00:00 Landscape architects like Vincent Lim are all about helping make people feel at home in the outdoors.
00:08 We learn about the business of maximizing these spaces with Vincent of Clark Landscape Design and Balcony and Gardens.
00:16 Vincent, welcome to the program and congratulations on your success as a landscape architect.
00:23 But of course, with all of this success, you've been featured in many top magazines, we also want to find out what influenced you to pursue a career in landscape architecture.
00:35 Well, initially I wanted to become an architect, but it's really my interest in outdoor scenery that got me into this.
00:44 And I thought, why not be able to create something like that, create something beautiful outdoors, so I'd like to have that.
00:53 Oh, of course, I mean the beautiful outdoors now, we see a lot of trees, a lot of plants, a lot of open spaces.
01:00 But of course, when you were young, did you do a lot of gardening work in your own backyard?
01:06 Surprisingly, not so much, but it's really just being outdoors, playing a lot outdoors, going to parks and playgrounds.
01:16 So that got me interested there.
01:18 But what really got you interested into these public spaces, parks, resorts, open spaces?
01:25 Well, probably since after I graduated, I had the privilege of being able to travel and seeing that in other countries and how people use it in other countries.
01:36 I thought, okay, maybe I can have an active part in doing that here in the Philippines and maybe through my practice, we can contribute to that and have more public parks here.
01:46 So in your travels overseas, which particular parks, open spaces inspired you? In which cities and countries?
01:54 Well, San Francisco, I like Salesforce Park. I've been to New York.
02:01 Central Park.
02:03 Central Park, of course. It's a combination of really the built parks and the natural parks that they rehabilitate and reinforce for more people to use it.
02:15 But what does it take to be able to design a park, to be a landscape artist? You are like a landscape artist. The open space is like your canvas.
02:29 Yes. So it's really a combination of artistry, creativity, and the technical know-how of how to do these things.
02:36 So for us to have a successful public space project, we have to work well with the proponents, which is like the government and stakeholders, working with architects also and the planners of the project.
02:47 It's really being able to work with a lot of people and being enrolled in One Vision to create that public park.
02:54 A lot of stakeholders that you have to deal with.
02:57 Let's say you have an open space, let's say in Manila or Makati or let's say in Cebu or Davao, in Cagayan de Oro. How does that work?
03:06 Do you tell them your vision for the space? What is your inspiration for the space?
03:11 Or do they also let you know that we want this element and that element for the space?
03:18 At least for my practice, the vision comes from the proponents, the people who invite us to do the projects.
03:25 And from there, we do a lot of interviews and a lot of convert dialogues for us to really churn out what other things we could contribute to make that vision even more impactful for the users, their intended users.
03:40 And of course, these days, a lot of developers are allocating more open spaces for residents, even for homes.
03:48 More people are appreciating the value it adds to the design space.
03:52 Yes. For the developers, of course, that's one of the things that sell.
03:56 We also know that people who are into the build and sell business, having some greenery or landscape spaces really get them more appraised, better appraisal on their projects.
04:09 And just because, especially during the pandemic, a lot of people realized the value of having these spaces, having these outdoor spaces where they can walk and play around.
04:21 And of course, you are a famous landscape architect to the celebrities.
04:28 Who among the celebrities has basically asked you to design their gardens?
04:34 Mr. Boyabunda, I've done some work with him, Mr. Rivellame, Mr. Rico Blanco, and recently, Mimiya.
04:42 Not Rico Hizon.
04:43 Not yet. Not yet. And recently, Mimiya. So, we've done some work. They're so fun to work with.
04:51 That's right. So, what kind of designs do they usually want for their gardens?
04:54 More often than not, we tie it with the design of their house. So, Mr. Boyabunda had some eclectic taste. So, he had an interesting interior design.
05:05 So, we kind of matched that. So, even the color of the wall at one point had orange.
05:10 And then for Mimiya, it's knowing how she wants to use her outdoor space, which is to have spots there where she can vlog.
05:18 And so, it's not just about beautifying the space. It's also planning the space properly so she can have different activities there.
05:25 All right. Even using it as a set, right?
05:27 Yes.
05:28 For their social media accounts. Where do you source your materials?
05:32 And which materials are unique to the Philippines that we can highlight in open spaces?
05:39 For the projects, we recommend that we get plant materials that's within the vicinity of the projects.
05:46 So, the materials we'd like to promote are really the local endemic species, our Philippine plants. We have a lot of interesting and beautiful…
05:53 What are some of your most favorite plant species locally?
05:57 Well, we have the banaba, which is… it really flowers profusely during summer. It has a purple flower and it's really nice.
06:04 Nara is always a good choice. Dita, champaco, which has very nicely scented flowers.
06:11 And we're thankful that a lot of the developers are using more and more of these endemic species and we really appreciate that.
06:20 And do you still remember your first big project and what you did for that project?
06:24 I've had some involvement when I was still in one of the developers for this park in Makati CBD.
06:33 So, that was really interesting because we got to work not just with local architects but also with some international designers.
06:39 So, that was really a learning experience for me. And seeing how people use that, we liked that a lot.
06:45 And what is your dream project, Vincent, here or abroad? And what is your big ambition as a landscape architect?
06:54 Well, dream project is to really have huge parks. I'm big about parks.
07:00 But the dream is to really have a lot of these public parks across the Philippines for more and more people to employ landscape architects to design these spaces alongside the other designers and planners.
07:12 And hopefully, through my practice, we can take an active part in contributing to that.
07:18 Absolutely. You will be a catalyst for Filipino parks and for open spaces for more Filipinos.
07:24 Yes, sir.
07:25 Vincent Lim, landscape architect. Congratulations and thank you so much for joining us on The Final Word.
07:31 Thank you, sir.
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