Fall 2024: The Wisdom of Water: A Special Workshop on Landscape Architecture (Second Edition)

A special workshop on Landscape Architecture conducted by Turenscape Academy with Bengal Institute

Faculty:

Principal Faculty: Kongjian Yu

Associate Faculty: Dihua LI, Huixian Wang, Salauddin Ahmed and Khandaker Hasibul Kabir

Visiting Faculty: Kazi Khaleed Ashraf

Date: 15th – 28th September, 2024

Working in some remarkable regions in China, the Special Workshop will be a unique and inspiring experience with one of the world’s most renowned landscape architects and regional planners. Taking place over two weeks in the rural area of China’s Xixinan in Anhui Province in September 2024, the Workshop will introduce participants to the landscape theories and practices of Kongjian Yu and Turenscape, systematically explain Turenscape’s Sponge City design strategy through the outstanding projects designed by Turenscape, and prepare them for a new “aquatic wisdom” to address the water crisis in human settlements. Beyond the two weeks, participants will also visit selected traditional cities and sites defined by water planning, as well as the Turenscape office in Beijing.

Kongjian Yu is arguably the world’s leading landscape architect and ecological planner. Starting in 1997, Professor Kongjian Yu and his Turenscape design team began focusing on urban water systems, eventually using the “sponge” concept to describe the flood regulation capacity of natural systems. By 2022, Turenscape’s design team had completed over 2,000 planning and design projects in over 200 domestic and international cities, winning 14 American Society of Landscape Architects Annual Awards and 7 World Architecture Festival top landscape awards.

Goals and Objectives

The main objective of the Workshop is to address the water crisis and its consequent impact on our cities and settlements, brought about by global warming and human interventions in the landscape. In recent years, extreme climate events have become more frequent, biodiversity loss has worsened, and desertification has intensified, posing severe threats to human life, living, and development worldwide. In monsoon countries like China, Bangladesh, and India, flood disasters occur frequently and require urgent responses. The Workshop will present the excellent experiences of Turenscape by sharing, discussing, and visiting their exemplary projects, introducing new imagination and innovative practices needed to tackle the ongoing crisis in our cities and environments.

Through this Workshop, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of innovative approaches to address water-related challenges in urban and rural environments, focusing on the Sponge City concept and its practical applications. The Workshop aims to explore the principles and importance of Sponge City in urban planning and environmental sustainability, address water resource management challenges, and teach sustainable landscape design principles. Participants will study Turenscape’s systematic design approach, including planning concepts, strategies, and implementation of Sponge Cities, as well as learn about plant selection and materials used in Sponge City designs. By experiencing firsthand the application of these concepts through site visits to award-winning Turenscape projects and engaging in practical design exercises, participants will be equipped to apply learned concepts in real-world scenarios.

About the Faculty:

READ MORE ABOUT THE TUTORS FROM TURENSCAPE ACADEMY HERE

Application deadline:

July 8, 2024

Application requirements:

Graduates in architecture, landscape architecture, environmental/ regional planning, geography, and other allied disciplines.

For details about applying to the workshop, please contact:

[email protected]

To Register now, Click here: Application Form: The Wisdom of Water

Important Information regarding the Workshop “Wisdom of Water”

1. Date: The Workshop will start on September 15 after participants arrive in China and conclude on September 28.

2. Cost per person: 2300 USD approx, excluding airfare and visa processing fees (2300 USD will cover all expenses in China, including accommodation, food, train travel to other cities/sites, museum/site entry fee, etc.).

3. Venue: The Workshop will take place in Xixinan village in the Anhui region. Site travel will include visiting the Turenscape office in Beijing and selecting Turenscape projects.

4. Financial support: Turenscape Academy and Bengal Institute are not providing any scholarships. The program is already subsidized.

5. Payment Instalments: The payments will be made in two installments as follows:

First Installment (Enrollment Deposit Amount) –  Taka 59,000 BDT ($500 USD)

Second Installment (Rest of the Tuition Fees) – Taka 212,000 BDT ($1800 USD)

Please deposit Taka 59,000 BDT ($500 USD) as “deposit money” by 23rd July 2024, using the following link. The rest of the tuition fee of Taka 212,000 BDT ($1800 USD) must be paid by 8th August 2024.

For paying by foreign/international credit card: Please ensure your card is 3DS/2FA enabled before making payment to ensure the transaction is successful. You can communicate with the card issuer bank to inquire about and enable 3D security for the card.

Payment link: bengal.portwallet.com/subscription/

6. Visa: Travel to China requires a visa. All participants will process visa applications on their own, but we will provide you with a reference letter from Turenscape and other documents. Your passport reference is needed to generate the reference letter.

7. Air travel: All participants will organize air travel to China on their own. A schedule and destination of travel will be provided shortly.

Our arrival and departure locations may be as follows:

Arrival Airport: Participants have two suitable options for their arrival.

Option 1: Arriving at Huangshan Tunxi International Airport:

This offers the possibility of flying directly to Huangshan. Huangshan Tunxi International Airport boasts convenient transportation, allowing you to reach Xixinan Village easily by taxi.

Option 2: Arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport:

Upon your arrival in Shanghai, they must proceed to Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station and then take a high-speed train to Huangshanbei Railway Station, which is very close to Xixinan Village.

Departure Airport: As the workshop concludes in Beijing, departing from Beijing would be a seamless choice.

8. Travel requirements: All participants must have a COVID-19 vaccine certificate to travel to China. Participants are encouraged to check the latest requirements.

9. Insurance: 3 weeks or 1 month of health insurance is required.