Landscape Architecture
What Are the Tools of The Trade for Landscape Architecture?
While there is definitely some overlap with other design and technical professions, there are certain tools of the trade for landscape architecture that are really key to getting the job done well. This post explores those digital and analog tools landscape architects and designers keep close at hand in their professional toolkit.
April 26, 2018
Exploring the landscape architect’s toolkit.
Landscape architects and designers are historically known for their wide breadth of practice — we design everything from large-scale, public projects (like parks, campuses, and streetscapes) to small, intimate spaces (like backyard gardens or interior green walls). Here at Board & Vellum, we take on a variety of project types, and those come with an array of accompanying complex tasks. These include such fascinating (to us, at least) activities as site estimating, slope and soil analysis, site drainage, and conducting existing tree and plant inventories. This allows us to provide comprehensive exterior design in collaboration with the rest of the B&V team and our clients.
How do we do what we do? Well, we don't pull it all out of thin air. So, join us for a journey behind the curtain to explore the tools of the trade that we find critical to establishing a robust baseline that enhances the design process.
Hardware
Computers aid us with our design work in a multitude of ways when we are in the office, but on-site analysis is a critical part of our design toolkit. Our site team has built a toolkit to record the existing locations of trees, walls, paving, structures, and vertical topography. Early in the process, even if a site survey is available, we record on-site topography with a laser level to gain a true understanding of a site’s topography. Even if your site looks flat, you may be surprised by how much your site changes in elevation. Careful evaluation of these slopes is necessary to minimize grading, retaining walls, and soil removal that can quickly add to the cost of your project if not accounted for early. The as-built (existing) information and topography help us achieve proper drainage, aesthetics, and to visualize new opportunities. In addition, on-site photographs — from the ground or aerial images shot from a drone — are a huge help for referencing the site conditions during the design process. In more specific cases, we perform soil and compaction tests to analyze if stormwater mitigation is needed and to help us identify what types of plants will flourish in your exterior space.
Pencil / Pen / Digital Sketch
Sketching and drawing our ideas is fundamental here at Board & Vellum, for all disciplines. In a pinch, it might be on Post-it notes, but more often, we sketch ideas on oversized sheets or trace paper. This allows us to quickly demonstrate our ideas while not getting hung up on the details of production just yet. When exploring a site, we need to not only explore inside the property line, but also visualize what’s going on outside the property line. We create diagrams of these multifaceted relationships using Google Earth, surveys, and on-site visits. Lately, new tablet technologies allow us to sketch ideas directly on site, saving time and design costs, while starting to shape the future of the site early on in the process.
Software
Although sometimes a sketch is good enough, our most-used mode of communication is output from a suite of computer software. We translate sketches, materials, and descriptions into plans and 3D models, so others can view, comment, and share ideas. Being able to properly visualize topography and vegetation to scale in 3D informs our team and clients on the look and feel their site and how it can be uniquely transformed. These plans and graphics provide our clients with a consistent base that allows them to effectively communicate with us, and allows us to efficiently communicate with the larger B&V team. We use a variety of CAD and Building Information Modeling (BIM) programs to visualize your exterior and interior spaces. We are also learning the ins and outs of a new tool for our toolkit, virtual reality!
Material Samples
By collecting physical samples, our internal design team and clients can experience color, texture, and scale in real time. We often bring them on site for analysis. Site materials can include paving samples, metal examples, color or stain swatches, wood decking and fencing, photos, or even physical plants! This is a great way to fully visualize material colors and textures as they appear in different light conditions and in proximity to other materials. Keeping an updated physical library also allows us to meet with current product representatives and be up-to-date on new products. Check out our material library when you come visit our office!
Consultants
While we do as much as possible in-house, we seek out other site professionals to consult in their specialized areas so we have access to their expert advice. Civil and structural engineers, irrigation specialists, specialized arborists, or even graphic renderers are just some of the professionals we connect with to achieve a project’s goals in the most effective manner possible. These consultants are, of course, in addition to the range of architecture and interiors specialists we have on staff here at B&V. Whether we reach outside of the office or across the room for specialized consultants, collaboration is key to a successful overall design and we enjoy and embraces the collaborative process and all it has to offer.
