The Principles of Landscape Design

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The Principles of Landscape Design
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What is Landscape Design?

• Involves the union between nature and mans built
  environment.
• Includes aesthetics and function (beauty and
  practicality).
• For people and/or the environment.

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Steps in the Landscape Design Process

• Client Interview
• Site Survey and Analysis
• Problem Statement
• Objectives
• Concept
• Preliminary Design
• Final Design

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Program Phase

• Client Interview
• Site Survey and Analysis
• Problem Statement
• Objectives
• Concept

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Design Phase

• Preliminary Design
• Final Design

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Program Phase

• Considers facts of the project (collects facts
  about site and client).
• Anticipating problems, future needs, activities,
  development of site.
• Plan to satisfy needs of the customer (need to
  know personality, lifestyle, needs, desires,
  priorities).

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How important is the Program Phase?
If the designer does a poor job..design
decisions will be inaccuraterecommendations to
the client will be ineffectivethe client will
be dissatisfiedthe designers reputation
suffersthere will be no new job
referralsthe firm goes out of business.
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Client Interview?

• Find out as much about the client as possible.
• Client may not even know what they want.
• This makes people skills very important.

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Questions to Ask Client

• How much free time?
• Hobbies?
• Personality (Social or Private)?
• Children and/or Pets?
• Budget?
• Favorite Colors or Plant Types?
• Entertain Guests?
• Future Plans?

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Site Survey

• The purpose of the site survey is to inventory
  the existing features of the site. The items
  that are inventoried include...

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• Topography-shape of the ground
• Geology-what is the ground made of
• Hydrology-water table and movement
• Existing Vegetation-what plant matter is present
• Circulation-people movement in the landscape
• Utilities-gas/power lines, septic tank, water
  ways
• Views-what might be pleasurable to see or not

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• Off-site Influence-city ordinance, neighbors,
  roadways
• Climate-macro (entire lot) and micro (specific
  area within the site
• Soil-structure and fertility
• Record views-back door, living room window,
  driveway to front door, deck, road

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Site Analysis

• Identify Use Areas (for example, a large, open
  area with a gentle slope and good soil and no
  overhead wires would be an ideal location for a
  garden).

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Problem Statement

• Defines the scope (kind) of project with general
  sentences or phrases.
• Defines what you are trying to accomplish through
  this process.
• General. Not Specific.

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Objectives

• Create more specific statements that identify the
  goals of the project. These still are not actual
  design decisions.

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Concept

• Create a bubble diagram of the property and the
  uses for each portion of the property.

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Design Phase

• The purpose of the design phase is to put all of
  the information, thought and ideas gathered in
  the program phase into a working design.

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Preliminary Design

• Tends to be a rough sketch, not exactly to scale,
  not fully labeled.
• Include specific design items, include plant and
  hardscape materials.
• This design is shared with the client for
  feedback.

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Final Design

• The preliminary design is modified to include the
  feedback from the client.
• The final design is professionally completed,
  drawn to scale, and includes clearly labeled
  items and a materials list.
• This design is provided to the landscape
  contractor for installation.