DALIA SPEAKS

THE LANDSCAPE DESIGNER

Dalia Sadany Ask Magazine's design consultant, Chief Designer & Founder of “Dezines”Architecture & Interiors, Managing Director & Partner of Divine Contracting as well as the creator of the new furniture brand GUSH is dwelling into the world of Architecture, Interior Design, Contracting and Landscape."

INTRODUCTIONIn the previous articles we discussed the elaborate building process, how to plan it, budget it, organize its decisive decisions. To initiate the knowledge of that process especially to home owners with little awareness in that domain, who could find this process dreary and hectic, the roles of professionals involved in it could be extremely confusing. For that, I have progressed into discussing extensively the key players in the construction process in an educational feedback on their roles, how to choose them, deal with them, the scope of work expected from each and how to calculate their fees.

I have started off with the prominent Architect, as well as tips on how to suitably make your architectural design, elaborating from there to the role and responsibilities of The Contractor and lately over the last two articles the fascinating world of The Interior designer .In this article; I will plunge in the anonymous world of Landscape.

“Never underestimate the significance of a properly designed landscape“ I always stress on to my clients. It is a commonly made mistake among home owners to exert excess effort on the architectural design of their dream houses and as much devotion to the interior design of the dwelling and tend to pay less attention to performing a successful, coherent landscape design.

When I initiated writing about this topic , I realized that is such a vast topic with its various fields from its professionals to its department would effortlessly fill up 10 articles and there would be still more to be said .In this article we will shed light on landscape generally while in the next article we will focus more on the practitioner in this profession; The Landscape Architect or commonly known as a Landscape Designer.

WHAT IS LANDSCAPE DESIGN?Landscape Architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation and integration of various disciplines such as existing social, ecological, and geological conditions, aspects such as botany(the scientific study of plants), horticulture (study or activity of growing garden plants), fine art as well as architecture, collaborating all these expertise to produce the desired outcome. The scope of this profession is quite broad. it includes: town or urban planning and design, parks and recreation planning, environmental restoration ,green infrastructure planning, private estate and residence landscape master planning and design; all at varying scales of design, planning and management. We will focus here on the residential landscape.

HISTORY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURENeedless to say that any form of design in any field originated in Ancient Egypt , in the landscape design of its royalty palaces, merging meticulously designed water features with plantations and ornamented pathways. Followed by the Greek touch of complimenting the nobility gardens with legendry statues of gods carved skillfully in marble.

In later centuries no civilization stood out in its divine attribution to landscape design more than the Islamic golden era breath taking example is Calat Elhambra in Andalusia, Spain in the 14th century.

In the 1700s, the history of landscape gardening (later called landscape architecture) is largely that of master planning and garden design for manor houses, palaces and royal properties,

religious complexes, and centers of government .An example is the extensive work of King Louis XIV’s at the Palace of Versailles. By later that century, the distinctive profession of a landscape architect was recognized.

Through the 19th century, urban planning became a more important need. The combination of the tradition of landscape gardening and emerging city planning that gave Landscape Architecture its unique focus to serve these needs. . Among these were Central Park in New York City, as well as and world famous private estates.

Landscape architecture continues to develop as a design discipline, and responded to the various movements in architecture and design through the 20th century. Innovation continues today solving challenging problems with contemporary design solutions for master planning, landscapes, and gardens.

Picture credit: All photographs are taken from actual Dezines’ sites

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WHAT ARE THE BRANCHES OF LANDSCAPE DESIGNLandscape is a field that has two main components;”hardscape” and “softscape”.

Hardscaping," or "hardscape" refers to the inanimate (i.e., non-living) elements of a landscape, these hard elements are the solid and unchanging as years go by such as those composed of concrete, brick, stone or rock, gravel, concrete, timber, glass, metals, in addition to wood. For instance, constructing a patio or deck is a hardscaping project, as is a brick walkway, a stone wall, or a wooden fence, stairs, pathways, patios as well as water features. But hardscaping goes beyond large-scale projects such as these. It can also describe outdoor furniture and other landscape products. Any non-living ornamentation is technically part of your hardscaping.

Hardscape projects are an essential part of the landscaping. They are often very utilitarian, and they can be made to be quite attractive. Additionally, hardscape elements decrease the amount of space in the landscape that needs active and frequent care, allowing you more time to enjoy your yard. Above is the diagram explaining the departments of Hardscaping and the second diagram shows images of the numerous Hardscape components.

Softscape are elements that are fluid and changing as they mature. It refers to the live, horticultural components of a landscape. The composition of the softscape is a critical part of landscaping. Numerous things can be incorporated into a softscape, including plants, trees, shrubs, and groundcovers. Some items may be fixed, as in the case of evergreen trees and shrubs which remain consistent year round, while others are temporary, like

annual plants installed along pathways to add color in the summer. Arranging all of these elements in an aesthetically pleasing way is the cornerstone of softscaping.

One of the most profound elements of softscape that have a striking visual impact and affect the overall appearance of a property is flowers. Seasonal color beds are an exciting and dramatic way to add beauty and value to any site. Properly designed & installed, seasonal flower beds will provide brilliant displays of color. However, the success of any seasonal color program relies heavily on the care and management of this areas.The purpose of softscape is to lend character to the landscaping, creating an aura and ambiance that reflects the character and sensibilities of the inhabitants. Below is the diagrams explaining the sectors of softscaping.

Most gardens and landscapes combine softscaped and hardscaped elements. A garden is not a garden without plants, but stone walkways, walls, fountains, and other hardscape features are equally important. A good landscaper takes the condition of the underlying land into account, looking at how the features of the land lie, and then works with inanimate and living objects to create a pleasing whole. A balance of hardscape and softscape elements bring an enduring, yet living quality to any landscape .Seamless integration of the natural look of flagstones, slates, rock walls, colored concrete and other elements to complement and shape the beauty of your outdoor space.

WHY IS A LANDSCAPE DESIGN NEEDED?The fact that most homeowners overlook is that simply the gardens are an extension of their homes. There are more aspects to landscape design than most homeowners realize. Landscaping plans are far more elaborate and involved than just deciding which plants to purchase and where to plant them. The possibilities are literally staggering, which entails utilizing a swarm of landscape ideas, including hardscape items as previously mentioned and clarified in the relative diagrams as well as plants and other gardening additions also elucidated in its two diagrams, all these are just scraping the surface of what your options are when it comes to landscape design.

If your goal is a unique, distinctive landscape, then solid landscape design is unquestionably needed. Whether you decide to tackle that ordeal by yourself or seek the services of a professional landscape designer, are definitely worth the investment and time it requires. In either case there are various substantial elements that have to be taken into consideration to achieve your goal in having an outstanding landscape as much as you have in designing the interior of your home. Remember Landscaping increases the value of your home and provides you with years of enjoyment.

POINTS TO PUT INTO CONSIDERATION TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL LANDSCAPE FOR YOUR PROJECT?

When you decide to plan your landscape, it does, indeed, require a plan. Even if you are going to a professional, there are factors that you need to thoughtfully address and decide upon before tackling this mission, and if you decide to hire a designer to execute the work then you have to provide him / her with these guideline so that he/ she can interpret them accurately to a desirable design that both appeals to you as well as fulfills your requirements skillfully.

1-The first and most important aspect to be taken into consideration and certainly to be laid crystal clear to your designer would be budgeting and determining how much you are willing to spend for your landscaping. Creating a home landscape for your yard is something that can be very costly if you do not carefully plan it.

Tip: Note that in a landscape project , you can easily plan it into phases, simply pinpoint that to your designer and he will draft you a plan of phases that not only would assist you to reach your goal one at a time , but also the exact budget for each phase note that he/she would consider primary preparation requisite for later stages . For example, if your design involves a pool, but you have postponed its execution for a subsequent stage, you would be advised to implement all your electromechanical work in your initial layout.

2-Another thing to do when planning your landscape is to keep in mind the needs you have for the space. You do not want your landscape ideas to interfere with family activities and the family routine, consider carefully as well any future possible use for all elements, the easily flowing circulation is yet another factor in the success or failure of a smart landscape design. Figure out how you and your family move through the landscape. For example; You do not want to create a design that suddenly makes it more difficult to get groceries from the car, or considering where you would like children to play, that would affect how trees, fences, flower beds, and other elements will be incorporated into the space without damaging its utility. This is an essential part of the landscaping process, as the best designs combine attractiveness with utility.

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Tip: Elucidate on your usage of spaces clearly to your designer in a list of activities as well as the number of people using the designated space. Make sure you clarify your preferences in maneuvering round your garden, as to simply the job for him/her to design your space in a way that mirrors yours and your family’s lifestyle, not just a pretty layout with irrefutable obstacles.

3-Keeping a journal or folder of landscape ideas is another way to help your designer to plan your landscape. You can keep your lists of current things you like and dislike. You can gather ideas you like from looking at pictures in magazines, books, on the Internet, or by driving around the neighborhood and taking pictures.

Tip : Make sure you include next to any images you have the things that you think you will need to build a particular feature, or notes on things you would do to fine tune a design to make it all your own.

6- An underestimated aspect that you ought to take into your consideration is sunlight. How does sunlight cover your property? You need to know whether certain sites receive full light (at least six hours a day of sunlight), partial shade (four to six hours — this is also called partial light) or full shade (less than four hours). If would affects your inclination to allocate your pool whether you wanted it to be in a sunny or a shaded area, and that would inevitably affect your pool or Jacuzzi heating plan . Sunlight directly affects also the location of your sitting areas whether they are naturally shaded or need a pergola which would vary accordingly your budget.

more chilling then taking a plunge after a long days work or having a friendly gathering on a weekend so ENJOY THAT.

4- Add fragrance to your backyard summer landscaping with trees like Jasmine. Make sure that your landscape accentuates all your senses among which, is your sense of smell.

5- Another sense that you need to invigorate is your sense of sound as we mentioned prior via pools, water features such as ponds, waterfalls or fountains would effectively achieve that. Also consider adding a sound system to increase your auditory enjoyment.

Common Tip: A professional designer will sit you down to fill in a questioner with all your preferences and requirements whether in usage, circulation, orientation, he/ she would present you with explicit images to visualize different styles for landscaping, pools etc. He/she would even question your preferable color palette in both hard and softscape. He/ she needs that input data to draft from it a personalized design that combines his/hers expertise with your persona in such a way that guarantees optimum, most efficient use of your available space and your money.

ELEMENTS THAT AFFECT A LANDSCAPE DESIGN

The factors that would influence the design of any landscape and ultimately would be the designers’ checklist are easily clarified in the diagram above.

WHAT IS A REASONABLE BUDGET OF A LANDSCAPE PROJECT?A budget rule of thumb is as follows: costs of landscaping should be about 10 percent of the value of the home. This cost includes things like irrigation, fencing, decks, patios, ponds, and any other element you wish to include in the yard except of course for

6- Your sense of sight would be pleasured by usage of lavish color accents as an enhancement to your outdoor living. If you're dealing with plain finishing flooring materials for example, brighten it up with vibrant upholstery for your furnishings or

a pool and it’s supplement deck since it’s quite an expensive item on its cost could vary drastically according to its type , size and finishings and that will be elaborated on separately later.

TIPS1- Sometimes I find it fascinating that you spend 10% of a home’s budget, on a place that you will spend 80% of your time in, day and night .Putting into consideration that Egypt’s weather is moderate almost all year round. For at least 9 months your outdoor landscape would be the vicinity where you would spend most of your time, with an exquisite outdoor who would remain indoors?

2- Don’t sweat too much on expensively finishing and furnishing your upper floors balconies, you undoubtedly won’t spend your time sitting in a balcony knowing you have a magnificent garden down there, leave the cooped up balconies for apartment owners , go out there appreciate your yard .

3- Put a pool even a small Jacuzzi , leave it to your designer to study your space and locate one , a pool plays an important role not simply for a swim the sight of water is tremendously relaxing day and especially night with the right studied lighting, the sound of water is therapeutically soothing. There is nothing

some eye popping throw pillows. Don’t overlook the coherence of these colorful accents with your flowers’ arrangements.

7- When contemplating furnishings for your patio space, keep these pointers in mind, that while your indoor living space may bow to convention and style at the cost of comfort, the patio can be a sanctuary for relaxation without worry. Make sure that the furnishings you choose for your patio keeps the space open. Also remember to keep your patio looking good for longer than a season or two by choosing furniture that's built to last outdoors.

8- A major patio activity is barbecuing so deciding on the type of grill you want is key. A portable propane grill is convenient, but a bricked and tiled grill adds elegance.

9- Light is a dramatic feature in any landscape design, it could vary your same garden from a romantic haven portrayed by scattering small indirect lighting elements, to a lively fiesta by brightly lighting the whole area and emphasizing any desired landmarks .

And now as we have clarified all need to know information about Landscape, ,in the next issue we will extend our research to the landscape designers who are they, what do they do, how to choose them, deal with them and pay them.

You can reach me at my emaildaliaspeaks.ask@gmail.com

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