Grid drawing, hard landscaping

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 use of a design grid in beginning a
garden design.
 Describe how to draw a concept or theme design
 Material choices - hard and soft 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.
 Identify three maintenance issues one for
each of the materials named above
 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
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 of tracing
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.

9. Design principles - reminder
 Scale/proportion
 Balance
 Rhythm
 Line and shape
 Colour
 Texture
 Simplicity
 Styles?

10. Hard landscaping – horizontal
surfaces
Material Benefits Limitations
Wooden decking Can be painted or
stained to any colour.
Cheap. Relatively easy
to install.
Not for heavy loads.
Can become slippery
in damp. Short life.
Regular maintenance
Paving slabs or
stone
Hard wearing, little
maintenance. Wide
variety of sizes and
colours. Can bear loads.
Requires skill to lay.
Does not suit irregular
shapes well. Stone is
expensive
Concrete Very hard wearing, can
be coloured or textured.
Relatively cheap.
Can look rather
industrial. Large
areas will need expert
installation.
Pavers Can be matched to the
house bricks. Variety of
patterns possible in
bonds.
Not easy to lay well.
Expensive.

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.
 If hard landscaping they provide
permanent structure and features
 They can provide shelter and privacy
in overlooked sites

12. Hard landscaping - verticals
Material Benefits Limitations
Wood – fence
panels
Painted or stained. Define
garden boundaries; provide
security. windbreaks for
productive areas. DIY
possible. Cheap.
Require regular
maintenance.
Limited life span.
Brick - wall Bricks come in a variety of
colours and textures. Very
long lasting. Create
microclimates
Require expert
construction.
Expensive.
Metal – e.g.
pergolas
Can be painted, create
interesting detailed shapes
not possible with wood etc.
Expensive, require
regular maintenance.
Large structures
need expert fitting.
Stone Natural appearance, link to
location.
Most expensive,
stone walls need a
mason to build.

13. Learning outcomes
 Creating the outline design
 Explain the use of a design grid in beginning a
garden design.
 Describe how to draw a concept or theme design
 Material choices - hard and soft 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.
 Identify three maintenance issues one for
each of the materials named above
 Identify budget considerations for each
material