Maija Gulin, Landscape Architect

I am landscape architect Maija Gulin and I run the landscape design team in Helsinki. We design sustainable green environments using digital tools. 

Most of our projects are office, hotel and residential environments, but we have also developed conceptual and master plans for public spaces. The role of the landscape design team is to look at projects from a broader environmental perspective and make Arco’s projects as green and sustainable as possible.

Landscape architecture is playing an increasingly important role in the design of sustainable and functional environments. Carbon neutrality targets are the main driver of the sector’s growing importance. 

Urban densification and carbon neutrality targets have increased the popularity of green roofs and walls in new developments. However, a certain amount of greenery does not directly make a project ecological. For example, lush vegetation will not grow on a sunny and windy roof without diligent watering, fertilising and other care. In particular, fertilisation is needed a lot on the roof when the growing medium is thin. Fertilisers run off into water bodies and lead to eutrophication.

The most sustainable and maintenance-free solution is to save existing vegetation on the plot or to develop greenery at ground level instead of on roofs. The second most ecological option is to choose plants that naturally thrive in harsh conditions, such as rock or mountain vegetation. 

Another reason for the growing importance of the design sector is the cramped and challenging plots for new construction. Keilaniemen Portti is a good example of a project where a confined plot of land required careful landscape design and close cooperation with various parties. Positioned on a narrow plot, the building also required changes to the adjacent street area in order to achieve a high-quality whole. In this process, a joint 3D model with the architect facilitated coordination and clarified the tight spots for other specialist designers. I do not know if the coordination would have been successful without a shared information model.

Maija Gulin
Landscape Architect