The way people feel is affected greatly by the scale (relative size) of the objects in their environments. Manipulating the scale of the Built Environment (Outdoor areas created by man), can profoundly affect how a person feels and moves in that Environ. A wise designer will understand thoroughly the intended use of the space before considering the relative scale of the objects he/she will impose upon it. Great cathedrals bring tremendous feelings to those inside. Many people are led to feel small in comparison to the grand ideas and inspirations represented by the Architecture. It is the scale of the building that most directly affects these intimations. Cathedrals are by design, constructed to be far above the human scale. The huge overhead space imparts a sense of things beyond humaness: greater than that of man. On the other hand, some religious Architecture is built more toward the human scale. They are much simpler and smaller than traditional religious structures and in this way bring humaness to the forefront of the spirit represented by the space.
One only needs to stand among the great rocky spires of Glacier National Park to understand how scale affects human feeling and spirit. An awe inspiring sight indeed! Indescribable and profound. The preceeding examples are grand and extreme but the same philosophy can be used to create amazing little courtyards, parks and gardens.
By the Orchestration and manipulation of the scale of the objects in the built environment one can predict and determine the behavior of the people using the space. The power of large trees in any outdoor area is undeniable. They create two different feelings simultaneously. They are grand in scale and therefore elicit a certain amount of awe, but they also provide a sense of protection and intimacy. Very few feel fear or timidity under the canopy of 200 year old oak tree even though its size is technically far above the human scale. Trees posess magic! They are empowering and protective at the same time. There is no substitute in all the natural or built world. When what we build in our parks and gardens is folded into the presence of trees the result is comforting, intimate, powerful and human. Trees provide a comfortable environment for people: a place under which to play,unwind, think and dream.
More in-depth discussion on this topic included in my upcoming book 'Landscape Design is about People: and where they Live, Work, Play, Think and Dream.'
By: Cristian Beaulieu Pres. EO Landscape Masterworks
http://www.landscapemasterworks.com/
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Landscape Design 101: "Where on Earth am I?"
In the article "The Wrong Place to Start", we discussed the starting point of ideas and the importance of 'scale'. Other connections are needed to form design concepts on the grand scale. Two terms of importance in this discussion are 'The Built Environment' and 'The Major Native Landscape'. The built environment is described as an area of living that is created for man's use by man: Parks, gardens, courtyards, campuses, back yards, etc. Essentially, it is anything built and planted by us that has not been fully created and maintained by nature. Landscape Design as we know it, is the Orchestration of the Built Environment. It is my contention that all built environments are to relate at least in some way to the broader native environment in which it lies. This area is called 'The Major Native Landscape' The scale of the Major Native Landscape is huge and it of course has smaller subdivisions which I will describe in writings to follow. In terms of Landscape Design, the question "Where on earth am I?" can be restated as "In which major native landscape do I reside?" If you live in State College, PA your MNL is called 'The Ridges and Valleys'. In Lancaster it is called 'The Piedmont'. The names of these regions follow the names of the major geographic regions of the state. Topography is responsible for the descriptions initially but of course the native flora of PA is closely linked to it's Topography. As one would imagine the Major Native Landscape changes with the changes in topography. The following link is to the DCNR map of these regions in our great commonwealth: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/map13/map13.aspx. You can see the many subsections of the 6 major physio graphic regions and you can easily find the one in which you reside. "Where on earth are you?"
Why do we care? If a landscape design is to be of world class quality it must in some way reflect its major native landscape. If you drive from the coast of New Jersey to Pittsburg you would see the topography and the landscape change quite often as you moved. Perhaps you get to the Pittsburg area and you observe an amazing old home that is surrounded by a collection of Ornamental Grasses. They are OK in themselves but something isn't quite right. The feeling is all wrong and the Architecture looks out of place. It is landscaped more relative to the NJ coast you left six hours ago! The Outer Coastal Plain region has native sea grasses all over the place and it would be wise to replicate some of that in a sea side villa, but the Appalachian Plateaus Region has none of that 'feel'. So it is not the Architecture that is out of place it is its Built Environment! Much easier to change that. We should use our surrounding Major Native Landscape as a starting point for our Landscape Design ideas. That's not to say we should try to replicate it exactly in our built environment: that is not practical. But we can use it's feel and some of it's plants to bring the Architecture into it the fold of our surroundings. Even if the building is in a neighborhood miles away from the nearest Natural representation of the native landscape, one can sense it's overall feel and connection to it. If we first consider where in the world we are, we can then begin to connect the building to the neighborhood and beautify our Built Environment.
By Cristian Beaulieu Pres. EO Landscape Masterworks.
http://www.landscapemasterworks.com/
Why do we care? If a landscape design is to be of world class quality it must in some way reflect its major native landscape. If you drive from the coast of New Jersey to Pittsburg you would see the topography and the landscape change quite often as you moved. Perhaps you get to the Pittsburg area and you observe an amazing old home that is surrounded by a collection of Ornamental Grasses. They are OK in themselves but something isn't quite right. The feeling is all wrong and the Architecture looks out of place. It is landscaped more relative to the NJ coast you left six hours ago! The Outer Coastal Plain region has native sea grasses all over the place and it would be wise to replicate some of that in a sea side villa, but the Appalachian Plateaus Region has none of that 'feel'. So it is not the Architecture that is out of place it is its Built Environment! Much easier to change that. We should use our surrounding Major Native Landscape as a starting point for our Landscape Design ideas. That's not to say we should try to replicate it exactly in our built environment: that is not practical. But we can use it's feel and some of it's plants to bring the Architecture into it the fold of our surroundings. Even if the building is in a neighborhood miles away from the nearest Natural representation of the native landscape, one can sense it's overall feel and connection to it. If we first consider where in the world we are, we can then begin to connect the building to the neighborhood and beautify our Built Environment.
By Cristian Beaulieu Pres. EO Landscape Masterworks.
http://www.landscapemasterworks.com/
The wrong place to start.
Average looking landscapes abound. I've found that the issue more often than not lies within the starting point of ideas. Many look at Magazines or TV shows that exhibit beautiful landscapes and they wonder "why don't I see things like that around here.....or in my own yard?" The answer has to do with 'Scale'. Most start at the nursery, sometimes even building thier ideas around a single plant. Sure, the plant is pretty on it's own but what needs to be asked is: "How does this plant fit in with my overall plan?" Usually there is no plan. Most will keep adding plants to the property based upon thier observations of individual plants in the nursery.
The result is often a hodgepodge effect. The plants themselves look great at certain times in the season, but there relationship to the Architecture, the surrounding major landscape, and to eachother is rarely considered. Success is in Orchestration before decision. Where should we start? Start Big. Get as far away from the building/area as possible and consider the project first in that scale. Consider what areas need balance or more wieght on a larger scale. Shade trees and evergreen trees are considered in this stage along with outbuildings and additions to the Architecture. Often when observing at this scale, fantastic ideas arise. Not just with the landscape but with the architecture itself. Adding interest and wieght to a building is often as easy as changing the front door or adding a small portico, to change the lines of the building. It is in this phase that we ask simply: "What parts of this space are weak and or are out of balance with the major landscape, the architecture and the existing plants?" This scale must be adressed first, for the details fail if the major structures of the landscape are weak. What follows ofcourse is a progression down in scale that ends (not begins) with those beautiful little details in plants that we enjoy so much.
By Cristian Beaulieu Pres. EO landscape masterworks
http://www.landscapemasterworks.com/
The result is often a hodgepodge effect. The plants themselves look great at certain times in the season, but there relationship to the Architecture, the surrounding major landscape, and to eachother is rarely considered. Success is in Orchestration before decision. Where should we start? Start Big. Get as far away from the building/area as possible and consider the project first in that scale. Consider what areas need balance or more wieght on a larger scale. Shade trees and evergreen trees are considered in this stage along with outbuildings and additions to the Architecture. Often when observing at this scale, fantastic ideas arise. Not just with the landscape but with the architecture itself. Adding interest and wieght to a building is often as easy as changing the front door or adding a small portico, to change the lines of the building. It is in this phase that we ask simply: "What parts of this space are weak and or are out of balance with the major landscape, the architecture and the existing plants?" This scale must be adressed first, for the details fail if the major structures of the landscape are weak. What follows ofcourse is a progression down in scale that ends (not begins) with those beautiful little details in plants that we enjoy so much.
By Cristian Beaulieu Pres. EO landscape masterworks
http://www.landscapemasterworks.com/
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Boxwoods and Grandmothers Past
Plants and memory by Landscape Masterworks on Tuesday, August 31, 2010.
Plants have history. They create and evoke memories. The most powerful memory recall attribute in plants is smell. Whenever I catch even the faintest scent of English Boxwood, I am instantly brought back to my late Grandmothers front garden. I can see her face as easily as I can smell the unusual and somewhat acrid odor of the boxwood. My mind then wanders to the many great memories created in that garden, and a smile is inevatable.....all due to a brief exposure to a very common and ordinary looking plant. The appearance of individual plants and the orchestration of them in the landscape is indeed important....but the many other subtle joys plants bring to us are mostly overlooked. Considering those aspects of plants that bring less obvious fulfillment to us, makes richer the Design experience for both designer and client. Entire memory gardens can be created. Imagine your morning coffee in a secluded courtyard within yards of the very same plant that grew right outside the dugout in little league, or the school yard, or Mom's front door.
By Cristian Beaulieu Pres. EO landscape masterworks
Plants have history. They create and evoke memories. The most powerful memory recall attribute in plants is smell. Whenever I catch even the faintest scent of English Boxwood, I am instantly brought back to my late Grandmothers front garden. I can see her face as easily as I can smell the unusual and somewhat acrid odor of the boxwood. My mind then wanders to the many great memories created in that garden, and a smile is inevatable.....all due to a brief exposure to a very common and ordinary looking plant. The appearance of individual plants and the orchestration of them in the landscape is indeed important....but the many other subtle joys plants bring to us are mostly overlooked. Considering those aspects of plants that bring less obvious fulfillment to us, makes richer the Design experience for both designer and client. Entire memory gardens can be created. Imagine your morning coffee in a secluded courtyard within yards of the very same plant that grew right outside the dugout in little league, or the school yard, or Mom's front door.
By Cristian Beaulieu Pres. EO landscape masterworks
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