AKLAN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY Kalibo, Aklan
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ABOUT LANDSCAPE DESIGN INTRODUCTION LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Landscaping is a service industry. It serves people by fabricating environments where they can live, work, play, or just pass time. Landscaping is a vital part of the site development. In addition to its aesthetic qualities, landscaping can improve energy conservation, moderate noise, frame desirable views, block undesirable views, create privacy fashion outdoor spaces, provide shade, retard erosion, and visually connect a building to its site. It is also required in some communities. The use of landscaping to moderate , the microclimate wall discussed earlier and included the use of deciduous trees to block sunlight in summer while allowing it to enter a building in the winter.
LANDSCAPING also refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including: living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly known to as gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape. natural elements such as landforms, terrain shape and elevation, or bodies of water; human elements such as structures, buildings, fences or other material objects created and/or installed by humans; and abstract elements such as the weather and lighting conditions. Landscaping is both science and art, and requires good observation and design skills. A good landscaper understands the elements of nature and construction and blends them accordingly.
UNDERSTANDING THE LAND
Landscaping requires study and observation. It is not the same in different parts of the world. Landscaping varies according to different reigons.
Therefore normally local natural experts are recommended if it is done for the first time. Understanding of the site is one of the chief essentials for successful landscaping. Different natural features like terrain, topography, soil qualities, prevailing winds, depth of the frost line etc. must be taken into account.Sometimes the land is not fit for landscaping. In order to landscape it, the land must be reshaped. This reshaping of land is called grading. Removing of earth from the land is called cutting while when earth is added to slope, it is called filling. Sometimes grading process may involve removing of excessive waste, soil and rocks, so designers should take into account while at planning stage.
Needled Evergreens When recalling the appearance of a pine or spruce tree, it is easy to understand the symbols commonly used to represent needled evergreens (Figure 35). The symbols suggest the spiny leaves and rigid growth habit of these plants, which are green throughout the year. These symbols can be used to represent both trees and shrubs as long as they are needled and evergreen. Broadleaved Evergreens Another group of plants are green throughout the year, but have wider and usually thicker, fleshy leaves. Plants such as the hollies, rhododendrons, and camellias exemplify the category of broadleaved evergreens. The symbols used to represent them suggest the larger leaf size and semirigid growth habit of the plants (Figure 36). As with the needled evergreens, these symbols can be used for both broadleaved evergreen trees and shrubs.
Deciduous Shrubs Deciduous shrubs drop their leaves in the autumn. As a category of plants, they are much more numerous and diverse than either of the evergreen categories; therefore the symbols used to represent them tend to be more generic or general. The edge of the symbol is loose and irregular, suggestive of the less rigid growth habit of most deciduous shrubs (Figure 37). With this symbol, as with all plant symbols, a prominent dot in the center marks the spot on the plan where the plant is to be set into the ground.
Deciduous Trees Like deciduous shrubs, deciduous trees also lose their leaves during the winter season. Unlike most shrubs, trees usually have only a central trunk rather than multiple stems. Also, trees are generally taller than shrubs. All of these differences are suggested in the symbols selected by designers to represent deciduous trees (Figure 38). The symbols for trees are usually wider because trees are commonly larger than shrubs. The lines representing them may be thicker and/or darker too, reflecting their greater height and prominence within the design. Depending upon how much detail must be shown beneath them, the tree symbols may be simple and plain, or intricately detailed to show branches and/or leaves. Vines Trees and shrubs tend to grow radially out from their centers. That is why the compass and circle template are so useful in forming their symbols. However, vines grow in a linear manner, and they do not hold to a predictable shape. Their symbols are shaped to suggest that rambling linearity (Figure 39). Trailing Groundcovers Groundcovers are those plants, usually 18 inches or less in height, that fill the planting bed beneath the trees and shrubs. Like vines, many groundcovers are shapeless, linear plants that would have little impact on the design if used alone, but when grouped in masses and given time to fill in, they become an important textural component of the design. The symbols used to represent trailing groundcovers are therefore more textural than structural (Figure 310). The texture is applied to all areas in the design where groundcover plants will be used. Symbol styles for needled evergreens. Symbol styles for deciduous trees. Trailing Groundcover Trailing Groundcover Groundcover of Low Shrubs Vines Against a Building Wall Vines on a Fence
PLANT FORMS SITE FEATURES AND CHARACTERISTICS
The first step in becoming acquainted with a site is to take an inventory of what is there. Though the property owners can be an important source of information about the site, it is best for the designer to make the first visit to the site without the owner or client tagging along. It is too easy for the designer to begin seeing the site through the eyes of the owner and thereby assimilating his or her opinions and biases about the site. The designer needs to remain apart from the preconceptions of the sites potential and instead have an organized method to assess the many and varied nuances of each site. SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Sustainable landscape architecture is a category of sustainable design concerned with the planning and design of outdoor space. This can include ecological social, and eco Separating the features and characteristics of a site into categories is a logical place to begin. Some of the sites characteristics are natural features, and others are man-made. Still others are cultural (resulting from or associated with human society). Some features are totally physical, though others are most significant as visual features. Some features are unmistakably positive factors, and others are definitely negative in their impact. Many have a neutral quality until they are judged in the context of the proposed design. A partial list of the features and characteristics that are inventoried and later evaluated during the site analysis includes the following.
Hardscape Design materials that are not living plant materials are often referred to as hardscape. They include such things as pavings, fencing and wall materials, furnishings, lighting, and water features. Like plant symbols, hardscape symbols attempt to suggest how the materials or objects will actually appear in the landscape. They need to be scaled appropriately to allow the graphic to look realistic. When the scale of the plan is so small that it becomes impossible to draw each brick, stone, or similar feature to its exact size, then a textural interpretation may be used to suggest the hardscape rather than interpret it literally. HARDSCAPE MATERIALS Brick Outdoor Grill Fencing with Gate Picnic Table Loose Aggregates and Mulches (Crushed Stone, Marble Chips, Wood Chips) Steps and Landing Decking Stonework Natural Features a. terrain (rise and fall of the land) b. topography (the record of an areas terrain) c. slopes (their steepness as measured at different locales within the site) d. erosion (both present and potential areas on the site) e. directions of surface water drainage f. areas of puddling or drought g. soil qualities (pH, nutrient level, stoniness, depth of the topsoil, texture) h. existing plant materials (quantity, quality, species names, sizes, locations) i. microclimates (protected or exposed area, where plant growth may be affected) j. prevailing winds k. annual rainfall and snowfall on the site l. depth of the frost line m. off-site views n. sunlight and shadow patter Man-made Features a. existing buildings (size, architectural style, color, materials) b. utilities (above and below ground) c. paved areas, such as drives, existing patios, basketball or tennis courts d. existing landscape features, such as walls, pergolas, fences, pools e. building details, such as the location of doors, windows, utility meters, air conditioners, downspouts, dryer vents, exterior mounted lights f. current storage spaces for trash containers, garden tools, recreational vehicles g. adjacent property development SOURCES OF SITE INFORMATION As the preceding list illustrates, the features of a site are varied. Some are easy to measure and evaluate, but others are more complex and may even be beyond the capability of the designer or landscape firms staff to assess without assistance. It is not uncommon for the input for a site inventory to come from multiple sources. Typically, things that require onsite counting or measuring or sample collecting can be done
PERFORMING A SITE ANALYSIS Once a general understanding of what constitutes the characteristics of a site is gained, the landscaper must actually walk the site and inventory those features. To assure that nothing is overlooked, many landscapers will use a checklist that assures a consistent assembly of site data every time. Such a checklist also allows different people within the company to conduct the site analyses with some assurance of consistency. Functional diagrams begin the arrangement of the clients program
Some designers refer to these as bubble diagrams, because they use loosely drawn freeform shapes to represent the use areas or spaces that will accommodate the clients program features. More concerned with relationships between the spaces than with the specifics of how those spaces will be developed, functional diagrams help the designer make important logical decisions concerning layout of the site, size requirements of each use area, circulation patterns between use areas and throughout the total site, potential conflicts of use or circulation, and the relationship of off-site features to on-site areas Preliminary designs break the bubbles to reveal the designers first draft vision of how each area of the landscape will be shaped. Development of the outdoor rooms of the landscape (as described in the next chapter) begins at this stage. Using the functional diagram as the basis for location and intended uses of each room, the designer gives the landscape its form. Decisions are made regarding the types of materials to be used to create the screenings, ceilings, and surfacings. The principles of design (as discussed in Chapter 8) are applied to the use areas. The designer begins to think in three-dimensional terms, planning not only the horizontal relationships between objects and areas, but the vertical relationships as well (Figure 56). Though the graphic delineation of the preliminary design is simplistic and detailed specifics are lacking, the preliminary design encapsulates the concepts intended by the designer. It is a suitable drawing to present to the client for review. To carry the design any further without getting feedback from the client would be foolish, because few preliminary designs pass the all important client test without modification. With difficult projects (or difficult clients) there may be a number of preliminary designs created before the project advances to the final stage. Final plans Incorporate all of the suggestions and reactions of the client into a master drawing that is graphically detailed and completely specific in its intent for the landscape. Plant and hardscape materials are precisely identified. Paving patterns and enrichment features are explained and diagrammed. Graphic styling is designed to impress and to aid the clients visualization of how the completed landscape will appear. Accompanying the final plan may be a series of construction drawings or interpretive drawings to aid the client and/or the contractor in understanding how the design is to be built. By properly and patiently working through the design process, a landscape architect or landscape designer can create an imaginative and workable solution to almost any project challeng Sun Orientation The objective of the designer is to maximize the number of hours each day and the number of days per year that this area can serve the residents. Comfort is key, and for properties in the temperate areas of the country, that means that a southern exposure is the ideal. The second best sun orientation is facing west, because the afternoon sun is the warmest. An eastern orien tation would leave parts of the area cool in the afternoon due to shadows cast by the house, trees, and other structures. Service Area The function of the service area is utilitarian. It may house the storage shed for garden tools, a dog yard for the family pet, a garden for vegetables or cut flowers, a clothesline or compost pile, or it may provide storage for a camper trailer.
The Principles of Design THE FOUNDATION FOR DESIGNING Many texts address the subject of design principles, and each does it in a slightly different way. Because the names and number of principles vary from book to book, the reader might begin to wonder if any one source is complete or totally correct. Though each author may present the subject in a slightly different way, by chapters end most have explained the principles fully even if the terminology fails to match completely. As discussed in this chapter, principles refer to standards by which designs can be created, measured, discussed, and evaluated. Because design is at times very personal, it can be difficult to evaluate objectively. Whether someone likes or dislikes a certain plant select ion or paving pattern does not necessarily credit or discredit the design. Only when the design can be shown to be in compliance with or in violation of the principles that guide all design can it be judged as good, bad, or in between. Only when a judgment can be offered that the design is good or bad because it applies or fails to apply one or more of Balance is a state of being as well as seeing. We are physically uncomfortable when we are off balance. Whether while held hostage on top of the see-saw by a heavier playmate when we were children, or tipping over in a canoe when the contents shifted unexpectedly, we experience a lack of balance at various times in our lives, and we do not like it. It follows that we are most appreciative of and comfortable in landscape settings that are visually balanced. Symmetric balance. One side of the outdoor room is a mirror image of the opposite side. Asymmetric balance. One side of the outdoor room has as much interest as the opposite side, but does not duplicate it exactly. Symmetric balance -One side of the outdoor room is a mirror image of the opposite side. Focalization of Interest Anything that is designed well has a focal point, one place within the composition where the viewers eye is first attracted. Simplicity As with the principle of balance, simplicity seeks to make the viewer feel comfortable within the landscape Rhythm and Line Rhythm is readily understood if discussing music. Familiar songs that are fun to sing or easily danced to remain with us for life, largely because their rhythm is easy to recognize and remember. Proportion Proportion is concerned with the sizerelationships between all of the features of the landscape. Unity As a principle of design, unity is the easiest to measure if the other five principles have been applied properly and comprehensively to the design.
The repeating parallel arcs of turf, pavement, and flowers add rhythm and line to the design Asymmetric balance is more natural in appearance. (Courtesy of Pellettieri Associates, Inc.) Proximal/distal balance. The foreground tree counterbalances the distant mountain.
Focalization. Plants are arranged in an asymmetrical stepdown manner to move the viewers eye toward the entry, which is the intended focal point. Placing the fountain in line with the entry reinforces the focus of interest rather than competing with it. Proportion. Each component of the landscape must be in the proper size relationship with all other elements. The large tree is appropriate with the multi-storied house B, but is too large to be so close to the single-storied house A.