Landscape architecture

Landscape architecture is responsible for the design of the landscape and open spaces inside and outside of cities and communities.

We define a landscape architect as a professional with a university degree in the field of architecture specializing in gardens and landscapes. The College of Landscape Architects of Spain describes the landscape architect as one who “studies, projects, designs and manages urban, rural and natural landscapes in time and space based on the historical and cultural characteristics and values of the place”.

It is essential to be a member of the Official Association of Architects to be able to practice in the field of architecture. Landscape architects can be self-employed, employees or employees of administrations or organizations. The clients of this type of project can be very diverse, such as organizations, companies or individuals.

Landscape architecture in Spain is strongly influenced by the settlements that we have had on the peninsula over the centuries.

The first practices of this style date back to Roman times, since Roman architecture was very advanced for its time and they had the knowledge to build roads, bridges and aqueducts that favoured the development of landscape architecture. In addition, they decorated the space with statues and porches because, in turn, the Roman culture was strongly influenced by the Greek style.

Another very important influence on Spanish landscape architecture is the Islamic culture imposed for around 8 centuries in much of the Iberian Peninsula. This culture highly valued the care of the garden, since it was a way to create an "earthly paradise".

Landscape architecture has also been influenced by other styles such as the Italian Renaissance, Andalusian patios, Granadan cármenes, Toledo cigarrales, Majorcan sones and Galician pazos.

It is evident that landscape architecture in Spain is nourished by a large number of styles and influences, which we could study for centuries and, therefore, it is a topic that we will delve into in another article.

The planning of open spaces in landscape architecture is divided into two main tasks: the design of decorative objects and the planning of land use.

First of all, the object design must go through certain steps like making a preliminary design, creating a draft, approving and executing the design. In addition, it must be taken into account that an exhaustive supervision of the construction and subsequent maintenance of the project must be carried out and, for this, it is necessary to work hand in hand with the builder.

This branch of architecture fights to preserve the conservation of nature. For this reason, when planning land use, green spaces for human use prevail. In other words, the goal is to achieve urban ecological sustainability through gardens and open spaces that the population can use in their daily lives.

This type of garden architecture can be applied to private gardens, public squares, shopping mall areas, golf courses, nurseries, and much more.

At Pacheco Architects we have carried out all kinds of projects at a national and international levels. Among the projects carried out in our architecture studio is the remodelling of the archaeological site of San Juan Esteban in the city of Murcia.

This landscape architecture project was selected as one of the 6 best that were presented and, in addition, received an honourable mention. Its objective was to conserve, conserve and remodel the archaeological zone.