Terrain and Architecture: Two main aspects that Influence Design

There are two main aspects that will influence your Outdoor Design:

Terrain & Architecture



Terrain

What I am best known for is my ability to create a Lagoon that feels as if it has always been on the property and the house was built around it. In nature, waterfalls occur as water travels down a mountain, which then collects in lakes or pools of water in the stream. Waterfalls are always surrounded by thriving vegetation because of the moisture it produces and positive ions. These natural facts are crucial to pay attention to when creating a natural environment inspired by nature. So many lagoon style pools use fake rock with little to no vegetation and chlorinated water giving a very sterile and artificial look. It is important to use berms or elevated planters behind the waterfall to replicate the mountain that the water has collected on and is falling from. Using ionization to keep the water clean is not only healthier for you, it also makes the plantings around the waterfall thrive as they would in nature. Using additional berms around the landscape also helps tie the rest of the yard into the natural Lagoon area.



Architecture

Perhaps natural is not your thing and a more architectural look is what you want. In this case finding architectural details from the house can be a great inspiration to the pool design. In this picture the traditional keyhole shaped archways of the Moorish designed house was reflected in the elevated pools and spa. The pool also encompasses some of the columns of the house to bring the two together as one seamless design. Travertine, in a golden tone, was used outside the home as well as inside and to complement the Florida sunsets viewed nightly.

If you decide to go for a natural look, it is always a great addition to the design to add other natural elements to the architecture of the house. This can be done using stone veneer on inside or outside walls, veneering outdoor kitchens, creating a small water feature by the entrance of the home, or additional stone walkways or patios.

Creating Your Overall Design Objective

Step 1: Creating Your Overall Design Objective.

What do you want?

I want an exterior design that says I have great taste and style that everyone will consider unforgettable. I want the property to feel inviting, relaxing and tropical, but not over planted and busy. I want it to be sustainable and low maintenance as possible. I love how a property can come to life at night with lighting effects and the sound of water. I need parking for five cars and a spot on the side of the house to park a boat where it will not be seen. I want the yard to be kid friendly and fun, but be sophisticated and spacious for entertaining large groups of people a couple times a year.

Decide who will be using the space the most and how many people. Is this a full time home or a vacation home and how much maintenance will the design require to always look it’s best. What is the overall function of your exterior design? It may need to be as low maintenance as possible with a minimalistic feel, but have some artistic features so that the design is not boring. Whatever your goal is, define it. When making every decision, ask yourself if that will give you your end result. What is your overall budget and how can this be broken into stages if needed? A quick answer to that question in most cases is start in the back and work your way to the front because of access issues, unless you have separate rear access to the property.

Step 2: Front Yard- Curb appeal, grand entrance, define property lines, paver driveway, focal point trees or palms, up lighting, small water feature to tie in larger feature in back, stone veneering around entrance. Target budget:

Step 3: Side Yards- Gates and paths to back with lighting. Privacy hedges, burms, fences on property lines. Additional parking or storage behind fence to one side. Garage, shed or play area? Target budget:

Step 4: Back Yard- Outdoor living space with lounging area, outdoor kitchen, play area for kids, beach area with hammock. Fire pit and tiki torches. Lagoon style pool with grotto waterfall, hot tub, slide, swimup bar, swim lane and sunshelf. Large deck area for entertaining. Heavily landscaped property lines for privacy with up lighting and path lights to various areas. Grass area between deck and burms to play ball etc. Target budget:

This is all an overall view of the factors you should think about in your outdoor design. This is an example to use as a guide and fill in your own ideas for your outdoor design. This is only the beginning, everything can be changed, but you always need a foundation to start from. This blog will continue to go into detail for each of the steps to creating your overall design.