In recent years, the courtyard area has become an indicator of the high status of a house or block, and the developer’s care for the residents. Experienced landscape architects are involved in the arrangement of courtyards, who react and take into account global design trends in the project. Minimalism chose 5 quarters, on the territory of which they not only created a comfortable environment for living and working in harmony with nature, but approached the task with special creativity. For example, the territory of the former Athens airport was turned into a coastal park, or an eco-trail was laid next to the houses in order to preserve the meadow grasses that have been growing in Moscow for centuries.
ORIENTAL ONE, SHANGHAI
The new residential complex Oriental One in Shanghai (China) is located in the Baoshan Road area, a dynamic urban cluster that attracts active and successful residents. The creators of Oriental One sought to take into account this feature of the location — spacious courtyards seem to flow into each other and merge with the environment outside the residential area so that residents are not constrained by frames and feel freedom of movement.
The award-winning British bureau Gillespies was responsible for the arrangement of the adjoining territory of Oriental One. Landscape architects decided to combine the aesthetics of “haphazard” English and typical Chinese gardens: they are united by the desire to recreate natural landscapes. The courtyard of the complex with an area of 3.1 hectares is a multi-level space, which has a lower central park with rich landscaping and ponds and several chamber gardens on raised podiums with lounge areas. There is no regular layout and there are a lot of plants, which makes residents feel as if they are walking in the forest. If you want to feel close to the metropolis, you can always go out on a wide sidewalk or admire the city panorama from the observation deck.
The layout of the public space refers to the winding riverbed — the organic forms of decorative and functional objects help to emphasize this allusion. For example, benches that resemble huge pebble stones. The courtyard park discreetly descends to the reconstructed embankment, where you can sit in a café overlooking the river.
ELLINIKON, ATHENS
In the Greek city of Elinikon (this is a southern suburb of Athens), a real city of the future is being created – the developer Lamda Development has been working for several years to improve the territory of the former airport, which has not been used for its intended purpose since 2001. A lot of diverse infrastructure facilities are being built here: residential buildings, a shopping center, sports grounds and an embankment. And the main pride will be Europe’s largest coastal park with an area of 200 hectares. Landscape designers have set out to preserve local Mediterranean plants, including olive trees, cypresses, and jacarandas.
In the case of Ellinikon Park, landscaping literally becomes an extension of some houses. For example, the famous architect Bjarke Ingels is working on the project of the Park Rise tower, which provides stepped balconies and terraces with landscaping. The architectural forms of the building, in turn, will be reflected in the adjoining territory: it is planned to erect geometric arched structures there, under which recreation areas will be located.
GLASSFIELDS, BRISTOL
Glassfields is a mixed-use complex with offices and a hotel located in the historic quarter of Bristol (England), a few minutes from the River Avon and the oldest and largest railway station in the city. Landscape Bureau B|D landscape architects commissioned the creation of a new park here — a public space that unites residents with free access from the street while preserving the intimacy of the project. The idea was based on a minimalistic concept: on a plot of 0.2 hectares, there are a lot of free spaces and almost no large-sized plants.
Around the central patio, there are several green islands of organic shape with a grassy natural landscape reminiscent of wild meadows. As additional elements, only a few tables are used, where you can chat in an informal atmosphere and a circular bench with a stylized floral print from a local artist. The ornament refers to the nature and industrial past of the area – since the XVIII century, the famous Bristol Blue glass factory has been operating here. You won’t be able to hide from the outside world in such a courtyard — it embodies the idea of visual purity and openness, which is also popular in interior design.
WEST GARDEN, MOSCOW
Clubhouse Collection West Garden by developer Sminex is located in the area of Minskaya Street in the west of Moscow. Unlike the Ellinikon or Glassfields complexes, the buildings are built on areas previously unused for industrial purposes, which is very rare for a metropolis. This approach is called Greenfield development.
In order to make the courtyard park of the meeting of clubhouses look attractive all year round, plants with different seasons of flowering are planted here, historically growing in different countries: Algeria, Serbia, Canada, Germany, Poland, and others. Meyer’s fescue, Blue Fortune Agastache, hybrid monarda, fragrant herbs with the aroma of a summer meadow – sage and mint, Darwin’s tulips, Japanese spirea “Macrophylla”. About 3000 deciduous and coniferous shrubs, more than 1500 sq. m of flower beds, and 162 mature trees: willows, maples, mountain ashes, apple trees, bird cherries, and spruces.
Neurodynamic playgrounds for different ages are organically integrated into the natural relief of West Garden. There are also areas for communication and creative activities of teenagers with a stage and an amphitheater, diverse sports locations, and a corner of urban farming.
Sminex follows the global trend for the preservation of the natural landscape: the private territory of the West Garden is continued by a landscape park for walking and recreation with a landscaped embankment 2 km long on the banks of the Ramenka River. Near the water, there is an eco-trail made of natural larch, raised above ground level so as not to damage the flora and fauna that have formed here for centuries. Ducks, squirrels, and even beavers can often be found in the park.
There are also jogging and cycling routes, oases of comfort immersed in greenery right by the water, with hammocks and sun loungers. Despite the proximity of the center of Moscow and the rich public infrastructure, it is easy to feel like you are outside the city.
The scale of the territory allows you to organize a lot of activities here and even lay a ski track.
MID-RISE BUILDINGS WITH A VARIETY OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE ARE LOCATED IN THEIR OWN PARK WITH AN IMPRESSIVE AREA OF 16 HECTARES. OF THESE, 8 HECTARES ARE INTERNAL LANDSCAPING.
UN17 VILLAGE, COPENHAGEN
Another residential area with an unusual landscaping concept is UN17 Village in Copenhagen, Denmark. UN17 Village is a 3.5-hectare village and the first project in the world to implement all 17 UN Global Sustainable Development Goals, including “Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss”.
At UN17 Village, we do this by creating green urban spaces that function as natural ecosystems, integrating the city and wildlife. Particular attention is paid to the integration of the residential complex into the natural landscape: the houses are located at the junction of the Ørestad urban area and the Amager Fælled nature reserve. The courtyards and some roofs should become a logical continuation of this protected area, so they are planned to be planted with wild plants, ensuring maximum biodiversity and a healthy microclimate in the quarter.
The creators of UN17 Village want to make it the center of a strong community of residents, for which they also turn to nature. In addition to the standard infrastructure, there are vegetable gardens in the courtyards, where each resident will be able to grow vegetables for his table.
