LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO
Kai Mahendran
SELECTED WORK #1
Kiran
LANDSCAPE SYNTHESIS STUDIO
LACH3000 - LANDSCAPE SYNTHESIS
PHASE 2
Kiran Kai Mahendran
Conceptual Design of SCGH - Block Enduring
Design
AMy enduring design consists of a miniature waterfall, intimate circular benches found below trees, and a wheelchair accessible bridge.
The miniature waterfall provides a therapeutic sensory experience for those visiting and the bridge allows people with wheelchair disabilities cross without any issues. Additionally, there are new pathways that go around exisiting vegetation that allows visitors to experiences the garden fully.
These elements help create an accessible therapeutic sensory garden that engages hospital patients and staffs while working with existing structures and improving therapeutic and healing value.
1:75 @ A2 Scale
Circular Benches
Wheelchair Accessible Bridge
Miniature Waterfall
New Pathways
Section Cut B-B
Masterplan of SCGH - Block E, Courtyard
Enduring Design
DESIGN ELEMENTS:
1. Interactive Seating
2. Indoor Waterfall
3. Wheelchair-Accessible Bridge
4. Water Fountain
5. Proposed Vegetation
6. Planter Box Seating
This hospital courtyard has been turned into a contemplative retreat garden that promotes healing, introspection, and peaceful communication. Fundamentally, the design rethinks circulation by adding an accessible bridge and a gently curved boardwalk, guaranteeing inclusive transit across the area, especially for wheelchair users. Lush flora buffers the walkways from the nearby patient rooms, providing a visual respite from the clinical environment as well as solitude.
Natural, inward-facing seating configurations with flowing curves encourage people to congregate, think, or just stop and enjoy one other’s company. By promoting connection and engagement with plant life, integrated planter boxes with built-in chairs further blur the boundaries between comfort and nature.
Organic materials like stone and timber, as well as multisensory elements like a peaceful fountain and a gentle indoor cascade, enhance the therapeutic effect. These water features add to the garden’s healing ambiance by creating a soothing soundscape.
Every design decision, both practical and decorative, is made with the intention of promoting the mental and physical health of patients, employees, and guests. As a result, people are embraced by a healing landscape that provides areas for restoration, connection, and seclusion.
Design Details - Planting and Material Enduring Design
Alpinia Azerumbet
Tropical foliage, Fragrant flowers
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana
slender palm, Tropical
Cyperus eragrostis
: Grass-like, Thrives in wet areas
Lagerstroemia indica
: Deciduous, Flowering in summer
Liriope spicata
Nephrolepis obliterata
fern, Prefers shade
Viburnum odoratissimum
screen, Dense foliage
Lomandra longifolia
Tufted grass, Hardy
Dampiera diversifolia
: Blue-violet flowers, Spreading groundcover
Scaevola aemula
Purple blooms, Groundcover for
Grevillea ‘Gin Gin Gem’
Features: Red flowers, Attracts birds
Hardenbergia comptoniana
Purple
Chorizema cordatum
flowers, Bushy habit
Anigonzanthos flavidus
DETAIL SECTIONS PERSPECTIVES
SCALE
Reclaimed Timber Specifications/Notes: Durable, locally sourced and environmentally sustainable
SCALE SECTION BB 1:25 @ A2
Crafted from salvaged hardwoods, these elements add warmth, richness, and a sense of sustainability to the landscape. Reclaimed wood’s aged patina enhances the surrounding environment while lowering the carbon footprint associated with the sourcing of new materials.
Preformed Concrete Specifications/Notes: Render finish; reinforced with rebar for structural
Limestone
Specifications/Notes: Locally sourced; natural, irregular form enhances grounding and tactile
SCALE
Precast concrete walls give the site stability and longevity; by combining architectural form with green infrastructure, the rendered finish lessens the material’s visual impact and the incorporated rebar allows possible vegetative support.
Poured-on-Site
These customized benches have chamfered edges for safety and aesthetic appeal, and they are made using steel molds. They offer long-lasting, lowmaintenance seating that is appropriate for public usage and are reinforced with rebar for structural strength, particularly at the backrests.
Model Photos - Perspectives and Details
Enduring Design
TOP VIEW
PERSPECTIVE #2
PERSPECTIVE #3
Conceptual Design of SCGH - Block
Ephemeral Design
Section
AMy ephemeral design consist of tents and benches, hosting a variety of pop-up stores and available seating for hospital patients and staff.
Both the tents and seating allow visitors to rest and relax outside of working hoursbeing able to tear down and put up easily around the existing site structure and vegetation. The elements are strategically placed in shaded areas of the site to promote relaxation and improve the use of the courtyard garden.
1:75 @ A2 Scale
Circular Benches Sitting and Lying Benches
Section Cut B-B
Conceptual Design of SCGH - Block
Ephemeral Design
DRAFT #1
Block E, Courtyard 4
Design Ideas:
Hidden Meditative Space
A secluded nook surrounded by lush greenery and soundbuffering plants, offering individuals a quiet retreat for reflection, deep breathing, or gentle mindfulness practice away from the hospital’s bustle.
Food Vendor Area
A temporary courtyard setup featuring healthy, comforting food and drink stalls—run by local vendors or hospital partners— encouraging community connection, nourishment, and casual social interaction.
Theatrical Stage
A small pop-up performance area with flexible seating, hosting short plays, music, storytelling, or dance performances to uplift patients and staff through the power of shared artistic expression.
Healing Arts Experience
An immersive event where visitors engage with interactive art stations, light installations, or guided creative activities— promoting relaxation, expression, and emotional healing through sensory engagement.
Pop-Up Scent Garden
Movable planters and aromatic herb installations (like lavender, rosemary, and jasmine) fill the space with calming scents, enhancing mood and memory, and offering a gentle, nature-based therapeutic experience.
Masterplan of SCGH - Block E, Courtyard
Ephemeral Design
DESIGN ELEMENTS:
1.
2.
3.
Wheelchair-Accessible Ramp
Shade Sails
Planter Box with Seating
4. Pop-Up Scent Garden
5. Elevated Timber Platform
This ephemeral design, located within the hospital courtyard, encourages visitors to a sensory healing experience. The pop-up scent garden’s main stage is a timber platform that has been carefully elevated to the pond’s edge; here, a variety of portable planter boxes brim with fragrant herbs and blooming plants, meticulously selected to stimulate the senses and promote peaceful moments of contemplation. Lightweight shade sails are attached to steel beams connected to the platform, providing playful shadows on the wooden deck while offering comfort and defining the temporary character of the installation.
Accessibility remains a priority in the design; the elevated platforms and the current maintenance path are seamlessly connected by a gently sloping ramp with rubber matting, providing wheelchair users and anyone with reduced mobility more inclusive access. There are additional planter boxes scattered across the courtyard with built-in bench seating, offering opportunities to rest, take in the view, and engage with the natural environment.
Through aroma, texture, and spatial rhythm, this temporary garden not only improves the hospital’s therapeutic landscape but also encourages social interactions and personal wellbeing - because of its ephemeral nature, the design can change or be moved over time, adding flexibility and significance to the courtyard’s broader healing narrative.
SCALE
Design Details - Planting and Material Ephemeral Design
Alpinia Azerumbet
Archontophoenix
Cyperus eragrostis
Lagerstroemia indica
Liriope spicata
Viburnum
Melaleuca incana
DETAIL SECTIONS PERSPECTIVES
SCALE SECTION AA 1:25 @ A2
MATERIAL PALETTE
Aluminium Specifications/Notes: Lightweight and corrosion-resistant; suitable for accessible and removable installations
SCALE SECTION BB 1:25 @ A2
The ramp, which is made of aluminum which is unlikely to corrode, offers everyone safe access to higher places. Its flexible structure and lightweight frame allow for quick installation and flexibility, making it perfect for temporary events or shifting site conditions.
Reclaimed Timber Specifications/Notes: Retains cohesion with permanent timber elements, as well as adaptable layout
SCALE SECTION CC 1:25 @ A2
Made from reclaimed wood, these lightweight, modular elements provide a versatile way to soften hardscapes and create informal rest areas. Because they are transitory, they can be moved or taken down as site requirements change.
This wooden platform functions as a viewing or transitional area in the environment. It combines sustainability and portability, allowing for temporary installation in locations with little site disruption thanks to its construction utilizing reclaimed materials.
Model Photos - Perspectives and Details
Ephemeral Design
TOP VIEW
PERSPECTIVE #2
PERSPECTIVE
#3
Packaging and Polishing
Key Project Stages and Project Schedule
PROJECT SCHEDULE
LACH3000 - LANDSCAPE SYNTHESIS
PHASE 1
Kiran Kai Mahendran
Precedent Studies
Fremantle Art Center - Perth, Australia
The Fremantle Arts Centre, located on Ord Street in Fremantle, Western Australia, is a historical monument that has undergone several renovations; lieutenant-Colonel Edmund Henderson planned the site, which was constructed between 1861 and 1868 employing convict labor - James Manning oversaw the construction. Originally known as the Fremantle Lunatic Asylum, it was later enlarged between 1886 and 1894 under the guidance of George Temple-Poole. The property has been adapted over the years for a variety of purposes, including a women’s house, a wartime military installation, and a technical school. In the 1970s, Frederick Samson, then Mayor of Fremantle, spearheaded restoration efforts, avoiding destruction and reusing the property as a cultural center. The facility is now managed by the City of Fremantle, with backing from the Western Australian State Government’s Department of Culture and the Arts. The Fremantle Arts Centre, which overlooks the harbor and is close to important local monuments, is now a thriving cultural hub that hosts exhibits, residencies, art courses, and live music, symbolizing the metamorphosis of a once-restrictive area into one of creativity and community participation.
The facility is now managed by the City of Fremantle, with backing from the Western Australian State Government’s Department of Culture and the Arts. The Fremantle Arts Centre, which overlooks the harbor and is close to important local monuments, is now a thriving cultural hub that hosts exhibits, residencies, art courses, and live music, symbolizing the metamorphosis of a once-restrictive area into one of creativity and community participation.
The foundation of the Fremantle Arts Centre is made of locally produced limestone masonry, which is typical of the city’s structures from the convict era. This materiality symbolizes the rich history of the building; corrugated iron roofing and timber frame and joinery, perhaps built of sturdy jarrah, were commonplace at the period. A Victorianera public works impact was introduced by later additions like red-brick expansions (1886–1894), and another phase of change was brought about by WWII-era additions like an asbestos-clad washing facility constructed by the US troops. Heritage galvanized steel was used to replace the asbestos roofing in 2023 as part of recent conservation measures, improving the building’s endurance and maintaining its architectural appeal. By preserving the original brickwork and rearranging interior areas to accommodate its changing role as a center for the arts and culture, the site’s conservation plan strikes a compromise between heritage preservation and contemporary usefulness.
Precedent Studies
Les Deux Plateux - Paris, France
Daniel Buren created Colonnes de Buren, also known as Deux Plateaux, which was commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture in 1986 to renovate the Parisian Palais Royal’s Cour d’Honneur. In stark contrast to the traditional 17th-century building, the installation’s 260 black-and-white striped columns are organized in a grid pattern throughout the 3,000-square-meter courtyard; the columns, which are made of Carrara marble from Italy and Pyrenean marble from France, rise to different heights in a rhythm that represents the relationship between the surface of Paris and the underground depths. This level interaction is consistent with Buren’s conceptual approach, in which the installation blends modern art with the ancient palace setting to act as a bridge between the past, present, and future.
When Colonnes de Buren was installed, it caused a great deal of criticism despite its artistic aspirations. Numerous detractors questioned its appropriateness in such a distinguished location and said it diminished the historical grandeur of the Palais-Royal, a listed monument. In addition, hasty construction resulted in structural problems, basement decay, and water intrusion; by 2007, Daniel Buren himself had criticized its “extreme disrepair” condition. In response to these worries, the columns were named a historical monument by the French Ministry of Culture, which provided the funds required for a significant restoration in 2008 - In order to ensure the installation’s long-term preservation, the refurbishment involved resurfacing the courtyard, updating the electrical system, and setting up a new water network.
Colonnes de Buren has solidified its position as a significant work of modern public art in Paris’s historic urban setting. It invites people to engage with it, whether by walking through, climbing onto, or just taking in its geometric arrangement, challenging conventional ideas of space and monumentality. Even though the artwork is still controversial, it continues to provoke discussion on how modern art may be incorporated into historic sites, demonstrating that even contentious pieces can become part of a city’s cultural landscape.
Material Study
Metal - Evocative Imagery
Ferrous Metals
Non-ferrous
Construction Alloys
Material Study
Metal - Myriad Information
Description of Metals
Metals are mainly divided into two categories: ferrous metals and non-ferrous metals. Ferrous metals include iron and its alloys, such as steel and cast iron. Non-ferrous metals include aluminum, copper, zinc, and others. Carbon steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, with a carbon content usually between 0.05% and It is widely used in construction, machinery manufacturing, and tools. Stainless steel is an alloy of iron, chromium (at least 10.5%), and other elements. It has excellent corrosion resistance and is commonly used in kitchenware, medical instruments, and chemical equipment. Aluminum is a lightweight non-ferrous metal with low and good corrosion resistance. It is widely used in aerospace, packaging, and transportation industries. steel, stainless steel, and aluminum are very important in modern industry. They are widely used because strength, corrosion resistance, and lightweight properties.
metals mainly zinc, nickel, and 2.0%. chromium kitchenware, density Carbon of their
Ferrous Metals
(Contain Iron, Strong but Prone to Rust Without Treatment)
Non-Ferrous Metals
(Do Not Contain Iron, Lightweight & Corrosion-Resistant)
Construction Alloys
(Metal Combinations for Enhanced Strength & Durability)
Healing Gardens in Hospitals
Graphical Mind Map
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, USA
Khoo Teck Puat:
• Vertical gardens and green facades covering the hospital walls
• Therapeutic gardens with a mix of native plants and shaded seating
• A central courtyard with water features and lush greenery
• Open-air corridors and natural ventilation, reducing reliance on artificial cooling
• Rooftop gardens accessible to patients and staff
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia:
• Pediatric healing gardens with interactive sculptures
• Water features designed for sensory engagement
• Playful landscape elements, including interactive stepping stones and pathways
• Shaded garden seating for families and patients
University Medical Center Brackenridge:
• Outdoor healing gardens with diverse plant species
• Walking trails integrated within green spaces
• Benches and quiet zones for patients and visitors
• Floor-to-ceiling windows with direct views of nature from patient rooms
Dell Children’s Medical Center:
• A rooftop garden with diverse plant species
• Private, enclosed outdoor spaces for children and families
• Shaded pergolas and seating areas
• Interactive landscape elements for children
Mount Sinai Hospital:
• Healing gardens designed as wayfinding anchors within hospital grounds
• Clearly defined walking paths with shaded rest areas
• Strategic placement of plants along pathways to direct movement intuitively
Alpert Medical School of Brown University:
• Dedicated green spaces within the medical campus
• Outdoor seating areas for students and faculty
• Botanical gardens used for educational and wellness purposes
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore
University Medical Center Brackenridge, Texas
Dell Children’s Medical Center, Texas
Alpert Medical
Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City
Medical School of Brown University, USA
Children’s Hospital:
• Indoor garden spaces visible from multiple levels of the hospital
• A multi-story “forest” atrium providing clear orientation cues
• Wayfinding markers using natural elements like water features and plant groupings
• Sky bridges connecting different wings of the hospital while allowing views of greenery
Cleveland Clinic:
• Large-scale murals and sculptures throughout hospital corridors and waiting areas
• Interactive digital art displays that respond to movement
• Sculptural seating areas in outdoor courtyards
The design of hospital landscapes significantly impacts the well-being of patients, staff, and visitors. Research shows that well-planned green spaces improve recovery, reduce stress, and enhance overall satisfaction with healthcare environments.
Nature exposure benefits hospital staff by reducing stress and improving resilience, while greenery fosters a calming atmosphere crucial for patient healing. Strategically placed plants also aid wayfinding, making hospital navigation more intuitive and accessible.
Biophilic design, which integrates natural elements, enhances recovery rates, reduces anxiety, and boosts patient satisfaction. Views of nature and access to outdoor spaces offer therapeutic effects, while landscaped retreats help staff manage workplace demands. Public art further enriches hospital environments, creating engaging and emotionally supportive spaces.
Ultimately, integrating nature and creative elements into hospital landscapes enhances health outcomes, providing restorative experiences for all users.
Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
Cleveland Clinic, USA
Royal
Site Analysis: Opportunities and Constraints
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital - Block E, Courtyard 4
Sun and Shade
Soil Material
Living Plants
Constraints
Artefacts and Infrastructure Compilation
Site Analysis: Opportunities and Constraints
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital - Block E, Courtyard 6
Sun and Shade
Soil Material
Living Plants
Constraints
Artefacts and Infrastructure Compilation
Site Analysis: Opportunities and Constraints
Osbourne Park Hospital - Block F
Ingress and Egress Human Circulation
Sun and Shade
Soil Material
Living Plants
Constraints
Artefacts and Infrastructure
Three Scenes, Three Stages, Three
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital - Block E, Courtyard 4
“People, Places & Things”
The drama centers on Emma, an actress in her 30s whose substance misuse causes her life to get out of control. She checks herself into rehab after having a public breakdown during a performance, where she faces her most intense traumas, phobias, and the hazy boundaries between performance and reality. The play presents an honest and unvarnished depiction of addiction and the difficult road to recovery.
Key Scene - Emma’s Onstage Breakdown: Emma has a public breakdown during a play, exposing her declining mental health and drug abuse.
Section Cut A-A
Section Cut B-B
Three Scenes, Three Stages, Three
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital - Block E, Courtyard 6
“Waiting for Godot” Estragon and Vladimir, the two main characters of the play, wait for Godot to arrive beside a desolate tree. While they wait, they have a number of discussions and interactions that explore existentialist, life’s absurdities, and the human condition. The play is well known for its cyclical form and simple setting.
Key Scene - Vladimir and Estragon’s Waiting: As they wait for Godot, the two main characters repeat words and behaviors, emphasizing the routine and unpredictability of their lives.
Cut B-B
@ A2 Scale
Section Cut A-A
Section
Three Scenes, Three Stages, Three Osbourne Park Hospital - Block F
“Tiny Beautiful Things”
Cheryl Strayed’s collection of advice columns from her time as the anonymous “Dear Sugar” is adapted for the stage in this drama. The letters from people looking for help and Strayed’s sincere, direct answers are brought to life in the play, which also explores themes of love, loss, forgiveness, and personal development.
Key Scene - Sugar Receives the Offer:
After considering the possibility and its ramifications, Cheryl Strayed is asked to take over the “Dear Sugar” advice column.
Section Cut A-A
Section Cut B-B