LANDSCAPE DESIGN GUIDELINES

STEPS IN DEVELOPING A LANDSCAPE DESIGN SCHEME

DEVELOP A PLOT PLAN CONDUCT A SITE ANALYSIS ASSESS FAMILY NEEDS & DESIRES LOCATE ACTIVITY AREAS DESIGN ACTIVITY AREAS PLANT SELECTION & PLACEMENT

LANDSCAPE DESIGN GUIDELINES

LOCATE ACTIVITY AREAS

IT CAN INCLUDE PUBLIC AREA, ENTRANCE, LIVING AREA, QUIET ZONE, SERVICE & WORK AREA, KIDS PLAY AREA, ENTERTAINMENT AREA CONSIDERATIONS FOR PLACEMENT OF AREAS PLACE OUTDOOR AREAS IN RELATION TO INDOOR ACTIVITY AREAS- THE OUTDOOR LIVING OR ENTERTAINMENT AREA SHOULD BE THE EXTENSION OF THE FAMILY OR LIVING ROOM IN THE HOUSE. SERVICE AREA OR WORK AREA MAY BE THE EXTENSION OF KITCHEN, LAUNDRY OR GARAGE. ARRANGE AREAS RELATIVE TO EACH ACTIVITY AND ACTIVITIES ON ADJOINING PROPERTY- FOR EXAMPLE, DO NOT PLACE THE KIDS PLAY AREA BESIDE THE QUIET ZONE. ALWAYS PROVIDE A CLEAR VIEW TO KIDS PLAY AREA FROM SOME IDENTIFIED OBSERVATION POINT LIKE KITCHEN WINDOW

LANDSCAPE DESIGN GUIDELINES

DESIGN ACTIVITY AREAS

A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH OF DESIGN IS MUST DETERMINE THE OBJECTIVE OF THE DESIGN AND ESTABLISH GENERAL TYPE OF PLAN- FORMAL OR NATURAL STRUCTURAL NEED SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FIRST- IF A STORAGE BUILDING IS NEEDED, A LEVEL SPOT & ACCESS MUST BE PLANNED LAND FORM INFORMATION- TAKE CARE OF DRAINAGE ISSUES BY USING THIS INFORMATION PUBLIC AREAS TO BE PLANNED TO ENHANCE THE HOME, PROVIDE COMFORTABLE ACCESS & LEAD THE VISITOR TO THE ENTRANCE- PUBLIC AREAS MAY CONTAIN DRIVEWAY, WALK, PARKING, OPEN SPACE, ENTRANCE AREA FOUNDATION PLANTING- OBJECTIVE OF THIS IS TO FOCALIZE THE MAIN ENTRANCE, COMPLIMENT THE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE OF HOUSE AND TO BREAK LONG CONTINUOUS LINES OF THE HOUSE AND BLEND IT INTO SURROUNDINGS RULE OF THUMB FOR FOUNDATION PLANTING- HT. OF PLANT NOT TO BE EXCEED 2/3rd OF WALL HT. AT CORNERS. IN GENERAL THE PLANT HT. SHOULD NOT EXCEED THE HT. OF LINE EXTENDING FROM DOORWAY TO THE IMAGINARY POINT AT HOUSE CORNER
LANDSCAPE DESIGN GUIDELINES

DESIGN ACTIVITY AREAS

ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE IS MORE DESIRABLE IN LANDSCAPING- MONOTONY IS NOT THERE DRIVEWAYS, WALKS AND PARKING MUST BE FUNCTIONAL- POSITIONED TO PROVIDE EASY ACCESS FROM THE POINTS OF ENTRY ONTO THE PROPERTY TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE BUILDING WALK & DRIVEWAY SURFACES- LESS EXPENSIVE MATERIALS LIKE GRAVEL TO BE USED IN LOW TRAFFIC WALKS & DRIVEWAYS BUT FOR HIGH TRAFFIC DEMANDS, HARD SURFACE IS REQUIRED WIDTH OF WALKS & DRIVEWAY- WALKS FOR 2 PERSON ABREAST- 1.2 METER & FOR SINGLE PERSON- 0.75 METER. STRAIGHT DRIVEWAY FOR SINGLE CAR- 2.4 M WHILE FOR TWO CARS SIDE BY SIDE- 4.3 M. FOR CIRCLE DRIVES- INNER RADIUS TO 5.5 M & OUTER RADIUS TO BE 9.8 M VIEW OF STREET TRAFFIC FROM DRIVEWAY SHOULD NOT BE BLOCKED- LARGE PLANTS SHOULD NOT BE PLACED ALONG THE DRIVEWAY ENTRANCE. PLANTS ON THE OUTSIDE OF A CURVE IN A DRIVEWAY HELP THE DRIVER BY GIVING DEFINITION TO THE TRAFFIC FLOW

LANDSCAPE DESIGN GUIDELINES

DESIGN ACTIVITY AREAS

PLACEMENT OF TREE- TREES PLACED IN BACKYARD PROVIDE EXCELLENT BACKGROUND TO THE BUILDING AS VIEWED FROM STREET. VERTICAL LINES OF MANY BUILDINGS CAN BE SOFTENED BY TREE PLANTED AT CORNER PRIVATE AREAS- IT MAY BE FOR READING & MEDITATION AS AN EXTENSION OF MASTER BEDROOM OR AN AREA FOR SMALL GROUP CONVERSATION AS AN EXTENSION OF LIVING ROOM. THE PLACEMENT MAY BE CLOSE TO THE HOUSE OR IN AN ISOLATED CORNER OF LANDSCAPE WATER FEATURE- MOVING WATER CREATES A SECURE, RELAX FEELING IN A PRIVATE AREA TRAFFIC FLOW & CIRCULATION IN LIVING AREA- EACH UNIT IN THIS AREA SHOULD BE A PART OF WHOLE & CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL CIRCULATION PATTERN. CIRCULATION REFERS TO THE MOVEMENT OF EYES AND BODIES OF USER THROUGH A SPECIFIC PATTERN IN LANDSCAPE

LANDSCAPE DESIGN GUIDELINES

DEFINITION & SEPARATION OF AREAS

VISUAL SCREENS- GROUPING OF PLANTS CAN BE POSITIONED TO PROVIDE A VISUAL BARRIER IN ONE DIRECTION WHILE ALLOWING AIR FLOW INTO THE ACTIVITY AREAS SEPARATION BY PLANTERS- CAN BE A VERY ATTRACTIVE MEAN OF DEFINING SPACE

PLANT SELECTION & PLACEMENT

MAIN CRITERIA FOR SELECTION- ON THE BASIS OF ADAPTABILITY TO THE MICROCLIMATE OF THE LOCATION, PLANT ARCHITECTURE AND AVAILABILITY SPACING- PLANTS SHOULD BE SPACED WITH CONSIDERATION TO THEIR MATURE SIZE. SPACE PLANT FROM THE BUILDING AT LEAST THE DISTANCE OF THE PLANT RADIUS AT MATURITY MINIMAL MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATION- COMPLEX DESIGN REQUIRES MORE MAINTENANCE. LIMIT NO. OF SPECIES AND DO NOT SCATTER PLANTS THROUGHOUT OPEN AREAS
LANDSCAPE DESIGN GUIDELINES

XERISCAPING
LANDSCAPE CONCEPT THAT REDUCE WATER REQUIREMENTS IS CALLED THE XERISCAPING CONVENTIONAL LANSCAPING REQUIRE LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER WHICH IS A LIMITED RESOURCE.HENCE LANDSCAPING SHOULD INCLUDE THOSE PLANT WHICH CONSUME LESS WATER. FOLLOWING CONSIDERATIONS ARE TO BE USED FOR REDUCTION IN WATER REQUIREMENT CONCEPT OF NATURAL LANDSCAPING- IT INVOLVES PLANT SELECTION ON THE BASIS OF CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT OF THE AREA AS WELL AS SITE CHARACTERISTICS OF EXPOSURE, LIGHT INTENSITY, SOIL pH, SOIL AERATION, SOIL MINERAL ANALYSIS, SITE DRAINAGE & IRRIGATION WATER QUALITY EXAMPLES- PLANTS ADAPTED TO WET SOILS SHOULD BE USED IN LOW SPOTS, WATERWAYS, RETENTION PONDS AND AREAS WITH POOR DRAINAGE OASIS DESIGNING APPROACH- IT INVOLVES PLACING HIGH WATER REQUIRING, HIGH MAINTENANCE & SHOWY PLANTS IN AREAS WITH MOST VISUAL IMPACTENTRANCEWAYS, PRIMARY VIEWS, PATIOS, COURTYARDS ETC. OASIS AREA HAS THE MOST ELABORATE IRRIGATION SYSTEM & REQUIRES MOST WATER & MAINTENANCE
LANDSCAPE DESIGN GUIDELINES

XERISCAPING
LANDSCAPE CONCEPT THAT REDUCE WATER REQUIREMENTS IS CALLED THE XERISCAPING GROUPING OF PLANTS ACCORDING TO WATER REQUIREMENTS- BY GROUPING PLANTS WITH SIMILAR WATER NEEDS, IRRIGATION SYSTEM CAN BE ZONED. ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGE IS THAT PLANTS ON THE SAME IRRIGATION SET WILL NOT BE UNDER OR OVERWATERED AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER PLANTS USE OF DRAUGHT TOLERANT PLANT- THESE REQUIRE LESS WATER. EXBAHIAGRASS, BERMUDAGRASS & ZOYSIAGRASS USE OF WINDBREAK- CAN BE FORMED BY FENCE, SHRUBS, WALLS OR HEDGES. IT REDUCES WIND VELOCITY AND CAN GREATLY REDUCE WATER LOSS THAT OCCURS BY EVAPORATION

LANDSCAPE DESIGN GUIDELINES