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Landscape Architect Quarterly

10/ Deconstruction Drawing on China

14/ Features Riding the Asian Express

Publication # 40026106 Spring 2008

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Letters to the Editor President’s Message Congratulations to the entire editorial team—the magazine is The OALA’s 40th anniversary conference and AGM, Realizing the fantastic! The group has done a truly spectacular job—it looks Dream, was a great success. Our special thanks go to Lawrence good and has great content. After being a member for twenty- Stasiuk, Conference Chair, and his Conference Team, who creat- plus years, I am finally keeping my copy of the magazine! ed, produced, and presented a wonderful conference in celebra-

DONNA HINDE tion of the OALA’s 40th Anniversary. This was a job well done! OALA, CSLA THE PLANNING PARTNERSHIP TORONTO The Recognition Awards Luncheon attendees included our full members, associates, Honorary and Emeritus members, The magazine as a whole looks great and is very award winners, and leaders of both municipal governments of interesting—I read it from cover to cover. The editorial team Waterloo and Kitchener who were recognized by the OALA for should be very proud. their outstanding contributions to sustainable . The SCOTT TORRANCE OALA, CSLA Conference Gala Presentation paid tribute to OALA past SCOTT TORRANCE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT INC. TORONTO presidents and honoured Robert N. Allsopp with the esteemed OALA Pinnacle Award. The summer issue of Ground will feature Congratulations to all involved in putting out such a coverage of these awards. beautiful publication. Worth the wait! Keep up the promise!

BRAD JOHNSON At the conference, keynote speakers included Dr. Eugene Tsiu OALA (EMERITUS), FCSLA, RCA BRAD JOHNSON + ASSOCIATES LIMITED from California, a published architect whose thought-provoking CHAFFEY address opened our minds to the global environmental crises and presented his and architectural solutions. Robert I love the new look, it really feels like a “design magazine.” Gibbs, an urban planner from Michigan, captured our attention I am not only pleased to hear that the OALA is using recycled with his presentation on the theories of retail marketing and paper, I am proud that the OALA has pushed the envelope and advertising. Each keynote speaker challenged us to think gone beyond Forest Stewardship Council Certification. outside the box and look for design solutions beyond our SCOTT MASON, LANDSCAPE CORUSH, SUNDERLAND, WRIGHT LTD. normal experiences. OTTAWA

This past season has provided many opportunities to promote Congratulations—what a fine job on the new format. This will not the work of our members and the profession. Several landscape only engage the membership but look good on the profession. architects received design awards at the 2008 Canada Blooms JOHN WRIGHT OALA, CSLA, MCIP, RPP, PRINCIPAL Show and the OALA gained greater recognition with our new CORUSH SUNDERLAND WRIGHT LIMITED OTTAWA information booth featured in the main garden area of the show. OALA actively participated in World Landscape Month What a huge upgrade from the old days! Stunning really. My only by accepting the challenge from the CSLA, to See the Future, negative comments: I hate that fiddly folding thing at the front and Be the Future. the ink really stinks, it smells like window putty.

TOM RIDOUT During this 40th anniversary year, I challenge you to envision our OALA, CSLA FLEISHER RIDOUT PARTNERSHIP next 40 years—and strive to ensure that the OALA remains at the TORONTO forefront of in Ontario. Together we can make this happen. Congratulations on Ground. Speaking as a reader (and not a ARNIS BUDREVICS, OALA PRESIDENT landscape architect, by the way), I found it exciting and interesting. [email protected] Speaking as an advertiser, I am happy to support a publication that makes such an effort to communicate new ideas through pictures, words, and drawings. Very much in tune with our objective, which is to bring new ideas to the attention of your audience.

DOUG CARTER DURISOL INC. HAMILTON

Up Front .02 04

PARKS lands in Guelph, we don’t have the 01 designing for pollinators resources to do maintenance,” says Pathak, noting that the pollination park, There’s a buzz in Guelph and it has every- with its array of meadow plants, will thing to do with insects. Plans are under- require ongoing management to keep way to create the world’s first pollination invasive weeds in check. As Landman puts park, a place specifically designed to pro- it, referring to the need to weed out any vide habitat for pollinators. “As far as we plants that might root deeper than the clay know, this is a first,” says Karen Landman, cap, “The maintenance will be more a professor of landscape architecture at like that of a garden.” the University of Guelph and one of the driving forces behind the project. Last fall, All agree, however, that the end result Landman organized a design for will be worth the effort. “The public is very first-year MLA students at the University of much on side,” says Landman. “People Guelph, who toured the site—a decom- are calling to see how they can missioned landfill—participated in a work- get involved.” shop, developed concepts, and presented their plans to city staff and Guelph Councillors. “Eight weeks into the program and the students had a real client,” says Landman. “It was quite a boost.”

Jyoti Pathak, OALA, CSLA, a parks planner with the City of Guelph, is responsible for overseeing the project. The landscape architecture firm Schollen & Company was recently hired to proceed with a concept design for Pollinators’ Park and to run a public process in order to develop a mas- ter plan. “This is an excellent opportunity to increase public awareness and provide environmental stewardship,” says Pathak. “We’re looking for something that will serve as a model worldwide—turning this scarred landscape, what used to be a garbage dump, into a bloom-filled 0A haven for butterflies, birds, and other BIRDS pollinating insects.” 02 habitats and homes

The 200-acre site (100 acres of which will Bent silver cutlery re-purposed into perch- Up Front: be an active community park, the other es, holding seeds for indigo buntings. 100 acres for the pollination park) presents Discarded take-out coffee lids and stir a number of unique challenges. There sticks shaped into a plausible pine cone, Information are 60 gas extraction wells that collect home for pine warblers. An upside-down methane on site, and these will need to plastic water bottle wrapped in wire mesh, be protected. As well, any planting will enticement for boreal chickadees. on the need to be done with species that don’t Definitely not your regular bird feeders. compromise the integrity of the clay cap The twenty-five creations swaying in the covering the landfill. And ongoing mainte- Scotts Wild Bird Habitat garden at Canada Ground nance and management are a concern: Blooms were the result of an unusual “Where we have large, naturalized park- design brief: the “clients” were birds, the

Up Front .02 05

species, many of them rare or in decline, that have died in this way. Relatively sim- ple design adjustments, however, can help. For landscape architects, four sec- tions of the bird-friendly guidelines have particular relevance: exterior lighting, mirrors or glass windbreaks, ventilation grates (another deadly hazard for injured fallen birds), and transparent noise barri- ers. Each section includes suggested improvements that take birds into account.

Along with helping birds, the guidelines are also garnering recognition for the city: the prestigious Canadian Urban Institute recently gave the Working Group that developed the guidelines an Urban Leadership Award. According to Kelly Snow, the City staff lead on the project,

0B “One of the remarkable things is that the people who sat on the Working Group were youths and students GUIDELINES were volunteers—it was a civic initiative.” 03 bird-friendly design (youths from the Evergreen Mission, and Snow notes that the guidelines will be reg- students from Ryerson University’s first- ularly updated, adding, “I hope that land- It was a grisly tableau: hundreds of dead year Architectural Science program and scape architects will be interested in work- birds lined up in depressing rows, dis- Certificate students ing with us.” For more information, see played at Toronto’s Metro Hall in an effort from the Chang School of Continuing www.toronto.ca/lightsout/guidelines.htm. Education), and the goal was to transform to raise awareness of the dangers migra- everyday discarded materials into one-of- tory birds face in the urban environment. a-kind bird habitats. Margery Winkler, This stark lesson, however, was also OALA, and Shawn Gallaugher, Associate intended to publicize more encouraging Member, OALA, were team members in news: Toronto is now one of the few cities the collaborative exercise, which paired in North America to develop “Bird-Friendly homeless youths from the Yonge Street Development Guidelines.” Released in Mission with students for an intense week March 2007 as part of Toronto’s “Green of design work, culminating in the bird Development Standard,” the guidelines feeders on display at Canada Blooms. suggest ways that designers and man- “Architects design buildings. The Yonge agers of buildings and landscapes can Street Mission dreams of habitat. mitigate the threats to birds migrating Together, they made habitats for birds,” north in the spring and south in the fall. says Gallaugher, connecting the During their biannual flyovers, birds metaphoric threads of this unique project. become confused by the combination of Though clearly pleased that the garden light pollution and the effects of glass in won an award at Canada Blooms (an the urban environment, which results in OALA “Up and Coming Award”), significant numbers of birds colliding with Gallaugher measures the project’s suc- buildings. (Birds, like humans, do not per- 0C cess in different terms: “One of the Yonge ceive clear glass as a solid object.) In 0A/ Bird habitat Street Mission participants has enrolled in North America, millions of migratory birds IMAGE/ Shawn Gallaugher 0B/ Birds killed by school and is going back to study photog- are killed every year due to these prevent- collisions with buildings raphy. This project made a real difference able collisions; in Toronto, the non-profit IMAGE/ City of Toronto in her life.” group FLAP (Fatal Light Awareness Project) 0C/ Bird-friendly design has documented 158 different bird IMAGE/ City of Toronto

Up Front .02 06

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0E/ Landscape in Hong Kong

IMAGE/ Olivia Chau 0F/ Landscape in Hong Kong

IMAGE/ Olivia Chau 0G/ Landscape in Hong Kong

IMAGE/ Olivia Chau 0H/ Green roof planted with native cacti

IMAGE/ Mathis Natvik

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Up Front .02 07

PLANTS 04 practising across the sea

To learn more about the challenges of preparing planting plans for international projects, Ground spoke with Olivia Chau, Associate Member, OALA, who has been working in Hong Kong for three years. “Working as a landscape designer in Hong Kong is quite a challenge,” says Chau. “Green open is very valuable in this concrete jungle. Thus, most of the open space is usually elevated on a podi- um, which leads to restrictions such as limited soil depth. Vertical planting is important here, due to the congested living environment. As well, most of the landscape areas in a project are sur- rounded by multi-storey buildings, with unpleasant views. An appropriate and elegant planting design is key.”

0H Describing plant materials that help to GREEN ROOFS Natvik’s interest in green roofs is fueled by overcome these challenges, Chau focuses 05 norway to guelph his training as a restoration ecologist and on those that can tolerate shade and his current work relates to the relatively strong wind, and plants that create a Mathis Natvik, a first-year Masters of untapped potential of using native plants. strong layering effect: “Evergreen trees Landscape Architecture student at the “The lawn mentality has taken over green with dense foliage, like Cinnamomum University of Guelph, is used to experi- roofs,” says Natvik, referring to the ubiqui- camphora, various Ficus species, and menting with new technologies—albeit tous use of sedum. His own green roofs, Juniperus chinensis, screen off unpleasant basing his experiments on the oldest of on the other hand, look to local habitat views. Accent trees, such as Phoenix models: nature. For his pioneering work in models such as alvars, sand dunes, sand canariensis and Terminalla mantaly, pit-and-mound restoration (work that has prairies, and oak savannas. The green emphasize focal points. Flowering trees been written up in numerous scientific roof on a garden shed at his home in like Delonix regia add interest in different journals), Natvik replicated the dramatic Guelph, for example, is on its third grow- seasons, while fragrant shrubs like topographical variations found on the ing season, and Natvik reports that alvar Osmanthus fragrans enhance the forest floor in order to “kick start” natural species such as beardtongue and nod- sensual experience.” regeneration. ding wild onion are flourishing. This spring, he’s planting a 2,500-square-foot green When asked if there is a broader plant Natvik is now making his mark on an roof (“a nice big alvar,” as he puts it, palette to choose from in this subtropical entirely different habitat—rooftops. “Green including prairie smoke, little bluestem, region, compared with Canada, Chau roofs are something I’ve been doing as a and prickly pear cactus) at the Hanson notes, “Most of the plant material is hobby since 1990,” says Natvik, who was Avenue Athletic Complex in Kitchener. broadleaf with a rich palette of flowering introduced to the idea during trips to visit “It’s time to give the natives a chance,” trees and shrubs. However, contrast in relatives in Norway. “For my uncle’s green he says, relishing the idea that in the texture and foliage is less apparent than roof, they just peeled sod right off the cat- future, “green roofs will be a habitat all of in species available in Canada. But it’s tle pasture,” he says, clearly delighting in their own. A John Deere plant in Germany hard to compare—each palette has its the low-tech nature of the enterprise. has a rooftop marsh; there aren’t any yet own unique species and varieties.” “When I visit my grandparents in Norway, in Ontario, but we need one!” For Natvik, the first thing they do is send me up on the sky’s the limit. More information about the roof to weed birch seedlings.” Natvik’s work can be found at his website, www.roofgarden.ca.

Up Front .02 08

LAWNS 06 grass to food

If the idea that instead of mowing lawns we should be eating them sounds, well, controver- sial, consider the recent book Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn. Written by the Los Angeles architect and artist Fritz Haeg, the book proposes the replacement of the domes- tic front lawn with a productive, edible, organic garden landscape—in short, the overthrow of a long-standing North American institution. With essays by Haeg, landscape architect Diana Balmori, author Michael Pollan, and others, this radical rethinking draws together many contemporary threads—environmental con- cern, the local food movement, landscape water use, public green space, and design that nurtures community. The book also profiles some of the prototype edible gardens initiated by Haeg, such as the one in Salina, Kansas—

the geographic centre of the United States. 0J Part manifesto, part storybook, and part design The ripple effects of such connections manual, there’s plenty of food for thought. have impacts well beyond project num- bers, however. Tom Hook and Barry Day, CONNECTIONS OALA, CSLA, an HOK colleague, are partic- 07 the multiplier effect ularly proud of a recent project in Bahrain called Block 338, in which their recom- Less than a decade ago, the HOK Canada mendation to include public participation office in Toronto was relatively small, with in the master planning process led to tan- just ten or so people on staff. Today, HOK gible success: “We laid the groundwork for Canada is one of the largest of HOK’s 23 this whole public process that isn’t normal- worldwide offices, with 250 plus employ- ly done in most places in the Middle East,” ees (40 of whom work in the Toronto says Hook. “We recommended that a BIA branch of The HOK Planning Group, a be set up, that a committee business set up several years ago to focus within the municipality be formed, with two on landscape, planning, and urban or three seats held for local residents, and design-related projects). Tom Hook, OALA, this is happening. It’s unique to have this CSLA, of The HOK Planning Group, traces interaction with the public in a develop- this explosive, and welcome, growth to a ment project in Bahrain.” single project: “The firm entered and won 0I a competition for a large waterfront devel- Another unique aspect of the project—a opment in Dubai. Everything has grown project to develop a master plan and from that—we can trace a line that shows design guidelines for a busy restaurant how that project led to another connection and cultural district—is that HOK’s plan that led to another connection...” At least emphasized the preservation of the ninety-five percent of the Toronto firm’s ancient streetscape and introduced ele- work is now international, with projects in ments that referenced the rich natural and Saudi Arabia, India, among other places. cultural history of the area. “So much of the development in Bahrain is typically mod- ern, with little meaningful attention paid to

Up Front .02 09

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0I/ Modern touches applied to ancient building forms

IMAGE/ HOK 0J/ Bringing new life to historic buildings

IMAGE/ HOK 0K/ Master plan for Block 338

IMAGE/ HOK 0L/ Mixed use and clear streetscapes create a sense of community

IMAGE/ HOK

historic precedent,” explains Barry Day. “We tried to find a balance to maintain the existing character of the area but give it a modern twist.” Hook adds: “One of the charms of the old streetscape is that you wander around and get lost in all the little lanes and alleyways. We tried to retain the historic character but make it more functional.”

It’s tempting to read this comment as a metaphoric business plan: follow the twists and turns of unexpected connection because they always lead to good things—and to work.

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Deconstruction .02 10

Drawing on China

Using a common visual language to inspire, inform, and—most importantly—get the job done right

BY GUY WALTER, ASSOCIATE MEMBER, OALA, AAPQ, CSLA

As a foreign, English-speaking designer working in China, the challenge of getting work done the way you want it can seem insurmountable at times. The speed of projects, the language barrier, and the whimsical demands of clients can all further exacerbate problems.

Our profession uses images and drawings to convey ideas. How we construct these images/drawings has become my most crucial tool. Visuals inspire, inform, and educate.

When I started creating these drawings, it was partly because I had an exhibition in Beijing. I didn’t realize how effective they would be in the workplace until I changed to more con- ventional, less informative methods and received complaints from employees that the more conventional drawings were too difficult to understand and unclear.

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Deconstruction .02 11

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01/ Streetscape design options and solutions illustrating elevation changes

IMAGE/ Guy Walter 02/ Preliminary sketch

IMAGE/ Guy Walter 03/ Portion of schematic master plan layout, grading, and water system design (1:500)

IMAGE/ Guy Walter

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Deconstruction .02 12

04 04/ Second schematic design option for grading and water system (1:500)

IMAGE/ Guy Walter 05/ Schematic design for kindergarten entry and visitor parking area (1:200)

IMAGE/ Guy Walter 06/ Evolution drawings of layout and planting design for townhouse water garden

IMAGE/ Guy Walter 07/08/ Conceptual sketches for integrating the underground parking structure into water feature design

IMAGE/ Guy Walter

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Deconstruction .02 13

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The drawings are layered with precise information, structured for change, and clear to follow. They are created as early in the projects as possible (once the conceptual plan is approved), and then used as reference material as the projects proceed into construction.

With the speed of construction usually being ahead of completion of construction documents, these drawings become even more important. Site grading starts early using preliminary sets of construction drawings, and the use of conceptual drawings is not uncommon on site.

One very important challenge is when a client asks to change the entire style of a project. This does not have to be an over- whelming concern—it is generally an aesthetic change. If the base work is done well and the organizational structure is solid, it is very easy to draw another layer onto the existing drawings. The design usually does not change drastically, but the change in the character of the space needs to be evident in the draw- ings. This is where you see good ideas come full circle—good ideas are always the greatest form of communication. Drawing is my form of communication in China.

BIO/ GUY WALTER, ASSOCIATE MEMBER, OALA, EXHIBITED THE FIRST GENERATION OF THESE DRAWINGS IN FEBRUARY, 2008, IN BEIJING. HE IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING THE SECOND GENERATION OF DRAWINGS, AND LIVES AND WORKS IN BEIJING.

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Riding the .02 14 Asian Express

TEXT BY MARK SCHOLLEN, OALA, CSLA

When the opportunity to practise in China presented itself to my firm, Schollen & Company, in 2004, the allure of the Far East was hard to resist. It would provide the chance to work on exciting new projects in a place that was undergoing a process of urban renewal at an unprecedented scale and magnitude, to explore the limits of design in a place that is renowned for its architectural adventurism, to be a part of China’s economic renaissance, and perhaps the chance to see the Great Wall up close.

Four years on, with the exception of having only experienced the Great Wall from 15,000 feet above Beijing, these opportunities have been realized, the promise remains, and our office in Shanghai remains a viable and exciting venture.

The firm’s goal when embarking on the experiment was to export to China a design approach that was founded firmly on an environ- 01 mental ethos. Initial trips to Shanghai, Ghangzou, and Hangzhou revealed an urgent and acute need for ecological restoration as The well as a remarkable receptiveness to solutions aimed at restoring degraded water quality, managing stormwater runoff, and enhanc- challenges ing wildlife habitat as integral components of major urban renewal and and development projects. Past neglect and pollution produced as a by-product of opportunities unbridled urban growth and expansion of the manufacturing sector have rendered most of China’s waterways severely of doing degraded. Consequently, the concept of the landscape as a functional system with the capacity to cleanse water and ecologically improve air quality was not a difficult sell.

based design 01/ Landscape plan for Chang Guang National Wetland Park (Phase 1 area)

IMAGE/ Schollen & Company International Inc. work in China— 02/ Chang Guang River IMAGE/ Schollen & Company International Inc. a personal 03/ Heavy industry along the river corridor IMAGE/ Schollen & Company International Inc. 04/ Stormwater management pond with planted perspective weir to enhance infiltration capability IMAGE/ Schollen & Company International Inc.

Riding the .02 15 Asian Express

02 The establishment of an office in Shanghai was the next logical step in the process since the fledgling venture would not likely remain viable for very long without a local presence and dedicat- ed staff available to respond promptly to client needs, to address site-specific technical issues, and to negotiate China’s unique business culture. With the Shanghai office operative, the process of securing contracts and executing work became more efficient but was still hampered by the relatively unsophisticated communi- cations technology that was standard in China at the time. However, things change rapidly on all fronts in China and within a year of opening the Shanghai office, state-of-the-art communica- tions infrastructure replaced the older “dial-up” system, allowing for near seamless communications between the Toronto office and its counterpart in China. We soon learned that challenging deadlines could be met by taking advantage of the twelve-hour 03 time difference between Toronto and Shanghai. It allows staff in the China office to hand work over to the Toronto office at the end of their work day, and the Toronto team to simultaneously pick up the drawings and commence work at the beginning of its work day—establishing a new model of time efficiency. Within this relationship, staff in the Shanghai office provide technical and production support while the majority of design work is executed in Toronto.

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There are three other subtle differences between the planning and design processes in China and these same processes in the Canadian context. These include: • Projects are not subject to anything equal to our environmental assessment process or other regulatory approval processes. • There is no public consultation process. • For the most part, the government controls all of the land and has the ability to relocate existing land uses to accommodate new development and environmental restoration projects as it sees fit.

On the positive side, these three factors allow projects to move from conception to implementation at a rapid rate. However, drawbacks include the potential for ill-conceived schemes to be 05 implemented with little scrutiny and a minimum of accountability, After designing several projects that demonstrated the potential resulting in both environmental and social impacts. We observed of the landscape of major urban developments to enhance water this first-hand when, at the mid-point of the master planning quality, create new habitat, and maximize energy efficiency while process for the Chang Guang Xi project, a series of massive at the same time achieving social, recreational, aesthetic, and “water control gates” were constructed at various locations within practical objectives, the concept of the ecological landscape the river as an initiative of the local Water Bureau. The intent of the became a key marketing focus to our various clients, both from the gate system was to divert exceptionally polluted river water from private and public sectors. The reputation fostered through project one drainage basin to another, contingent on flow, in an attempt work and the promotion of the importance of ecologically based to dilute pollutant concentrations. One such gate appeared in the design led to the firm’s involvement in the Chang Guang Xi (River) main river channel, necessitating a reassessment of the post-con- National Wetland Park Project, a government-initiated project struction hydraulic capacity of the river. The conclusion of the aimed at restoring water quality within the ten-kilometre-long assessment determined that the $5-million gate structure would Chang Guang River, Wu Lake, and Tai Lake in the Municipality compromise the flood conveyance capacity of the river and should of Wuxi, a city region that is located approximately 120 kilometres be removed. In the end it was decided that the gate structure southwest of Shanghai. We completed the master plan for the could remain in place, perpetually in the open position, with the wetland park in 2006. The implementation of the first phase of the configuration of the river reworked to provide the cross-sectional project, a nine-hectare Demonstration Park that incorporates all area required to mitigate potential flooding of the city upstream of the techniques that will be employed at a large scale within the of the gate. overall master plan, was completed in 2007. Water quality moni- toring results for the Demonstration Park met expectations and the Getting It Built development of phase two of the wetland park, which encom- The chaotic schedule of projects presents challenges and a passes a 125-hectare area, is scheduled to commence in the degree of frustration, and the latter is amplified by three factors: spring of 2008. • Clients demand a rigorous level of specificity and detail in the drawing and specification package. The Design Process • The contractor builds in accordance with his creative From our experience, the norm in China is that design precedes interpretation of your meticulous drawing set. construction—but just barely. For example, although implementa- • The client will, for the most part, support the contractor’s view. tion of phase two of this project is to be underway this spring, the design development process, which commenced in November of “Arrangements” are an important tenet of business in China— 2007, will likely be on-going after the date that earthmoving opera- enough said. Getting it built on time is not an issue; getting it built tions begin. In other words, components are under construction right is the challenge. For example, we designed, detailed, and while design details are being resolved in response to the contrac- specified an intricate steel substructure for a sinuous boardwalk. tors’ inquiries. E-mail is both a blessing and a curse, as demands However, the photographs e-mailed from the site inspector clearly are frequent and response times expected to be immediate (or depicted formwork being removed to reveal cast-in-place concrete sooner). The twelve-hour time difference is a welcome ally. beams complete with salvaged and partially straightened rebars being wired together in preparation for the next pour. We expedi- tiously forwarded correspondence identifying the deficiencies and Riding the .02 17 Asian Express

recommended that the original design be implemented, and then promptly received correspondence in return expressing the client’s satisfaction with the contractor’s work. And so it goes. However, we did find that the client relied heavily on our consultant team to advise on the construction of the functional components of the water quality enhancement system to ensure that this was executed correctly. This was because the ponds, wetlands, and filtration systems must achieve predetermined water quality targets for the project to be deemed a success and for authorization to be granted by the Central Government to proceed with subsequent phases of design and implementation.

Design Nuances The landscape of southern China is, not surprisingly, quite different from that of southern Ontario. For example, Shanghai rarely has days of below-zero temperatures, yet experiences monsoon-like rains in the 07 spring and fall. Consequently, the plant material palette is different. English. Because the technical jargon related to stormwater This presents challenges with respect to understanding the functional management and habitat restoration is relatively recent and capability of specific temperate plant species to up-take or filter pollu- specialized, in some cases the words do not exist in Chinese, tants out of stormwater and to designing stormwater management requiring some fairly creative wordsmithing and character writ- facilities with the capability of functioning effectively with a very different ing by the translation staff in our Toronto office. Literal transla- precipitation regime from our own. tions of technical terminology can yield some amusing (and sometimes embarrassing) results. However, the process works For the most part, research is the key to addressing these challenges. well, ensuring that the design team is apprised of site-specific In combination with the expertise of local practitioners, including land- issues that need to be addressed in the design without the scape architects and experts from local universities, research helps need to do primary research. The local experts also function as ensure that the plant community will thrive and function as necessary a review body, ensuring that the design incorporates the to achieve desired performance targets. elements necessary to address site-specific requirements. On several of our projects, local experts who can assist the team in the Making Progress design development process are identified by the municipality or other As more projects that respond to environmental sustainability government agencies involved with the review and approval of the objectives are designed and constructed throughout China, design. Typically, identified experts compile information pertinent to the the concept of the functional landscape is gaining traction. design and respond to specific requests for information from the design Developers are realizing the marketability of green communi- team. This process has proven to work well with the exception of the ties. Agencies at all levels of government are becoming much unavoidable misinterpretation during the translation from Chinese to more aware of the necessity of pursuing landscape-based solutions to address the challenge of restoring polluted water bodies and degraded ecosystems. Perhaps now that initial progress has been made, an environmental renaissance simi- lar in pace and scale to China’s economic miracle is underway. And maybe one day, I’ll take that stroll along the Great Wall.

BIO/ MARK SCHOLLEN, OALA, CSLA, IS THE PRINCIPAL OF SCHOLLEN & COMPANY INTERNATIONAL INC., A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL CONSULTING PRACTICE THAT OFFERS SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE IN THE DESIGN OF NON-STRUCTURAL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, WATER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT, HABITAT CREATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION PROJECTS. MARK SCHOLLEN IS A SESSIONAL LECTURER ON URBAN ECOSYSTEMS IN THE MASTERS PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO'S FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE AND DESIGN.

05/ Construction of wetland park boardwalk

IMAGE/ Schollen & Company International Inc. 06/ Master plan scale model for golf resort community in Guang Dong Province

IMAGE/ Schollen & Company International Inc. 07/ Central interpretive pavilion at Chang Guang National Wetland Park

IMAGE/ Schollen & Company International Inc.

06 From the Shores .02 18 of Tripoli . . .

TEXT BY ANDREW B. ANDERSON, OALA, CSLA

I am usually one of the first people in my office to volunteer when there’s an opportunity for interna- tional travel. At the prospect of travel to Shanghai, I eagerly proclaim my mastery of Cantonese. When the topic of travel to Morocco comes up, I point out that Arabic is practically my second language. If the office needs someone to go to Amsterdam, I start rattling off useless trivia about the North Sea and its influence on the Dutch climate. Wherever a place may be located on this planet, I want to go there, and I always promise to send a postcard.

In reality, I don’t speak Cantonese. I can speak a grand total of two phrases in Arabic. And I can’t utter a single word of Dutch. But my point is this: my love of travel is inextricably bound to my thirst for discovering new places, new people, and new landscapes. I have learned that one can go a long way with a smile, respectful behaviour, and a gen- uine curiosity about other ways of life. Travel height- ens observation skills, offering a chance to clear the mind and ponder on the truism that the fundamen- tal elements of design are common throughout the world. I believe wholeheartedly that travel makes for a better landscape architect. As captured by James P. Warfield in the introduction to Mediterranean Villages—An Architectural Journey, “travel becomes the medium for gathering visual and experiential precedents for developing thoughts and ideas that can be later interpreted and crafted into their own creative works.” From the Shores .02 19 of Tripoli . . .

From the Shores .02 20 of Tripoli . . .

So when it was announced last summer that my office had successfully won a large master planning project for 325 km2 of northwest Libya, along the Mediterranean coastline near the Tunisian border, I basically claimed to be the long lost son of Colonel Gadhafi. I really wanted to go. But in an era of ever-increasing levels of information saturation, I found myself in the unusual position of traveling to a country that I knew nothing about. Due to our previous projects in North Africa, I could locate Libya on a map, but that was about the extent of my knowledge.

After scouring the entire city of Toronto for the one map of Libya that existed, I packed my Design as bags and headed to a mysterious and intimi- dating country that soon proved to be every bit discovery— as mysterious and intimidating as I had imag- ined, and even more fascinating. And don’t ask unlocking the me how I managed to get an entry visa in less than a week. Suffice it to say, there were some secrets of tense moments and cash exchanged in the Tripoli airport. a forgotten Traveling with several coworkers, the purpose land of our trip to Libya was to visit our project site (all 325 km2 of it), perform an initial inventory and analysis of existing conditions, identify opportunities and constraints related to the program, and gather as much information as possible about the site and the Libyan design vernacular. The first week involved a series of client meetings and site visits with the entire consultant team. I was alone in Libya for the second week, responsible for further meetings with government officials, and charged with the task of documenting the design vernacular of this enigmatic land.

From the Shores .02 21 of Tripoli . . .

Libya is not an easy place to visit. Years of international isolation and While international projects can be immeasurably rewarding the existing political regime have taken their toll. Minimal infrastructure to experience, it is important to be able to handle stressful for foreign visitors, including the virtual non-existence of any language situations in unfamiliar circumstances while still acquiring the other than Arabic, poses challenges at every turn. Detailed site infor- information that you need for the project. When your site is mation, including surveys, geotechnical information, cultural informa- located halfway around the world, you may only ever get tion, and ecological inventories, are elusive. Information is unreliable, the chance to see it once (and sometimes not at all). I find contradictory, and difficult to obtain. As a result, we relied on our train- it extremely helpful to simply accept that what is about to ing as landscape architects to read the land, looking for visual clues happen to you at any given moment is frequently out of your and subtle hints to help us understand the site conditions. And did I control. One has to remain confident in the knowledge that mention the heat? The temperature often climbed above fifty degrees “going with the flow” may just reveal the most unexpected Celsius. Libya, an ancient land that has been effectively shut off from rewards. This requires a high degree of trust: trust in other the rest of the world for the better part of three decades, simultaneously people, trust that everything usually works out for the best, dazzles and intimidates. and, above all, trust in your own abilities as a landscape architect. Get used to hearing the phrase, “maybe tomorrow.” Based out of the capital city of Tripoli, we explored our site and the Keep an open mind, and expect the unexpected. Actually, surrounding area by car, by boat, and by foot, trekking across sand don’t just expect the unexpected—embrace it. Seemingly dunes, exploring remote fishing villages, and stumbling upon long- insignificant events, sounds, or scents may echo in your since abandoned relics from the era of the Italian colonization of Libya. memory and continue to inspire your long after We managed to survive a precarious boat ride across a tidal lagoon, you have cleared customs and returned home. trusting the navigational skills of a local octopus fisherman, ending up on a narrow peninsula of sand and dune grasses that separates the There is so much to learn from traveling to new places. lagoon from the open Mediterranean Sea. Looking across the lagoon Experiencing foreign cultures and unfamiliar landscapes towards the Sahara Desert, we quickly understood why this area is heightens our awareness and appreciation of the Canadian home to endangered sea turtles and is a critical stopping point for culture and landscape that we often take for granted. So migratory birds that annually migrate from Africa to Scandinavia. A abandon your culinary fears, throw some granola bars in hot, barren piece of land that at first glance seemed to be completely your suitcase, and take advantage of every possible opportunity. devoid of any significance, slowly revealed itself to be a marvel of Dive in, and remember the immortal words of poet Robert ecological and cultural significance on a global scale. It is amazing Frost: “I took the road less traveled by, and that has made what the landscape can tell you—even if you don’t speak Arabic. all the difference.”

The initially daunting task of unraveling a few secrets of this place BIO/ ANDREW B. ANDERSON, OALA, CSLA, IS A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AND quickly evolved into an adventure unlike any I had experienced in my SENIOR ASSOCIATE AT LANDinc IN TORONTO. HIS SUITCASE IS ALWAYS PACKED. life. In the end, after a meeting inside the centuries-old Tripoli Castle IMAGES/ ANDREW B. ANDERSON with the director of the Libyan Archaeology Department, who was straight out of Indiana Jones, we learned that Libya’s Mediterranean coastline is a vast reserve of ancient Roman archaeological wonders. Only after exploring two of the world’s largest and best-preserved ruins of Roman cities at Sabratha and Leptis Magna—both UNESCO World Heritage Sites—did I even begin to understand the international histori- cal significance of the area. I cannot imagine anywhere else on earth where one has the opportunity to wander through hauntingly well-pre- served ruins of once powerful Roman cities without another living person in sight. The silence of the Sahara is as captivating as the ruins it once obscured.

Following an intense two weeks spent at the beginning of the project, observing and absorbing the landscape, culture, and character of the site and its context, the master plan for the project—one of the first urban planning projects in the country in thirty years—was informed and shaped by our new knowledge about the place. We were able to educate the client about the importance of protecting the sensitive salt flats that covered more than 50km2 of the site, and as a result, the overall layout of the project integrated these unique features rather than obliterating them. Key views were protected, cultural landmarks celebrated, and environmental features enhanced.

Round Table .02 22

Ontario Landscape Architects and International Practice

Moderators: On March 26, 2008, Ground hosted a NETAMI STUART, PMA LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS FUNG LEE, roundtable discussion, moderated by PMA LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS Panelists: Netami Stuart and Fung Lee, to explore ANDREW B. ANDERSON, SENIOR ASSOCIATE, LANDinc GEORGE DARK, some of the social, environmental, and PRINCIPAL, URBAN STRATEGIES INC. CATARINA GOMEZ, PROJECT MANAGER/LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, design issues that arise in the current DUTOIT ALLSOPP HILLIER FIDENZO SALVATORI, PRINCIPAL, SCI LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS surge of local landscape architects GEORGE STOCKTON, PRESIDENT, MORIYAMA & TESHIMA PLANNERS JIM TAYLOR, working abroad. A panel of experienced PROFESSOR OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, designers, educators, and planners, who UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH have worked internationally, were invited to speak critically and constructively about how landscape architecture is practised by OALA members around the world, and, in particular, to highlight some of the ethical and logistical issues involved.

Round Table .02 23

Netami Stuart (NS): To begin with, let us Fung Lee (FL): What about the talk about the business environments you Chinese experience? have encountered and the types of clients you are working for. Is doing design over- Fidenzo Salvatori (FS): My colleague, seas a profitable enterprise and what who is an architect/urban designer, and I makes it so? spent a few years doing exploratory work and finally now we have established a George Stockton (GS): Our first real inter- branch office in Shanghai. It’s taken close national work, other than in the United to $300,000 for this venture and we’re States, was in Tokyo, working on the new now getting some beautiful contracts. They Canadian embassy back in the mid 1980s. average $180,000 in fees, just for the land- We didn’t even sign a contract until the scape component. Initially we worked project was under construction. It was all through local firms and it was very difficult. done under a handshake. So our experi- The design would be changed at will. ence in Japan is that you are in a very Establishing our own office was the only sophisticated environment with a long way to control the design and coordination. history of mutual trust. We were well received once the client saw that we had started an international The work that we are now involved with in office, as there are a lot of fake interna- Kuwait is the polar opposite of that. Over tional companies! We incorporated a new the years, management consultants seem company in China—you don’t want to set to have driven a lot of the international up your Canadian company over there for projects, not only in the terms of reference, liability reasons. but in the contracts themselves. They are getting more and more rigorous, and we Catarina Gomez (CG): What kind of are increasingly getting locked into very clients do you work for? tight schedules that absolutely must be met. We have several million-dollar bonds FS: Here’s the issue: every committee is to complete the work. composed of at least twenty people—dif- ferent people from different sectors. Is it If you want to work for the government a government agency or is it a private in the Middle East, you are in a tight sand- company? It’s very difficult to tell in China. wich of regulations, administration, agree- ment, bonds, etc. It is way beyond the scope and fee structure that we experi- ence here in Canada.

George Dark (GD): It is not a profession of colleagues and peers over there but, rather, they are buying/importing your services.

GS: The other thing that is very particular about the Middle East is that it is not the safest environment and you really have to be careful. We refused to go to Riyadh at one point because they were essentially hunting westerners.

Round Table .02 24

NS: Do you hire landscape architects from the Canadian model of professional GS: At Moriyama & Teshima, as a form of here to work at your office in Shanghai or organization in a confederation like the training, we usually get our staff involved do you hire local designers? CSLA, OALA, etc. was the best, so they in overseas projects and send them to the are using our model. location as part of the project team to FS: You don’t want to bring people there immerse them into the culture. It’s been a in terms of business costs and expenses. China has grown from zero to a hundred very good experience for everybody. The wages are much lower in China, in just a few years in terms of the number We’re so small that we don’t have walls except in Shanghai. The average salary of landscape architecture programs, but and boundaries between people. It’s total- in Shanghai is five times the national there is no accreditation and no standards ly exciting to watch young people and average. We now have an urban designer in place. That will be a challenge in com- landscape architects get out there and from the Philippines joining us there and ing years. It took us many years to get the understand the ecology and culture. he’s going to be about $40,000, which is Central Government of China to recognize a lot of money in China. the profession of landscape architecture. Regulatory Frameworks

Jim Taylor (JT): Foreigners have a different There is a concern internationally about NS: As landscape architects we’re all pay scale in China. I had an international landscape architects coming from devel- supposed to act in a socially and environ- student at Guelph who was from China oped countries to developing countries mentally ethical and sustainable manner, and studied here. When he went back to and practising without making any local regardless of regulations. But if the regula- China to work, he got paid more because contacts or hiring local landscape archi- tions are not present, can you convince he had his Canadian citizenship! tects (assuming there are some there). your clients to build in a sustainable way? IFLA is currently doing a survey to try to find Design Globalization where all the landscape architects are. CG: In our work on the Kuwait University Master Plan, when it came to regulations NS: How have you dealt with the logistics GD: One reason that Urban Strategies and trying to get approvals from various of designing for a foreign physical, ecolog- doesn’t do a lot of work in China is that we agencies, the university asked us to be the ical, and cultural place? Are we going to have a rule: we have to have a contextual mediators. We were actually the ones foster local designers to be able to do fit, instead of just importing a chunk of negotiating with the government bodies local design, or are we fostering an inter- Ireland into Shanghai or exporting and the university was as much as possi- national design big-business culture? American-style development into any ble trying to stay clear of it because of the place in the world regardless of where it bureaucracy. It’s such a hot potato. JT: Through the International Federation is. I think the bigger question is: what is an of Landscape Architecture (IFLA), I chair a appropriate, modern, sustainable, intelli- GD: There are lots of examples of poor couple of committees and work on the gent response to each case? regulation at home, too. There are no development of the profession internation- stormwater management rules in New ally. We are working through IFLA to build CG: I was born and raised in Portugal and Brunswick. None! You’ll often see storm the capacity in developing nations both by I came to Canada about eight years ago sewer pipes spilling into a river. So you encouraging education in landscape to attend the University of Toronto where don’t have to go thousands of miles away. architecture and by helping to organize I obtained my Masters in Urban Planning. Canadian landscape architects have a professional associations that can provide I do have work experience as a land- huge responsibility, just outside our door, accreditation to their members. In Brazil scape architect in Portugal as well, so I to correct the things that we know are we trained architects in the core funda- have experience with Ontario exporting really unsustainable. mentals of landscape architecture so they my skills and importing my skills. This is a could begin to teach landscape architec- relevant subject because so many Ontario ture at their schools of architecture. At the residents—and therefore some Ontario time there were no landscape architecture landscape architects—have immigrated schools in Brazil—there are, now. I have to Ontario from other countries. been involved in helping to organize professional associations in Russia and in the United Arab Emirates. In Russia, the landscape architects are now being allowed to organize. In fact, they felt that

Round Table .02 25

GS: That’s the word: responsibility. At Wadi AA: That’s true. From our experience in Hanifah in Saudi Arabia we’re working on North Africa, the client’s initial idea is that a 124-kilometre site, an oasis, to bring it their own existing cultural riches are irrele- back to ecological health for the city. There vant. Six-thousand-year-old Bronze Age are really no modern Saudi environmental relics? Well, they can be moved! I really do regulations—they’re working on them. We believe that it is the Canadian background use North American, European, or world where we can say, “Wait a minute. Here is standards. It comes down to our own the reason that it should be valued.” judgment and what we would want for our own families to be experiencing, and Education that sets the benchmark for the type of environmental approach we undertake. JT: I think there is a responsibility, whether it’s the CSLA or OALA, to start thinking CG: There’s also the other issue, of social about helping professional practices grow responsibility. In the Kuwait University and evolve in developing countries. One experience, there were two other women way is through education. We have stu- on the design team and we were trying to dents from Guelph who are now leaders develop a campus. In the beginning we in the profession in Africa and other parts weren’t sure whether we were supposed of the world. Our enrollment of internation- to develop one campus for female stu- al students has gone up but we’re not dents and one for male students. But full educating enough international students separation was mandated by the parlia- to advance the profession internationally. ment of Kuwait. We had to decide what And we’re not training our landscape was our threshold and how far did we architects enough to be culturally sensitive want to push the issue? Sometimes you to working abroad. Students want to work have to detach yourself from the issue and internationally. They are not working for work on a different part of the project, local firms; they are working for CIDA or for perhaps in an administrative way. international development NGOs, where their work might be more meaningful. So Andrew Anderson (AA): There is a lack, it’s something we have to think about. We particularly in Algeria and Libya, of environ- have to reposition our professional work. mental regulation, so it is our responsibility to make recommendations. There is an AA: I think one really important aspect opportunity for us to help these countries. It’s of the schools here is the exchange primarily master planning work and part of program. the challenge, like everywhere else, is to try to build with sustainable principles. GD: Jim, let me ask you a question. Are we going to see an international organiza- GD: I find that Canadians are seen to be tion, an international accreditation? very honest brokers. Even in US firms, our opinion about good global practice is JT: Well, we’re working on that now— respected. Canadians are very trusted working on international standards in abroad, which is a reflection of our coun- education, predominantly directed try. People know the rainbow of cultures towards developing countries.

that make up our nation and understand FOR AN EXTENDED VERSION OF THIS ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION, VISIT THE GROUND SECTION OF THE OALA our measure of tolerance. There are more WEBSITE, WWW.OALA.CA. people in California than in Canada and yet we hold some of the most prominent BIO/ NETAMI STUART, ASSOCIATE MEMBER, OALA, IS A LANDSCAPE DESIGNER AND CERTIFIED ARBORIST WITH positions in the world. PMA LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS. BIO/ FUNG LEE, OALA, CSLA, IS A SENIOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AND PRINCIPAL AT PMA LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS.

Notes .02 26

Notes: schools Every year, numerous Ontario landscape architecture students choose to escape to A distant shores to participate in internation- al exchange programs with other schools around the world. For many students, this Miscellany is their first in-depth exposure to traveling and living in a foreign country; the experi- ence inevitably expands horizons and of News changes perspectives for a lifetime.

The landscape architecture program at and the University of Guelph offers more inter- national exchange opportunities for its stu- Events dents than any other program at the uni- 01 versity. Currently, landscape architecture students in Guelph have the opportunity to participate in exchange programs with the 01/ Canada Blooms garden garden show designed by Robert Boltman, OALA, Associate following schools: Member Outdoors, the snowbanks were head- IMAGE/ OALA high, but inside Toronto’s Convention • University of Canberra: 02/ Winners of the Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Centre, thousands of visitors to Canada Canberra, Australia Association Blooms were basking in signs of spring. • Edinburgh College of Art/Herriot-Watt IMAGE/ Andrew B. Anderson The OALA booth, for the first time located University: Edinburgh, Scotland in the main garden area of the show, was • Wageningen University: Wageningen, designed and donated by Borrowed The Netherlands Spaces, and attracted many visitors. • Swedish University of Agricultural Marianne Mokycke, Shalini Ullal, and Sciences: Alnarp, Sweden Alexander Budrevics volunteered their • Agricultural University of Norway: time as judges for the OALA Awards, and Aas, Norway awarded Jane Hutton, OALA, of Plant • Lincoln University: Canterbury, Architect Inc. the OALA Recognition Award New Zealand for the garden "Macroscope." A Rosette • University of Adelaide: Award was presented to Stephen Rupert, Adelaide, Australia OALA, for the Arbor Memorial Garden, and • Univeristat fuer Bodenkulturn Wien Shawn Gallaugher, Associate, OALA, was (BOKU): Vienna, Austria awarded two Rosettes: the Up & Coming • The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural Award and the Association Member Award. University: Copenhagen, Denmark • Lingnan University: Hong Kong (not a formal exchange agreement) • University of KwaZulu-Natal: in memoriam South Africa (not a formal exchange agreement) The OALA is saddened to announce the sudden passing of Donald Salivan in Florida on March 14, 2008. Mr. Salivan has been an OALA member since 1985.

Notes .02 27

were Michael Eves, Luke Facey, and Zac students Wolotachiuk, whose winning concept, new members “Balancing the Cutting Edge,” proposed The Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel reusing the site as a resource centre The Ontario Association of Landscape Association (OSSGA) sponsors an annual combining extreme recreation and Architects is proud to recognize and wel- design competition for Ontario post-sec- environmental education. come the following new full members to ondary students to prepare comprehen- the association: sive restoration design master plans for an The design competition was integrated Ontario quarry or sand pit. The goal is to into the curriculum of the University of Emily Grant * encourage compatible post-extraction Guelph’s third-year BLA studio course by Kenneth Hale uses of former aggregate properties and co-instructors Shirley Hall and Andrew Gina McFarlane * to promote public and academic aware- Anderson, OALA, CSLA. All students in the Barry Murphy ness of that role. class were required to complete the com- Matthew Sweig * petition requirements as part of the course Martin Tavares The site for the 2007 design competition curriculum; formal submission to the was the Ayr Sand Pit, located in Wellington OSSGA competition was optional. The Asterisk (*) denotes a Full Member County. The three winning groups of awards were presented at the OSSGA not having custody and use of the entrants were all third-year BLA students Annual General Meeting Awards Banquet Association seal. from the University of Guelph. The winning in Toronto on February 22, 2008. entry was submitted by Brittany Barclay, Dave Reid, and Adam Rogers, who pro- posed reusing the site as Canada’s first natural burial cemetery. council

Pat Bunting, Danielle Bushore, Jeff Fenske, Working on members’ behalf, the OALA and Matt Sloan were awarded second Governing Council meets monthly to deal place for their submission, “Art of Human with association business. As well, the Nature.” The proposed solution trans- Executive Committee and other Council formed the site into an arts centre with committees hold regular meetings, work- sculptural displays integrated into natural- ing on various issues, events, and other ized settings. The third-place winners tangible benefits of membership. Council meetings are open to members (except for in camera items) and are regularly scheduled for the second Monday of anniversary each month, from 6:15-8:30 p.m., at the OALA office. For details, contact the In 2008, the OALA reached a significant OALA at 416-231-4181. milestone: forty years as an association. To celebrate this achievement, the OALA launched an anniversary logo at the conference and Annual General Meeting honours in April.

Congratulations to Janet Rosenberg, The OALA Council selected this logo OALA, CSLA, on two recent honours. The design from forty-one submissions from Canadian Urban Institute has selected the membership. The selected design was Rosenberg to receive a 2008 Urban conceived by concept i design of Bangkok, Leadership Award, in the City Livability Thailand. Congratulations to Geoffrey category, in recognition of her significant Morrison, OALA, CSLA, and Hidemizu contribution to the public realm. In June, Kanamoto for creating this logo. The OALA Rosenberg will receive an Honorary also extends thanks to all participants in Doctorate from Ryerson University. the logo competition.

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Notes .02 28

exhibitions

In February, students from the University of Toronto’s Masters of Landscape Architecture program hosted PUSHING SITE, the second annual MLA Student Design Exhibition featuring current studio work. The exhibition explored ways of representing landscapes that push boundaries to respond to natural processes and dynamic programs. Exploring sites at various scales, students showed examples of immediate and long-term strategies that encourage diverse habitats and manage/recycle material flows. Sponsored by the OALA and the Faculty’s graduate student union (GALDSU), the show sought to push people’s perspectives on the urban landscape, reveal landscape opportunities at various scales, and share 04 conceptual ideas and representational techniques among students, faculty, and sports fields tours the broader design community. To encour- age the transfer of ideas between land- According to the Sports Turf Association In an effort to raise awareness about scape architecture students, the show was (STA), construction specifications have Toronto’s urban forest, the non-profit launched at LABash at the University of been the missing link in the creation of group LEAF (Local Enhancement and Guelph and then opened for a two-week highly effective and functional sports fields. Appreciation of Forests), in conjunction run at U of T’s Larry Wayne Richards Gallery. “Specifications could have saved grounds with the Toronto Public Space Committee, maintenance personnel and others thou- is hosting a series of tree tours this sum- sands of dollars in corrective action when mer. The walks are led by knowledgeable poor construction methods were used, local experts and cover diverse areas of partly because pertinent information was the city, from Withrow Park (June 15) to the not readily available,” says Michael Rouge Park (June 21) to Downsview Park Bladon, former grounds superintendent (July 20). The Cedarvale Ravine tree tour at the University of Guelph. In an effort to (June 14) has a particularly enticing bonus: solve this problem, the Sports Turf it is being held in conjunction with the Association recently developed construc- Cedarvale Strawberries and Asparagus tion specifications, published in The Festival. For more information, see Athletic Field Construction Manual. www.treetours.to/events. According to Lawrence Stasiuk, OALA, 03/ Exhibition of studio work CSLA, “The Athletic Field Construction by University of Toronto Manual provides standards for five cate- students COLLAGE/ Tonya Crawford and gories of field construction that will help Victoria Taylor 04/ Construction designers determine the appropriate field specifications may lead to more effective design for the intended level of use.” sports fields

Primarily based on the root zone material IMAGE/ Sports Turf Association 05/ Maple syrup crafted for and the provision of drainage, irrigation, a design audience

and light, the specifications for each cate- IMAGE/ Ninutik gory of field are based on current scientific information. The manual is available at www.sportsturfassociation.com. 03

Notes .02 29

people

Dr. Nancy Pollock-Ellwand, OALA, former associate professor of landscape architec- ture at the University of Guelph, has assumed the roles of Head and Chair of the School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and and pro- fessor of landscape architecture at the University of Adelaide in Adelaide, Australia. She and her family are adjusting to life (and the heat) in Australia, and are starting to develop a fondness for veg- emite. Nancy extends an invitation to all her northern landscape architecture col- leagues to come to Adelaide, where the earth is red, the skies are blue, and the wine that comes from the nearby Barossa 05 Valley is always white (in her case). considered vulgar to chew gum in Italy; in Brazil avoid giving sharp gifts such as products books letter openers.” It’s a perennial dilemma: finding the right gift—something quintessentially Working in other countries can lead to Culture Smart! A Quick Guide to Canadian—for colleagues or associates in cultural missteps. To help navigate these Customs & Etiquette another country. Many a business traveler potentially unfamiliar waters, Ground “This current series of little books, covering has eyed those kitschy bottles of maple asked Jane Cooney of the Toronto store most countries of the world, provides syrup arrayed at airport stores and Books for Business to recommend essential information on attitudes, beliefs, thought, if only they looked less, well, some guides. Here are her picks, and behaviour in different countries.” kitschy. Now, industrial designers Richard with comments: When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Brault and Dianne Croteau have rebrand- ed maple syrup for the design market. The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Cultures, by Richard D. Lewis Their line of maple syrup, sugar, and Understanding Globalization, “The book offers practical strategies to chocolates, under the label Ninutik—the by Thomas L. Friedman embrace differences and work successfully Ojibwa word for maple syrup—transforms “This classic by the Pulitzer Prize-winning across increasingly diverse business Canadian cliché into design classic. In fact, author of The World is Flat is used in cultures in sixty countries and every Ninutik recently won a Design Exchange college business courses and enjoyed major region of the world.” Award for . A hand-blown by readers looking for a spirited and glass globe (created in collaboration with imaginative exploration of our new Why Mexicans Don’t Drink Molson: artist Brad Sherwood) cradles syrup, while global world.” Rescuing Canadian Business from the Suds of Global Obscurity, by Andrea an artist-crafted porcelain bowl (Alissa Coe and Carly Waito), complete with spoon, Kiss Bow or Shake Hands, by Terri Morrison Mandel-Campbell holds sugar. “An architecture firm recently “Covering all areas of the world, the “This is a scathing, cautionary tale about put in an order for forty of the sugar-filled author outlines local customs and rules of Canadian timidity and lost opportunities in bowls,” says Brault, “to give to international etiquette for traveling business people.” confronting international markets.” guests.” That’s sweet thinking, Canadian- style. For more information, visit Behave Yourself! The Essential Guide to Books for Business also stocks many www.ninutik.com. International Etiquette, by Michael Powell foreign-language dictionaries and teaching “Forty-five countries are covered. It’s tools, as well as a good selection of atlases. For information, see www.booksforbusiness.com.

Interested in being involved with Ground: Landscape Architect Quarterly? The OALA Editorial Board is looking for volunteers who can help out with various tasks, such as research, transcription, and writing. Any level of commitment is appreciated, from researching upcoming events for the Notes section to transcribing Round Table discussions...

Fun, satisfying work—and the best part, no need to attend meetings!

To get involved, please e-mail [email protected].

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Artifact .02 42 Referencing Culture

Going global close to home

The Japanese Zen garden on the roof of the Canadian Museum of Civilization is based on the theme of Wakei No Niwa, a reference to the Japanese and Canadian peoples. Most of the materials for the garden are from the region, with native plants and stone selected from the nearby Gatineau Hills.

The museum building, designed by Douglas Cardinal, takes it inspiration from Canadian land- scape forms, as does the front courtyard (originally designed by Julie Mulligan of ESG International, and currently being redesigned by Claude Cormier).

Across the river, the gothic design of the Parliament Buildings—the country’s iconic ground zero—is itself a stylistic import, though rarely is it described as such.

Do impositions of cultural references add meaning to designed built form? Or do they elide the hybrids that often represent us and, perhaps, define us? 01

01/02/03/ The design team for the Japanese Zen garden at the Canadian Museum of Civilization included Shunmyo Masuno, a Zen Buddhist monk from Japan, Patrick Mooney from the University of British Columbia, Ueto Construction from Japan, Massie & Associates Ltd. from Hull, Quebec, and Vaughan Landscape Planning and Design of West Vancouver.

IMAGES/ Canadian Museum of Civilization

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