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Quito blog 3: The emancipation of Ecuadorian landscape architecture
_COLUMN_ by Abel Coenen Ecuador is a country with some of the most diverse landscapes and environments in the world. However, its practice of landscape architecture is relatively young and underdeveloped. Instead of a mature profession as it is for instance in the Netherlands, in Ecuador landscape architecture is often considered as a subcategory of architecture. Yet, there are indications that Ecuadorian landscape architecture as an independent field is growing.
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Quito blog 2: The mobility challenges of an Andean city
_ARTICLE_ by Abel Coenen With almost 2 million inhabitants Quito is a big city. Its dense historical centre proves to be the perfect location for a tourist visit. Many people move around through the city by car or taxi but, as Dutch as I am, I’d rather go for a walk. When one day I almost got run over by a car I realized that the culture of car driving is rather special here.
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Quito blog 1: The new world of Ecuador
_ARTICLE_ by Abel Coenen From February until August I will be staying in Quito, the capital of Ecuador – a country where landscape architecture or planning are no common professions at all. For these next months, I will live and work in the city as a true quiteño and explore the landscape of Ecuador. I will try to elaborate on the role and position of landscape architecture in this new world country, in a few exclusive blogs for TOPOS.
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Sublime design of the everyday work landscape in the Hamerstraatgebied
_GRADUATION WORK_ by Abel Coenen and Sascha Geneste In landscape architecture, ‘beauty’ is often considered as the ultimate design goal. However, the landscape architecture profession deals with many more issues than only beautiful landscapes, such as water safety, brownfield restoration and human engagement – issues that touch upon a deeper relation between man and landscape. In this relation we recognize the mechanism of ‘the sublime’, a concept emphasizing deep human emotions.
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Mooi! – Wandering through landscape
_COLUMN_ by Abel Coenen Working all days indoors behind our desktops, we students tend to forget the reason we all chose to study landscape architecture or planning. Often the landscape is only visible on our computer screen or through the window. And that while wandering through landscape can offer us so much richer experiences.
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Extensive portrait of a landscape
_BOOK REVIEW_ by Abel Coenen The 2012 book A Photographic Portrait of a Landscape emphasizes on the meaning of the terms landscape and land ownership. Despite its ambitious title it presents an easily readable collection of texts and images, showing the different aspects of Dutch landscape. By both a photo study on the Frisian village Wjelsryp and an extensive essay this philosophical topic is researched thoroughly. A must-read for those who work with landscapes.
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Why experiences matter to landscape architecture
_ARTICLE_ by Abel Coenen and Sascha Geneste Landscapes and activities within the landscape have always evoked strong emotions and experiences from people, due to their relevance to human life. Landscapes can evoke fear and fright but can touch deeper feelings of existence and self-awareness at the same time.
