Environmental solutions in New York and beyond: an interview with SCAPE
Exploring the landscape studio's progressive impact
Landscape innovations
In the field of landscape architecture, where the complexity of projects requires layered processes and efforts, SCAPE Landscape Architecture defines what it means to design for both people and nature. Known for their forward-thinking solutions addressing climate resilience, accessibility, and ecological restoration, SCAPE creates spaces that bring people closer to the environment. In this interview, Daniel Berdichevsky, Associate at SCAPE, shares insights into the studio’s groundbreaking work, what drives their design process, and how Lumion plays an important role in visualizing and communicating their projects to both clients and the community.
Please give us a quick introduction to SCAPE and the type of projects you are known for.
Daniel: SCAPE was founded in 2007. We’re headquartered in New York with offices in New Orleans and San Francisco. The team is around 80 people as of today, from landscape architects to urban planners, architects, ecological designers and others. We are committed to creating environmentally responsible and socially engaged landscape solutions with a laser focus on resilience, restoration, and climate adaptation. We have both local and national projects in our portfolio. It’s a collaborative, highly involved environment. I work on projects related to resiliency planning and waterfront design at the urban scale, public engagement, and digital 3D model coordination.
How would you describe the company's mission?
Daniel: Our ethos revolves around environmental and social responsibility, and we focus on designing solutions that serve both people and nature. From planning for climate change to cohabitating design and reviving site systems, the spectrum of the work we do is broad. A lot of thorough research, expertise, and multilayered planning goes into every project.
Multiple SCAPE projects are designed not only for human use and comfort but to also address the wider ecosystem and create a shared space for all species. Some examples of this include in-water habitat design and pollinator gardens.
Your work is fascinating. How did Lumion come into the picture for SCAPE?
Daniel: We were looking for a tool that could seamlessly integrate with Rhino, which we use extensively for 3D modeling, and provide high-quality visualizations without the need for post-processing, which tends to get time-consuming. Lumion meets our needs when it comes to visualization. The ability to quickly produce realistic renders directly from our models, apply materials, planting, and entourage has been great for us, especially when it comes to client presentations with many stakeholders and iterations throughout the project.
What project of yours has Lumion played an essential role in?
Daniel: The North/West Battery Park City Resiliency Project would be a great example. It is an integrated coastal flood risk reduction system designed to reduce coastal flood risk in Battery Park City and Downtown Manhattan.
Stretching from First Place in Battery Park City to North Moore Street in Tribeca, the project’s aim is to provide a reliable and adaptable, passive flood barrier system while preserving and enhancing the open spaces, waterfront views, and cultural resources of the area.
The project minimizes the urban heat island effect, and ensures the design is harmonious with the community's character and infrastructure, all while maximizing longevity. Lumion is helping us visualize the project, and even facilitated the creation of this animated flythrough.
North/West Battery Park City Resiliency Project: Design Flythrough
Daniel Berdichevsky
Associate, SCAPE
The ability to quickly produce realistic renders directly from our models, apply materials, planting, and entourage in Lumion has been great for us.
How has the software improved your process?
Daniel: Lumion has improved our ability to convey the scope and impact of our projects to clients and stakeholders. The quality of renders and breadth of plants available helps our clients truly comprehend what we’re proposing, which leads to more productive discussions and faster decision-making overall. For example, with the North/West Battery Park City Resiliency Project, Lumion allowed us to create an immersive experience that clearly communicated our designs spatially, which was crucial.
The visuals have been instrumental in relaying the project's benefits to both stakeholders and the community. When a project has a lot of layers to it, it’s important to use a kind of software that can facilitate our visualization workflows. It’s also great as a communication tool: being able to produce something fast and upload it online has certainly fast-tracked external and internal communication for us.
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There's one other notable SCAPE project we'd like to know more about. Could you talk a little about Living Breakwaters?
Daniel: Living Breakwaters a large-scale nature-based infrastructure project designed to enhance resilience along Staten Island’s South Shore. The project consists primarily of 2,400 feet of near-shore breakwaters made from stone and ecologically-enhanced concrete, aimed at reducing wave impact, preventing beach erosion, and creating habitats for marine life. The breakwaters are designed to reduce the impact of climate-intensified weather events on the low-lying coastal community of Tottenville, which experienced some of the most damaging waves in the region and tragic loss of life during Superstorm Sandy.
Daniel Berdichevsky
Associate, SCAPE
Visuals are instrumental in relaying a project's benefits to both stakeholders and the community. When a project has a lot of layers to it, it’s important to use a kind of software that can facilitate our workflows.
Given the large scope of your projects, what is crucial for the architects in your practice during the design process?
Daniel: SCAPE always pays close attention to understanding the connection of the ecological history of the site and the communities that live there, as well as what the future risks with climate change may be.
What advice would you give to architects of the future?
Daniel: Our advice to designers is to stay nimble and open to new technologies and perspectives. We also believe in the power of collaboration and integrating diverse outlooks; it’s these different viewpoints that often lead to the most innovative and effective design solutions. The future of the built realm is bigger than architecture, it will involve many disciplines and will require systemic thinking.
Design for the future
SCAPE’s transformative multidisciplinary work showcases the importance of leveraging expertise of the present to design for the future. Devoted to improving living conditions and preserving habitats, the studio is challenging the status quo of landscape architecture with every project. By using Lumion in their design process, the team is able to communicate their designs more clearly, leading to better project outcomes. As they continue to innovate, SCAPE remains at the forefront of landscape architecture and urban design, all while raising the bar for the industry.
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