DAYANANDA SAGAR SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

ODD SEMESTER: AUG-NOV 2015

09 ARC 7.7 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

NOTES

MODULE 01

INTRODUCTION TO LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

What do you mean by the word landscape?
• The dictionary meaning of landscape is inland scenery.
• Anything natural above the ground may be termed as landscape.
A simple example of landscape is a river or lake, rocks, vegetation, etc.

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE IS A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY FIELD

What constitutes Landscape Architecture?

• Elements of Botany
• Horticulture
• Fine arts
• Architecture
• Industrial design
• Geology and the earth sciences
• Environmental psychology
• Geography
• Ecology

Landscape Architecture:
1. Natural Process:
a. Geology and Geomorphology
b. Climate
c. Soils
d. Hydrology
e. Vegetation
f. Ecology
g. Animals

2. Culture:
a. Historical and Cultural context
b. Landscape and Humans

What does a Landscape Architect do?

The activities of a landscape architect can range from:
• Creation of Public Parks and Parkways
• Site planning for campuses, corporate office parks
• Design of residential layouts
• Private home gardens
• Terrace gardens
• Management of large Country-sides, natural lands
• Reclamation of degraded landscapes such as mines, Ravines or landfills.
• Works with "Hardscape" (Built) and "Softscape" (Planting), while integrating ecological sustainability.
• Recreating historical landscapes, Historic Garden Appraisal and Conservation
• Storm water management including rain gardens, green roofs, groundwater recharge, and treatment
wetlands
• Parks, Botanical Gardens, Arboretums, Greenways, and Nature Preserves

09 ARC 7.7 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE NOTES (SHRUTHI A MURTHY & TRIVENI AMRNATH) DSCE 1
 • Recreation facilities; i.e. Playgrounds, Golf Courses, Theme Parks and Sports Facilities
• Highways, Transportation Structures, Bridges, And Transit Corridors
• Urban design, Town and City Squares, Waterfronts, Pedestrian Schemes, and Parking Lots
• Reservoirs, Dams, Power Stations, Reclamation Of Extractive Industry Applications or major industrial projects
and mitigation
• Storm water management including rain gardens, green roofs, groundwater recharge, and treatment
wetlands
• Parks, Botanical Gardens, Arboretums, Greenways, and Nature Preserves
• Recreation facilities; i.e. Playgrounds, Golf Courses, Theme Parks and Sports Facilities
• Highways, Transportation Structures, Bridges, And Transit Corridors
• Urban design, Town and City Squares, Waterfronts, Pedestrian Schemes, and Parking Lots
• Reservoirs, Dams, Power Stations, Reclamation Of Extractive Industry Applications or major industrial projects
and mitigation

WHAT IS LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Landscape design helps us to make the best use of our environment. A landscape that is truly functional is one
that provides for breadth of use and human involvement, rather than narrow exploitation or segregation
Planting Design (Softscape)
Planting design is an essential element in making and managing this kind of people-place.
• Liveliness, Complexity, Subtlety, Resilience, Flexibility and sustainability: All of these can be achieved by
Intelligent Planting.
• Planting design helps us to restore and maintain a sustainable relationship between people and their
environment
• It also offers aesthetic delights. Its aesthetic impact can be Thought-provoking, Soothing, Exciting and so on.
• The senses: Sights, Scents and Sensations of plants, even the Sound made by wind and rain in leaves and
branches – all these add to the quality of daily life.

ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE

• Architecture and Landscape has a co-relation to each other, both are complimentary to each other.
• Landscape apart from serving its basic architectural needs, also caters to psychological needs.
• Because of environmental degradation, Landscape design is getting more and more importance today.

What is the need for landscaping?

• Humanizing the atmosphere.
• To impart scale to the resultant environment.
• Function-Provide shade and shadow
• Aesthetically pleasing.
• Color contrast with respect to built mass.
• Textural Contrast.
• Absorbs noise ,dust,pollutants,vibrations,CO2.
• Conservation.
• Ecology- To evolve a balanced ecosystem in the long run.

LANDSCAPING INVOLVES TWO ELEMENTS:

Design elements: Process of Design/ Concept/ Design Philosophies

• Form
• Functional
• Aesthetical
• Scale
• Texture
• Massing
• Space

09 ARC 7.7 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE NOTES (SHRUTHI A MURTHY & TRIVENI AMRNATH) DSCE 2
Landscape elements -Resources and Technology
• Land
• Water
• Botanical
• Circulation
• Construction
• Recreational

HOW DOES LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND PLANNING WORK?

First stage of a project:
• Generate ideas with technical understanding
• Creative flair for the design
• Organization and use of spaces
Second stage of a project:
• Conceive the overall concept
• Prepare the master plan
• Co-ordination with services and structures
Third stage of a project:
• Prepare Detailed design drawings and technical specifications
• Review proposals to authorize and supervise contracts for the construction work.
Other skills include:
• Preparing design impact assessments
• Conducting environmental assessments and audits
• Serve as an expert witness at inquiries on land use issues
• Support and prepare applications for capital and revenue funding grants

FACTORS THAT DETERMINE A LANDSCAPE DESIGN:

Natural factors
• Geological base-soil
• Climate-hot and dry
- hot and humid
- upland cool
• Climatology-rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind direction
• Topography-terrain
• Natural vegetation-existing flora.

Artificial factors
• Skyline- Skyscape
• Civil Engineering works-Structures
• Existing Open Spaces
• Roads, Streets, Parking, Circulation
• Contours and Gradient
• Existing Focal Points

LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS
Elements of Landscape design:
• Conceptualization and theme
• Design requirements (Clients, Architects, Climate etc)
• Design and Planning
• Planting strategy
• Water features (Fountains, lakes, ponds etc)
• Civil Works (Hardscape)
• Structural loading (For gardens on terraces, podiums, slabs etc)
• Services and drainage
• Irrigation
• Landscape Lighting

09 ARC 7.7 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE NOTES (SHRUTHI A MURTHY & TRIVENI AMRNATH) DSCE 3
Softscape
Botanical features: Plant Materials and their Maintenance. Planting Classification
• Trees
• Shrubs
• Herbs
• Groundcovers
• Climbers and creepers
• Bamboo and Grasses
• Bulbous plants
• Palms
• Ferns and Moss
• Cacti and Succulents

Hardscape
• Circulation elements: Roads,street,pathway,parking area, meandering path,walkway,paved plaza.
• Construction elements: Fences, retaining walls, park furniture, plant containers, light fixtures.
• Recreational elements: Swimming pool, fishing piers, boating docks, children parks, outdoor games.
• Water Features , Swimming Pools , Pond, Lake, Fountain, Cascades, Falls, Streams, Paving , Pergolas and
pavilions , Murals, Feature Walls , Gazebos , Sculptures , Outdoor Furniture , Planters , Screens , Compound
Wall , Mounds and Berms

Other elements
• Statues, sculptures, monuments, symbolic elements.

09 ARC 7.7 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE NOTES (SHRUTHI A MURTHY & TRIVENI AMRNATH) DSCE 4