Garden all year long

Last weeks lecturers were both from the faculty of Landscape Architecture and all their discussion about the preservation of natural landscapes and German garden's has had me wondering how we can enjoy the benefits of landscapes in spite of our cold winters and our urban context. Amin Taha Architects have come up with a solution. Their vertical gardens bring 'outdoor' landscapes into the urban setting with their community garden towers. We have had a lot of discussion within this blog group about vertical farming so I was pleased to stumble on this article about vertical gardens. I like the idea of bringing the natural environment indoors not necessarily to farm, but merely for people to enjoy. Within these towers the benefits of a garden can be enjoyed year round. How refreshing it would be to stroll through a sky garden, to see plants growing and flowers blooming in the heart of the winter chill (as Madi would say).

Translating Typologies Indoors

Watch this video on the art of Maya Lin.

Her work communicates the transition of exterior landscapes into interior environments, in order to examine the human relationship to natural systems. Interestingly, this relationship changes when the landscape is installed indoors. Lin examines the patterns and forms of natural typologies, translating and abstracting them which encourages our own responses. As we imagine future landscapes for cities and beyond, Lin's investigations may be considered as a means of incorporating the landscape indoors. They may also be referenced as a way of examining how natural and built forms engage and communicate with one another, as well as with those who interact with them. Lin describes how even lines in nature communicate a language, much like that of text, though it is non verbal. Her art examines the ways that nature and the built form may collaborate, creating narratives which communicate with the viewer.

All I Want for Christmas is a KitHAUS!

Imagine retreating to a studio oasis. A place where your drafting board would face windows, windows that would allow your view to extend over a setting of your choice. Where glass doors could be slid open to allow a fresh breeze. An environment where clear glass walls could open you up to the landscape, but also where wooden blinds could be closed to insulate you from the noise of the outside world. Instead of the stale, warm air, and the incessant chatter of your current studio environment, this place would be under your control, it would be of your own design.

The prefab units KitHaus by Design Within Reach create these kind of environments. The 'houses' can be situated on any landscape, as a studio or as a guest house. Their footprint is small and they are built using green design principles. When purchasing a Kithaus you have the opportunity to DIY by choosing from an array of material esthetics. While a price tag of $29 500 to $44 900 limits our opportunity to test the KitHAUS, I like the way Design within Reach has made a structure which can be integrated into several environments. Also I like the way the prefab units incorporate the landscape into their interior environments. KitHAUS makes the inside of the structure more about the outside environment then about its own interior composition. The fluidity between the interior and exterior environments in this little Haus make it an appealing space, and one that is different from traditional built structures. This difference creates a space in the KitHaus which seems separate from the work place. The differentiated environment creates a space I would like to work in, and they are just so cute!