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Thomas Wood
Landscape Architecture
Simonds and Starke
17 November 2009

Within this Landscape

Architecture textbook, the authors,
John Simonds and Barry Starke
separated every aspect of the
profession into very clear and concise
sections that take the reader step by
step through each process.
The first and most basic
from of landscape architecture is titled
The Human Habitat, with includes
humans, animals, and the world we
inhabit. This section also introduces
the aspect of nature and the natural
sciences that encompass it. The
definition of nature has definitely
been skewed over the course of time.
We have replaced vast amounts of
trees, grasses, and desserts with
modern metropolises of cement,
concrete, steel and glass. The authors
of the text suggest that we return to
the roots of nature and intertwine this
beauty to our modern way of living.

The text then shifts to the

importance and definition of the
natural sciences, which include
geology, hydrology, biology, botany,
and ecology. The importance of this
section is to point out that, A
generalized knowledge of the natural
sciences is the mark of a well
schooled landscape architect (Pg.
13). Also, this exemplifies how the
profession of landscape architecture is
very unique because you must have
great knowledge in these areas to
understand a landscape completely.

The hydrologic cycle is a great example of

what is studied in hydrology and should be
understood by all landscape architects.

The next section involves

climate, accommodation to climate
and guidelines to follow for each
Modern metropolises dominate our world today.

climate an architect deals with.

Obviously, there is little we can do
with the climate, we cannot alter it
ourselves, so we must find ways to
adapt, or accommodate to the
conditions. Architects are to make the
best of the existing conditions in order
to make the best fit for their work.
Also, within this section a reader will
learn the strengths to building in each
type of climate such as cold,
temperate, warm-humid, and hot-dry
climates. These are very important to
pay attention to for certain designs
and plans will not work in other
climates. For example, architects
build and design in cold regions in
order to maximize the amount of
sunlight that will light and warm the
house. In the hot-dry climate, this
would be meaningless because the sun
is always out and has little change in
weather.

Cold climate architecture utilizes the

window placements on a house in
order to take in the largest amount of
sunlight at any given point of the
year. The same rules apply for the
landscape design.

This section also relays the

importance of structure placement in
relativity to air flow. There are many
ways to control the air temperature by
controlling this flow of air. It may not
be a huge difference but even a degree
or two cooler or warmer will increase
the comfort and pleasure of the people
that inhabit the area of design.
The next section of
emphasis has to do with the land and
humans emphasis on it.

The vast regions of land around the

world have all been affected by the
human presence.

The land as productivity is

transformed by the energy of the sun
into the basic sugars and starches of
our food chain. This is a miracle of
chemistry occurring only when the
conditions are right. Humans are very
much interrelated with the land for
this reason. This is why we must be
understanding of our land and not be
wasteful. As landscape architects, we
must learn to read the landscape, to
comprehend the grandeur of its
geologic framework, to understand
the vital workings and
interdependence of the land and water
systems, to discern in each for a
feature the unique expression of
natures creative process.

Landscape architects must plan to the

land and be efficient in constructing
the land.

Next comes water, which is

the essence of life as we know it.
When constructing the landscape, it is
important that we observe supply,
irrigation and drainage. Sites that
require large amounts of water should
be placed in an area near a source of
water. As far as the irrigation within
these areas, the sites must be placed
below pints of inlet with a downward
slope to achieve maximum continuity
of water to the areas that need it.
Also, we need to understand drainage
because drainage coming off
fertilizers and other chemicals can
cause serious problems down the flow
of water. Aside from these values,
water has many scenic aspects to it
and really makes a landscape shine.

Water adds a different style of beauty

and wonder to most landscapes.

For most people, the glimmer of

sunlight on open water is sure to elicit
an exclamation of discovery and
delight. These water passages set the
mood for the landscape.

breathe. In order to work vegetation

into a landscape, one must know
plants and be able to recognize them.
They need to be able to describe them
in terms that others can comprehend.
Although plants and vegetation are
very vital to our planet, many areas
are being replaced by concrete and
places left barren. So, a movement
must be made to restore our natural
vegetation for it is so crucial not only
for the beauty of the landscape, but
for life itself.

Vegetation is also a very important

category of designing the landscape.

Next, the vegetation

visually shapes the landscape with
beauty and flow. All types of
vegetation serve extremely vital roles
in our world. They serve as buffers
against storms and wind, protection of
soil from sun, food for animals and
people, and they most obviously
convert carbon dioxide into the
oxygen humans and animals must

With new botany sciences and the theories of

reestablishment, we can help restore and protect the
vegetation we have.

The text then shifts from

specific aspects of the landscape to a
more broad view of the land in
landscape character. The natural
landscape can be divided into many
basic categories such as mountains,
prairies, forests, canyons, and valleys.

There are so many different types of

landscape characters, but all have
their own distinctive beauty.

With only the visual aspects of site

character in mind, it would seem that
in developing a natural area we
should do all that we can to preserve
and intensify its inherent landscape
quality. We should therefore
eliminate objects that are out of
keeping, and we may even introduce
objects to increase of accentuate this
native character. Also, within the
landscape there are always
incongruous elements that seem to
bring the visual side down. These
need to be eliminated in order to
perfect the site. These objects can be
classified as items that humans have
dumped or altered on the sight.

There will always be incongruous items in

every landscape that need to be removed to
ensure beauty in each landscape character.

The next very important

section that the text addresses is the
site planning itself. Planners must be
aware of the surrounding site and that
structures are compatible with each
other before building and construction
begins. Once a site is chosen, the
planner must graphically survey
information and supporting reference
data. Only by actual site observation
can we get the feel of the property,
sense its relationship to the
surrounding areas, and become fully
aware of the lay of the land. Also,
anything that appeals to the senses is
part of the site. For example, if there
are trees or a certain building in the
background or near the area, it is part
of the site.

Oppositely, sight features can be the

reason for the sight. For example,
there could be a very beautiful
mountainous scene or something that
inspires awe near your site that draws
visitors. This should be the center
point of the project, meaning
everything built of planted must all
funnel into the focal point of the
beautiful object or view.

This structure was built in order to soak in the

beauty of the surrounding mountains and lake.

Buildings such as these could occupy the

background of the site and should be naturally
blocked out with trees or bushes.

After the sight planning has

occurred, the development should
start instantly. The conceptual plan is
a preliminary drawing, meaning that
the concept is roughly sketched
without details or truly fixed
dimensions. Upon its approval by the
client or other decision makers, it
becomes the reference guideline in the
preparation of detailed site
development plans and specifications.

tend to be less rustic and more

sophisticated; therefore, trees, ground
forms, rocks, and water are extremely
valuable and meaningful. They are no
longer part of the natural scene but are
now isolated objects to be treated in a
more stylized way. In a rural site,
large plots of land are plentiful and
are the main resource. The choice of
a rural site would indicate a desire to
be at one with nature so earth and
ground forms are strong visual
elements. Also, the rural site is more
exposed to the elements and weather.
The site structure diagram and
architecture should reflect a thorough
understanding of adaption to the
climate.

Preliminary drawings should impress the client or

buyer and pave the way for your projects.

The different areas, such as city or

rural sites affect the construction
greatly. For example, city materials

Rural landscapes should reflect the beauty

and flow of the land that surrounds them.

Once the architectural plans

are set, an architect must determine
the planting of it, meaning that they
much decide the types of plants and
vegetation to introduce to an area of
land. Many involved in land planning
think of plants as no more than
horticultural adjuncts to be arranged
around construction projects which
are otherwise complete. Nothing
could be further from the truth.
Vegetation and existing ground cover
are in fact one of the primary
considerations in the selection and
planning of most properties. To a
large extent they establish the site
character. They hold the soils,
modify the climate, provide
windbreak and screen, and often
define the conformation of use areas.

Not only does vegetation provide sheer beauty,

but it can alter climate within the landscape.

Upon installation of this vegetation,

you must keep in mind that the aim is
to enhance in all ways possible the
routes of movement and the useable
areas of the site. The previous
vegetation of the site should not be
destroyed, but incorporated into the
design. The alternative to planning
rich gardens and lawns that need
watering are called Xeriscape. Within
these landscapes, the vegetation is
replaced with plants that require little,
if any irrigation and water. These
plants can range from cacti to
perennials or ornamental grasses that
work well with gravel or mulch.

The new Xeriscape landscaping is beautiful

and works well in hot and dry climates.

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Within the landscapes,

things are three-dimensional and
require careful volume interpretations.
It is well known that the size of an
interior space in relation to people has
a strong effect on their feelings and
behavior. This is a very important
aspect for architecture because you
can inspire certain feelings of your
inhabitants while they are amongst the
space in your design. Once a volume
has been created the color and the
lighting must be decided. Each color
and setting evokes certain emotions
from all people and should be
considered upon designing the space.

Shapes and volumes are always present

within the landscape and adjacent
buildings.

The next section revolves

around the visible landscape, which
involves a scene observed from a
given vantage point. To be enjoyed, a
view must be related to people and to
those in areas and spaces used by
them. We must be sure, however, that
the use and the view are compatible.
A scene of grreat activity or
excitement should hardly be
introduced visually into an area of
quiet repose. As stated earlier, the
view coexists with the design made
by the architect so all plans and
structures must conform to these
sights. A view is an impeller. A
powerfull magnet that draws people to
stare in awe at the wonders of the
earth. One powerfull use of a view is
through a vista, or an opening in
which to view somehthing. Any vista
may be stisfyingly staged in an
infinite number of ways. It is only
necessary that, from all viewing
stations or lines of approach, there be
developed a pleasing visual entity.

This deck and patio provide an excellent vista for

the ocean and surrounding land.

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The text brings up an interesting term

in visual resource management, which
is a relatively new, broad term
describing planning and management
practices directed toward preserving
or enhancing the aesthetic quality of
an area. This is basically to preserve
the land around us in order to solidify
the views and beauty of our land.
The next aspect of the
landscape is the circulation, or fluid
visual sight of an object or landscape.
Every experience we have visual or
physical has motion involved;
therefore, a structure is seldom seen
from a fixed point of view or in direct
elevation but usually by people on the
move.

This pathway implies motion. Your eyes

travel with the path back into the forest.

Our main sense of motion and

fluidity sadly comes from our
extremely busy streets and roadways.
However, there are ways to make
these fluid creations beatiful and rich
to the eye. Many rules and
regulations apply but roads are always
going to be a part of our environment
so we must plan around them and
make them lavish.

Plans for streets such as this not only make

for a beautiful sight, but add to the
circulation factor within our cities and
towns.

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Next comes the most

importand aspect of the landscape,
which is the structrure or structures
that it complements. Often the form
of a building itself is ont as important
as the nature of the exterior space or
spaces that it creates. Our buildings
are to be spaced out in the landscape
in such a way as to permit full and
meaningul integration with other
sturctures and spaces. Buildings are
arranged to shape and define exterior
volumes in the best way possible.

The building dominates our urban

landscapes.

As with structural forms and objects,

nature has much to teach us, as well,
in the plan layout of our homes and
cities. One way to incorporate the
beaty of landscape into the bulding
world is to drop areas right into the
building itself. For example, when
we use open space, we are enclosing
landscape architecture within full or
in part of the structures elemetns. An
example of this woud be the beaty of
a courtyard.

Courtyards often allow the beauty of the landscape to

seep thought buildings we have created. They accent
the building greatly and make it look much more
prestigious.

After you have the

buildings mastered, it is time to
arrange them into a community.

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Many communities flourish due to

friendship and commradery. The
landscape should reflect this with
sufficient flow and tranquility. In a
planned community, by comparison,
dwellings of all types are clustered
around the activity centers. Access by
foot, bicycle, or electric cart is via
traffic-free greenways. This creates a
sense of safer and more plesant travel,
which allows for more earth sufficeint
ways to plan communities. The
allignment of homes and apartment
buildings along roadways and treets
was for years the accepted procedure
but is no longer considered desireable.
No family wants the hustle and bustle
of the street to effect the way they
live.

Planned communities are becoming very

popular in newly developed areas around
cities and towns.

Aside from planning the

community, urban designs have truly
become popular because of all the
renovaition and restoration projects in
major cities. Few residents would
deny that cities would be much more
pleasant if they had more garden
structures and vegetation intermingled
within the steel and concrete. This is
why most cities are making the
transition to green societies within
the city. Most have made a citywide
change, which involves publicized
and aided tree-planting programs,
cleaning of streambeds and
riverbanks, as well as restoring
lakeshores and other waterways.
These restorations are a gold mine for
a landscape architect to assist in
planning the site of restoration.

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Many city streets are being lined with
trees such as these to clean the
environment and add beauty to the
landscape.

Next comes the regional

landscape in which neighborhoods
represent the best grouping of
residential clusters. Concurrent with
the trend to broaden the scope of
planning from an urban to a regional
basis is the drive to structure or
restructure residencetial districts into
more self-sufficient neighborhoods.
These, surrounded by greenbelts and
connected by freeways to the
manufacturing complexes, the urban
cores and the outlying hinterlands,
give promise of a more humanized
living environment. The region is
defined as a large and generally
unified, but loosely defined,
geographical area that provides the
supporting base from one or more
centers of population concentraition.
Planning on a regional basis, wether
in terms of geographic, political,
social or economic regions, provides a
more comprehinsive and effective
frame of fefference than the
consideration of any community,
town, or city, or county alone.

Regions are set up in every state in America

and each had its own set of planning.

Now the final chapter

within landscape architcture is based
on the planned environment. This
basically invovles global awareness in
natural resources and what we, as
humans, are doing to the land. We
have reduced millions upon millions
of acres of forested watershed to
eroded gullies and ruin. We have
gouged enormous tracts of fertile land
into barren wasts in our strip-mining
operations and have polluted streams
and rivers with sewage and industrial
waste. Obvioulsy we have made our
mark on the land and still are, but
there are ways and efforts that must
be taken to restore what we have
destroyed and protect was is still here
among us.

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HARMONY
Conservation is going to be
key for our worlds resources
in the future.

Lastly, the authors conclude

this text book with a bit of their own
perspective and I cant help but quote
my favorite lines from this book.
What, again is the work of the
landscape architect? It is believed
that the lifetime goal and work of the
landscpe architect is to help bring
peopl, the things they buil, their
communities, their cities and thus
their live into harmony with the living
earth (Pg. 371).