Discover the 5 Ajap contest award-winning landscape designers!

Do you know the Ajap (Album of Young Architects and Landscape Designers), a French landscape contest which highlights the projects of architects and landscape designers under 35? This year, 5 landscape planning projects were selected by landscape designer Claire Gautier who won the french national landscape design Grand Prix in 2016. Her idea was “to turn the spotlight on the relationship established between a society and its territory”.

The way into the village - Grégory and Florent Morisseau

Founders of the agency Chorème, these two engineers and landscape designers decided to promote the architectural heritage of the village of Marçay by landscaping the public areas. Their project integrates the creation of convivial green spaces and ideas for parking, inviting visitors to leave their cars to visit the village center on foot for a regenerating stroll.

Emerged lands - Elise and Martin Hennebicque

The agency set up by these two engineers and landscape designers specializes in landscape planning of heritage and historical sites. They particularly enjoy subtly breathing new life into spaces left fallow. Their project consists in extracting 200 cubic meters of silt blocking the canals and marshes of the town of Amiens. The aim of this project which looks like a gigantic sculpture is to carefully reorganize the landscape and let nature express itself.

Jardin de la Graciane - Hervé Der Sahakian

As a true craftsman of gardening, this landscape designer worked landscaping the Vence by-pass, in the town of Cassis. This project, which covers 1050sq.m. aims to improve the living conditions of the residents as this space over the town is much frequented but not developed. Herve Der Sahakian focused his work on making the sector pedestrian only, creating a pleasant, shaded walk. The choice of plants and materials reflect a Mediterranean landscape and the local creeks.

Place des érables - Mathieu Delmas and Léa Hommage

Creators of La Forme et l'Usage studio, these two landscape designers and town planners are at the origin of the revamping of this square located on the city of Nantes. What makes it different is that it is organized in a hollow around an old well, the ground of the city being elevated by 80 cm. This new landscape invites residents and students attending the nearby school of architecture to sit down and benefit from astonishing views over the river Loire.

The park of the maison Troisgros - François Hérisset and Damien Roger

Both these two landscape designers work at the Paludes agency. They landscaped the estate near Roanne of a famous family of restaurant owners. This rural project structured the space made up of a wide range of different kinds of ground including terraces, orchards and canals into a pleasant promenade highlighting the Troisgros family’s much prized local agricultural know-how.

Not to miss!: The creations of these young landscape designers are on show at a temporary exhibition in the City of Architecture and Heritage (Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine) in Paris from October 19th to December 10th, 2018. A dedicated catalog to this landscape contest was published for the event in October 2018.

Like the Carré des Jardiniers landscape contest, the Ajap is a great opportunity for the award-winners to promote their work and their vision of landscaping. If you too want to highlight your own talents, register for our professional landscape contest. Winners will create a whole garden at Paysalia 2019!