PUBLICATIONS

Issue 33 - Spring 2005

GLDA Seminar 2005

It was fitting that the low winter sun rose early on February 5th to greet the many eager delegates of 'Finding the Designer's Anam Cara', the GLDA's 9th annual seminar. The familiar, smiling faces of Koraley Northen and a few enthusiastic volunteers were on hand to welcome arrivals and to distribute the vast selection of informative promotional material.

Within moments of the doors opening, the foyer in Astra Hall took on the ambiance of a family reunion. Representatives from across the industry and spanning several generations busied themselves renewing old acquaintances while new members, unfamiliar with the close-knit, friendly structure of the association, were warmly welcomed into the fold.

The GLDA's Chairman Susan Maxwell had the honour of opening the proceedings with a short address in which she placed our blossoming industry shoulder to shoulder with our more established international counterparts. Susan also stressed that in order to bolster our emergent position we should strive to build greater connections with relevant associations both here and abroad.

Kim Jarrett, a familiar name to Chelsea and cinema goers alike, was the first guest speaker to take to the podium. His presentation, entitled 'No Straight Lines', was a fascinating voyage through the cultural and botanical history of New Zealand and how it has heiped to inspire his work. Kim's study of Maori people's art, culture and spiritual belief that plant and animal share a common ancestry, and that we, as humans, are the guardians of nature, firmly established the seminar's theme of environmental sensitivity. While the presentation encompassed a diverse range of subjects from show garden design through to King Kong and bisexual flightless birds, there were strong messages of connectedness between art, spiritualism and a designer's need to explore and exploit inspiration in the creation of meaningful space, beyond the simple arrangement of features.

A short break for coffee allowed delegates to digest Kim's thoughtprovoking presentation while perusing the fantastic array of landscape books (wishing they'd brought more money!) and sponsors' stands.

Filled with coffee and lemon biscuits, the delegates once again took their seats and were transported across the globe to Sweden, home to landscape Architect Ulf Nordfjell. Although set against dramatically different environmental backgrounds, Ulf and Kim's work shared much in common. The inspiration for much of Ulf's work is drawn from his admiration of the Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi, who, like the Maori tribespeople, shares a common connection between art and nature. This connection has helped Ulf to develop an empathetic design style that utilises low input meadow and mass plantings, balanced with strong horizontal and vertical elements. Ulf's presentation culminated in a review of a proposed lkm long park design and some interesting plant combinations, including lilies and grasses, which he utilised in a recent show garden.

After an excellent buffet lunch, which provided ample time for the necessary networking and forging of links, attendees returned to their seats for an enlightening presentation by Belgian environmental water and plant specialist Raf Seghers.

Having come from a background in potato farming, Raf had an innate understanding and relationship with the earth, an understanding that would inspire him to delve into the symbiotic relationship between plants and water. His presentation, 'Eco Logic' focused upon the broad implications of water use in the landscape and what options exist for those wishing to exploit sustainable approaches to the purification and utilisation of waste water. The pre-buffet art and spiritualism that had ignited the designer's conceptual souls were left far behind, as Raf delivered a no-nonsense talk, punctuated by startling facts and figures that made many re-think their subscriptions to the local swimming pool! Reedbed systems, green roofs, floating islands and natural swimming pools are just some of the tools that are available to us right now to combat an issue that may well instigate a third world war. Aside from the obvious environmental benefits of using such technologies, there are also a number of aesthetic qualities that can be exploited to enhance visual elements and limit impacts of negative development.

Following a short break (where previously busy water-dispensers were avoided) the final delegate, well-known Arizona based Landscape Architect Steve Martino addressed the now water-conscious audience.
Having listened to conversations in the foyer he opened his presentation with a request for somebody to explain to him the meaning of 'are the crocuses up yet?" setting a humorous tone for the closing talk and highlighting his self-confessed limited plant knowledge. The presentation, entitled, ' Weeds and Walls', was a refreshingly honest account of an individual approach to landscaping in the desert environment. Steve's design philosophy is simple; plants do not hold a special place in design they are incidental to gardens. House and garden are inseparable elements and connections should be made wherever possible to increase the value of living space. While Steve may be best known for his use of Barraganesque walls and work with Jody Pinto in Papago Park, the challenge of working in such a demanding environment has led him to undertake pioneering work with native plants and the development of a desert-derived aesthetic.

The seminar drew to a close with a short Q&A session led by Dermot O'Neill, which saw Raf Seghers come under some serious questioning from a genuinely intrigued audience. Thankfully, he was more than able to answer any reservations about the long term sustainable implications of his ideas.

While delegates may well have been shown a wide range of design approaches and travelled the globe vicariously through the speakers' presentations, the unifying message of environmental sensitivity was clear. While the principles of design may stay the same, we, as moulders and custodians of the landscape, will increasingly turn to nature as teacher if we are to deliver a world that is as culturally rich and biodiverse as the one we inherited.

Barry Lupton

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