5LANDSCAPE - Atelier Vierkant

female architects in their
5LANDSCAPE
SAN FRANCISCO | BARCELONA | LONDON | ZURICH
ateliervierkant.com
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Marta Fry Landscape
Associates
San Francisco
USA
Atelier Vierkant is honored to collaborate with such a large number of ar-
chitects. In this magazine we present five female landscape architects with
their work, their way of designing a space, a garden, a terrace. Some of
their projects required a particular shape, a special form that went beyond
the lines of the standard collection. In collaboration, we created new forms
often used as anchoring elements in the project. Architects are welcome
in our atelier to discuss the design for a particular project, to develop the
right form and to finalize the prototype into the required shape. They are
and will always be a fundamental source of inspiration in our work.
Bet Figueras
Barcelona
Spain
Tanja Casparis, Zingg
Gartengestaltung
Domat/Ems
Zwitserland
Ana Esteve, AE Land 1988
Barcelona
Spain.
Charlotte Rowe
Garden Design
London
UK

Marta Fry Landscape Associates
MFLA Marta Fry Landscape Associates is a San Francisco-based
urban design and landscape architecture Studio established in
1990 by Marta Fry. Believing that landscapes are one of the most
potent and lasting forms of cultural expression, Marta leads the
Studio in the exploration of the intersections and complex relationships
between environmental, social and cultural systems. Trained
in landscape architecture and urban design, Marta graduated
from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design with a master’s degree
in landscape architecture coupled with an undergraduate degree
in Environmental Studies and Planning. For Marta, the field of
Landscape Architecture encompasses the interweaving of art and
science and provides an opportunity to work on widely diverse
scales, from larger master planning visions and designs for urban
San Francisco, USA
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infill and re-development districts to finer-grained singular
design commissions such as hospitality and residential design.
This contrast of scales and project typologies provides
for a stimulating environment of creative acrobatics. Based
in San Francisco, the native Californian finds the Bay Area
fertile grounds for exploration and innovation. Marta describes
her environment as “a region with a rich history of
invention, in some ways it still resembles the “Wild West” in
which one can explore, investigate and re-invent themselves
and their vision. It’s a place that supports that, after much
travel and residency on the eastern seaboard, I find this
unique to the West Coast, it’s a fertile and creative environment
that transects disciplines and coupled with San Francisco’s
cultural diversity, it’s provides a rich milieu from which
to draw.” For her, California continues to be a creatively
emergent and progressive environment.
“The hand molded
patterning and
texture provided her
with a depth, richness
and organic fabric.”
The MFLA Studio is interested in the exploration of new
materials and applications but the underpinnings of her
Studio’s work utilizes the most elemental forms, materials
and expression in a minimalist manner. One such project
currently under renovation is the iconic 1970’s four-towered
Bonaventure Hotel located in downtown Los Angeles. Originally
designed by John Portman, the massive hotel provides
the MFLA Studio with a bold palette of sculptural concrete
and glass. Her design process of “stripping down” this midcentury
behemoth to its basic elemental structure or bones
provided MFLA with a canvas in which to build a fresh and
appropriate palette of surfaces, textures and an organic
overlay, feeling strongly that this overlay was required to
temper the concrete, glass and metal surfaces. Atelier Vierkant
vessels were introduced into the project in a number
of applications. Strongly vertical, vessel seriality and repetition
reinforces the entry porte cocheres while the use of
massive lower bowls anchors the hotel entries, scaling and
modulating the pre-existing architectural elements.
The vessels’ organic character and natural coloration of the
clays in earth-based whites, greys and blacks and the hand
molded patterning and texture provided her with a depth,
richness and organic fabric in which to layer and build upon.
Planted with boldly textured bromeliads, yuccas and succulents,
the organic character of the vessels contrasts and
balances the boldness of the horticultural forms.
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Nestled at the base of Sonoma Mountain this 160-acre site represents an eight-year collaboration of site planning,
master planning, vineyard and orchard planting, ancillary structure development and the most recent
completion of the Main House. A strong agricultural vocabulary was developed, relying on the repetitious
strength of patterned windrows, hedgerows, vineyards and orchard grids. “Domestic landscapes” were developed
by Marta’s interventions within the greater agricultural landscape. The project represents an assemblage
of buildings within a carefully modulated landscape, a modern villa framed in an agrarian setting”.
On a much different scale, a single family residential Victorian in San Francisco, provided
the MFLA Studio with a “landmarked” or heritage façade and a new, reinterpreted modern
interior. Jamie White, the project’s designer, respected the historical richness of the period
architecture and developed the landscape to complement and build-upon a reinterpreted
composition of layers, organic, textured and dynamically geometric.
“horizontal patterned vessels
as accent and anchoring elements”
Developing a rich tapestry of surfaces, Chinese Yangtze limestone, salvaged from villages
during the Three Gorges project, was used as the paving field, intersected with etched black
limestone “stitching”. A vertical water-wall sluice “folds” onto the ground plane and spills into
a shallow reflecting pool. The garden, designed to be viewed primarily from one of the numerous
balcony levels, provides a rich and minimal composition of stone, water and greenery.
Atelier Vierkant vessels were introduced as accent and anchoring elements; terminating axes,
lining balconies and providing privacy screening.
www.mflastudio.com
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Bet Figueras
Barcelona, Spain
Bet Figueras became landscape architect in the Universities of
Georgetown, Berkeley and Edinburgh, in a moment in which
landscape studies didn’t exist in Spain.
In 1983 she opens her own practice, Bet Figueras arquitecte
paisatgista, in Barcelona, where she works with a multidisciplinary
and international team, designing parks and public
spaces, territorial interventions, private gardens, ephemeral
spaces. Among the exemplary works are the Jardín Bontánico,
realized together with Carlos Ferrater and Jardin Tanatoria
Ronda de Dalt together with Josep Ribas.
Conceptual soundness, scientific exactness and technical quality
are the basic principles behind the works of the office.
Landscape projects cover a wide range of scales, from territorial
to detail. Projects are conceived with the environment
and the existing context as starting point, using the features
and language of the place. Every site has its own history and
character: reading and interpreting them are the baselines
for the development of a project.
Mimosa Garden
Recently Bet Figueras was asked to design together with Patricia
Urquiola the terrace garden of the luxurious Mandarin
Oriental Hotel in Barcelona. It became a lush, green 660 m²
garden, located within the hotel’s courtyard.
The aim of the project was to create a domestic garden space
in the interior of a block in Barcelona’s Eixample area. The
main element of the terrace is a large skylight that gives light
to the hall of the hotel.
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Structural limitations imposed by this important
element became a guideline for the landscaping
project. The lines of existing beams are the only
place where heavy weight can be put, and so they
become stripes of shrubs and trees.
These stripes are made of continuous planters with
low shrubs; at the head of both sides there are Mimosa
(Acacia dealbata) trees, as well as in isolated
planters on the sides. Behind the bar, a screen of
tall shrubs and trees visually separates the garden
from the surroundings, in order to create a more
intimate space. For the same reason, the garden is
fenced in with a stainless steel mesh, covered with
creeping plants.
The tiled clay floor generates a contrast with the
linear geometry of the long planters. The random
layout of smooth and grooved tiles in two different
colours creates a continuous surface with a very
special texture. The tile has been developed especially
for this project together with Toni Cumella’s
clay workshop. It is a rectangular piece with the
same 2x1 proportion as the typical rasilla, traditionally
used in the Eixample patios.
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Other elements contributing to recreate
the domestic atmosphere
of Mediterranean patios are the
big clay pots from Atelier Vierkant.
They are placed in small
groups of two or three around
the skylight and the lateral patios.
The design of the pots is very
simple, similar to the traditional
flowerpot of Balearic Islands. Just
like the floor tiles, these pots have
been especially developed for
this project, using the same tones
of colour as the floor tiles.
During the realization of the project,
some difficulties had to be
overcome. “This project presented
two different kinds of problems.
The first one is the structural constraint
imposed by the fact that
the terrace was being built on
an existing structure. There were
many limitations in the amount of
weight that could be put, as well
as in its distribution on the terrace.
We tried to transform these issues
into guidelines for the project.
The other problem was related
to planting big trees in a site in
the very center of Barcelona, at
the interior of a city block, with
no direct access from the street.
The trees had to be entered and
planted with a crane, as well as
the big shrubs, and it took several
days to complete the plantation.”
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“Projects are conceived with the environment and the
existing context as starting point, using the features
and language of the place. Every site has its own history
and character: reading and interpreting them are
the baselines for the development of a project.”
For the project, Bet Figueras decided for a customized planter.
“Our initial idea was to recreate the atmosphere of a
Mediterranean patio. To achieve this, we worked with the
typical elements of this domestic space. The clay pots, as
well as the floor tiles, are a contemporary reinventing of the
traditional style and language of the typical Eixample blocks
interiors. We liked the high quality material of Atelier Vierkant
pots, its texture and colours, the way it combines with
the clay floor; at the same time we wanted a special piece,
something unique, joining together and combining the traditional
pot with the other items of the terrace”.
Bet Figueras arquitecte paisatgista
photography
www.nuriavila.com
www.lluiscasals.com

Tanja Casparis, Zingg Gartengestaltung
Domat/Ems, Zwitserland
Die meisten Menschen nehmen kaum zur Kenntnis, dass Glück und Unglück,
Zufriedenheit und Verdrossenheit, sowie Erfolg und Misserfolg
im Leben eng mit der beruflichen Funktion gekoppelt sind.
Mein beruflicher Weg
Nach meiner beruflichen Grundausbildung im räumlichen Gestalten,
war ich manch ein Jahr als stellvertretende Visual-Merchandising-
Leiterin in einem grösseren Schweizer Konzern tätig. Ich hatte dabei
die Möglichkeit viele kreative Lösungen zu finden und umzusetzen.
Meine Faszination und Leidenschaft fand ich immer schon in interessanter
Architektur, stimmungsvollem Interior und der bildenden Kunst.
Viele Impulse und schöne Momente durfte ich somit in der Zusammenarbeit
kleinerer und grösserer Unternehmen in den Bereichen:
Verkaufs- und Wohnraumgestaltung, Messebau und dem erlernten
Wissen von Warenpräsentation und Verkaufsförderung, erfahren.
In die Gartenarchitektur gelangte ich über die Anfrage
von Jürg Zingg. Er suchte seit Jahren einen
kreativen Kopf für die Firma, der bewusst nicht aus
der Gartenbranche stammt. Sein Angebot und die
Herausforderung hat mich von Anbeginn an fasziniert
und begeistert. Für uns war sehr schnell klar,
wohin wir unseren beruflichen Weg richten wollen,
worin unser Ziel bestand! Wir möchten den Kunden
helfen, den eigenen Garten mit anderen Augen zu
sehen, und die vielen Möglichkeiten nutzen, die ihn
zu etwas ganz Persönlichem macht.
Gartengestaltung
Bei der Gartengestaltung kommen verschiedene
Ideenwelten und kreative Disziplinen zusammen.
Gärten sprechen alle Sinne an. Ihre Wirkung beruht
auf Farbe und Bewegung, ebenso wie auf Form
und Struktur, sowie Raum und Ort. Der Garten ist
ein Ort der Entspannung, hier kann man dem Stress
des Alltags entfliehen. Ohne klare Struktur aber, ist
ein Garten nur eine Ansammlung von Pflanzen, seien
sie auch noch so prächtig. Eine gute Gartenplanung
verhilft den vorhandenen Raum optimal zu nutzen,
Akzente zu setzen und alles zu einem in sich geschlossenen
Ganzen zu bringen.
Hofgarten des Oberen Alpgutes in Winterthur
Die besondere Architektur nimmt die Qualität des stilvollen,
waldangrenzenden Ortes auf und entwickelt sie
weiter. Mit prägenden Elementen der ursprünglichen Anlage
wie Waldeinfriedungen, Hof- und Gartenmauern,
traditionelle Portale und Baumalleen verbinden sich bestehende
und neue Strukturen miteinander. Die grosse
Herausforderung bei der Gestaltung des Hofgartens
des Innenarchitekten bestand darin, unaufdringliche
Bindungen zwischen historischen Wurzeln, stilvollem
Wohn- Lebensraum und der Natur zu schaffen. Weich
fliessende Übergänge in der abgrenzenden Rabatte
aus Lavendel und Tymian bilden einen grünen Rücken
im gesamten Hofgarten. Charakterstarke Föhren verbinden
von weitem den Wald mit der markanten Architektur
in der Landschaft. Mit Tonriemen, von ateliervierkant
entwickelt, schaffen wir dem historischen Brunnen einen
Platz in der neuen Zeit. Die Riemenpflästerung schenkt
dem Brunnen einen Rahmen in der gekiesten Fläche und
lassen ihn zu einem Ganzen verschmelzen. Wohnlichen
Charakter erhalten wir mit den Tonschalen, die nicht nur
den Garten vollenden und Akzente mit den erdig dunklen
Tönen setzen, sondern den Hofgarten als Kunstobjekte
bereichern.
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Giardina Zürich
Die internationale Leadermesse der Gartenbranche mit internationaler Ausstrahlung vermag mit inhaltlicher Vielfältigkeit
zu überzeugen. Für uns als Gartenplaner ist die GiardinaZÜRICH die ideale Plattform um unser Können in den Bereichen
Gartengestaltung, Gartenbau und Lifestyle zu präsentieren. Wir wollen die Metropole Zürich als unsere Chance nutzen. In
den vergangenen 2 Jahren konnten wir die internationale Fachjury mit unserer Arbeit überzeugen und wurden dabei mit
dem begehrten Giardina Silver Award ausgezeichnet. Unvergessliche Tage durften wir mit einem begeisterten Publikum
verbringen und unsere Freude teilen. Wir freuen uns auf die neue, kommende Saison die uns zwischen Himmel und Erde
träumen lässt.
www.zingg-gartengestaltung.ch
photography www.luperto.ch
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Ana Esteve, Ae Land 1988
Barcelona, Spain
Aeland 1988 is a multidisciplinary group of professionals with extensive experience in the field of landscape
architecture. The team was created and it is led by landscape architect Ana Esteve and it is made up of persons
from the creative and technical areas of landscaping, architecture, urban planning, agronomic engineering and
biology. The studio is placed in Barcelona and since 1988 has been developing projects that take a wide range
of sizes, from small urban terraces to extensive parks. The link between the different scales and situations contributes
to generate a global vision that includes the integration of the natural, cultural and urban environments,
the functional and aesthetic needs of users, and the economic and building requirements. The work of Aeland
not only includes the natural elements, but pays special attention to the architectural and constructive details of
pavements, walls, pergolas, swimming pools, paths, etc. It also takes a big consideration of the lighting solutions,
exterior furniture and pots, in order to achieve a coherent whole unity. Though Aeland has designed and
executed projects in many different types of environments, many of its works are situated in the Mediterranean
area. Aleand places Atelier Vierkant pots in many of the projects in order to take advantage of their sculptural
qualities and their big variety of handmade textures and colours.
The work of
Aeland not only
includes the
natural elements,
but pays special
attention to the
architectural and
constructive
details of
pavements, walls
and pergolas.
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Aeland es un grupo multidisciplinar de profesionales con amplia experiencia en el campo del paisajismo. El equipo
fue creado y está conducido por la paisajista Ana Esteve, y está compuesto por personas pertenecientes a ámbitos
creativos y técnicos tan variados como el paisajismo, la arquitectura, el urbanismo, la ingeniería agrónoma y la
biología. El estudio está situado en Barcelona y desde 1988 ha estado desarrollando proyectos que abarcan un
gran abanico de tamaños, desde pequeñas terrazas urbanas a grandes parques. La unión entre las distintas escalas
y situaciones, contribuye a generar una visión global que incluye la integración de entornos naturales, culturales
y urbanos, las necesidades funcionales y estéticas de los usuarios y los requerimientos constructivos y económicos.
El trabajo de Aeland no sólo involucra a los elementos naturales, sino que pone especial atención en los detalles
constructivos y arquitectónicos de pavimentos, muros, pérgolas, piscinas, caminos, etc. También se toma en gran consideración
las soluciones lumínicas, el mobiliario exterior y tiestos, para de esta manera poder conseguir una unidad
coherente. Aunque Aeland ha diseñado y realizado proyectos en diferentes tipos de entornos, muchos de sus trabajos
están situados en el área mediterránea. Aleand utiliza tiestos de Atelier Vierkant en muchos de sus proyectos
aprovechando su carácter escultural y su gran variedad de colores y texturas artesanales.
www.land1988.com
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Charlotte Rowe Garden Design
London, UK
www.clivenichols.com
Charlotte Rowe trained as a landscape designer after many years in senior roles in
PR, public affairs and marketing in London and Sydney. She set up her garden design
studio in London in 2004 after graduating from the Oxford College of Garden Design
with a post-graduate diploma in Residential Garden Architecture. Since then she has
worked on urban and rural design projects for clients both in the UK and overseas.
She has designed show gardens at the Urban Gardens Show in 2005 and at the Daily
Telegraph/House and Garden Fair in 2006, where her Morocco Garden was one of
two feature gardens showing how gardens change from day to night. Her particular
strength lies in the interpretation of the client’s tastes and needs; for this reason she
does not work in one particular style, preferring to collaborate closely with clients on
the design brief. If there is a constant theme, however, it is that her gardens have
strong architectural form, clean cut lines, good lighting, careful detailing and styling,
and rich, luxuriant planting.
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Romantic Zen garden
Charlotte Rowe created a space on
two levels. The upper decked area
in Ipe provided a smooth transition
from the interior where outdoor sofas
and coffee tables have been
placed. The rest of the garden is
reached by a staircase leading to
a stepped path, centred and leading
to the Buddha, made in cream
limestone. The path turns across the
garden and leads to the lower dining
area which is also in limestone
cut through with a strip of Ipe. The
two principal areas of the garden
are divided by a large central
planting bed filled with a froth of
bright pink and creamy white sun
loving perennials as well as structural
plants such as Euphorbia and
Buxus cubes.
Roof terrace in Bermondsey (left)
This project in Bermondsey was recently completed. The idea was to maximize a
very small terrace off a newly built atrium room on top of a warehouse building
close to the Tower Bridge in the centre of London. The clients wanted a dining
and a sitting area in the space, and were keen to have a very good lighting all
in a simple uncluttered style so as not to interrupt the spectacular views over the
London skyline. There is also a small rear terrace area on the other side of the
atrium room which would not be used, as access is limited. Here the client wanted
an ‘urban forest’ of trees. Atelier Vierkant MHR planters were used in the front
and CL planters in the rear. Rowe used Western Red Cedar and planted Olive
trees with clipped Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis).
Large family garden in Dulwich with infinity edge water feature.
This large garden is to the rear of a house situated in a conservation area with
severe restrictions on development and alterations. Although it was to be above
all a family garden with a large lawn, the clients also wanted certain contemporary
elements. The challenge was to create a garden which met all these requirements.
The space has three clearly defined areas: a terrace made of polished
poured concrete in a buff colour, containing aggregate to give it texture and
added interest. Dividing this from the rest of the garden is an infinity edge water
feature fed from a letterbox spout in an apron wall and draining off into a slim
rill pushed into the lawn. The major part of the garden is a rectangular lawn
bordered by beds and gravel paths and cut into at one point by two side beds
containing beech hedging and lime trees.
At the far end of the garden is a secondary terrace area of gravel with a sitting
area and also containing the garden shed and a children’s slide which are
partly screened by more beech hedging. The end boundary of the garden is a
raised bed of oak beams and another beech hedge to screen the garden from
the adjoining sports field. The water feature, in particular the rill and the poured
concrete stepping stones, acts as a visual pull into the garden, leading one’s eye
down the garden. While it was not designed to be a swimming pool, in practice
the children use it as a paddling pool on hot days. The terrace of polished concrete
echoes the colour scheme of the adjoining sitting room and kitchen and is
easy to maintain. There is an outdoor sitting area but no permanent dining area
as the kitchen/dining area has bi-fold doors so that the inside space can be opened
up to the outside at any time. To provide some shade on the very light and
sunny terrace, there are two umbrella topped London Plane trees planted into the
terrace which are up lit at night.
www.charlotterowe.com
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B-8730 Beernem
Belgium
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