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Landscape Architecture in China05-19-15 | News

Landscape Architecture in China

Mission Landscapes of Irvine, Calif., was in Shanghai, China to attend the 17th annual Hortiflorexpo April 22-24, and to receive a Gold Medal award from the Circle of Blue International China Committee for its design competition entry, a site plan (pictured) for the Marassi Mega Beach Resort. The Circle of Blue organization promotes sustainable design. Marassi is on along Egypt's Mediterranean coast near historic El Alamein. On hand for the award from Mission Landscapes was Rocco Campanozzi (left), vice president of landscape architecture, and Jerri Pick, ASLA, LEED AP, principal.

The 17th annual Hortiflorexpo was held April 22-24 in Shanghai, China at the new International Expo Center. The expo, put on by the China Flower Association, is said to be the largest floriculture, horticulture and garden trade show in Asia, attracted a reported 580 exhibitors and 18,000 attendees. Exhibitor booths ranged from flower, ornamental and turf growers to landscape design, construction, greenhouse techniques, outdoor furniture and waterscapes.

During the show there was a summit of the Shanghai Society of Modern Landscape Architecture.

What is the state of landscape architecture in China? The following dissertation is from the Shanghai Society of Landscape Architects www.lachina.org (Lachina@163.com):

In 2004, the Chinese Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in China was petitioned to create the first national standards and a certification system for landscape architects. In China, "landscape architecture" is translated as " Yuan Lin" or "Jing Guan," two distinct philosophical approaches to landscape architecture. Both are legitimate state-approved academic organizations. LA-Yuan Lin deals with the traditional Chinese methods of garden design; LA-Jing Guan is devoted to a more modern scientific approach to landscape architecture as practiced in the West.

The Shanghai Society of LA-Jing Guan (Society) was established in 2006 with the support of over 400 landscape architects and government officials. Mr. Gu Qin, president of the Society, was appointed by the government to develop the first landscape architects national occupational standards. Four levels of qualifications for landscape architects were established and listed in the China National Occupational Standards Directory. These standards are now used by the Chinese government to certify landscape architects.

The Society was established in Shanghai because it represents the highest level of national landscape planning and design companies and home to the country's leading landscape design and landscape industry talent. Secondly, Shanghai is a sophisticated amalgam of cultures with traditional Chinese roots that has absorbed many Western cultural elements. Note: Shanghai proper (pop. 24 million) is the highest populated city in the world.

Currently, all relevant qualifications and training of landscape architects in China are entrusted to the Society, and landscape architecture has strong support of the government, including the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

In Shanghai 80 percent of design firms are Society members; 90 percent of the universities with subject studies related to landscape architecture have partnerships with the Society, and many major Chinese and foreign companies are active members of the society. The Society currently has 2,035 members, of which 98 percent are certified landscape architects.