PRINCIPLES OF

LANDSCAPE DESIGN

GROUP MEMBERS:ANUPMA OJHA

MOHD. USAMAH KHAN
VIKRAM SINGH
VIBHUSHIT A. SAXENA
YASHI MITTAL

landscape
Landscaping is the arrangement of plant materials by form,
texture, and color in such a way and on such a scale that we
can walk through it having a feeling of privacy and being
somewhere.
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
The principles of design serve as guidelines that govern the
organization of the design elements and materials in accordance
with the laws of nature.
Landscape design principles include focalization, proportion and
scale, balance, order and unity, repetition, rhythm and sequence,
and interconnection.

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
Landscape designers use these principles of design to create landscape
designs that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
The elements of design are line, form, texture, and color. A designer uses
these elements to generate a design.
Design principles guide designers in organizing elements for a visually
pleasing landscape.
Physical and psychological comfort are two important concepts in design
that are achieved through use of these principles.
People feel more psychologically comfortable in a landscape that has order
and repetition.
Organized landscapes with predictable patterns are easier to "read" and
tend to make people feel at ease.

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1.
FOCALIZATION
Focalization is created as a visual break in the sequence and flow of the
landscape. The visual break captures the attention of the viewer and draws
it to the focal point.
The focal point is the point or area of the landscape that attracts the
viewers eyes. Without a point or area on which to focus, the viewers eyes
become lost and confused throughout the landscape.
The focal points in a landscape may also be focal areas. These focal areas
may change throughout the year. For example, In the spring and summer
the focal area changes between colorful groups of annual bedding plants
and groups of blooming trees and shrubs in the landscape.
Focal areas consist of a group of parts or components.
Minor focal points are effective in advancing the viewers eyes through the
landscape to the main attraction or dominant focal point.

The viewer's eye is quickly forced along straight lines to a focal point. Generally, weaker or flowing lines of
focalization are desirable in the residential landscape.
Indirect focalization is created by lines curved in the same direction.
Focalization can be adjusted by plant materials along the lines to create symmetrical or asymmetrical focalization.
Asymmetrical focalization is indirect while symmetrical focalization is more direct, creating stronger focalization.
Since focalization can be used to direct attention to a point. Therefore, focalization could be used to direct traffic in
a garden area.
Plants that draw attention are often called specimen plants. These are plants with a unique form, size, or texture
that stand out from the surrounding plants.
Garden ornaments also work well to attract attention because they are often dramatically different from plant
material.

2. BALANCE
Balance is a design principle defined in terms of weight. It refers to the
equilibrium or equality of visual attraction.
It is the equalization of visual weight from one area of a landscape
composition to another.
Two distinctly different types of balance exist in landscape design:
symmetrical and asymmetrical.

ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE

SYMMETRICAL BALANCE

SYMMETRICAL BALANCE

Symmetrical balance is achieved when one side of the design is a

mirror image of the other side.
There is a distinct dividing line between the two sides.
Equal lines, forms, textures or colors are on each side of a
symmetrical design.
Symmetrical balance is a formal balance. It is sometimes
referred to as bi-lateral symmetry.
ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE
Asymmetrical balance is an informal balance.
Asymmetrical balance uses different forms, colors and textures to obtain
balance of visual attraction.
These opposing compositions on either side of the central axis create
equal attraction. For example, mass may be opposed by color or linear
dimension by height.
An asymmetrically balanced design implies equal weights on either side
of the center axis.
Form, color, size, and texture all affect balance.

PERSPECTIVE BALANCE
Perspective balance is concerned with the balance of the foreground,
midground, and background.
When looking at a composition, the objects in front usually have greater
visual weight because they are closer to the viewer.
This can be balanced, if desired, by using larger objects, brighter colors,
or coarse texture in the background. In most cases, either the
foreground or background should be dominant.

SYMMETRICAL BALANCE

ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE

3.

PROPORTION & SCALE

Proportion is the relationship that exists among the components of a

landscape.
It also describes the relationship between the components of the
landscape and the landscape as a whole.
Proportion involves the size relationships between and among the
components making up the landscape.
Proportion describes the mathematical relationships among the
dimensions of space and site components making up an area.
For example, corner plantings next to a house that are two-thirds the
distance from the ground to the eave are proportional to the house. The
height of the corner plantings is proportional to the height of the eave.

Scale is the human perception of the size of space and form

related to the human dimension.
Scale is relative to the perception of the viewer. For a large twostory house, corner plantings that are proportional to the house
may appear out of scale to the viewer, because scale is relative to
perception, a designer can manipulate scale psychologically
within the site.
A small house surrounded by large trees appears smaller than it
actually is where as a large house surrounded by small trees
appears larger than it actually is.
. A design is in proper proportion and scale when a pleasing
relationship exists among and between each component and the
design as a whole.

4.

RYTHYM & SEQUENCE

Rhythm and sequence describe the dynamic unity or the related, orderly
movement that implies continuity.
They are the apparent flow of lines, textures, and colors that express a
feeling of motion rather than confusion.
Rhythm and sequence characterize continuity and connection from one
part of the design to another part.
They group the components together, keeping the viewers eyes busy
and allows them to follow easier through the design.

5. REPETITION
Repetition is created by the repeated use of elements or features to create
patterns or a sequence in the landscape.
Repeating line, form, color, and texture creates rhythm in the landscape.
Simple repetition is the use of the same object in a line or the grouping of a
geometric form, such as a square, in an organized pattern.
Repetition can be made more interesting by using alternation, for example,
using a square form in a line with a circular form inserted every fifth square.
Gradation, which is the gradual change in certain characteristics of a feature,
is another way to make repetition more interesting. An example would be the
use of a square form that gradually becomes smaller or larger.
Repetition does not always create a pattern; sometimes it is simply the
repeated use of the same color, texture, or form throughout the landscape.

6. ORDER & UNITY

Order and unity are emotional and visual reactions to the overall structure and
organization of the design elements.
The designer blends the design elements and the design detail decisions of
materials with the existing site conditions to establish order and unity.
The concept created by order and unity is carried out throughout the design.

ORDER
Order is the overall organization and structure of a design.
It is the basic scheme or skeleton of the design.
Order is created and carried out through the composition. Examples of order
in a design may be symmetrical versus asymmetrical balance or a formal
versus naturalistic arrangement.

Order can also be achieved by massing features or elements into

distinct groups and arranging them around a central point.

UNITY
Unity is the harmonious relationship among all elements and
characteristics of a design.
It is obtained by the effective use of components in a design to express a
main idea through consistent style.
Unity is emphasized by consistency of character between units in the
landscape.
Unity means that all parts of the composition or landscape go together;
they fit.

UNITY BY SIMPLICITY
Simplicity is the concept of reducing or eliminating nonessentials to
avoid a chaotic look. This brings clarity and purpose to the design.

UNITY BY DOMINANCE

Dominance or emphasis is the property of a plant or object that

attracts and holds attention, making the object an important
feature.
The ability of an object to capture attention usually depends on
contrast with adjacent objects. A typical example for a garden
would be a very brightly colored ceramic pot among green
foliage.
UNITY OF THREE
Features that are grouped in threes, or in
other groups of odd numbers, such as in
groups of five or seven, feel more balanced
to the eye and give a stronger sense of
unity. Odd numbers allow for staggered
variations in height, such as small,
medium, and large, that provide more
interest.

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