Meet the architect of nature: Man behind Sentosa IR landscaping

Landscaping involves so much more than just planting flowers
Today Online 6 May 08;

British-born Henry Steed has been a landscape architect for 35 years. Some of his works — such as the Esplanade waterfront and all the open areas at the Safti Military Institute — will be familiar to Singaporeans.

After attending the Gloucester College of the Arts in England, he came to Singapore via Hong Kong. Mr Steed is an authority on tropical planting who has spent the last 24 years here, winning numerous awards, including a Gold at the inaugural Singapore Garden Festival in 2006 and another Gold at the Sila Design Award Competition in 2006 and 2007.

He started his own design company, ICN Design International, about 10 years ago, and is the President of the Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects.

His latest projects include the Sentosa Integrated Resort (Resorts World), a park project at Fort Canning and a large hotel in Egypt. Landscape architecture, Mr Steed told Alicia Wong (alicia@mediacorp.com.sg), is more than just "superficial decoration".

Just what does a landscape architect do?

Our job is to create new landscapes. It is an art and a science. The art side involves how we make landscapes look great, and the science is the way we make it stay there.

We actually make steps and walls and the "hard stuff" that forms entire pathways. The "soft part" is the plants and water.

What are some common misconceptions?

People think it's just about making gardens. It's actually a lot more! At the Esplanade, there's a concealed car park, paved plazas, event areas, landscape areas, sitting areas, a showground, cafes and restaurant areas and a roof garden. We designed it from scratch.

Have attitudes towards this discipline changed?

In the '50s, people hardly thought about how a place would look and feel. By the '70s, it was becoming much more rooted in everybody's understanding.

Developers were beginning to understand landscaping was necessary to make the environment more pleasant, authorities were saying we must build parks for people so they can get out of their concrete environment.

Now, it's built into the system, that the quality of life is tied to a good environment. If everybody lived in a hard, hot, bare place, they'd go nuts.

So, it impacts peoples' lives?

Ultimately, it improves everything in a community. If you take a walk in a park when you're stressed and afterward you go into work feeling nice and refreshed, you're more productive. I don't like to put it this way, but there is a cash value in a high-quality environment.

How do you see landscape architecture contributing to environmental protection?

Individually, there's not much we can do to stem climate change. The best and cheapest way is to plant a tree. It will lower temperatures, produce oxygen, and absorb carbon dioxide. You plant enough of them; you can get a significant climate decline.

What is most important in landscaping?

I feel it's important for all of us — who live in a concrete jungle — to be in contact with nature.

It's good to have greenery. I live on the 16th floor of an apartment block and two sunbirds made a nest on my balcony.

They flew in one day and have just given birth to their second batch of babies. This is what I mean by being in touch with nature.

What is the message behind your landscape gardens showcase for the Singapore Garden Festival (July 25-Aug 1)?

My garden is actually two gardens, divided down the middle.

One is the manicured, urban, man-made environment. The other is the wilderness, all wild weeds and wild flowers. They are linked by a gate.

The gate lets you step into the wilderness because that's where your soul is refreshed. Singapore started with a garden city, then a city in a garden. I say we go further. It should be a city in nature, where we don't try to keep nature under control all the time.

How did you get started?

When I was less than six months old, I was whisked off to South Africa, which is a wonderland of wildlife and scenery. I became fascinated with birds. I also enjoy drawing; I do a lot of artwork. So, if you put drawing, artwork and nature together you get landscape architecture.

How does one study landscape architecture?

You have to understand all the earth's elements, starting with rocks. Geology influences the type of materials that grow.

If you go to the desert in Saudi Arabia you deal with a different kind of geology. In Singapore, the geology is different. You learn how to understand that in college.

Here, for instance, you need to understand the rain patterns, the wind, and the temperatures. It's not just about identifying a rose bush. But how you grow a rose bush, what bugs eat it, what fungi affects it, what seasonal changes affect it.

What's your favourite project?

This area (the Merlion Walk at Sentosa) is actually where I most like to be! For the last two years, flower festivals have been held on these terraces. When we built these terraces 20 years ago, there weren't any flowers.

So, when the opportunity to hold the flower festival here came, it was amazing. After all these years, the place is being used the way we dreamed of. I almost feel like it's my own garden.

What landscaping can we expect at Sentosa's integrated resort?

This involves constructing and designing the external components, such as the walkways, pavements and fountains.

So among the six hotels, theme park, waterfront along the sea and internal canal system, for instance, each will have a different character. Each hotel will have a different kind of look, some more formal, one with a tropical jungle environment, one with a beach setting.

It's really like a magical fantasy town.

Related articles

200 escape the chop Resorts World at Sentosa in massive greening exercise
Daphne Chuah Today Online 14 Jun 07

Hey, the trees are marked
by Teo Cheng Wee Straits Times 11 Mar 07

Comments on the issue on eart-h.com