Eucalyptus textures

 

I am sharing here some of my pictures of Eucalyptus trees. I have fascination for them and I love the textures of the leaves hanging above the lake and adding lots of textures and complex patterns in the landscape. I take the pictures in different seasons so you can see the colors vary from the yellow to green and black. The lake changes as well and sometimes it is light blue, blue, dark green, and bright light green in Summer. 

So, there are always the same trees in an altered landscape.

Lovely shadows play.

I also like to walk on the crunchy leaves, feel them under my feet. 

All pictures credit to Myriam Mahiques, personal archives. Huntington Beach Central Park.

Mirrored and immersive landscapes

 

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

One of the many challenges we have when we design a house is the settlement on the lot, the impact the house will produce, if it is an object of art, or a place for human living where function prevails, or if there is a balance between beauty, form and function. 

Nature and landscape in relationship with architecture must be carefully considered. I am sharing here this project "Forest Glamp" Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Canada, by Bourgeois / Lechasseur architects, from V2.com. The pure geometric architectural form is embedded in nature, just by using mirror glass. See how beautifully the trees and grass are reflecting on the facades, there is no perception of the hard geometry. At least on two sides.

The landscape visually penetrates the interior space

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

The front facade is resolved with a design more aligned with an entrance from  a suburban street. The street is not seen but I'm assuming it's there.

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

See how the cabin is elevated from the ground, giving it an ethereal perception.

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

A fantastic example of mirroring landscape (orchids indeed) and enhanced by an immersive experience is this exhibition of 13,000 living orchids at teamLab Planets Museum. From the CNN article written by Dan Hodge and Amanda Sealy:

"The exhibit comes into its own when you halt in the center of the space, the floating plants slowly closing in around you. Enveloped by a mirrored floor, light pouring from the ceiling, the plants' aromas and composer Hideaki Takahashi's otherworldly soundscape, it's a satisfying -- and almost hallucinogenic -- assault on the senses. "Floating Flower Garden; Flowers and I are of the Same Root, the Garden and I are One" is on show at teamLab Planets, a Tokyo museum featuring nine absorbing works that encourage visitors to become one with the art. The installation will remain open until the end of 2022."

This is what I call "Inbuilt Landscape", where we actively interact with plants, flowers, they surround us with textures, fragrance, spatiality........

Photo credit teamLab Planets

The orchids that do not need soil, grow along almost invisible wires

Photo credit teamlab Planets

Another example: the reflected ceiling of Heito 1909. Photo downloaded from Dezeen

"The project by ECG International Landscape Consultants transforms the site on both sides of Snake Creek into a public space that combines natural environments with the preservation of the factory's ruins. The park is shortlisted in the landscape project category of Dezeen Awards 2021, alongside a tranquil garden designed for a property development in Danyang, China, and a playful park in Beijing featuring large pipes that contain walkways and bridges."

Keep on reading: 

https://www.dezeen.com/2021/11/04/heito-1909-landscaped-park-former-sugar-factory/

Combination of materials in hardscape

I've been walking around this building in Downtown Seattle, WA, and paying attention to the plaza design, which I like so much. It has an eclectic solution, with the contemporary deconstructed steel statues against the classical masonry facade and the ceramic plants pots with a traditional design. 

The seats are Minimalist, in iron and wood, the pure lines following the floor lines, in a game of orthogonality. 

The lines of the building facades are somehow reflected on the floor geometry.

And all this hardscape is perforated with trees, and eventually some planters. The green is the only strong color here. All textures are contrasting in their variety, while the colors are matching.

The day was cold and rainy but in any other occasion I would have taken a rest to enjoy the plaza.

All pictures taken by Myriam Mahiques, October 2021. Personal archives.

 

Water features at the Forest Pavilion- The Forestias

 

The Canopy Walk

The name of this blog is related to the landscape that is part of oneself, nature and mankind becoming one, feeling nature inside us.

This project by Foster and Partners expresses very well the idea of "Inbuilt Landscape". From v2.com:

"The Forestias is one of the largest property development projects in Thailand. The highlight of the project is a 48,000 square meter of urban forest at the center of The Forestias, connecting all developments within the site to create a healthier and happier living for all residents. The Forest Pavilion is located in The Forestias, which currently functions as the sales gallery, and will be converted into The Forestias Ecosystem Learning Center for sharing knowledge of forest ecosystem, and be a hub of residence society for joyful moments. it is also an entrance gateway to the broad forest zone of The Forestias, providing a prototype of living with nature. Our commitment is to support happiness and wellness of the users and create an immersive experience of living with nature, which achieved by utilizing the research as design strategies."

Nature Walk

My emphasis is on the water features, with a contemporary design, but still as a reminiscence of rocks and waterfalls. I like to see how children could play in this immersive proposal.

This one reminds me as a child, playing inside the arroyos of Cordoba, Argentina, and looking for colorful rocks and stones. I would have selected the color of real stones and mica brightness under the sun. 

The 5 meter waterfall

All pictures and citation paragraph from V2.com 

https://www.v2com-newswire.com/en/newsroom/press-kits/4015-02/forest-pavilion-the-forestias

Landscape Design with stage, payground and bar area

 

This is a preliminary project, currently under revision. It consists of widening an existing path, create a playground with a play house, design a stage for a young singer under an existing Pepper tree and in continuation of a landing, informally locate the spectators and finally design a bar with a rest area. 

One of the conditions was that the lot, which is sloping down with a difference of 7' in level, would be divided in flat terraces. No foundation is possible here because most part of this area is Public Works easement. In consequence, we have worked with portable decks that could easily be removed in case underground repairs were needed.

A transition space leading to the bar is achieved with high cylinder cactus planters on stone or ground cover straight areas alternating with portable decks. The end of the perspective is a sitting area on gravel and the bar next to an existing tree plus a decorative flowering tree behind.

Some side bushes are existing, others are proposed.

The hard lines of the added geometry is designed in contrast with the winding path. To make it wider, an edge with decorative stone was added.

The preliminary floor plan and cross section is partially shown here, in order to protect the privacy of the client. The job site is in Southern California.

The Royal Poinciana or Flame tree

 

The Royal Poinciana or Flame tree is such a beautiful ornamental element in a green garden. The red flowers create such a contrast, as seen in the pictures, one feels invited to be around or below the red tree. I took these pictures in last July, at the Fullerton Arboretum, California. All pictures from my personal archives, 2021.

From Wikipedia: 

"Delonix regia is a species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae native to Madagascar. It is noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of orange-red flowers over summer. In many tropical parts of the world it is grown as an ornamental tree and in English it is given the name royal poinciana, flamboyant, flame of the forest, or flame tree (one of several species given this name)."

Keep on reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delonix_regia

Rocks of the Secret Garden

 

I'm sharing here some rocks arrangements in our local Secret Garden, of the Huntington Beach Central Park. All done by volunteers.

The first picture, this is like a river of rocks, though I have never seen it flooded it is a beautiful organic design.

On a more typical design, the flat rocks are located as paths edges. It is interesting to see how the plants invade the path at the intersection. Flat rocks piled up together are creating a planter at the end of the perspective.

In the last two pictures above, we see the river rocks scattered in a more casual design. When the Pinwheel flowers are in full bloom, the planters look really beautiful and of course, full of butterflies.  

All pictures belong to Myriam Mahiques, from my personal archives, June 2021.

Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy

 

The Ficus Forest at the Fullerton Arboretum. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives. 2021

I love walking in forests, it is so calming.... Apart from concentrating on photography, I enjoy the smells and the textures, feeling the sound and textures of leaves below my feet. 

I have attended an online conference a few days ago promoted by Japan House in Los Angeles:

Forest Therapy: Reconnecting with Nature via Shinrinyoku

Guest speakers were Dr Iwao Uehara and Forest Therapy Guide Ben Page. From the introduction:

"During the pandemic, restrictions have kept many people indoors and masked when outdoors. Now that more people in the US are feeling safe in outdoor spaces and are breathing fresh air without a mask again, there is a sense of reconnecting with nature, its beauty and its healing qualities. In order to maintain physical, mental and emotional balance as they re-enter “normal.” life, many Americans are looking for new ways to connect with nature.

 Healing through close contact with nature is at the core of the Japanese concept of “Shinrinyoku” or “Forest Bathing,” a term coined in the 1980s by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to encourage citizens to take walks in the forests. Japanese researchers have discovered many positive physiological effects of walking in nature, including lower heart rate and blood pressure, strengthened immune systems and a reduction in depression. 

 Professor Iwao Uehara, who founded the practice of Shinrin-ryōhō, or “Forest Therapy,” in which the health of the forests is also considered, and Ben Page, a local expert in forest bathing, will discuss the philosophy and benefits of forest bathing and forest therapy in Japan and worldwide."

From my notes on the conference:

"Forest bathing" (1982) is like bathing in the sea, but we are surrounded by the forest instead. How it feels, it depends on the person and the forest the person selects.

"Forest therapy (1999): the difference is a group of people is guided, usually to meditate, to heal, to interact with nature. There are activities involved to improve the forest, like (for example) clearing  of overgrown plants and planting of species. 

Some goals of Forest Therapy: rehabilitation of patients with dementia, avoid stress, avoid suicides, discover the local environment, improve people's relationships, counseling for depression.

The practice has to be done in natural environments without human intervention, not in gardens with trees planted by humans. It is not the same to walk around the neighborhood. 

Ben Page explained Forest Therapy is being implemented in USA, but it is a Western interpretation of the Japanese therapy. He mentioned an interesting comparison between cultures:

While Westerns say "we have to conquer the mountain", Japanese say "we have to be friends with the mountain".

Forest Therapy is preventive, not a curative discipline. It is to improve the wellbeing. 

A nurse relaxing in a beech forest. Photo posted by Japan House illustrating the conference.

There is much more to read and I leave a few links here:

Getting back to nature: how forest bathing can make us feel better.

Forest Bathing is great for your health. 

The practice of Forest Therapy

From the International Garden Festival 2021

 

Porte-Bonheur. D. Bonnard, DE HMONP arch., L. Giuiliani, landscaper, A.Viale, visual artist. France.

Photo credit JC Lemay

Porte-Bonheur. France

I am sharing from V2com newsletter the projects which I consider more relevant in hardscape-landscape design.

The first picture, see how interesting the abstract design and color as a center of interest in the middle of the forest. The "doors" are inviting to walk around, some open, some shut, creating a sort of "labyrinth".

The next one, it is a great idea of the deconstruction of a children's house. I have seen so many of them installed in backyards, standard children's houses just bought and installed like objects. This is quite different.

The striking blue and the geometry in three dimension must trigger creative ideas in children who play with it and recreate the "house" as an abstract concept.

It is important to note the organic geometry of the planters and path around the regular Euclidean of the house. The windows on the ground, as planters, are such an intelligent solution.

Open Space legaga (G. Lemelin, F. Gaignard, S. Gaulin, architectural interns). Canada

Open Space legaga. Canada

Open Space legaga. Canada

Choose your Own Adventure. Balmori Associates (n. Lafaurie-Debany, J. Gonzalez-Campana, S. Escabi, C. Liao, C. Preciado, landscapers and urban planners). New York, USA.

Photo credit J C Lemay

This last one, I like the geometric design of the ground and paths, the green around, the overall colors. The mix with the organicism and Euclidean geometry. The different heights in 3D. 

The Manhattan Village Fountain

 

I am sharing this fountain design in Manhattan Village Mall which I find very interesting. When we think of a fountain, the first image that comes to our mind is a round shape, because this the typical historical fountain, or the standards on sale. But this one is designed in order to create a sort of path, though narrow, I could walk around. I don't remember if there was enough width for a wheelchair between the fountain and the hemicycle across the path, it seems not, an accessible path would have been a better solution to allow everybody to enjoy how it feels to walk or stroll along the landscape. It changes the perception of the hardscape related to nature.

I really like the pebbles at the bottom and the tree reflection on the water. It looks like the tree is emerging from the fountain, but it is not. The tree area is inviting to have a rest under the shadow, see the mall is very open and the sun hits very hard.

We can see here that the side path is not accessible, but maybe it was created just to have a technical separation between the fountain and the plants. People do not walk along the fountain but around and the effect of the "in between" water and plants is lost. Anyway I like the overall design.

All pictures by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives, May 2021. Please do not share without permission.

The colorful murals of the "coming soon" retails are reflecting on the fountain as well. This is nice to see.

Lacebark tree

 

Lacebark tree. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives 2021

Every Summer I go to the park specifically to take pictures of this fantastic ornamental tree, Brachychiton Discolor. The pink flowers look like velvet, they do not have petals, it is just a single morphology arranged in beautiful clusters. The roasted seeds are edible but I have never tried them. I am just focused on the clusters. 

All pictures by Myriam Mahiques, please do not share without permission.