What a landscape architect does on a garden project

The landscape architect designs the relationship between land, planting, water, built elements and use. In a garden, the work is not just a matter of choosing plants or producing an image.

The team analyses the place, organises activities, defines levels, materials and infrastructure and prepares the information needed to build. During the works, it follows the decisions that arise when the real ground differs from the survey.

The depth of the service depends on the scope contracted, but the main responsibilities stem from this integration.

Before drawing, the landscape architect looks at topography, sun, wind, water, soil, views, existing vegetation and access.

The difference between two levels can decide whether there is a wall, a bank or a flight of steps. A compacted layer can limit the trees proposed. A view may need to be opened up or protected.

This reading turns features that seem isolated into a design structure.

The technical survey complements the visit with measurements and information that cannot be estimated by eye.

The outdoor space is designed for specific people.

A family with children, a hotel, an industrial unit and a rural property have different rhythms, risks and maintenance.

The landscape architect translates meals, movement, rest, play, work, growing and receiving guests into spaces and relationships.

Accessibility, safety, privacy and climatic comfort are also considered.

The aim is not to fill the whole area with functions, but to create hierarchy and allow real use.

Paths, seating areas, entrances, views and boundaries are defined in plan and in level.

The layout needs to work day to day. A path that is beautiful but too long will not be used. A dining area without shade or a link to the kitchen loses value.

The position of the trees influences this structure and should be decided together with the architecture.

Ground modelling resolves differences in level, drainage and the relationship with buildings.

Cut and fill alter costs, stability and soil. Banks take up space; walls require structure and drainage.

The landscape architect defines levels and falls in coordination with the topographical survey, architecture and engineering.

Rainwater needs a route that does not create puddles or pass problems on to neighbours.

Water appears in irrigation, drainage, swimming pools, ponds and run-off.

The design positions permeable areas, defines networks and integrates plant rooms and equipment.

A natural swimming pool, an ornamental pond and a conventional pool do not have the same system or the same maintenance.

Water should be part of the design from the start and not added later as an independent element.

Paving, stone, timber, walls, steps and fencing are assessed for use, durability, slip resistance, ageing and relationship with the architecture.

The thickness of the base, the joint and the edge detail are as important as the colour of the finish.

Local materials can strengthen the relationship with the place, provided they perform technically.

The design also limits the number of materials to maintain coherence.

Selection starts with the function and the place.

Trees can give shade, create scale and structure views. Shrubs define volumes and transitions. Perennials and ground cover occupy the soil and bring seasonality.

Species, cultivar, form and size are defined along with the soil, the climate and the maintenance.

The plan also considers growth. A composition should not depend on continual pruning to keep plants that have grown too large.

At Diaplant, contact with the nursery makes it possible to select trees at full scale.

The form of a crown, its orientation and its character do not fully come across in the catalogue.

The design can adjust the layout to the specimen, and the nursery can prepare batches or forms for specific needs.

This link narrows the gap between the drawing and what will actually be planted.

Irrigation, lighting, drainage, electrics, swimming pools and buried services share space.

The landscape architect overlays the disciplines and identifies clashes.

A tree cannot sit over a chamber or a foundation. A spotlight needs to remain accessible and not shine directly at the people using the space.

Coordination avoids changes on site and protects the rooting volume.

The detailed design includes plans, sections, details, specifications and measured quantities, according to the scope.

This information makes it possible to price and to build.

Images and models convey the atmosphere, but they do not show thicknesses, levels or methods.

The landscape architect helps to turn the idea into sufficiently precise documentation.

Some outdoor works may be subject to a procedure or to constraints.

Swimming pools, walls, structures, ground modelling, access and soil sealing need to be assessed against the PDM (municipal master plan), the RJUE (Portugal’s legal framework for urban development and building) and the applicable easements.

The landscape architect brings this analysis together with the other consultants. Exemption is not presumed just because the work takes place in the garden.

On site, differences in level, soil and infrastructure emerge that were not visible.

Technical assistance clarifies the design, approves materials and decides on adjustments.

It also covers the setting out of the planting and the orientation of trees.

Changes should preserve the logic of the whole and be recorded.

Maintenance starts with the design.

Spacings, access, trained forms, irrigation and the choice of materials determine future work.

The landscape architect defines the expected appearance and prepares a plan with criteria, not just frequencies.

A garden does not need to be static, but its evolution should be compatible with the use and the resources.

An image or a concept plan can show what is wanted. A complete design explains how to organise, obtain consent, measure and build, according to the stage.

The landscape architect does not replace all the disciplines. They coordinate the outdoor space and work with architects, engineers, agronomists and other specialists.

The main contribution lies in understanding open space as a living, built system that will go on changing after the works.

• How a project is developed
• The design starts before the drawing
• How to think about maintenance in the design

1. Professional principles of landscape architecture.
2. Diaplant’s method for design and construction.
3. RJUE, PDM and constraints applicable to each scheme.