As modern humans, we spend our days surrounded by solid, imposing "stuff". We live in big brick and wood houses, drive two-ton steel vehicles to work on concrete and asphalt … [Read more...]
Landscape Design Lessons from a Newport Mansion
Several weeks ago MJ and I made the drive to Rhode Island for my niece's high school graduation. We stayed an extra day so we could celebrate my mom's birthday. Since everyone had … [Read more...]
Elements of Design: Shape or Form
We often think of shapes as two-dimensional: squares, rectangles, circles, and triangles. This isn't how we perceive them in the landscape, however. We see them in three … [Read more...]
Principles of Design: Harmony in the Landscape
As a band geek , I'm going to work the music I love into any post I can. Anyhow, harmony is what happens when you combine all your architectural elements, furnishings, and design … [Read more...]
Principles of Design: Emphasis in the Landscape
Emphasis is all about focal points - a space or object important enough (visually speaking) that it captures your attention. A great view can be a focal point, as can the front … [Read more...]
Principles of Design: Rhythm in the Landscape
You've heard designers talk about "moving the eye through the space." That's what rhythm does. Human beings, by our very nature, look for patterns. Rhythm sets up those patterns, … [Read more...]
Principles of Design: Balance in the Landscape
I've been excited about writing this post. Balance is really important to design, yet it's often misunderstood. The two main kinds of balance in design are symmetrical and … [Read more...]
Principles of Design: Proportion in the Landscape
Proportion and scale are two related design principles. Proportion refers to the size relationship that parts of the design have to each other and to the design as a whole. On a … [Read more...]
Principles of Design: Scale in the Landscape
Scale, in the design sense, deals with two things: size (actual and relative) and visual weight. Scale is something I talk about a lot with my clients because it can have such a … [Read more...]