A Few Things on My Mind

Some odds and ends I have been wanting to share, and a few comments about them.

Adding a Blog

It’s been awhile. Quite awhile actually, I can’t even remember the last time I added a Blog to the list over on the WCI Links page.

Well then, I guess it’s time. the blog is Daisy Design and as best I can figure the blog author is in Newfoundland, Canada. Daisy D is well written, with a lot of talk on issues that effect designers everywhere. Some of the recent posts have been about doing the local Home Show.

Those of us in the trade know what a hassle(necessary evil) the Home Show is, and I was enjoying following along and taking in the pics of the booth(s) and all the other stuff that goes with being involved in this PITA deal.

Be sure to check out the rendering/conceptuals through the link on the top left. That is some nice skill using watercolor(colour-Canada?).

Good luck with the Blog and I look forward to following along. I hope you guys do some case studies like some of those I have shared here. That’s if you are reading this and care to share.

A good article in the NYTimes

Moss, any moss lovers out there? Well David Benner is and I love his philosophy:

“I really don’t water,” . . . “I work with nature, and my philosophy is that things have to tough it out.”

And this other great tidbit from the Times article:

“I can still hardly believe it. Moss produces spores, and they just blew in from the air. Now I have 25 kinds, none of which I planted.”

This magic occurred after he covered his yard with sulfur powder and aluminum sulfate, this combination killed all his existing grass and created the acidic soil, which allowed the magic to happen.

So is moss the next great thing in sustainability? I don’t know, but I do know this you better have some shade, and your soil should be acidic and nutrient-poor.

Let me tell you . . . I really love moss. I have been adding it ti projects as long ago as I can remember. Everony knows I am a big stone guy, and it goes without saying that moss and stone go together.

So let’s all get rolling on this moss gig, and make sure this moss yard idea catches on.

Death to Surburbia:

Death to the landscaping business soon to follow, at least for a lot of folks if this prediction comes to fruition.

Author James Kuntsler claims this is going to happen in an article dated April 24th in the online edition of BusinessWeek.

From the story:

Cheap oil is what made suburbia possible. But we’ll run into problems with spot shortages. As we get into trouble with these supplies, our economy will suffer. Major instabilities in the system will present themselves much sooner than we are led to believe. And by that I mean the way we produce food, the way we conduct commerce, and the way we move around.

So why am I not screaming like chicken little? Because . . .

Kunstler has been wrong before. According to the article he did do a chicken little on the whole Y2K techno blow-up. Which; of course, never happened.

Still there is some food for thought here. If we had to pay as much for gas as Europeans do I’m sure there would be big changes . . . big changes.

I prefer to remain positive as we move forward, but I ask this question(s)?

• What would you do if the suburbs started to empty out? It does seem far-fetched doesn’t it?
• How would you change your business model?
• Would you get out of the profession?
• Do you even believe this is possible?

Heamanthus toxicarius

Found this image at the MBG Rare Books site and I thought this great illustration was worth a look.

[ Heamanthus toxicarius, sure reminds me of fireworks. ]

Fragmenta Botanica: Figuris, Colorata, Illustrata is the name of the book. That’s quite the book title, ca1809.

This page list all the illustrations in the book if you are looking for one of your favorites or hoping to find an illustration of a particular plant.

This is part of the Missouri Botanical Garden Library, clicking here will get you started on their site, happy hunting.

Well that’s it; moss, suburbia, 100+ year old illustrations and a new Blog. another day in the life of Rick Anderson.

Design Process

Here is a look at a backyard for a couple who does a lot of entertaining, and needs the appropriate space to do just that-entertain in a highly stylized way.

[Everything is new or different.]

The patio is extra large to accommodate a tent for larger more formal gatherings.

More on this job over the next week.

This black and white line drawing ws done for me, this is my creative process as I think my way through a space. how it will look, how it will feel.

From here I normally do some sort of color rendering to show the client. This job was a little different, there were already a lot of color renderings showing different area’s of the property.
So . . . I threw in a couple line drawings along with a lot of color renderings.  Just to keep things “a little different”.

The Art of Pergola Design (4), and More

In the previous post several objectives were mentioned for the next drawing of the(I’ll call it) plaza/pergola area:

This questioning and working through logistics led to me being asked if I could tweak this drawing some.

• Could I show it with brick columns?
• Could I show it with the overhead in white? Leading to what material could this be made out of?
• Could I show different style paving?
• The next drawing would also need to be good enough to show to some other folks not in the room . . . ah ha, now we were really getting somewhere.

Based on the above request this is what I came up with:

[Plaza area with pergola and wall seating.]

Brick columns, white overhead, cleaner paving, etc. I took this photo before I added labeling to drawing, a drawing where very little labeling was required. What they asked me to render seems pretty “cut&dry”.

My guess is that will not go in here, but will eventually go back in further. Look down the main walk and at the end you will see where I rendered in some paving and steps-this is to show the possibility of a plaza there.

Another building is to be added behind and this(plaza) would be the ideal way to connect them via the ground plane. This also seems a more convenient way to design a “collecting point” for those living in the 3 buildings.

We shall see; heck, they may want the space up front as I have drawn it and one in between the buildings . . . all it takes is the time, the inclination, and the funding to make it happen.

The decision now is for the powers to be to decide on what type of atmosphere they want to create. then make that happen. My drawings(conceptuals) are part of that decision making process.

I’m curious and at the same time have been around long enough to know that if my idea is rejected to not take it personally-this drawing was met with great enthusiasm at the time of presentation, but others are now involved in the final yes/no.

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It just occurred to me:

This is a lesson for young designers to take away. To do the best you can, (1.)*use your skills, the (2.)*site(requirements) and the (3.)*clients needs/wants and come up with the best solution. Present them rationally and professionally, explaining which design principles were used(and why they were used), and how you came to your solution.

Your work will be judged on your work, not on a personality issue. BUT, and it’s a big BUT, be nice, be professional, and be likable-not an ass-kisser, but likable. You’ll find people like to listen to likable people a lot more than folks they don’t like. If you are likable, you’ve paid attention to the Design Triangle, and your presentation is thoughtful, rational, and logical you’ll go pretty far.

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*I’ve written about this several times on this Blog about the Desgin Triangle, or the Accord Triangle:

1. The Designer: What he/she brings to the table; their experience, their skills, their time in life(how have you lived?, what have you seen?, where have you been?), your “collective” education.
2. The Site: its requirements, what’s it for? who’s it for? How will it be used? sun, soil, light, water, etc.
3. The Client: their needs, their wants and wishes, hopes, dreams, . . . and desires. But it starts with need and goes from there.

The Art of Pergola Design (3)

This is another pergola drawing for an area between 2 small apartment buildings. One unit holding 6 apartments, and the other 10. It was easy to see on the initial visit there was no place to gather.

There needs to be a place where these students could spend some time together outside . . . not only that, the place was just screaming for some kind of focal to pull the place together. Something to knock down the harshness of a row of apartments. It was asked of me to come up with some solution to the accepted. To go beyond the norm.

[Initial concept drawing to show the client]

This was the drawing that was shown to the client. From here alll sort of suggestions, comments, and questions were asked.

• How big? . . . “How big do you want it“
• How tall? . . . “How tall can we make it, does there need to be a minimum“
• Square footage? . . . “How much do you need, how about each front quadrant 12×12“
• Material of overhead, type(s) of post, and on and on.

One of the questioners even asked me if I was troubled by the questions. To the contrary all the questions indicated great interest and enthusiasm for the idea . . . I thought it was great-still do.

This questioning and working through logistics led to me being asked if I could tweak this drawing some.

• Could I show it with brick columns?
• Could I show it with the overhead in white? Leading to what material could this be made out of?
• Could I show different style paving?
• The next drawing would also need to be good enough to show to some other folks not in the room . . . ah ha, now we were really getting somewhere.

Next I will get into the pergola drawing that was asked for out of this concept meeting.

Stages of a Presentation Rendering

3 stages of a drawing for a proposed residential water feature. It started with a photograph from the site and goes from there.

[red pencil, and light colors for stone and tree trunks]

[black line on stone, and color for supporting plants]

[sky(rough), final black lines, and labeling]

This is one half of a larger presentation given to a client(residential) For a water feature on the “far” side of the back yard.

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Addendum: The quality of the images is not what I hoped for. These drawings were shot with a digital camera and then uploaded, then compressed and uploaded to the site. The lighting in my work space is from two different types of light sources-which does not make for great images.

[Original-0ne of few times I actually drew on the print-out]

Color Rendering of Ornamental Grass (2)

[ 3buildings . . . 3 separate solutions. ]

The lower rendering is the one I had previously posted. the ones above flank this middle building. Left and right respectfully. The idea presented to me was “come up with 3 separate landscape-give each building it’s own identity.”

Being built at the same time, for the same function-upper class housing, yet trying to create separate identities.

The concepts are on vellum and trace, I even go wider than the picture when rendering. I see myself doing more and more of this . . . going beyond the lines.

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Addendum: Deadlines are a crazy thing, especially when you have to have a lot of concepts(in full color) to show a group of decision-makers. Lots of boards full of drawings. This is the way to get the greatest amount of feedback from those looking to have the work done . . . . back to the drawing board. I’ll surface when I can . . .

Pergola Drawing early Conceptual (5)

By now those of you who’ve been following this job (haven’t been? please read previous 4 post) know that the pergola idea is long gone. Replacing that idea . . . some sort of ruins or a folly. Patrick McAfee gave a great perspective from a European (Ireland, is he) point of view in a comment on #4:

There is a rich history of this kind of thing in 18th and 19th century Britain and Ireland. Thousands of follies were built by landlords to create what you talk about. Some of these are amazing. I worked on one estate which had a man-made lake, islands with stone ruins, a temple, boat house, eel house and more.

Views through openings like you have drawn were popular, sometimes arched and often framing a distant view. This concept of framing seems to have been important. Wall tops were often ragged and not level or straight.

This trend or fashion disappeared but I have heard of its revival at a famous rock stars residence, with a ruined bridge etc.

Originally I think you brought your visitors around your estate and these were talking points, a place to stop or maybe to take out your easel and paint or write a poem. It is interesting to see the concept return.

Great stuff, and a good, quick tutorial . . . thanks Patrick! Anyway, to add to the previous drawing’s explanation of the site I have added an axonometric drawing for the client to look at:

[some would consider this a version of an axonometric conceptual]

I think it’s a pretty rough drawing, kinda crude . . . it’s down and dirty . . . however the client should be able to read this and along with the other drawing get a good idea of what I am after.

An aside: I missed getting the walls wide enough with respect to the height I have shown the walls at. This will drive me crazy every time I look at this drawing. Let’s hope the owner doesn’t mind my lack of drawing skills.

[plan view and a sectional drawing]

This quick plan view will allow the contractor to do a rough estimate on price for this proposal. There is an included sectional for the contractor also. These 2 drawings are not intended for the client. This is a working document between contractor and designer. Please click to enlarge.

Now that this is done guess what I really want to put in this space . . . ? A crane. That’s right, an old crane, or steam shovel, something like that. How cool would that be. Bury that sucker down in there, throw a few boulders around it, drifts of grasses and meadow-like perennials, and to top it off some vines growing up, around, through and over the cab and bucket of the crane.

After all this golf course is called the Quarry, and it’s on a site where the old quarry actually was. The local press would jump on it, it would be some nice history, and when a photographer needs a backdrop for a photo . . . here ya’ go. I love my job.

Pergola Drawing early Conceptual (3)

[This pergola rendering was shown to the client]

He didn’t like it. Not even a little. This was shot down faster than Ann Coulter would have been at a moveon(dot)org party. However there is a ray of hope for that big flat space. Ruins, yep ruins . . . . working on that drawing as we speak.

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Addendum: It’s 2:42 pm EST, and I see the pic. I hope it is there . . .

Revising Presentation Drawings

posted, 11/12/06:

[The original: shown to client]

[2nd Attempt: on trace, or as I like to say trash]

[Later attempt: evolved drawing style on Vellum]

The Importance of Hardscape Design (6)

posted, 11/06/06
Single water falls, and tan sandstone walkways
More on the previous post. This was the 1st plan view color drawing that was shown to clients. Take notice that in this conceptual drawing there is only one waterfall, and the walkway is tan in color. the homeowners looked at this drawing and were very impressed.

I then remember them . . . starting to study the drawing and going over ever detail. It was decided pretty quickly they didn’t want brown sandstone for the walkway-they were positive about this.

2nd they were very concerned that the one falls would not make enough noise to screen out the eat of the neighborhood noise, and would only one waterfall be loud enough to hear in the kitchen, and breakfast nook.

Normally, I would just show them a different color of stone (actual stone piece), and take some overlay paper and draw the other falls in the hillside. That wasn’t going to work here, they wanted to see another drawing (specifically the wife).

So, I called the contractor and said I had to do another drawing for the homeowners, for x amount of hours to do the work (which he hadn’t agree to pay me for). He asked me if they were excited about the conceptuals and were they close to jumping in?

I said; heck yeah, they’re ready! . . . .

So the previously posted drawing is what they looked at, and of course they jumped in, over original budget request . . . because it was everything they wanted, in a logical layout, and the best parts could be enjoyed/viewed from inside the house.

Color rendering of pond and fire ring
Along with the plan view rendering, I showed the clients this conceptual rendering of how this area would relate to the new kitchen addition.

The addition is shown only in black line. I was trying to present the landscaping to add to the backyard, which is why my stuff is in color. We needed to excite them about tha landscaping, Heck they had already agreed to add the kitchen-no need to promote that.

I did; however, have to show how the new landscape would relate and enhance the new space. This rendering does a much better job than anything I could have done on a plan view drawing.

This drawing was the deal-clincher for this side of the backyard. I basically laid this on the table and it was over. Let’s go, let’s put it in, we can’t wait . . . those were the comments.

I’ve said this before, and will say it some more (hey, I’m a poet!), if you design hardscapes, structure, level transitions, etc . . . you must render. This is the only way to really communicate what you are trying to achieve to the client.

Has for this drawing, I’ll have more on my evolution as a designer . . . tomorrow.

Color Rendering of Sub-division Entry

posted, 09/11/06
Final Color Rendering for Presentation

[Country Club Entryway proposal drawing]

This is the drawing that will be presented at the next meeting. There is still a little detail to add to finish it out. Hopefully to make it jump off the page just a little more. The previous post on Sept. 5th, and Sept. 9th were the steps before this drawing.

By showing those very simple conceptuals we were able to grasp where the client wanted to go with the entry, the wow feeling they were after. By putting in the time on these presentation drawings a few things will happen. The excitement level has been; and continues to build, for the clients. This will allow the contractor to put together a dynamic proposal to install the work at a higher number than what was originally discussed. The drawing will also be used as a sales tool by the client to get others involved and also be used as a marketing tool until the landscape can be installed.

I should point out that this is not the entire drawing-this is a cropped copy of a digital image shot with a camera looking down over the table. So you are not seeing the entire drawing.

If you’re interested the are a lot more before shots of this project here. I believe most of the rough conceptual drawings and a lot of cropped images of the larger drawings are there also.

If everything goes well here the next big decision will be to decide on the height of the falls, and to start to get into specifics on the plant material. As you can see by the drawing we are in agreement on the form and spread of the shrubs-now we need to match based on the desired effect and the scene we are trying to create.