Mobile Landscape Design on site

Running around a site waving your arms and explaining the wonders you’re proposing is fun, but does not work well for sharing concepts or remembering all the ideas discussed. This is especially true when we’re presenting alternate concepts that emphasize one aspect of the program over another. This is where mobile design shines. stencils siteContinue reading “Mobile Landscape Design on site”

A Trio of Concepts

These drawings show what happens when you take an iPad, stylus, laser measuring tool, some good apps and hours of practice, put them together with design ideas and run amok. They’re mostly completed in the field, with a few minor touch-ups in the office. The pieces get put together into a single pdf file, letterContinue reading “A Trio of Concepts”

Stencils? Yes, digital ones!

Just when you thought stencils, rulers, triangles and protractors went extinct back with the dinosaurs, along comes someone to transform them into digital illustration tools. Virtual stencils, virtual pens… but real results. First, you draw a black and white image in an illustration app. The black parts will fill with color; the white will beContinue reading “Stencils? Yes, digital ones!”

Design studio on the go!

We’ve been streamlining measurement, sketch, brainstorming and presentation techniques for landscape concepts and quick initial plans, using an iPad to fill in for a desktop based CAD system. We can create base plans, sketch out options, do photo overlays, create illustrated design sketchbooks and export all this as pdf files (or print everything out).  HereContinue reading “Design studio on the go!”

A garden refresh near Lake Tahoe

Here are the steps needed if you want to undertake a garden refresh but need to complete it quickly. Briefly, there are three initial steps: gather data, create a planting plan, pick up and install the plants. This is provided that the preliminaries are in place: a working irrigation system (or person) that will provideContinue reading “A garden refresh near Lake Tahoe”

Consults to Plans: a case study

All these sketches, concepts and plans came together to create a design for one project: a cloud of possibilities that condensed into a detailed concept ready for construction. It’s been a while since we invented a new workflow and adapted hybrid old school and digital creation for more flexibility. The goal was to get moreContinue reading “Consults to Plans: a case study”