Ecological Landscape Project Case Studies

New urban culture must be created in which untouched natural areas and human density are developed conjointly so that they respond to real human needs and values... The city of the future will be denser, and nature will have greater presence there. The relation between 'architecture and city' will give way to new relation between 'architecture and nature'.

Over the last decades, the importance of relationship between city and nature has been higly emphasised. I believe that many of recent landscape projects are in responsible for approaching sustainable landscape design. I reaserched some case studies of ecologically designed parks which have the clear objectives to encourage visitors to connect and enjoy nature. The Parks that I chosen was:

1. Beijing Olympic Forest Park in China
2. Landscape Park Duisburg Nord in Germany
3. The Red Ribbon Tanghe River Park in China

Eclogical Park Study 1: Beijing Olympic Forest Park

Beijing Olympic Forest Park: "Axis to Nature”

Landscape Architects: Sasaki Associates, Hu Jie
Location: Beijing, China
Year of Completion: 2008

Titled the “Axis to Nature”, the Olympic Forest Park is the “green lung” of the Beijing Olympic Venue. The goal of the park design is to create an ecologically sound, publicly accessible open space. The local biodiversity was carefully studied for planting concept. The Wetlands provide recreational areas and establish a diverse ecosystem for insects, aquatic plants and other wildlife. The many educational facilities will encourage city dwellers to develop a better relationship with nature. Educational themes include the understanding of plants as part of nature, the cultural context of landscape, and ecological technology such as the collection and re-use of storm water.

Eclogical Park Study 2: Landscape Park Duisburg Nord

Landscape Park Duisburg Nord,
Landscape Adventure park formed by industry

Landscape Architects: Latz + Partner
Location: Duisburg Nord, Germany
Year of Completion: 1991

The existing patterns and fragments formed by industrial use were taken, developed and re-interpreted with a new syntax, existing fragments were interlaced into a new "landscape". The whole park is a big adventure playground. Old industrial structures are transformed by adaptation and new interpretation: Fantasy allows to use them in new ways, to deal with them and to play with them.

Eclogical Park Study 3: The Red Ribbon Tanghe River Park

The Red Ribbon Tanghe River Park, Reconciling Water Management, Landscape Design and Ecology

Landscape Architects: Turenscape
Location: Qinhuangdao, China
Year of Completion: 2005

The Minimum Intervention Approach to Urban Greenway
Against a background of natural terrain and vegetation, is a “red ribbon” spanning five hundred meters, which integrates the functions of lighting, seating, environmental interpretation, and orientation. While preserving as much of the natural river corridor as possible during the process of urbanization, this project demonstrates how a minimal design solution can achieve a dramatic improvement to the landscape.The major design objective was how to preserve the natural habitats along the river while creating the new urban uses of recreation and education.

[Reading List] Ecological Urbanism

In recent years, relationship between sustainability and architecture is the one of the hottest issues. Mohsen Mostafavi who is dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design written this book to ask; What are the key principles of an ecological urbanism? How might they be organized? And what role might design and planning play in the process?


I suppose the reason why this book is received good reviews, because the book introduces related projects in great detail rather than just argue the opinion to deal with the issue.

This book contains lots of current ecological architecture and landscape architecture projects as examples that we need to go further.

I suppose the word 'sustainability' and 'Ecological design' have become cliché. Too many books and people are saying that but just few people understand and really have deep views for it. But this book approach to the issue with really practical and experimental precedents.