Introduction to garden planning and design session 4
1. Introduction to Garden
Planning and Design
Session 4 – Design Grids, Theme and
Layout Drawings. Materials – Hard
Landscaping.
2. Learning objectives
Creating the outline design
Explain the purpose of a design grid in beginning a garden
design.
Describe how to draw a concept or theme design
Describe how to use a theme drawing to draw a layout
plan.
Describe two techniques for visualising and drawing
vertical or ‘3D’ elements of design.
Material choices - hard landscaping
Choices in hard landscaping - suiting materials to style,
budget, maintenance considerations, texture, line and
form.
State three hard landscaping materials and relate these
to particular garden styles.
Relate hard landscaping choices to the design principles
in Week 3.
Identify budget considerations for each material
3. Group Discussion – ‘mood board’ and
design ideas exercise
How did you go about finding ideas?
How are you storing and organising
them?
Why did you choose the
images/ideas/objects that you did?
Is there a theme at this stage or did
you just go for interesting stuff?
How can you use this process to find
new ideas, rather than just confirming
existing tastes/attitudes?
4. Design Grids
A guide not handcuffs! But a useful
trick to help keep design in scale and
proportion to the house and, therefore,
people.
On tracing paper over the scale plan.
Draw horizontal and vertical lines from
house corners, then add lines from
corners of windows, doors etc. Add
sight lines in another colour.
Choose a subdividing line to create a
grid – it does not have to be regular
(but this may be better) nor in squares!
5. Theme drawings
Theme drawings are those based on
strong shapes that divide the grid into
different use areas. Use the grid to place
the shapes.
Circular, rectangular, square themes –
aligned with the house or at an angle.
Start to locate use and circulation spaces
in the areas you identified in the appraisal
process
Scale up the grid for use away from the
house in large gardens, scale it down to
plan smaller, intimate spaces close to the
house.
6. Design grids – use to create themes
Place another sheet of tracing paper over
the grid and begin to draw use and
circulation spaces in – strong shapes work
best (squares, rectangles, circles).
Create several of each type of shape –
looking for balance between the use
spaces and the planting etc spaces.
Angle the grid for diagonal use – 45
degrees.
Just outlines at this stage – looking for a
satisfying theme to work further.
7. Design Grids – layout plan
Choose the theme plan that you like best.
Secure over your scale plan.
Take another sheet of tracing paper and
secure over the top.
Add the grid lines in fine pencil and the
theme lines in pencil, adjusting them for
scale and use. Once you are happy then ink
the theme lines in.
Allocate uses and note materials and
features. This brings in style and design
choices.
Then draw the master plan – transferring all
the scale and design information (not the
grid lines) to a final large sheet paper. Add
the North point and plan block.
8. Materials -Hard Landscaping
Refers to everything in the garden
design that is not living.
A wide range of choices of varying
cost, difficulty of construction,
maintenance requirements and
appearance.
The choice will be partly dictated by
the style of the design – rough
stone in a cottage garden for
example.
10. Hard landscaping - horizontals
Can bring unity to a design by linking
the other elements.
Edges create lines to guide the eye.
Must be suited to the type of use –
e.g. gravel is fine for informal paths,
but not so great for driveways subject
to heavy traffic.
Must also be suited to the design style
and have the right colour and texture
to blend or contrast effectively with
the other elements of the design.
11. Hard landscaping - verticals
Vertical elements in design provide
interest. Focal points. ‘Borrowed
views’
They break up the design – providing
a ‘journey’ and dividing use areas from
each other.
Hard landscaping verticals provide
permanent structure and features
They can provide shelter and privacy
in overlooked sites
12. Hard Landscaping – budget
considerations
Most expensive element of most designs.
The materials themselves can be expensive.
Hardest to change if you get it ‘wrong’.
Different materials require different levels of
expertise – most people could lay slate chips
on a base, but an expert would be needed to
lay a York stone patio well. This adds to the
materials cost.
Scale plans allow you to work out areas for
the different materials and therefore to cost
them.
13. Learning outcomes
Creating the outline design
Explain the purpose of a design grid in beginning a garden
design.
Describe how to draw a concept or theme design
Describe how to use a theme drawing to draw a layout plan.
Describe two techniques for visualising and drawing vertical
or ‘3D’ elements of design.
Material choices - hard landscaping
Choices in hard landscaping - suiting materials to style,
budget, maintenance considerations, texture, line and form.
State three hard landscaping materials and relate these
to particular garden styles.
Relate hard landscaping choices to the design principles
in Week 3.
Identify budget considerations for each material