Are you unsure whether you should be contacting a landscape architect to help you plan your project? What are the benefits of engaging the services of a landscape architect? If you are accustomed to doing it yourself, it may seem unimportant to seek out an expert, but in truth, hiring a landscape architect can save a lot of headaches in the long run. Here are my top 9 reasons why.
1. Understanding your needs
A good landscape architect will ask probing questions and listen closely to your response in order to understand your needs and how you would like to use your property. They have experience with many different types of projects, clients, and locations and thus are able to think expansively about the possibilities beyond what you may have envisioned. The more information that the client provides, the more the design can be catered towards the client, and the resulting design will resonate better. Do you know that something is not working, but can't articulate your concerns or imagine how to improve the situation? Don't worry, the interview process should flush out these uncertainties. Some of the questions I ask clients include who will be using the site, how and when, what their outdoor interests include, required amenities, possible architectural changes, current frustrations, and many more.
2. Understanding a site's opportunities and constraints
Landscape architects are trained to quickly and efficiently assess the opportunities and constraints of the site and how client needs fold into it, and often spot problems that clients don't realize can be fixed. The very first thing that a landscape designer will do is a thorough inventory of site features in order to capitalize on a site's inherent benefits and to solve or avoid site problems. Site inventory typically includes vehicular and pedestrian circulation patterns, solar orientation, wind patterns, views (desirable and undesirable), drainage issues, erosion problems, soil conditions, plant location, species, size, and health,
and many others.
3. Conceptual design
Armed with a thorough understanding of both your needs and the site's features, the landscape architect can begin sketching some ideas on tracing paper overlaid on a base plan. This allows him or her to start organizing the spaces in a logical way roughly to scale, keeping adjacencies where necessary and planning for connections. When I design, I keep referring to the site analysis to make sure that I am responding to the key issues of the site - especially highlighting the opportunities when I can. I aim to present the client with at least two different concepts, depending on the client program and site possibilities, which we then explore together to further hone in on the final design direction.
4. Creating space
Landscape architects plan and design the built and natural environments using natural and constructed materials. They have the vision and capability to manipulate earth, plants, structure, and water to choreograph movement and rest. The material they work with is always changing, which makes planning a challenge but yields more compelling results. When an outdoor space is designed using materials that are constantly shifting - throughout the day, through the seasons, over time - the experience of inhabiting these spaces is so much more
inspiring because it is never exactly the same.
5. Familiarity with construction methods and materials
Design solutions are better and safer when the designer has a thorough understanding of how things are put together and knows to specify the right materials. The design result will be seamless if the materials and methods are an integral part of the design planning. In my experience, good design hardly draws attention to itself; it is the mistakes and blunders that weaken the overall effect and can even be a safety hazard. If you do not have much experience building landscapes, you may not be aware of subtle nuances that can make or break a design feature.
6. Choosing an appropriate plant palette
There are so many plants to choose from that it can be overwhelming! When I design, I initially do not have specific plants in mind, but rather choose plants for their forms: trees provide "ceilings" to spaces through their canopies, shrubs make good "walls," and groundcovers differentiate surfaces. I use plants to create edges to spaces and corridors, to separate areas, and rarely as specimens. Only when the design is solidified do I start to identify actual species, and even then the choices are vast. Luckily, site conditions often help limit the choices, and I also pay attention to client preferences and favor native plants. Rather than specify a large variety of plants, I prefer to group plants in large swaths to create a more unified effect.
7. Creating a budget
A landscape architect can help scope out the cost of a proposed design and help strategize ways to extend the budget. This might involve reducing the scope of the project, phasing construction over time, or changing materials. Creating outdoor spaces or fixing issues is an investment that will pay off over time.
8. Construction observation
Most landscape architects have established relationships with contractors and can help you hire a competent, trustworthy builder. There are also design/build firms who perform both services. In either case, it behooves everyone to have the designer involved in the build phase to ensure that the design intent is achieved and that any unexpected problems are nipped in the bud. I only recommend contractors who I have good working relationships with.
9. Professional alliances
Landscape architects work with architects, engineers, scientists, and contractors. If your project requires more expertise, the landscape architect can connect you with the right people to get your project implemented.
Selene can help you create a garden that meets (and exceeds!) your needs, solves underlying issues, while also revealing a unique sense of place!
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