books | research | documentation
THE ECOLOGY OF BEAUTY
LA84 |
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About fifteen years ago, LA Journal-27 featured an insightful article, Garden Pond Management: From Science to Design, authored by
Ng Kok Hong—a Malaysia-based artist specializing in water garden design and management. His recently published book, Artquatica, builds upon decades of hands-on experience in designing and maintaining constructed ponds. The book reflects his sensitive ecological approach, deeply rooted in scientific understanding, and offers valuable insights into the art and science of creating sustainable water landscapes.
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Art gives the pond its form and feeling. Science keeps it alive.
In these few words of Ng Kok Hong lies a quiet truth: that beauty and function are not opposites, but partners. The best ponds, like the best ideas, are born from the meeting of intuition and understanding, art and science flowing together as one. I first connected with Ng Kok Hong through our shared fascination with ponds, not just as decorative features, but as living ecosystems where art and ecology meet. His writing blends technical insight with a deep respect for nature, reminding readers that function and beauty can coexist without compromise. As an engineer who works with ponds and wetlands for wastewater treatment, I’ve always focused on the science that keeps them alive – flow rates, nutrient loads, and water quality. This book reminded me of the art that gives them meaning. It bridges the measurable and the meaningful, showing how art and design can enhance function rather than oppose it. Reading The Artquatica Pond has been a gentle nudge to reimagine my own work and to see engineered wetlands and sewage ponds not only as functional treatment systems but as potential landscapes of renewal – places where art and ecology can meet.
Tarun Nanda | Wetland Consultant
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| CURRENT ISSUE LA84 |
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| editorial
PRACTICE | PLACE | PEOPLE
| report
GROWTH PARADOX: REIMAGINING LANDSCAPES
IFLA-APR REGIONAL CONGRESS 2025
Report by Dipti Mhatre
| landscape design
GROUND AS ARCHIVE
SMRITIVAN EARTHQUAKE MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM, BHUJ, GUJARAT
Vastushilpa Sangath LLP, Ahmedabad
HOLDING THE HILLS
NETAJI SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE UNIVERSITY OF EXCELLENCE (NSBUOE), SIKKIM
Satish Khanna Associates, New Delhi
INTO THE WOODS
MALABAR HILL FOREST TRAIL, MUMBAI
IMK Architects, Mumbai
WEAVING MEMORY AND SPACE
KOLA BHABAN PRANGON
FACULTY OF ARTS, UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA, BANGLADESH
STHANIK Consultants, Dhaka, Bangladesh
ECOLOGY, MATERIAL AND DESIGN
PLAY AREA, AMERICAN EMBASSY SCHOOL, NEW DELHI
Paras Sareen and Associates, Jalandhar
BEING ONE WITH NATURE
THE OBEROI VINDHYAVILAS WILDLIFE RESORT, BANDHAVGARH, MADHYA PRADESH
IPDM Services (INDIA) Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
SHAPED BY THE LAND
MOUNTAIN SHADOWS RESORT, WAYANAD, KERALA
Idea Design, Cochin
| evolving urbanism and social landscapes
CITY AS A DIALOGUE
In conversation with Ekta Chauhan
IMAGINING TOMORROW AWARDS 2.0
AUDAcademy
| landscape pedagogy and practice
IN ALIGNMENT
LANDSCAPE, LEARNING AND LIFE
Swati Sahasrabudhe
| books | research | documentation
THE ECOLOGY OF BEAUTY
BOOK REVIEW | THE ARTQUATICA POND ART, ECOLOGY AND THE PURPOSE OF ORNAMENTAL PONDS
TRACING MAHARASHTRA’S ARCHITECTURAL JOURNEY
BOOK REVIEW | ARCHITECTURE IN MAHARASHTRA:
TRADITION & JOURNEY VOLUME 1 & 2
Review by Snehanshu Mukherjee
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