Essay Sample on Marina Bay Sands & Gar: A Model of Sustainable Landscape Architecture Design

Introduction

Landscape Architecture design concept concerns with the production an economically, and aesthetically appealing design that considers the future usability of the project. Usability of a project demands the practice of the model of sustainable projects. Sustainable design promotes aspects of durability, including ecological aspects and social life. A sufficient landscape architecture also takes into consideration identity, phenomenology, and aesthetics. Analysis of the Marina Bay Sands and Gardens helps in understanding the concept of Landscape architecture, as explained by Swaffiled architectural themes.

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Design Features

Moshe Safdie, the architect, exhibits an understanding of the underlying concepts of Landscape architecture. Marina Bay Sands and Gardens landscaping is a perfect representation of both natural and social design processes. The site is an ideal replica of Swaffiled second theory that interprets landscape architecture in terms of the relationship between nature and culture. The method stresses the importance of incorporating the ecological expectations of a region in design. Incorporation of eighteen supertrees with heights that fall within twenty-five and fifty meters provide iconic environmental scenery through the vertical epiphytes and tropical flowering climbers (Roe & Taylor, 2014).

The site also has an aerial walkway suspended from the supertrees and harbors two massive biomes, the Flower Dome that sits on over a hectare piece of land, and the Cloud Forest Dome sits on almost a hectare. The two biomes display Singapore's prestigious plants and flowers Mediterranean Montane climatic environments. This vegetation provides simultaneous education and entertainment space within the Gardens. Integrating the aspects of nature, design, and future use borrows from the principle of sustainability.

Evidence of Participatory Design

Flannery and Smith (2015) list architects, structural engineers, Land Design Studio, environmental design consultants, and communication designers as the lead contributors towards the projects. The collaborative teamwork ensured that the design team considers all possible aspects of nature and the project's usability. Flannery and Smith (2015) confirm and describes several elements of participatory in the design of Marina Bay Sands and Gardens. The embedding water technologies are proposals from environmental conservatives (Roe & Taylor, 2014). The principle of sustainability, evident on the site, is a product of contribution from architects, structural engineers, environmentalists, and communication design consultants.

The site has two horticultural Gardens, 'World of Plants' and 'Heritage Gardens', that factors in 'Plants and People' and 'Plants and Planet' as another approach towards sustainability. The two gardens harbor massive flowering and foliage landscape that provides a spectacular experience for its visitors. Landscaping of the site impresses as excellent aesthetics. Flowers at bay and series of garden terraces provide a familiar passage through the complex, extending the scenery of the City Park to the Bayfront. The landscaping reinforces urban connections with the environment, making the site accessible to the public ("Landscapes: Paysages," n.d). On the Sky Park, trees and gardens cover almost half of the hotel's roof, shopping center, and casino complex.

Narrative of the Site

Several aspects of the design indicate a social description. The design fused ideas of nature and provided integrative landscaping for humans and natural systems that speaks volume to the residents of the city. The integration of the two theories agrees with Swaffiled's third theory. The magnificent garden combines with horticultural displays, daily light and sound shows, waters, forests, and event spaces to communicate the importance of the site to the nation. Roe and Taylor (2014) acknowledge the benefits of culture consideration in Landscape architecture. The site has a nifty environmental infrastructure that allows Singapore's endangered plants to flourish, subsequently providing both leisure and education to the nation.

The inclusion of green architecture incited designers to include a set of social sustainability in the project. As Swaffiled's second theory suggests, the significance of landscape design arises from the fields of potential relationships, which includes nature and culture. Swaffiled engaged a sculpture to add the concept of Singapore's environment by adding a suspended steel sculpt, a standard practice in the country. The concept of green architecture conforms to other regions approach to sustainability in design, Canada taking the forefront ("Landscapes: Paysages," n.d).

Predominant Aesthetics of the Site

Cetin (2015) states the importance of a site having its identity. Safdie gives the project its phenomenology by providing SkyPark at the top of the three skyscrapers. The design considers complete utilization of any possible area to the benefit of the small land is of Singapore. The park forms world's most massive observation cantilever. Two-hundred and fifty trees and over six-hundred plants protect the SkyPark from the wind. SkyPark reciprocates the concept of the garden city, which has been the foundation of the strategy of urban design in Singapore. The project scales as a sufficient project to accommodate various activities. With the reclaimed land, the site provides a unique leisure destination for its visitors.

The project integrates the concept of Singapore's "City in a Garden" vision, promoting the profile of the city globally, and demonstrating an effective combination of garden artistry and horticulture. Swaffiled third theory says that for effective transformation of a site's meaning depends on how landscape presentation in plan and image. The method identifies the role of linguistic in landscaping and defines architecture associated with interests, ideologies, and values.

Experience of the Site and Its Narrative

Marina Bay Sands and Garden's expertise does not shun its narrative. Moshe Safdie's work provides the best landscape experience yet. The site offers a gateway to the city and an active environment for vibrant public life in the city. The location of the site gives it the desirable experience that tourists would seek. The project occupies the waterfront financial district of Singapore. The experience of sustainable architecture is also vivid. The site cares both for the Sigapur resident's culture, the climate of the region, and current life in the city.

Marina Bay Sands and Gardens offers a luxurious public place for the residents on an urban district scale and provides a cityscape that works on a human scale. Safdie design incorporates complex, dynamic urban crossing roads and public meeting places. The sites respect the narrative of nature, getting inspiration from a great ancient city near a thoroughfare. This idea promotes a sense of direction and places emphasis on the importance of natural resources like seas to the social aspects of people.

The excellent landscape design incorporates sustainability or green architecture (Cetin, 2015). Sustainability in architectural design helps promotes desirable aspects, including social life, business, and environment. The application of Swaffiled's third and fourth theory helps one to understand the perspectives in the architectural landscape. Like the case of Marina Bay, the design must put into consideration the identity of the site, ecology, linguistics, phenomenology, aesthetics, and scale. A proper application of these ideas leads to a spectacular project with different usability.

References

Cetin, M. (2015). Consideration of permeable pavement in landscape architecture. Journal of Environmental Protection and Ecology, 16(1), 385-392. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mehmet_Cetin6/publication/284992967_Consideration_of_permeable_pavement_in_landscape_architecture/links/5a0f52c90f7e9bd1b2bdc530/Consideration-of-permeable-pavement-in-landscape-architecture.pdf

Flannery, J. A., & Smith, K. M. (2015). Gardens by the Bay. In Eco-Landscape Design (pp. 88-103). Springer, Cham. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-07206-7_13

Landscapes: Paysages. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2020, from https://www.csla-aapc.ca/landscapes-paysages/landscapes-paysages

Swaffield, S. (Ed.). (2002). Theory in landscape architecture: A reader. University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia.

Roe, M., & Taylor, K. (Eds.). (2014). New cultural landscapes. Routledge.