Dastin Hillery.
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The consequences of not including the landscape architect early on in a project can create an array of problems, he says, with difficulties including, for example, delays on the project because the site planning is not working due to the topography.
A commitment to landscape also needs to go beyond the individual developer and instead be taken at a city level, according to Hillery.
“There are some clients that look at the ecological aspect driven by the landscape architecture, however still on a small scale confinement within their own development, and what we’re talking about is like a greening masterplan of the entire city, for example,” he says.
Greater incentives are needed to encourage more commitment to sustainability and landscape planning, says Rizk. While baby steps have been taken, it is still very much at that level of giving a sense of sustainability without actually going into any depth into the issue, she says.
“I think there should be a lot of emphasis on it, mainly driven by the government and stakeholders to achieve that and to give incentives for developers because if you look at sustainability from an economic point of view, it is very difficult to implement especially in this region within the current conditions, climatic and others, it just doesn’t make any project viable economically,” she says.
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ROOM FOR OPTIMISM
While fully changing the perception of landscape architects or designers as gardeners or beautifiers to their rightful role as stewards of the land development is something that won’t happen over night, there is optimism that the time is approaching when there will be a greater understanding of what the landscape architect does and why their work is important, concludes Hillery.
“There is optimism,” he says. “Looking at the cycle of how Dubai is growing at one point of time, I think it would be quite soon that the next equilibrium would go to urban renewal development rather than newly developed township as is happening at the moment because the existing city requires an endless vibrancy and sustainable renewal process to drive its future growth.”
“It is time to be serious in thinking about the landscape, the public space and public realm on a broader perspective. I think that sooner or later Dubai will go to that angle,” he adds.
FACT FILE AEDAS
Services Aedas include: architecture, interior design, urban design, landscape and masterplanning, graphics and signage
Offices for landscape and urban design division: Headquarters in Hong Kong, office in Dubai
Projects in region for landscape and urban design division include: U-Bora Tower, Business Bay, Dubai and Dancing Towers, Abu Dhabi, Boulevard Plaza, Dubai
Website: www.aedas.com
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