: Google Scholar [accessed 06 August 2021].

Website
1. Philip Bam. (2019). The struggle to keep Princess Vlei from being developed as a success story worth sharing [online]. Available from: https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/opinion/the-struggle-to-keep-princess-vlei-from-being-developed-is-a-success-story-worth-sharing-35648366 [accessed 05 August 2021].
2. Victoria O'Regan. (2021). Conservationists call for watertight welands management amid claims of Princess Vlei destruction [online]. Available from: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-05-19-conservationists-call-for-watertight-wetlands-management-amid-claims-of-princess-vlei-destruction/ [accessed 05 August 2021].

29/04/2021

This blog is also about information that I have read and researched about. What I post should also contribute to how I will use the information in my Landscape designs.

I had a Plant Protection Assignment which was due yesterday midnight. In this assignment, I had to write a Mini review paper about an alien invasive insects species. I chose ro write about the Polyphagous shot hole borer which is also known as Euwallacea fornicatus. I chose this insect because I have seen trees affected by this species.

For those looking to understand what is an alien invasive species is? It is an organism introduced to a certain area where it is foreign from. This organism negatively alters it's new environment. A Polyphagous shothole borer mostly attacks trees which are weak already as they are easy to drill into. This insect does not do this on it's own, it gets motivatiom from the fungus in it's system. This fungus is the main source of food for this insect. This insect is very small therefore it would be difficult to kill them but a good way for it to be killed is by putting the plant which is affected into direct sunlight.

You can report affected trees by sending an email to [email protected] with the following details:
1. Name and contact details.
2. Photo of suspected tree.
3. Location os suspected tree.
4. Species (if known), or photo of leaf.
5. Whether on public or private property.

Below are pictures of the insect together with an infested tree.

Image by: Johannesburg Urban Forest Alliance. Site: . Accessed: 26 April 2021

29/04/2021

A perfect example of the AutoCAD street furniture model from a classmate of mine. She has done it amazingly and as she says this takes a lot of time and practise to get it right. This is an example of a seating in plan, elevation and section view

Currently working on our CDG first assignment technical drawings of street furniture. This interlinks with a few of our other subjects including IDS as it helps us to not only first measure the street furniture in person and on site prior to hand-drawing it, we then have to apply our knowledge we have gained of the past year to draw the street furniture on AutoCAD.

Although it has taken some time to practice this programme, I can see an improvement in my work over the past year from not understanding how certain aspects of the programme works, to now being able to do the basics properly and timely. This has been a big learning process for myself as we did not have this as an option in high school but once I applied myself and focused on the task at hand, I can see how through more practice I will only become better.

This will also be crucial when we need to work in our other subjects as some may require us to replicate our hand-drawings into AutoCAD for a final product.

Screenshot of my current work on AutoCAD for submissions on 27 April 2021.

29/04/2021

The next assignment for IDS 2A is creating a digital site analysis this will be via Google Maps. In this assignment I am tasked to digitally explore the study area which is the Company Gardens in Cape Town city centre. I will be analyzing the landscape in front of the National Gallery in Company Gardens.

When doing a site analysis, It is a must to visit the until I understand exactly what my analysis entails. Our lecturer told us to visit the site with someone so that we do not miss any important aspects and share ideas and also what we have analyzed about the site. I cannot go there alone and think that I will understand everything about the site as it is ahuge site. There is also an office of Landscape Architecture that I can visit on site to ask questions. He told us that we can even job shadow people who work in the office so as to understand their job, even ask to make them coffee the whole day. I bet if you want to understand something, you go through any lengths so that you can feel comfortable with what you get put.

This digital site analysis is important as it will help me in my assignment in IDS 2A as well and I will tell you more about that. Keep following the page and do not forget to share it with your friends as well.

29/04/2021

Street furniture is the main focus of my courses this semester. In Construction Drawing we were asked to create an AutoCad drawing of approved pictures either from Construction 2A or Design Theory 2A. I chose that of Design Theory, which is the below drawing in this page. I chose to draw a seating and a bin. The reason I chose a seating is because it is very complex and I needed to understand AutoCAD a little more by practise things that are difficult to me. It was very difficult doing the models as I had to do them in plan view, Section and Elevation and this is the first time I come across doing such as you have seen in my previous post about AutoCAD. Those are the kind of models I am used to draw but hey we are all about leabring this side.

21/04/2021

I have not been updating you on my journey very well. This is due to not being able to post as I do not have a technological device and it has been a tough journey but worry not I come with some educational info.

On today's post, we are looking at work I have drawn in Design Theory Assignment 2.

The study area for this semester is the Company Gardens in Cape Town. I had to photograph images of street furniture at the site but since I had issues, I had to visit the site virtually using the computers here on campus. Street furniture plays a huge role in our everyday lives but we do not appreciate it or seem to take notice of how much we need it our daily lives. Think of that bench you find in the streets when you need to rest, that bin that keeps out communities clean. Think of that streetlight that makes it bright in the darkest nights when you are afraid, that sign post that makes you not to lose directions in a place you are not familiar with. There are a lot of street furniture we do not take notice of but hey, I am here to make you take note.

Below is some examples of street furniture drawn by me in the scale 1:30 and remember street furniture or any furniture needs to be designed to fit in with the human scale. I had to prepare hand drawn diagrams of four items of street furniture, each from a different category. I had to draw each of these items to scale and next to a typical human figure. I then had to draw a technical drawing of my favorite street furniture item showing it in plan view, elevation and section with dimensions and labels.

Make it make sense why do we vandalize things that contribute effectively in our everyday lives?
Make it your everyday priority to admire street furniture.