By Gifty Mathewos: Graphics For Landscape Design

Graphics for Landscape Design
Lecture Three
By Gifty Mathewos
GRAPHIC LANGUAGE AND THE DESIGN PROCESS
 There are 5 generally recognized stages, or phases in the

design process.
 At each of these stages, graphic products are generated to
record, externalize, and communicate ideas or information.
 These graphic products range from the simplest sketches to
the most detailed drawings of construction details.
 All the graphic products have one quality in common, i.e.
they are all products of graphic thinking – visualizations of
something that does not exist.
 Relationship between the 5 major design phase and their appropriate
graphic products.
Design phase Graphic product
 Program development Written program
 Inventory and analysis Site Analysis drawings
 Conceptual design Concept plans and sketches
 Design development Presentation drawings
 Final design Implementation documents

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
 It is a research and information gathering phase in

which data is collected from property owners,
administrators and users.
 It is also a literature study of similar projects in Ethiopia

as well as international projects.
 The focus is on facts, attitudes, needs, data, constraints and

potential.
Graphic character and media
 A program is often comprised of notes, completed

questionnaires and other logically organized
written materials, and drawings or sketches to
highlight them.
INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS
 At the inventory and analysis stage, the landscape designer

gathers and records information on the physical characteristics of
a site such as lot and building dimensions, vegetation, soils, climate,
drainage, views and other important affecting factors.
 The purely objective recording of site data is an inventory.
 Interpretive manipulation of this data and subjective comments
constitute a site analysis.
 This information together with the written program are the basic
guidelines for design.
 The inventory and analysis are separate graphic items, but mostly they
are combined. In all cases, they are accurate, clear and comprehensive
plan view drawings that explain site specific conditions, constraints and
potential.
Fig.1: Graphics on the step of inventory and analysis

Conducting A Site Analysis
 Features that will stay

 Existing vegetation
o Tree and shrub condition and placement
o Trees on adjoining property that affect shade patterns
o Protect existing vegetation during construction
 Hardscape
 Permanent features
• Views to preserve or block

• Panoramic views
• Takes in a wide area, distance from viewer
• Distant mountain range
• Valley below
• Adjoining golf course

• Concentrated or focused view--particular point
• Sculpture
• Unique tree
• Bed of showy flowers
• Blocked view--undesirable, needs screened
• High plant materials
• Walls
• fences
• Poor Drainage
• Slope or Land elevation changes
• Determines surface water drainage patterns
• Traffic
• Provide proper access
• City/County Ordinances
• Noise Levels
• Identify distractions
• question neighbors or the property owner
• Record noise sources like roads, factories, saw mills, etc
• time of day for peak noise levels
• Plot the direction and distance of the source
• Record other distractions--glare or odors

• Utility Placement
• On poles or underground
• Locate the electrical meter, the air-conditioner unit

&water outlets
• Television and telephone cables, water lines and
sewage lines, or a septic tank and field line
Categories of Urban Roads Cross Section of Urban Road
• Easements/setback lines
• Primary architectural features of the house

• Shape of windows, style, and items that can be
repeated in the landscape
• House orientation
• affects the exposure of various portions of the house to

the sun
• provide shade
• southeastern exposure- most comfortable spot year-

round
• western slope- hot in summer and cold in winter

• Soil conditions
• Determines selection and placement of plants
• Consider soil pH, nutrient and water holding capacity

and drainage
• Seasonal wind pattern—prevailing winds
• Differ with the area of the state, the season and the
time of day
• Existing wind breaks
• Plants and structures on the property or on

adjacent property
• Microclimate
• Conditions in a isolated spot may differ considerably

from the conditions in another area of the landscape
• Other:
• Snow removal, pile-up

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
 The conceptual design phase is when early design ideas

and functional relationships are explored.
 The graphic products at this stage are called functional

diagrams, concept plans or schematic plans.
 They are sketches or sketch like drawings.
 These sketches are usually made for the designer‘s self

communication – a record of ideas that forms the basis for
further idea development.
 Sometimes it may be presented to other designers and

clients for feedback.
 Concept plans and sketches should be honest, open, rough free

hand drawings that may be a series of creative scribbles and
jumbled diagrams.
 Simple plan view diagrams, quick sections.
 It is common to see bubble shapes, arrows and abstracts symbols

on concept drawings but should always remain vigorous,
powerful, and direct.
 Concept graphics are supposed to be done rapidly with ideas

flowing freely.
 They should not be constrained by the desire to impress any one

with one‘s own artistry.
Fig.2: Graphics on the step of Conceptual Design
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
 At the design development stage, specific ideas begin

to formulate.
 At first the drawings are quick free hand sketches

which allow the designer to evaluate solutions as they
evolve.
 As the ideas are refined to integrate all the functional

and aesthetic criteria, the more developed drawings
contain specific information as to spatial organization,
form, color, materials and user potential.
 Although the initial drawings are usually very rough and very
preliminary.
 The refined drawings need to be fairly realistic and

convincing.
 A combination of plan view, sections and perspectives with

color are most effective.
 They need to be self explanatory, with script limited to brief

labels.
 Rough models are also effective.

Fig.3: Graphics on the step of Design Development
FINAL DESIGN
 The landscape designer final ideas, once they are approved by the
client, need to be communicated to the people who will build the
project.
 A series of construction working drawings must be produced for

use by the various installation contractors.
 A typical set of landscape working drawings may contain a site

plan, grading plans, layout plans, irrigation plans, planting plans,
and detail sheets.
 Technical drafting required Although free hand graphics –

needed for - lettering and organic symbols.
 The graphics must be complete, accurate and easy to read.

Fig. 4: Final Drawings
 Conceptual drawings are loose and free in character.
 There are no conventional symbols that are right or wrong.
 However most of the graphics at this beginning design stage
are very abstract and are primarily not meant to convey exact
shapes, textures or forms.
 They primarily express functions, activities, space and their
relationships.
 For example, use areas may be shown simply as bubbles, or
blobs and movement corridors as arrows.
 At this stage there is no attempt to show exact forms or edges

of materials.
DIFFERENT SYMBOLS
Activity areas, use zones, functional

spaces
Buildings and structures
Focal areas, points of interest,

conflict zones
Activity or circulation nodes
Fig. 5: Non-Linear Symbols

Functional edges: Barriers, Screens,
Walls
Noise zones
Ecological edges: Forested areas,

Cliff area (a steep rock face at the
edge of sea)
Fig.6: Static Linear Symbols

Automobile circulation
Pedestrian circulation
Access points
View direction
Wind direction
Ecological processes
Movement of anything
Fig. 7: Active Linear Symbols

CONVENTIONAL AND MATERIAL SYMBOLS
Fig. 8: Conventional Symbols

Fig. 2.9. Material Symbols
3.4. QUICK TREES
Fig. 2.10. a. Different types of Trees

TREES WITH BRANCH PATTERNS
SEQUENCE FOR DRAWING
BRANCHED TREES
CONIFEROUS TREES
3.5. PLANT GROUPS
TROPICAL PLANTS
DECIDUOUS SHRUBS OR TREE GROUPS
HEDGES
LAYERING
TONE, CONTRAST
AND BALANCE
LANDFORM
GROUND COVERS
POOLS AND FOUNTAINS
ROCKS
WATER WATER SURFACE TEXTURE
PAVEMENTS HARDSCAPE PATTERNS
BUILDINGS FREE HAND BUILDINGS
ROADS AND SIDEWALKS CARS AND TRUCKS
END
THANK YOU VERY MUCH

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Graphics for Landscape Design

 There are 5 generally recognized stages, or phases in the

Design phase Graphic product

 Program development Written program

 Inventory and analysis Site Analysis drawings

 Conceptual design Concept plans and sketches

 Design development Presentation drawings

 Final design Implementation documents

 It is a research and information gathering phase in

 It is also a literature study of similar projects in Ethiopia

 The focus is on facts, attitudes, needs, data, constraints and

 A program is often comprised of notes, completed

 At the inventory and analysis stage, the landscape designer

Fig.1: Graphics on the step of inventory and analysis

 Features that will stay

• Views to preserve or block

• Distant mountain range

• Adjoining golf course

• Concentrated or focused view--particular point

• Bed of showy flowers

• Blocked view--undesirable, needs screened

• High plant materials

• Slope or Land elevation changes

• Determines surface water drainage patterns

• Provide proper access

• question neighbors or the property owner

• Record noise sources like roads, factories, saw mills, etc

• time of day for peak noise levels

• Plot the direction and distance of the source

• Record other distractions--glare or odors

• Locate the electrical meter, the air-conditioner unit

• Primary architectural features of the house

• affects the exposure of various portions of the house to

• southeastern exposure- most comfortable spot year-

• western slope- hot in summer and cold in winter

• Determines selection and placement of plants

• Consider soil pH, nutrient and water holding capacity

• Seasonal wind pattern—prevailing winds

• Existing wind breaks

• Plants and structures on the property or on

• Conditions in a isolated spot may differ considerably

• Snow removal, pile-up

 The conceptual design phase is when early design ideas

 The graphic products at this stage are called functional

 They are sketches or sketch like drawings.

 These sketches are usually made for the designer‘s self

 Sometimes it may be presented to other designers and

 Concept plans and sketches should be honest, open, rough free

 Simple plan view diagrams, quick sections.

 It is common to see bubble shapes, arrows and abstracts symbols

 Concept graphics are supposed to be done rapidly with ideas

 They should not be constrained by the desire to impress any one

 At the design development stage, specific ideas begin

 At first the drawings are quick free hand sketches

 As the ideas are refined to integrate all the functional

 The refined drawings need to be fairly realistic and

 A combination of plan view, sections and perspectives with

 They need to be self explanatory, with script limited to brief

 Rough models are also effective.