LECTURE NOTE ON ADVANCED LANDSCAPE DESIGN- ARC 815

DEFINITION

Landscape architecture is a multi-disciplinary field, incorporating aspects of

botany, horticulture, architecture, fine arts, industrial design, earth sciences,
environmental psychology, geography and ecology. It combines elements of art and
science to create a functional, aesthetically pleasing extension of indoor living to
the outdoors. One initial purpose of landscape design is to blend man’s technology
(house or building) into the natural surroundings. It aims at providing direction,
creating aesthetic appeal and beautifying the environment which enhances view.
Landscape also assist in both environmental and behavioral control. To work
toward a desirable landscape design, the landscape architect must have a working
knowledge of art elements and design principles.

Scope

The scope of the profession includes landscape design, site planning, storm water
management, erosion control, environmental restoration, parks and recreation
planning, visual resource management, green infrastructure planning and
provision, private estate and residence landscape master planning, all at varying
scales of design, planning and management.

Landscape architect and duties

A landscape architect is a practitioner in the profession of landscape architecture

whose duties include:

● Collection of brief from the client

● Production of preliminary sketches for discussion with the client.
● Upon approval, carries out the impact assessment of the project.

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 ● The planning and siting of new developments.
● Storm water management including rain gardens, green roofs and treatment
wetlands.
● Design of Parks, botanical gardens, arboretums, greenways, and nature
preserves.
● Design of Recreation facilities like golf courses, theme parks and sports
facilities.
● Outdoor design of housing areas, industrial parks and commercial
developments.
● Highways, transportation structures, bridges, and transit corridors
● Urban design, town and city squares, waterfronts, pedestrian schemes, and
parking lots.
● Large or small urban regeneration schemes.
● Forest, tourist or historic landscapes, and historic garden appraisal and
conservation studies.
● Environmental assessment and landscape assessment, planning advice and
land management proposals.

COMPONENTS OF LANDSCAPE

1. Water bodies: fountains, pools, cascades river, spring, lake, sea, ocean,
stream, rivulet, ponds etc.
2. Rocks: stones, pebbles etc.
3. Flora: trees, shrubs, ornamental grass, plants etc.
4. Landforms: hills, plains, mountains etc.

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 5. Man-made features: pools, fountains, terracing benches, paving, lightings,
steps, balustrades, sculptures, recreation equipment, plant containers,
signage etc.

CLASSIFICATION OF LANDSCAPE
1. soft landscaping
2. Hard landscaping
In good landscape design, both soft landscaping and hard landscaping are
essential elements and both need consideration. A landscape can appear
incomplete, and it can’t perform many of the functions that good landscaping
can without both hard and soft materials present. Balance between the hard and
soft is needed for the whole.
soft landscaping
The soft landscaping is the more changeable, living part of your landscaping.
They are flexible and can be easily manipulated. The plants, the mulch, the dirt,
the lawn, the trees and shrubs all make up soft cape materials. They are
relatively cheap, unique appeal and relatively easy to install.

Hard landscaping

The hard components of the landscape- the large pieces of hard material make
up the bulk of the “bones” of landscape materials- the rock, the stone, the
masonry. These are typically referred to the hardscape materials.

In good landscape design, both soft landscaping and hard landscaping are
essential elements and both need consideration. A good landscape design is one
that uses both soft and hard landscape elements to harness their relative
strengths and offsetting their relative disadvantages by the combination. A
landscape can appear incomplete, and it can’t perform many of the functions
that good landscaping can without both hard and soft materials present. Balance
between the hard and soft is needed for the whole.
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IMPORTANCE OF LANDSCAPE

- Plants and trees used in landscaping provide numerous environmental

benefits to both humans and the ecosystem in general.
- It helps prevent soil erosion; the roots of trees hold the soil thus the water is
unable to wash out easily.
- It improves both the indoor and outdoor air quality; trees and plants create
oxygen from carbon dioxide- a process essential to human survival and help
remove dust and particulates from the air. Landscaping trees help in
improving the quality of air (oxygen) for breathing and help reduce the
effects of human pollution from cars and industrial operations.
- The use of paving patterns in landscape provide focal points for relaxation in
paved areas.
- Photosynthesis; the trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen which is
essential for animals and humans.
- Environmental control; the planting of trees beautifies the environment and
creates positive psychological effects on man.
- It improves economic growth of a nation; production of fruits from tree
products. Other products such as timber, medicinal herbs, rubber, building
materials and other economic related products are produced from
landscaping trees.
- It provides low-capital jobs
- It can be used to harness nature or man-made elements to produce beauty
- Tree planting can be used to control the environment as it serves as
windbreakers, erosion control and photosynthesis.

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 - Tree planting as designed by appropriate professionals creates positive
psychological effects on man.

ELEMENTS OF ART
Elements of art include but are not limited to color, line, form, texture and scale.
These elements are never independent of each other, but we will discuss their
individual natures before considering the interactions.

Color
Color is used to convey emotion and influences the mood and character of the
overall landscape design or parts of the design.
It has three properties: hue or Chroma, value, and intensity.
Hue or Chroma refers to the relative purity or strength of the color.
Value determines how light or dark the color is, whereas
Intensity refers to how bright or dull it is.
• Color adds the dimension of real life and interest to the landscape.
• Colors can also be used to direct your attention to a specific area of the
garden. A bright display among cooler colors would naturally catch the eye.

• Bright colors excite or stimulate emotional responses.

• Cool colors have a receding visual effect.

To vigorously use colour and effective colour combinations requires a thorough

knowledge of plants, their colours and seasonal changes with detail of twig,
leaf, flower and fruit as well as principles of color.

Line creates a sense of direction as well as a sense of movement. It leads the

viewer’s eyes through the landscaped space. It defines and delineates space. linear
lines such as those found in a straight hedge or the edges of paving materials

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suggest quick, direct movement. Angled lines can create opportunities for creating
the "bones or the framework of the landscape". Lines that interconnect at right
angles create an opportunity for reflection, stopping or sitting.

Through skillful use of lines in the landscape, the designer is able to direct the
attention of the viewer to a focal point.

Form defines the shape and structure of an object. In landscape design, form
indicates the shape of a plant and the structure of its branching pattern. Tree forms
are defined by branching pattern, while shrub forms are determined by growth.
pattern.
Texture describes the surface quality of an object than can be seen or felt. Surfaces
in the landscape includes buildings, walks, patios, groundcovers and plants.
The coarseness or smoothness of the leaf, bark, and foliage of plants and trees and
of buildings, patios, and walkways also define texture in landscape Design.

Texture in Landscape Is Defined in 3 Groups

• Coarse includes plants, structures and hardscapes that are bold and large.
• Medium texture takes in many plants and smaller structures.
• Fine includes plants such as ferns and grasses and structures that are thin and
delicate.

Scale refers to the size of an object or objects in relation to the surroundings. Size
refers to definite measurements while scale describes the size relationship between
adjacent objects. The size of plantings and buildings compared on the human scale
must be considered

PRINCIPLES OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN

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Landscape designers use these principles of design to create landscape designs that
are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Landscape design principles include

• Focalization or Emphasis

• Proportion and Scale

• Balance

• Order and Unity

• Repetition

• Rhythm

• Sequence or Transition

• Contrast and Harmony

Focalization or Emphasis

Focalization or Emphasis directs visual attention to a point of interest or prominent

part of the landscape design. This could be a hanging earth-forms sculpture, a
stone-finished Corinthian garden fountain. Emphasis refers to those garden
elements which initially seize attention and to which the eye continually returns. It
is the creation of the more important and the less important elements in the garden.
The parts of any composition should not be equal in their visual interest.

Proportion
• 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.

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 • Proportion involves the size relationships between and among the
components making up the landscape
• Proportion describes the size relationship between parts of the
landscape design or between a part of the design and the design as a
whole.
Scale
•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 two-story
house, corner plantings that are proportional to the house may appear
out of scale to the viewer.
• Relationship between the size of an object to the size of the other
objects. within the same composition
Symmetrical or Formal Balance

It is achieved when the mass, weight, or number of objects both sides of the
landscape design are exactly the same.

Asymmetrical or Informal Balance

• In landscape design, this suggests a feeling of balance on both sides,
even though the sides do not look the same.
• Asymmetrical balance in visual attraction may be achieved by using
opposing compositions on either side of the central axis.
• This form of balance often has separate or different themes with each
having an equal but different type of attraction.

Order and Unity

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.

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Unity refers to the use of elements to create harmony and consistency with the
main theme or idea of the landscape design.

• Unity gives the landscape design a sense of oneness and interconnection.

• Unity in landscape design can be achieved by using plants, trees, or material

that have repeating lines or shapes, a common hue, or similar texture.

• Consistency creates unity in the sense that some or all of the different
elements of the landscape fit together to create a whole.

• Unity can be achieved by the consistency of character of elements in the

design. Character, means the height, size, texture, color schemes, etc. of different
elements.

Repetition
Repetition involves repeating or using an element more than once throughout a
design. It helps establish and add order and unity to a design. Repetition provides a
common feature throughout the design that pulls the design together.

Rhythm
Rhythm creates a feeling of motion which leads the eye from one part of the
landscape design to another part. Repeating a color scheme, shape, texture, line or
form evokes rhythm in landscape design. Proper expression of rhythm eliminates
confusion and monotony from landscape design.

Sequence or Transition
• Sequence or Transition creates visual movement in landscape design.
• Sequence in landscape design is achieved by the gradual progression of
texture, form, size, or color.
• Examples of landscape design elements in transition are plants that go
from coarse to medium to fine textures or soft scapes that go from large
trees to medium trees to shrubs to bedding plants
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 • Natural transition can be applied to avoid radical or abrupt changes in
landscape design. Transition is basically gradual change.
• Sharp transitions occur most often in formal landscapes and form hard
edges. An example of this landscape design idea is putting a brick
mowing strip to break the transition from the mulch in your planting
bed to your lawn.
Contrast and Harmony
Harmony is a quality of relatedness found in similar plant forms, similar textures,
similar qualities of line and closely related colors.

• Aesthetic impact of Harmony depends on simultaneous perception of

both similarities and differences.

• We perceive the world as a pattern of similarities picked out as different

from its background.

• Harmony and contrast go together; neither can exist without the other.

• Contrast is found between different plant forms, strikingly different

qualities of line, texture and colour.

ELEMENTS OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN

1. Water

2. Climate

3. Plants /vegetation

4. Landform

5. Structures

WATER
In planning the use of land areas in relation to water ways and water bodies, a
reasonable goal would be to take the full advantage of the benefits of proximity.

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These benefits would fall in the following categories
1. water supply, irrigation and drainage

2. Use in processing

3. Transportation

4. Microclimate moderation

5. Habitat

6. Recreational use

7. scenic value

8. Site amenity

9. Water as landscape feature

TYPES OF WATER FEATURES

PONDS are often the beginning of a landscape design and water features of this
kind may be any size and shape, may feature seating around the edges, and can
have either a formal style or a natural appearance.
FOUNTAINS are also popular water features and enhance your garden with the
relaxing sights and sounds of moving water. Freestanding fountains and wall
fountains are both possible options and can be found in a variety of styles and
designs.
WATERFALLS are often integrated into the design of a natural pond, but can be
planned into a swimming pool

CLIMATE
There are two major considerations:
Design with climate - for comfort
In the temperate zone, gardens should be planned with sitting areas for as many
climatic conditions and times of day as possible: winter afternoons, autumn
afternoons, summer afternoons, summer evenings.
Design with climate - for enchantment

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The conditions of modern life require to spend too much time in climatically
controlled buildings, detached from the natural world. For leisure,there is a joy in
appreciating the wonders of wind, sun, frost, dew, mist, growth and decay.
Climatic design for plants
Gardeners often like to grow a wide range of plants from many parts of the world -
which have different climatic requirements: wet/dry, hot/cool, boggy/well-drained,
fullsun/half-sun/shade. This requires consideration at an early stage of the design
process.
PLANTS AS LANDSCAPE DESIGN ELEMENTS

Planting design is the selection and placing of suitable plants within the overall
design of the Landscape, so that the plants chosen perform specific functions and
create the desired visual effect.

• Characteristics of individual plants.

• How plants can be used to fulfill various design requirements

Classification of Plant Material

• Size

• Habits of Growth

• Form

• Flowering characteristics

• Foliage characteristics

• Growth rate and life span

Spatial Functions of Plants in The Human Landscape

• Ground level
• Below knee height

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• Knee–eye level
• Above eye level
Plant Material – Natural Resource Valued natural resources
• Capture solar energy and make it available to food chains
• produce oxygen
• Purify water
• Influence micro climate
Classification - Size
TREES – Plants having a single stem growing to a height greater than 5 m.
SHRUBS - Woody plants and are often multi-stemmed and low branching.
GROUND COVERS - Low growing, prostrate, surface covering plants.

PLANT SELECTION AND PLACEMENT

Plants are selected on the basis of climatic adaptability to the microclimate of the
location, plant architecture and availability. No matter how well a plant meets the
physical characteristics for a location, if it is not adaptable to the conditions there,
it will fail. These microclimate conditions include sun intensity and duration, soil
conditions, rainfall, air circulation and temperature.

Plants can be selected to tolerate varied soil conditions, but the designer must have
a working knowledge of available plant materials.

Landscape designers must also be aware of insect and disease problems for plants
they expect to include in a plan. Desirable plants are those resistant to or tolerant of
pests like mites, scale, nematodes, borers, root rots, powdery mildew, wilts, galls,
blights, and leaf spots. Plants in some locations must be tolerant of human abuse,
air pollution and animals.

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LANDFORM

• Mounds

• Meadows

• Contours

• Terraces

STRUCTURES

A statue is a sculpture representing a person or persons, an animal, or an event,

normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or large.
Its primary concern is representational.

Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping hard or plastic material,

commonly stone (either rock or marble), metal, or wood. Some sculptures are
created directly by carving; others are assembled, built up and fired, welded,
molded, or cast.

Furnitures

Outdoor Living – Life- Stone Seating

LANDSCAPE DESIGN PROCESS

1. Site Study

2 Topography map

3 Water map

4 Soil map

5 Vegetation map

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6 Climatic map

7. Site Analysis and Zoning with Major Site Requirements

3. Access

• Pedestrian movement

• Vehicular movement

4. Decision Making

• Preservation and conservation of environment (prevent cutting of 100 years

old tree in the site). Try to include it as design element.

• Exploit the nature into the site through views. (View points).

5. Landscape Master Plan

• Landscape Character - Gardens, Play courts, Streetscapes, Courtyards

• Landscape design - detailing.

LANDSCAPE PLANNING

Landscape Planning is defined as an activity concerned with reconciling competing

land uses while protecting natural processes and significant cultural and natural
resources.

Four Stages of Procedures in Landscape Planning:

• Survey and Analysis

• Evaluation/ Assessment

• Policy or Design Solutions

• Implementation

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Areas of activities in Landscape Planning:

• Environmental Inventory

• Opportunity and Constraint

• Site Assessment

• Land capability / Sustainability/ Carrying Capacity of a region/site

• Hazard Assessment and Risk Management

• Forecasting Impacts

• Restoration planning

• Site Selection

• Facilities Planning

• Management Planning

• Master Planning

STEPS IN DEVELOPING A LANDSCAPE DESIGN

The benefits of an organized system in developing a landscape design are

tremendous. As with most endeavors, the level of efficiency relative to time input
is greatly increased with an organized approach. The conventional planning
process is a linear progression of activities. The common steps are:

• Identification of problems and opportunities.

• Establishment of goals.

• Inventory and analysis of the biophysical environment.

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• Human community inventory and analysis.

• Development of concepts and the selection of options.

• Adoption of a plan.

• Community involvement and education.

• Detailed design.

• Plan implementation.

• Plan administration.

Safety factors

Safety precautions will often influence and may sometimes inhibit the design.
Serious physical hazards should be foreseen by the landscape architect and guarded
against in the site plan. Subsequent emergency measures can ruin the design.
Examples of such hazards include:

1. Access to fast traffic roads by pedestrians especially children

2. High unprotected retaining walls
3. Deep water accessible to children.

LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE.

Landscape maintenance is the care and upkeep of the landscape after its
installation. Since landscape is dynamic (constantly growing and changing) they
alter their appearance and size each season, thereby requiring different types of
maintenance at different times of the year. Maintenance cannot be avoided, but it
can be minimized. Even the perfectly designed and installed landscape will fail if
maintenance fails. However, many maintenance problems are designed into
landscapes.

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Complex designs usually require more maintenance. Simplicity can be achieved by
avoiding unnecessary detail. Limit the number of plant species and create
well-defined planted areas by not scattering plants throughout open areas.

Design the appropriate size of maintained area and arrange plants in groups of like
species to create a mass effect. Tree beds can eliminate trimming, reduce lawn
mower damage to tree trunks and increase the speed of mowing. Edging of beds
creates a sharp clean line and reduces maintenance requirements.

The following is a partial listing for a job necessary for a year-round maintenance
of a landscape:

- Pruning of trees and shrubs.

- Mowing of lawns
- Application of fertilizer to lawns and plantings
- Weed control in lawns and plantings
- Spraying and or dusting for insect and disease control
- Planting and care of flower beds and borders
- Replacement of dead plants
- Painting of fences and outdoor furnishings
- Repairing of walls and paved surfaces
- Cleaning of fountain and pool basins
- Irrigation of lawns
- Replacement of mulches
- Removal of lawn thatch
- Rolling and reseeding of lawns
- Raking of leaves
- Preventive maintenance of equipment

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