We spoke with David Flores, a Landscape Architect with over 25 years of experience, focused on project management and coordination, from the design phase through to completion. He holds a pre-Bologna degree from the University of Évora and a Master of Science (MSc) in Urban Design from the University of Barcelona. Throughout his career, he has been part of renowned national and international firms, having worked at ARPAS (since 1999) and PROAP, and was a managing partner at Traços na Paisagem (2007-2013). Currently, he is BIM Manager and project coordinator at Biodesign – Ambiente e paisagem.
He has been an active member of the Portuguese Association of Landscape Architects (APAP) since 2001, having served as a member of the Fiscal Council (2017-2020) and Board Member (2021-2024).
What is the importance of landscape architecture in building more livable cities and more conscious private spaces?
Landscape architecture is fundamental to creating cities and urban spaces that are more integrated with nature, improving the quality of life for residents and creating ecological and sustainable spaces. It’s not just about planting trees or making “plant arrangements,” but about creating outdoor spaces in their true essence. Landscape architecture is a field of knowledge that integrates the city’s structure with nature, seeking to reconcile functional and ecological aspects, playing a crucial role in quality of life and urban sustainability.
The city should not be thought of in isolation, separated from its natural matrix and associated systems. There must be an understanding of ecological processes and site characteristics to create spaces well-adapted to their locations that respect the environment, promote biodiversity, and help mitigate the environmental impacts of urbanization and human concentration.
The identity and memory of the place must also be valued, integrating historical, cultural, and natural characteristics. The resulting urban landscape should dialogue with the original and surrounding landscape, preserving the memory and uniqueness of the territory.
The city’s structure must generate functional, sustainable spaces with a sense of responsibility and belonging. Design, associated with function, must be conscious and endowed with aesthetic sense, integrating and participating in the conception of the whole.
The landscape architect’s participation should be ensured from the very beginning, starting with the analysis of the territory where the intervention area is located. Diagnosing weaknesses and potential, understanding the site’s natural dynamics, topography, climate, soil suitability, water regime, flora, and the movement of air masses along valleys is a qualification of the landscape architect. This does not mean diminishing the importance of the biologist, urban planner, architect, or other technical specialties. It means that there is an increasing need to broaden knowledge and establish bridges between various disciplines, and in this journey of transversal, holistic, and systemic vision, landscape architecture was a pioneer. The territory’s matrix is there and should not be ignored and must be treated with knowledge, sensitivity, wisdom, and, while we’re at it, common sense.
Landscape architecture should not be an isolated act, but rather an integral part of urban planning. Green spaces supported by the territory’s natural systems and matrix should form a continuous network – ecological structure – connecting territories, ensuring permeability and the circulation of air, water… life in the city.
The city is more livable if there is fresh air to breathe. Green spaces are essential for the physical and mental well-being of citizens. Urban parks, gardens, and green corridors constitute “lungs” that provide opportunities for leisure, social interaction, and contact with nature. In other words, for the landscape architect, the city must be consistent and interconnected with a living system where nature has a central structural role, not just a compositional or decorative one.
Private space is interconnected with public spaces, gardens, vegetable gardens, and tree-lined avenues, with active participation in the whole. Together they play a crucial role in the quality of life in cities.
Private gardens contribute to increasing biodiversity in the city, creating a network of habitats that enables the establishment of flora and fauna while also supporting the circulation of species and pollination.
These well-designed gardens will enable rainwater infiltration into the soil, helping to recharge groundwater and preventing water loss through surface runoff, reducing the risk of flooding in heavily paved urban areas.
The vegetation in private gardens, regardless of their size, contributes to reducing ambient temperature and provides shade that helps combat the city’s “heat island” effect. In their vicinity, the air will be cooler and more humid.
Beyond ecological benefits, aesthetics and psychology are also present. These spaces promote the intimate connection between humans and nature, conveying tranquility and well-being, essential for improving quality of life in the city.
The private garden as a vital element integrated into the urban landscape, which together with public spaces forms a living and functional fabric contributing to healthier and more resilient cities. The commitment of each project and owner to maintain their garden in an ecological and sustainable way is an act of civic and environmental responsibility.
Discover the landscape design project by Arq. David Flores from Biodesign – Environment and Landscape and the execution by Horto do Campo Grande, of a single-family home at the Pestana Tróia Resort, here.
© Companhia das Cores for Horto do Campo Grande
