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I feel in any landscape, urban or rural, it is important to feel safe and calm. When I’m in Leeds I miss fresh air that a city doesn’t have. Leeds needs to have more open and green space, it needs to have a mixture of landscapes; not just the same types in different locations. I don’t particularly find Leeds inspiring as a place compared to home or other cities. More colour and public space would create a warmer atmosphere entering the city. This is also why I think it would be good to be a landscape architect here because these things can be taken into account and transform a space. Coming from growing up around cities like Brighton and Bristol, it was a huge change of environment when i came to Leeds and I still feel the same as i did 3 years ago.

Lisbon

The MAAT (museum of Art, Architecture and Technology) in Lisbon is one of my favourite architectural structures. The undulating forms mean you are able to walk through, over and around the building, making it an art form in its own, never mind the art displays within the museum. The roof becomes an outdoor room; i think this building, although extremely large and in prime place on the waterfront, sits so smoothly within the landscape as a modern establishment contrasting with the historic monuments in the Belem district.

Madrid

This climber covered walkthrough was the centre of a busy junction in Madrid. Different types of climbers have been used here to create a shaded walkway through a vehicle dominated crossing. Having something like this i feel softens the urban landscape and creates an appealing space for people to want to use. I think it is important in cities of today and the future to not create wasted spaces. Each space should serve a purpose, otherwise this would allow cities to expand without reason.

The London Mastba

This temporary sculpture designed by Jeanne-Claude and Christo, floats so gently over Serpentine Lake in London. A stunning wall of colour is created against a back drop of green on such a large scale. These two collaborative artists are one of my favourites for their large scale designs and innovative thinking. The sculpture is made up of barrels which reflect stunning colours and light across the lake in the sunshine. People respond to colour and light; I think it is so important to embrace colour, whether its natural or man made. Seeing warm and bright colours can lift my mood, change how i perceive a space and give me reason to reflect. This kind of art makes me feel positive and appreciate the landscape around me.

Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Just recently coming back from travelling Sri Lanka for a month, this home stay we settled in for 2 days caught my eye. Every aspect of the building, apart from the bedrooms were covered in vines, trees and other greenery. The concept of bringing nature inside really inspires me. By bringing parts of nature indoors, with the right amounts of natural light and living conditions, it can improve the air quality and cool a living space. It is especially useful in a second world country like Sri Lanka where the temperature is high for the majority of the year; this is a perfect example of sustainable living.