The 14th National Conference of the Indian Society of Landscape Architects(ISOLA) is to be held virtually on 11th, 12th and 13th February. It is Hosted by Hyderabad Chapter.
It will be formally inaugurated on 11th February virtually at 10 am.
Indian Society of Landscape Architects (ISOLA) is a 19 years old professional body of Landscape Architects.
It has over 360 members from different states of the country and some from across the world. Society is at the forefront in creating global awareness about the fast-emerging profession of Landscape Architecture and promoting and enhancing professional excellence among its members in India. It is a member of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA).
The mission of ISOLA is to nurture and enhance the profession of landscape architecture by providing leadership in the creation of artful design in our man-made, cultural and natural environments.
250 plus Landscape Architects, including members of ISOLA, along with architects, planners, designers, ecologists, etc. will participate in it.
The theme of the conference is “Unbuilt landscapes”, disclosed Dr. Sridevi Rao, Hyderabad-based Honorary National President of ISOLA.
“When mother earth is stressed for resources, the landscape architects are endowed with the power to make choices that can induce some harmony into our living spaces”, said Dr. Sridevi Rao. “People are no longer looking for just aesthetics,-they also equally have environmental concerns which are driving their decisions now,” she adds. “The conference is an annual affair to meet, discuss and learn from each other's experiences for professional excellence”, she added.
A well-planned landscape offers pleasure to the users enhances the neighbourhood and completely transforms the area into a spectacular place. The trend of landscape architecture is catching up in India. The focus of the conference, she says, is on the global perspectives of landscape design responses to the diverse and complex interactions of the built with the unbuilt and the consequences of these interactions.
The conference will focus on three areas she adds, which are
1. The issues and approaches through a multi-disciplinary outlook of varied sciences, research and demonstrations.
2. Landscape design responses to settlements and urbanization.
3. Landscape architecture as an enabler of a symbiotic relationship between the natural and man-made realms.
The inaugural keynote will be delivered by Ms. Kotchakorn Voraakhom, Founder and CEO at Landprocess & Porous City Network, Bangkok, a social enterprise that looks to increase urban resilience in Southeast Asia. Ms. Voraakhom campaigns for more green space in cities and is a 2018 TED fellow. She has been named one of Thailand's best architects, one who is fostering social change
Some of the speakers include Mr. Mohan S. Rao, Principal Design, Integrated Design (INDE) India. He is recognized as one of the leading professionals in passive water management and conservation strategies in South East Asia. He is the recipient of several awards instituted by UNESCO, IFLA, HUDCO, etc.
Mr.Dirk van Peijpe, Founder and Director, DE URBANISTEN, Netherlands is an Urban designer. He has vast experience in urban planning and the design of urban public spaces.
Mr. Israel Alba, Founder and Director, ISRAEL ALBA ESTUDIO, Spain. He heads a multi-disciplinary firm of architecture, design & landscape, headquartered in Madrid,
Mr. Michael Grove, Principal Landscape Architect, SASAKI, USA. He is a fierce advocate for the vital role that landscape architects play in shaping contemporary cities. He believes that the role of the designer is to make cities livable, equitable & resilient.
Ms. Ketaki Ghate, Founder, OIKOS, India is an Ecology expert who has been working in the field of ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation and nature education for the last 18 years.
Mr. GSV Suryanarayana Murthy, Founder, KSHETRA, India. Mr. Murthy is an independent consultant in the field of Planning, Architecture, Urban Design and Conservation. He specializes in documenting Indian traditional building and historical building knowledge systems.
All three days have Workshops on subjects such as Ecological Planning Palette; Source of Water in Absence of Water and a Bootcamp for students.
Nature has been able to reclaim its space in the absence of human activities during the lockdowns. These temporary changes have allowed residents to re-imagine their city as a place that feels and smells better, sounds more peaceful and permits better sleep.
The progress in mitigating the negative impacts on the unbuilt environment by the rapid expansion in the built habitats will impact global dynamics in many ways. The lessons learnt will be carried forward as a collective response of ISOLA for the benefit of millions.
Landscape Architecture is about the analysis, design, master-planning, conservation, development and management of natural and man-made environments, and other such intersections between human activity and natural systems. Landscape architects seek to create a balanced and healthy environment through the well-being, not only of humans and their associated spaces of various scales and typologies but also the flora and fauna in it. The profession, therefore, involves but is not limited to, ecology, sociology, cultural studies, vegetation studies, hydrology, spatial design and construction techniques.
Landscape architects design parks, campuses, streetscapes, trails, plazas, and other projects that help define a community; their involvement also includes ecological restoration, planning, and design of degraded spaces, through analysis, planning, design and stewardship.