Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories that recognizing designers that are building a green industry and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work!What is the difference between making a landscape and making a building? When architects are undertaking the task of designing a building, according to a recent exhibition at MIT Wiesner Student Art Gallery, they often estimate that its typical lifespan will be between 50 to 60 years. On the other hand, a (human-made) landscape is supposed to last forever. In other words, nature has excessively raised the bar when it comes to a landscapes longevity, challenging architects to find ways of creating artificial mountains, wetlands, parks, forests etc., that are effectively integrated within the existing context, operate efficiently through carefully designed infrastructure systems and require as little maintenance as possible.Through this series of projects, one key observation arises: architecturally designed landscapes are made of a completely different set of materials. From water and soil to silkworms and fish and even urban ruins, an artificial landscape is often materialized through reappropriation and reuse. In addition, the infrastructure necessary for maintaining these landscapes is often preexisting, thus guiding architects to base their designs efficiency on already tested maintenance practices. Still, the most crucial point is the ambition hidden behind those projects, where architects are not looking at landscapes as a temporal endeavor but rather focus on cultural and historical significance, resilient strategies and the intention to make something that will last forever.A Waterfront Homestead Reborn: Restorative Design in the Yangtze Delta PoldersBy Shanghai Landscape Architecture Design and Research Institute, Shanghai, ChinaJury Winner, Sustainable Landscape / Planning Project, 11th Annual A+AwardsA Waterfront Homestead Reborn: Restorative Design in the Yangtze Delta Polders by Shanghai Landscape Architecture Design and Research Institute, Shanghai, ChinaThe polder of the Jiangnan region is a farmland development created through long-term agricultural water treatment and management efforts, irregularly constructing an ecosystem made of berms, waterways and sluice weirs that explores the balance between food production, storm water and flood regulation. The aim of the project was to revive the Jiangnan polder, integrating both artificial and natural elements to blend production, life and ecology. Through the construction of individual polders and cofferdams in-between, along with the farmlands purification and the integration of mulberry, silkworm and fish as core elements, the new landscape was transformed into an interactive water-land ecosystem.Ravine Park: Godrej RivergreensBy Studio POD, Pune, IndiaRavine Park: Godrej Rivergreens by Studio POD, Pune, IndiaThe Ravine Park is a landscape urbanism project in India, aiming at creating ecologically sensitive developments. More specifically, the park uses the materialised landscape as an infrastructure to manage water on site, while maintaining the ravine ecology and the existing watersheds and trees. In fact, the fabricated landscape is constructed with locally available stones, native species and steel structures that barely influence the ravines ecology.Moakley Park Resilience PlanBy Stoss Landscape Urbanism, Boston, MassachusettsMoakley Park Resilience Plan by Stoss Landscape Urbanism, Boston, MassachusettsThe Moakley Park Resilience Plan essentially transforms a single-use recreational facility into a multi-faceted, modern 21st century park, in an attempt to address the citys climate resilience, community health and welfare issues. The projects strategy tackles varying sea levels, stormwater management, biodiversity and the heat-island effect. It also reconnects Moakley with its adjacent urban and natural landscapes and constructs an artificial as well as ecologically diverse park that protects the city from coastal flooding.HEITO 1909By ECG International Landscape consultants, TaiwanPopular Choice Winner, Public Park, 10th Annual A+AwardsHEITO 1909 by ECG International Landscape consultants, TaiwanThe project transformed Taiwans historical sugar factory a former environmentally polluted site due to sugar production waste into a public park that is stitched within the citys urban fabric. The design strategy behind the parks realisation was the utilisation of already existing ruins and their adaptive reuse in order to construct a new reimagined landscape. Five waste-water basins as well as the main structures foundation are recovered and reappropriated, paying tribute to Taiwans somewhat lost landscape.Olympic Aquatics Stadium of the le-de-France RegionBy Auer Weber, Route de Torcy, Vaires-sur-Marne, FranceOlympic Aquatics Stadium of the le-de-France Region near Paris by Auer Weber, Route de Torcy, Vaires-sur-Marne, FranceThe Olympic Aquatic Centre is a project realised for the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in France and is now Europes biggest whitewater centre. The most impressive aspect of the projects design is integrating it into the existing historic landscape, through a process of reinterpretation and reinvention. A series of small, artificial islands break up the endless amounts of water present on site, while the buildings almost emerge from the new landscape structure.Stavros Niarchos Cultural CentreBy Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Athens, GreeceThe Stavros Niarchos Cultural Centre by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Athens, GreeceAlthough this project is considered primarily a building, it actually attempts to recreate an artificial hill, thus restoring the Athenss relationship with the landscape and the sea. The SNFCCs sloping roof is a park, Mediterranean garden and hill that acts as a green pocket within the citys urban fabric. The buildings infrastructure is impressive, being able to water and preserve the plants and dense vegetation by using solar panels and operating in an almost completely self-sufficient way.Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories that recognizing designers that are building a green industry and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work!Featured Image: Olympic Aquatics Stadium of the le-de-France Region near Paris by Auer Weber, Route de Torcy, Vaires-sur-Marne, FranceThe post Structuring Nature: The Architectural Pursuit of Ecological Complexity appeared first on Journal.