In 2021, two new publications from the "Terres et Paysage" chair
"Le sol et le relief comme patrimoines", an interview with Alain Freytet
Following the “Terres en mouvements” exhibition (2019) and as part of her thesis on “Rethinking the cycle of inert soil, from excavation site to landscape project”, doctoral landscape architect Marie-Laure Garnier went to meet landscape architect Alain Freytet, who shares his convictions on “landscape and fill”.
Alain Freytet’s work is inspired by the earth and soil sciences to provide a project that is as close to the landscape as possible: a project that is not visible. In this interview, he talks about his relationship with soil and relief in his landscape design practice.
"Un parc en ville", feedback from Workshop 5
Students in their 2nd year at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Paysage de Versailles were invited to work from September to November 2020 on one of the most emblematic situations in landscape design: the park in the city.
A booklet summarizes the work of a group of students who worked specifically on the Mortemets site in Versailles to answer the question: “How can surplus land be accommodated within a park? “
Working entirely in English under the coordination and guidance of landscape architect Lauri Mikkola, the students developed a narrative ranging from landscape diagnosis to spatial design.
They presented their visions of tomorrow’s park. Supervised by two landscape designers, Helen Stokes and Marie-Laure Garnier, the students’ work focused specifically on the integration of surplus earth into each project, in order to examine in greater depth the question of the cut/fill ratio.
Using topographic work, the students created several atmospheres in their projects, echoing the work of Le Nôtre, and proposed innovative solutions in the image of a 21st-century park. This brochure brings together the students’ responses to a major current challenge, highlighting leveling as a project resource.
The 4 lines of research of the "Landscape and Landscape" Chair
- The use of inert soils in landscape composition, or how to turn a “waste” from the construction process into a resource that can be reused in development projects;
- Soil fertility: or how a landscape project can help boost soil resilience, and how the protection of fertile soils can be ensured or reinforced in the concrete implementation of a project;
- the landscape as a means of guiding polluted soil treatment projects
- The study of the Potager du Roi, as a historical site for observation and experimentation on the relationship between the land and the composition of a production garden.
