Page 18 - Landscape SA 102

FEATURE

Menno Klapwijk,
Bapela Cave Klapwijk Sarvin Naidoo, GAPP Architects Johan Barnard, Newtown Simone du Plessis,
Landscape Architects and Urban Designers Landscape Architects Veld Architects

knowledge and experience will lead to engineers, urban designers, and landscape superior; I can remember working with
the appointment of professionals at the architects. I think that LAs also need to a prominent architect who was trying to
appropriate time. I find developers in step up in their role and not be afraid to force a design solution that just wasn’t
general are very aware of current ‘green’ challenge what has been proposed by going to work. He eventually apologised
trends and will act accordingly. other professionals on a project. for being presumptuous and arrogant. I
replied that it wasn’t really his fault as he
MK: The client needs to understand the KM: I’m sure there are examples of this had been taught at an early stage in his
role of the landscape architect and the having already happened on landscape- career to act in this manner!
contribution he/she can make to the specific development schemes, for
design process. Unfortunately, we as example environmentally driven SN: In my opinion there are LAs in
LAs have not been good ambassadors developments or perhaps on projects South Africa who have post graduate
for our profession as we haven’t actively that require master planning of parks, qualifications and an understanding
promoted our role as being part of the greenbelts, wetlands, botanical gardens of urban design as a built environment
initial design team. Currently the client etc. LAs have a good sense of the overall discipline, who are leading design teams
only has contact initially with the architect, cohesion between man and nature, and on large scale projects. LAs should
and then brings in the engineers. The last in this way the approach may be more demonstrate their holistic approach
thing on the client’s mind is the integration strongly based on connections and to design to prospective clients and
of the interior and exterior of a building congruence between the two. developers at an urban and site
and the landscape. development level. If they do this more
JB: In the USA, LAs fulfil the roles of often it will help to turn the situation
SN: The client is the initiator of the project planners and are therefore usually around.
and the employer of the design team and appointed very early on. NLA is becoming
must therefore include the landscape involved in urban design projects where SDP: In South Africa we need to explore
architect in the upfront design stages so we could influence landscape design from the power of collaboration more, creating
that the desired outcome of the project is the start. design teams that combine the skills of
realised. The client should see the LA as a both architects and landscape architects.
critical member of the design team where JD: I believe that this already has, and will By combining the skills sets of both, the
their value add is understood both for continue to happen in this country where design will reflect both professions’ inputs
design and financial benefit. the type of project features the landscape/ holistically instead of two separate entities.
ecology of the site as the dominant
SDP: In practice, the involvement of the LA element or priority. This can be either by General
in a project is determined by the budget. legal requirement, client requirement or
Therefore it is important to discuss with both. It should be remembered that the JB: A big limiting factor is quantity
clients the role a landscape architect LA profession is still relatively young in this surveyors doing the landscape budget,
can play at the initial stages of a project, country, and countries like the US have the even if a LA has been appointed. We are
to highlight the benefits in terms of the advantage of being well-established over working on a hospital in Middelburg where
project’s final outcome. In most cases, a much longer period of time. Successful we proposed a budget of R7 million. The
clients are not aware of the value that can projects influence and reinforce the need QS cut it down to R2 million and refused
be added when LAs are involved in the for the LA profession by developers and to add funds for the irrigation system. On
design stages of a project. the public alike. another hospital we were able to convince
the QS (with the architect’s support) to
In the USA, LAs are known to MK: This requires education, which begins go from R2.5 million to R12 million as the
sometimes take the lead in large at university. In the USA, the design project included courtyard landscaping on
developments. Could this be done schools work very closely with the various basement slabs.
in South Africa and if so, how? design departments. They have regular,
What would need to happen for joint design meetings that include town JD: With environmental issues becoming
the situation to be turned around? and urban planners, architects, landscape increasingly important and the movement
architects, engineers and interior designers. towards greener solutions, we can expect
GS: This could begin to happen if the They don’t see a hierarchy of status of the the role of LAs to continue to grow in use
LA profession and the value they could design professionals, but rather see each and stature. The profession must, however,
add to projects was better known and other as equals with different roles in the ensure that it continues to be ‘fit for
understood. We need to see a greater design process. Unfortunately, we still purpose’. LSA
increase in working relationships between have a situation in South Africa where
all professional bodies - architects, the architectural profession is seen as

16 Landscape SA • Issue 102 2021