LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Site development considerations

• Excavation and Grading Excavation: The process of removing earth or soil from a site to createdepressions,
foundations, or other required features. Grading: The alteration or leveling of the ground surface to achieve aspecific
slope or contour. Proper grading is essential for water drainageand site stability.

• Slope- The incline or gradient of the land surface. Managing slopes iscrucial in site development to address drainage
issues, prevent erosion,and determine suitable land use

Steps: Constructed structures designed to facilitate vertical movementon sloped terrain. Steps can be an
important aspect of site design toensure accessibility and usability of different levels.
• Lawn and Seeding Area:

Lawn: An area covered with cultivated grass, often used for recreationalor aesthetic purposes.
Seeding Area: A designated space for planting seeds or establishingvegetation. Proper consideration of soil
conditions and maintenance isessential for successful seeding

• Parking: Designated areas for the storage of vehicles. In sitedevelopment, the layout and design of parking spaces are
criticalfor traffic flow, safety, and overall site functionality.

• Site Drainage: The planning and implementation of systems tomanage the flow of water on a site. This includes
measures suchas grading, drainage pipes, swales, and other features to preventwater accumulation and erosion.

• Site Furnishing: The inclusion of elements such as benches, tables,lighting, and other amenities to enhance the
usability and comfort ofoutdoor spaces. Site furnishings contribute to the overall design andfunctionality of the site.

• Landscape and Planting:

Landscape: The overall design and arrangement of outdoor spaces,including natural and built elements.

Planting: The introduction of vegetation, such as trees, shrubs, andflowers, into the landscape. Planting considerations
include speciesselection, arrangement, and maintenance

Basic Principles
• Unity-The effective use of components in a design to express amain idea through consistent style.

• Balance- Refers to the equilibrium of visual attraction.

• Transition- Can be obtained by the arrangement of objects withvarying textures, forms, or sizes in a logical sequential
order.

• Focalization-The leading of visual observation towarda feature by placement of this feature at the vanishingpoint
between radial or approaching lines.

• Proportion- the size of parts of the design in relationto each other and to the design as a whole.

• Rhythm- is a patterned repetition of a design principleat regular or irregular intervals. Rhythm of form, color,or texture
intensifies the plant composition.

• Repetition- is the placement of the same or similar form,texture, or color over and over again.

• Simplicity-The principle of keeping the design clear,straightforward, and uncomplicated. It involves

avoidingunnecessary complexity and ensuring that the designcommunicates its message or purpose effectively
SOFTSCAPE
comprises the animate (living), horticulturalelements of landscape design. More simplyput, it refers to the plants.
Softscape elementsare complemented by hardscape elements.

Elements of Planting• Trees• Shrubs• Flowering Plants• Lawn• Fern

• Trees- are perennial woody plants typically characterized by asingle main stem or trunk, supporting branches and
leaves.
• Shrubs- are small to medium-sized woody plants with multiplestems and a relatively low height compared to
trees.

Trees
• Deciduous-Refers to plants that shed their leaves seasonally,usually in the fall or autumn

• Conifers- a group of trees and shrubs that bear cones, usuallyhave needle-like or scale-like leaves and retain
their leaves(needles) throughout the year
• Palms-are characterized by their large, compound leaves(fronds) and a typically unbranched stem (trunk). They
are oftenassociated with warm climates and are commonly used inlandscaping for their ornamental appeal.

Elements of Planting
• Flowering Plants- also known as angiosperms, are a diversegroup of plants that produce flowers as part of
theirreproductive structures.

• Lawn- is an area covered with short, cultivated grass, usuallykept at a uniform height through mowing.

• Fern- are a group of non-flowering vascular plants thatreproduce via spores

HARDSCAPE
The term hard landscape is used by practitioners oflandscape architecture and garden design todescribe the construction
materials which are usedto improve a landscape by design. Consist of theinanimate elements of landscaping, especially
anymasonry work or woodwork.

Elements• Stone Walls• Retaining Walls• Wooden decks• Gazebo• Trellis, Pergola, Arbors• Paved
Walkways, Pathways• Bollards• Sculpture

Stone Walls-are constructed barriers made of natural stones, typicallyarranged in a structured manner. In landscape
architecture, they canserve various purposes, including defining boundaries, creatingterraced levels, or adding
aesthetic elements to the design.
• Retaining Walls- Retaining walls are structures designed to hold backsoil or other materials to prevent erosion or
create different levelswithin a landscape.
• Wooden decks-are elevated platforms constructed from wood thatprovide outdoor living spaces. In landscape
architecture, decks areoften integrated into the design to create functional areas foractivities such as dining,
relaxation, or socializing.
• Gazebo- a freestanding, open-sided structure often placed in agarden or park. It typically has a roof and provides
a shelteredspace for outdoor activities.

• Trellis, Pergola, Arbors-are structures designed to supportclimbing or trailing plants.

• Trellis: A framework of light wooden or metal bars used as asupport for climbing plants.

• Pergola: An outdoor structure with an open framework, oftencovered with trained climbing or trailing plants.
• Arbor: A simple, often arched structure, providing a framework forplants and sometimes serving as an entrance or
walkway.

• Paved Walkways, Pathways- are designed surfaces, oftenmade of materials like concrete, stone, or pavers,
creatingdefined routes for pedestrian movement within a landscape.
• Bollards- are short, sturdy vertical posts typically used tocontrol or direct traffic. In landscape architecture, they
canserve as functional elements for delineating pathways or asdecorative features.

• Sculptures- are three-dimensional art pieces that can beintegrated into landscape designs to add artistic
andaesthetic elements. They can serve as focal points orcontribute to the overall theme of the outdoor space.

Site Planning and LandscapeArchitecture Terms

• BENCHMARK – a permanent point of known andrecorded elevation.

• BUILDING FOOTPRINT – the outline of a horizontalsection (plan) of the building, usually at the ground plane.

• BUILDING SITE – the property on which a building isconstructed.

• CONTOUR – a line on a map connecting points of thesame elevation.

• CONTOUR INTERVAL – The difference in height ofadjacent contour lines on a map.

• DATUM – The reference level (horizontal plane) towhich point elevations or contours are related, usually mean
sea level.
• EASEMENT – A legal claim on some rights regarding apiece of property, such as the right to placetransmission
wiring overhead, extend a publicthoroughfare, or install a sewer line.
• GEOTECHNICAL CONSULTANT – A professional personwith expertise in soils engineering, geology, etc.

• GEOTECHNICAL SURVEY – Investigation of a siterelating to various concerns for soil materials,behaviors, and
potential problems.
• INVISIBLE SITE – The portion of a site that is belowthe surface; typically contains foundations, roots ofplants,
service piping and wiring, etc.
• PLOT – A piece of land (site) defined by establishedboundaries.

• SITE – A specific point or small region on the surfaceof the earth.

• SITING A BUILDING – Locating a building on itsconstruction site.

• SPOT ELEVATION - Height (elevation; vertical distance)of a point on the ground surface with respect to adatum
plane.
• ACCESSIBILITY - Ability to be used, entered, reached,et cetera, including by those with physical limitations.

• AMENITY - Any feature that makes a property more attractiveor valuable. Amenities include such items as off-
streetparking, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and proximity togood schools, transportation and shopping facilities.
• AQUIFER - A geological formation, group of formations, orpart of a formation that is capable of yielding a
significantamount of water to a well or spring.
• BUFFER - Method of separating incompatible uses; examplesinclude opaque fencing, vegetated berms, and
denselandscaping.

• DISTRICT - A division of an area as for administrativepurposes. A place in a city with one or more
common,identifying characters.
• EFFLUENT - Wastewater that has completed its passagethrough a wastewater treatment process.

• GROUNDWATER - Water under the surface of the earthregardless of the geologic structure in which it is standing
ormoving.

• INFRASTRUCTURE - The basic facilities and services for thefunctioning of a community or society, such as
transportationand communications systems, water and power systems, andpublic institutions.
• LAND USE - The way land is developed and used in terms ofthe kinds of anthropogenic activities that occur
(e.g.,industrial areas).
• LOCATION ANALYSIS - The study of factors that affectbusiness location decisions in relation to a
community’savailable land and population projections.
• OPEN SPACE - Publicly or privately owned lands maintained intheir natural state.

• PLAT - A survey, prepared by a licensed registered surveyor, ofproperty showing the dimensions and location of
lot lines,streets, and easements. A plat also establishes the lot, block,and subdivision name used in real estate
transactions.
• RIGHT-OF-WAY - An easement on a strip of land over whichfacilities such as expanded lanes, sidewalks,
landscaping, orpower lines are placed.
• ZONING - The division of a city into districts andthe application of different regulations in eachdistrict.

• ZONING ORDINANCE - A law dividing all land in thecity into zones that specifies uses permitted andstandards
required in each zone.
• Agronomy - The science and management of land, especiallyrural, agricultural land.

• Air Rights - A type of easement granting permission to aconstructor or developer to build over a street or
structure.
• Base Plan - In landscape architecture, an essential sheetshowing site boundaries and significant site features,
used as abasis for subsequent plan development.

• Conservation Plan - A plan for conserving or protectingvarious natural or manufactured resources.

• Designed Landscape - A site that might appear to be naturalbut has elements and features that were planned
andspecified by a landscape architect.
• Environmental Design Professions - Landscape architecture,(civil) engineering, urban planning and
architecture.Agronomy is also often included in this group.

• Environmental Impact - The change to an area's naturalresources, including animal and plant life, resulting from
useby man. Some projects may require conducting of an"environmental impact study" before development
canproceed.
• Environmental Inventory - Record of an area's natural andman-made resources, including vegetation, animal
life,geological characteristics and mankind's presence in suchforms as housing, highways and even hazardous
wastes.
• Greenbelt - A strip of unspoiled, often treed, agricultural orother outlying land used to separate or ring urban
areas.

• Historic Preservation - This landscape architecturespecialization has evolved to encompass maintenance of asite
in its present condition; conservation of a site as part of alarger area of historic importance; restoration of a site to
agiven date or quality; renovation of a site for ongoing use; andinterpretation of a vanished landscape.

• Master Plan - A preliminary plan showing proposed ultimatesite development. Master plans often comprise site
work thatmust be executed in phases over a long time and are thussubject to drastic modification.
• National Park - A large, public park, often highly scenic andisolated belonging to and operated by the federal•
government

• Parkway - A road laid through a garden or park-likelandscape, usually with median and roadside plantings.

• Reclamation - Any attempt to restore to beneficial use landthat has lost its fertility and stability; most often applies
tomining reclamation, such as the restoration of strip mines andquarries.
• Scenic Easement - A legal means of protecting beautiful viewsand associated aesthetic quality along a site by
restrictingchange in existing features without government approval.
• Topography - The lay of the land, particularly its slope anddrainage patterns; the science of drawing maps and
charts orotherwise representing the surface features of a region orsite, including its natural and man-made features.
• View - Narrowly defined, an extended view or prospect froma site which, many times, is as important as or
moreimportant than the site itself.

3 Types of Land Titles

• Original Certificate of Title(OCT)
• Transfer Certificate of Title(TCT)
• Condominium Certificateof Title (CCT)