Third Nature Studio / blog » Resources

The Wegner Circle Chair Returns

randi — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:04:16 +0000

swoon.

ASLA’s Sustainable Landscapes

randi — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 18:25:56 +0000

The American Society of Landscape Architects has launched a splashy new website introducing a broad definition of sustainability as it relates to site construction and landscape architecture. The intended audience seems to be the public, and anyone else who might not have a clue what it is we do. Twenty case studies illustrate various sustainable design elements and by reading through them all, I feel like the range in scale and detail shows just how broad the field is, and how micro and macro decision making is crucial to working in a less environmentally hazardous way.

Critique and controversy are sorely missed. I think the ASLA can still champion its award winning projects and its mission and still ask tough questions. Is it more sustainable to do nothing? Do we care if it’s ugly? What trends here are just aesthetic trends, and what elements are innovations that will really change how we work? I don’t have the answers, and I am a admirer of many of the case study projects. I am just always hoping for more, more, more.

Maybe I’m just sore they’ve used my color scheme!

Share This

M’Afrique Outdoor Furniture By Moroso

randi — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 03:46:44 +0000

Today I was inspired when I came across the M’Afrique furniture collection for Moroso. Designers Patricia Urquiola and Birsel+Seck have created truly sculptural pieces that would be at home in a refined, minimal urban garden as well as a lush, maximal bramble. Outdoor furnishings can be as powerful a design element as a garden wall or even a specimen tree: why not choose something gorgeous?

Share This

Lonny Magazine – Modern Interiors Online

randi — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:36:05 +0000

Fans of the now defunct Domino Magazine will be happy to discover Lonny Magazine available only online. It feels like how all magazines will be presented in the very near future; it’s easy to navigate, and gorgeous to look at. There is always a smattering of gardens and exteriors shots, especially in the spring/summer issues. Images in the magazine are linked to corresponding retail sites, which can prove to be very dangerous…

Share This

Smithsonian’s Archive of American Gardens

randi — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:07:30 +0000

The Smithsonian Institution has recently uploaded a set of glass lantern slides from the 1920’s and 1930’s of American Gardens to its Flickr photostream. The photos are primarily of estates in their heyday and feature works by Gertrude Jekyll, Jens Jensen and Fletcher Steele. For more information about the Archives of American Gardens, visit the Smithsonian’s Gardens and Horticulture Services website. I like to imagine myself sipping a cold drink in one of these oases…

Share This

Landscape Image Library now on Flickr

randi — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:56:58 +0000

Third Nature Studio has finally joined Flickr and uploaded project photos, plans, renderings and inspirational garden imagery. Come visit us at www.flickr.com/photos/thirdnature and browse to your heart’s content!

Share This

Walter Lamb Outdoor Collection for DWR

randi — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:51:31 +0000

Design Within Reach has always been a great source for modern outdoor furniture. It can be an investment, but the impact of strong, unified furnishings does wonders for an outdoor space. I was pleased to see they have newly released a Walter Lamb collection, an iconic furniture line from the 1940’s originally made from salvaged copper. In the right context, this collection could really be fantastic. Or if that doesn’t suit and the early modern/midcentury feel is what you’re after, there’s always the classic Case Study House Terrace Collection and Bertoia.

Share This

ASLA 2010 Award Winners

randi — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:28:02 +0000

The American Society of Landscape Architects has announced its 2010 Award winners. I tend to gravitate towards the residential projects…

I loved the clever geometry of Scott Lewis’ Parkside Garden and the tiny green pavilion tucked away in the back corner of the garden. Green walls can really be overdone and done poorly, yet that little pavilion looks as though it sprouted, beautifully proportioned, from the garden (as opposed to having a tray of succulents hastily nailed to it).

Rumsey Farber’s North Sea Residence also impressed me. It’s a distinctly modern residence, yet it looks completely in harmony with the surrounding wetland landscape. Nice to see such softness and warmth come out of such crisp clean lines.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Share This

San Francisco Urban Forest Map

randi — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:15:58 +0000

Friends of the Urban Forest, the City of San Francisco, CalFIRE (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection), and local San Francisco businesses have teamed up to create an interactive map of our urban forest. Users can update street tree information, add and identify new trees, read calculations of each tree’s environmental benefits, or search for locations of a particular species within the city. Map data can be used in GIS, so street tree information can be layered with other data sets to provide richer maps of our neighborhoods for designers, engineers, and planners.

San Francisco is the first city to create an Urban Forest Map. Not only will it be a dynamic source of tree data, it will also be an inspiring and informative tool for the community. Makes me want to get out there and plant more trees! Browse, add information, or become a fan to encourage other cities to do the same.

Share This

Gravel and Gold: New & Vintage in the Mission

randi — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 20:32:42 +0000

Have you ever walked into a store & just wanted to move in? It’s been there nearly a year now, but I have somehow missed Gravel & Gold on 21st & Lexington, right off of Valencia. They have local honey, Swedish clogs, 70’s design books, great clothes, and they host some impressive art shows, pickling workshops and neighborhood parties. The woman in there was also incredibly friendly, offering me tea and a window seat. I wanted to buy everything! I managed to escape only with a Sunset book on hot tubs and saunas from 1979. I plan to return…

Share This