King Residence Project

This hand-drawn master plan of a local residential property represents the approximately 80 hours of site measurement and analysis, creation and revision of concept, preliminary, and master plan drafts, plant research and placement, graphic selection, inking, and many other features of the design process. Created in summer 2020 as part of an Intermediate Landscape Design Class, I was tasked with providing a landscape plan for a family of four in the local Auburn area within the time frame of roughly 5 weeks. During this time, I followed the entire design process, from creating a base map and site analysis plan (obtaining flower bed measurements; measuring windows, doors, gutters, etc; determining the position of existing plant material and structures; analyzing physical site conditions such as drainage, sunlight, wind exposure, and soil types) to drafting concept and preliminary designs (brainstorming bedline layouts/ schemes; determining desired color schemes and seasonal interest provided by plant material; conducting plant research; brainstorming plant placement, selecting representational graphics, etc) to finalizing a master plan (determining placement of table and title blocks, specifications, inking) for the family to take home. I was also responsible for creating a PowerPoint presentation outlining the design features, plant material, and overall vision of the project at the end of the process.

Base maps include all existing features in a given landscape.

A site analysis explores the geographic and environmental features of a property.

Functional designs divide each area of a space into specific functional units that tie together in a logical manner.

Concept designs map out the proposed positioning and the shape of bed lines and are thus the foundation of all future design steps.

The primary purpose of a preliminary design is to map out the proposed positioning of plant material.

In a master plan draft, specific plant material is selected (species and cultivar/ variety) as well as the graphics that are used to represent them.

A completed master plan features a fully inked plan with a plant table that includes the plant species/ cultivar, common name, quantity, and features. Also included are a northern arrow, the scale of the project, a notes block, and a title block, amongst other things.

To say that this project was a deeply enriching experience would undoubtedly be an understatement. While by this point I had completed a few other landscape design projects, this project was the first to expose me to the design process in its entirety. There are so many moving parts -- seen and unseen -- that are necessary to properly conceive a design. Measuring and site analysis tell you the concrete, objective, even scientific aspects of the existing space while the concept, preliminary, and master plans delve more into the abstract -- what the space could become. Considering one without the other could lead to an unsatisfactory result. During the course of this project, I had to balance between these two concepts -- the objective and the abstract -- to create something that would not only provide beauty but also functionality. Thus, this project has sharpened my ability to analyze, visualize, and create. It also has strengthened my appreciation and aptitude for project management; working under time constraints and client specifications has taught me how to properly schedule time to ensure the completion of a task. Working with the clients and presenting the final plan to them has bolstered my communication and media skills. Having to complete the design by hand has taught me the value of patience, attention to detail, and personal artistry. The King Design Project has served as a valuable milestone for me as an aspiring landscape architect, and I am certain that the experiences I have gained from it will continue to benefit me as I tackle future projects.

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