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LandscapeFOUNDATIONS

OF

Architecture

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01_9780470635056-ffirs.indd ii01_9780470635056-ffirs.indd ii 9/19/11 11:43 AM9/19/11 11:43 AM

Norman K. Booth

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

INTEGRATING FORM AND SPACE USING THE LANGUAGE OF SITE DESIGN

LandscapeFOUNDATIONS

OF

Architecture

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Th is book is printed on acid-free paper.

Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750–8400, fax (978) 646–8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748–6011, fax (201) 748–6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have used their best eff orts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifi cally disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fi tness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. Th e advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profi t or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Booth, Norman K Foundations of landscape architecture : integrating form and space using the language of site design / Norman Booth. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978–0–470–63505–6 (pbk.), ISBN 978–1–118–12727–8 (ebk.); ISBN 978–1–118–12728–5 (ebk); ISBN 978–1–118–12945–6 (ebk); ISBN 978–1–118–12946–3 (ebk); ISBN 978–1–118–12947–0 (ebk) 1. Landscape architecture. I. Title. SB472.B564 2012

712—dc23

2011018370

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Th is book is dedicated to Professor Emeritus George Curry and the late Professor George Earle,

of the Department of Landscape Architecture, SUNY College of Environmental Science and

Forestry at Syracuse University. Th e design knowledge and skills they taught me in a sophomore

design class have been ever present throughout my career and have served as a foundation for

my own teaching. I owe my love of landscape architecture and a broader appreciation

of the arts to both. Th is book would not be possible without them.

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vii

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

Foundational Concepts 1

CHAPTER 1 Landscape Form 1

CHAPTER 2 Landscape Space 29

Orthogonal Forms 61

CHAPTER 3 The Straight Line 61

CHAPTER 4 The Square 75

CHAPTER 5 The Rectangle 97

CHAPTER 6 The Grid 107

CHAPTER 7 Symmetry 139

CHAPTER 8 Asymmetry 169

Angular Forms 189

CHAPTER 9 The Diagonal 189

CHAPTER 10 The Triangle 207

CHAPTER 11 The Polygon 237

Contents

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viii

Circular Forms 257

CHAPTER 12 The Arc 257

CHAPTER 13 The Circle 275

CHAPTER 14 The Oval 301

CHAPTER 15 The Curve 319

Other Forms 341

CHAPTER 16 The Organic 341

Credits 361

Index 363

C o n t e n t s

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ix

Landscape architectural design is a complex and multitasked journey that seeks to create

environments that are acclimated to their site and surrounding context, accommodate users’

characteristics and needs, incorporate cultural heritage, embody sustainability, and integrate

functional requirements. In addition to all these principal intentions, landscape architectural

design also endeavors to forge space as a stage for human activities and enjoyment. Space

is the invisible entity in the landscape that people occupy and use whenever they are in the

landscape. Th e process of creating space, whether it be in a backyard garden or grand public

space, distinguishes landscape architectural design from other environmental and garden

design vocations.

Among the numerous devices and techniques employed to create space in the landscape, one

of the most important is form. Form is the two- and three-dimensional armature that frames

landscape space and gives is organizational structure. Well-conceived form is essential to a

landscape design because it is the underlying armature for almost aspects of design. Like an

animal skeleton or the steel structure of a building, form aff ects the overall size, proportion,

and massing of a landscape architectural design as well as the relationship among individual

components.

Th e sense of structure is most pronounced in highly architectonic landscapes that employ

orthogonal forms and least evident in designs that emulate natural patterns. Structural form is

often established with fundamental geometric shapes like the square, triangle, circle, and their

component elements. Forms may also be organic and be derived from naturally occurring

objects and shapes. Whatever its source, form is typically seen in the landscape by edges between

spaces, elements, and ground materials. Form is further expressed in the third dimension by

a building footprint, walls/fences, steps, plant masses, and the contour of the ground plane.

Most important, form is the foundation for space in the landscape. Th e scale, proportion,

orientation, use, and meaning of outdoor space are profoundly dependent on the ground

plane footprint and its three-dimensional expression, just as architectural volume is decidedly

associated with a building’s fl oor plan, associated walls, and ceilings. In essence, how people

experience and move through space corresponds to how it is structured. Form likewise

establishes the feel and temperament of a landscape. Heroic, poetic, serial, exploratory, and

so on are all potential landscape dispositions aff ected by the underlying confi guration. Finally,

style is explicitly associated with form as well. Classic, romantic, modern, postmodern, and

other styles are each based on a particular set of forms and their arrangement.

Preface

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x

Although a well-composed organization of forms is necessary for an admired landscape

architectural design, it is only one ingredient. By itself, form does not ensure that an eff ective

landscape design will be achieved. Adroit form composition in the landscape must be fused with a

respect for the site, sensitivity to potential site users, incorporation of sustainable techniques, and

an intelligent and creative vision. Further, form must serve as a foundation for three-dimensional

spatial volumes. It is easy, especially for novice designers, to become focused only on plan pattern

and to forget that the spatial experience is the most engaging quality of the landscape. Finally,

form is only an underpinning and must ultimately be expressed with the proper choice of

elements and materials. A landscape design with a sound structural framework can be captivating

and memorable with the correct palette of materials but a visual misadventure if a poor selection

of materials is used. So, a design’s forms must be combined with sound judgment in all phases

and deliberations of the design process. In the end, form is simply one of the many tools used to

fashion a design, not an end unto itself.

Th is book off ers a written and graphic description of the interrelationship between form and

space, two reciprocal entities that each rely on the other for articulation. Th e focus is on the use

of form to delineate space in landscape architectural site design, a genre that encompasses such

projects types as parks, urban plazas, courtyards, entry spaces, gardens, residential sites, and the

like. Site design is the pedestrian scale of landscape architecture where meaning, art, and craft

coalesce to forge environments that are directly experienced with all our senses.

Th is text fi rst presents the concepts, typologies, and rudimentary principles of form and space

as the foundation of design. Subsequent chapters focus on fundamental form typologies

starting with orthogonal shapes, the most architectonic and humanly infl uenced geometry,

and progressing to organic forms, the genre of shapes most informed by nature. Individual

chapters describe and illustrate the elements, unique characteristics, landscape uses, and design

guidelines for each type of form. While an attempt is made to discuss the most commonly

employed forms in the landscape, it is by no means meant to recognize and categorize all.

Th e book is intended to provide the core concepts of the most prevalent form typologies with

the awareness that all designers are continually seeking and creating new ways to shape the

landscape. Th us, this book is meant as a point of departure, not a defi nitive prospectus.

A quick note for the beginning designer about the graphic style used in the illustrations

throughout the book. Th e graphics used here have been employed to convey landscape designs in

a clear, legible manner. As a consequence, many of the designs can be interpreted as employing a

simplistic palette of materials, especially plant materials where, for example, only one tree symbol

is applied throughout a design. However, the designs should be understood as being schematic

and not being a fi nal design proposal. Th us, most designs, if and when studied more at a larger

drawing scale, would in fact use a wider variety of plant species within the established structure

for both visual interest and sound sustainable practice.

It is hoped that the reader will be informed by the variety of form and spatial typologies that

can be used to structure the landscape. Ultimately though, it is the reader’s own imagination

and inspiration that should shepherd a design’s organization. Enjoy.

P r e f a c e

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xi

I wish to thank a number of individuals for their help and support throughout the development

and production of this book. First, thanks go to Shelley Cannady, Lorn Clement, Bradley

Goetz, and Jason Kentner who reviewed a draft manuscript of this book. Th eir feedback and

suggestions were instrumental in shaping the underlying intent of the book and the inclusion

of the fi rst two chapters. Th eir comments provided a touchstone throughout the remainder of

the book as well.

I am grateful to Walter Schwarz for his invaluable and concise technical advice in working with

Adobe InDesign and Photoshop. His input was critical in making sure all the digital pieces

would ultimately come together in a seamless whole. Th anks also go to Nancy Cintron, Senior

Production Editor at John Wiley & Sons, for her support and earnest willingness to work

through various issues related to my layout of the book.

I also owe much to Margaret Cummins, Senior Editor at John Wiley & Sons, who has provided

experienced guidance, advice, inspiration, and enthusiastic support throughout. In addition,

Margaret gave me the freedom to compose the layout of the book and the help needed to fulfi ll

my vision of what this book should be. Margaret has been an immeasurable asset at all stages.

Finally and most important, I owe boundless gratitude to Gail, whose ever-present challenges

and questions have continually pushed me to seek a higher standard. I am also deeply indebted

to her for assuming almost all the duties of managing our household, allowing me the time

and freedom to devote to this book. I could not have completed this project without her help.

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

Acknowledgments

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1.1 Form organizes and delineates space.

NO FORM PRESENT

FORM PRESENT

1

One principal objective of landscape architectural site design is to impart a spatial

organization for human use and enrichment by orchestrating a broad palette of elements in

an inspiring and coordinated manner. A primary means for choreographing this potpourri

of elements is “form,” an armature for assembling the many landscape elements that defi ne

landscape space. Without form, space exists as an amorphous void that lacks clarity and

legibility (top 1.1). Form is the cornerstone for forging landscape site design and provides

the most elemental means for coherently aligning elements so that space is discerned

(bottom 1.1). Form is inherent to how landscape architects think and express themselves.

Th is chapter examines form as the basis for molding space in landscape architectural site

design. Th e defi nition, typologies, ways for modifying, and techniques for organizing form

in the landscape are all examined as the foundation for subsequent chapters. Th e sections

of this chapter include:

• Form

• Primary Shapes

• Form Transformation

• Organizational Structures

• Unifying Principles

1Landscape Form FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS

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