FIRST IN A SERIES
During the last five years, I have taken the time to observe every imaginable landscape installation in the north east and south of Puerto Rico with a critical focus.
These installations in residential, commercial, huge, big and small spaces have essentially the same monumental ills. It does not matter if a cemetery, hotel, motel, hospital, funeral home, office building, school or mall is always the same crap.
Narrow plant selection, total absence of composition, lack of meaningful contrast in height, shape, texture, color and else. One terrible characteristic of this pendejismo paisajista school, is the dwarfing of many structures by disproportion of trees and palms chosen in many situations, once they reach their adult size.
Everything is crowded, creating a negative visual impact since one wonders what the hell is the intention. The crowded mass creates tension, eliminating the possibility to feel relaxed, unable to enjoy and wonder around the garden with curiosity.
The consequences are expensive, frequent noisy and polluting maintenance requirements, since the architect/gardener for hire, nor client take a little time
to ponder about the long run about the whole or its parts.
On this post, the victim in question is Fundacion Comunitaria de Puerto Rico on Ponce de Leon Ave.
I do not understand who/why planted the unnecessary palms 12'' from the walls in front of the structure, the fronds now hanging on the roof and electric power lines. Why place those planters almost 5' in diameter in both sides of the entrance.
Disproportion is part of the scheme in many instances, the more the merrier.
No one else seems to notice. But stupidity requires some defense as one by the obscure classroom architect, Daniel Velez Climent who disagrees. However, there is no web evidence that he has built/designed a sidewalk or gutter for that matter lately, as you could check on land8lounge, a site I used to visit. To honor him, and the classical pendejismo paisajista installation, architects headquarters, I will post on the next time.
Let the record show that not all landscape architects are guilty of lacking knowledge of botany and composition here, gardeners for hire, landscape mercenary corporations are in the same bag. But them architects, should have set an example in the opposite direction. Their landscape installation shows I am in the right side of the tracks.
The photos will be the evidence. After all, words are just water and salt, if you have no credentials, trajectory, evidence to sustain any argument.
The links below deal with the subject.
that is that
http://endemismotrasnochado.blogspot.com/2008/02/evite-el-pendejismo-paisajista.html
http://endemismotrasnochado.blogspot.com/2008/02/definicion-del-pendejismo-paisajista.html
I think it look better before....the improvements!
I get shallow, dismissive responses from our "creative class" members when kindly bringing up such violations. It makes no sense for what you describe. More, bigger, faster...and hopefully requiring lots of maintenance and irrigation. The palms or any large tree that close and in such small spaces, especially with power lines, is so common...and to get city approval of plans often requires this.
ReplyDeleteTotalmente de acuerdo amigo.
ReplyDeleteQue el año este lleno de agradables momentos.
Chomp agradecido por tus palabras, le deseo igual...
ReplyDeleteDesert Dweller it is irritating to observe this fashion becoming a rule for the last forty years, not the exception. As you write is dismissed...as in so what?