Evolution of a Design Development Drawing

Above is a page from a Design Development Presentation booklet. 

I thought it might be interesting to document the process a sketch goes through to get to the above layout. 

BACKGROUND: This limit of work shown on this project includes the courtyard pool... there is an existing pool that takes up the entire yard, and the homeowners wish to gain some patio space along with a new and appealing pool/patio style. The  courtyard is surrounded on three sides by the house, and one side by a 6' property block wall.  The architecture of the house is truly on the fence of (believe it or not) Hacienda and Contemporary stylings.  So together we chose one solid direction... Hacienda. 

Concepts: I go through several pieces of trace paper that I affix to the existing plan view of the house and property lines. This is done at 1/8" scale, and I note any existing "must-stay" like gas lines, electrical outlets, and any roof/surface drains.  Then I just start drawing any and all options that come to mind. I look for circulation routes from doors, views from the windows and desired relationships such as a outdoor kitchen near and outdoor dining area.  I'll block in priority areas/zones with colors. Often I sketch mini elevations or perspectives near the plans that start to "sing" to me.

initial concept plan

Design Development: Once a plan sings to me, I look at the design in the space, in all the corners and all at once.  Though this view is not a realistic vantage point (in that I, nor my client, will never be in the heights of the neighbors' trees), a birds-eye perspective explores the 3 dimensional connections between roof, overhangs, and patio planes.

initial perspective sketch

I'll do a couple rough drawn sketches, first in pencil, then trace in ink, and finally render in color..still on trace. With black ink outlines, I'll color, with markers (a combo of AD brand and Prismacolor), on the back of the trace; and then, still in reverse on the back of the trace, lay in the shadows.  I like the watercolor-esque attributes from the markers on trace paper.

final concept sketch 

Then I'll scan the image, alter the levels digitally to make true white (red, green, blue bell curves are almost equal) and add the necessary call-outs or photos to help describe the scene further.  

This particular plan may not look like there is much planting, so I made a point to have a page in the design development booklet for the client, focusing and introducing the planting opportunities.

Illustration and Bird's-Eye Views

I love illustration!  It's my way of story-telling.

My quick birds-eye sketch of a front yard design (above) tells the whole story of a single design idea.  (And it helped gain approval by an exclusive homeowner association yesterday, yay!) Just as a drawing in a kids book keeps the children interested and helps them "see" the story, exploring a design from all angles, such as plan view, elevation, AND the birds-eye view aids clients to see the whole story.  AND, helps me as the designer to generate details that otherwise weren't "seen" yet.  Though my clients may never see their finished project from this angle, it's a catch-all view that explains the interaction between all the elements... in essence, a picture is worth a thousand words.

BIRDS-EYE VIEW: an elevated view of an object from above.

According to Wikipedia, the term has been around since classical times, and before airplanes it was a drawn or photographed view taken from a high location, such as tower or mountain, and represents the imagined (birds) perspective.  Today, with satellite imagery and aerial photography, the term "aerial view" is often interchangeable, but aerial can encompass even the plan view of an object. Whereas birds-eye views are exclusively from an angle.

Fall color

Fall is finally here, and that means warm colors, early and cool evenings, and the air filled with smells of sugar and spice.

There is little fall color to be found in the desert. Boo. Not like that found on the East Coast. Our high desert landscape is filled with evergreen pinyon pines and junipers. We have an occasional desert apricot bush that will turn yellow with the onset of cooler weather. So longing for some fall color, I put together this craft for my daughter and I to do together.

It took no more than an hour. After I cut out the black trunk, we went out and cut a  juniper branch to use as a paint brush. Then, with some tempura paints, our fingers, and our natural brush, we painted a tree with fall colors. I added a couple pumpkins and ink outlines to give a minor refinement to the piece. So simple, so fall!

A waterfeature addition concept drawing

Back up against the wall

A common client complaint, - "I look outside and all I see is wall!"
Popular practice in home building today maximizes a homes allowable footprint on each lot. The upside-a spacious home; the downside-minimal outdoor space. Additionally, in Southern California, common property lines are often delineated with concrete block walls, some reaching as high as 9', due to certain grading requirements.

Solution....
LOOK! LOOK! Two things:

1. We need find a focus within in the yard. Add a small water feature, sculpture or birdbath. Or you could install an attractive shrub, place a potted plant, or plant an interesting vine on the wall. Almost anything will catch your eye and make you focus on something other than the wall... the wall ends up as a backdrop. [Choose wisely though, your rusty bike that's missing a seat and has flat tires, may actually be a worse focal point.]

2. And while you're out in the yard, find the best view. (Any borrowed scenery?? mountains, tree tops, no?) Then, turn around - Situate a patio with a table and chairs away from the house, and look back... With your back at the wall, you'll feel grounded. A pleasant sense of pride may overcome you when gazing at your home from your yard.

By comparison, a subdivision wall is usually quite plain and repetitive; but a home's windows, doors, and roof lines provide relief and interest. Our minds find gazing at architecture more appealing than starring at a wall.

Recycling can make your landscape look new!

So the last entry I showed the drawing of this courtyard design. "Before and After" are always fun, right?
BEFORE

AFTER


This courtyard was quite inexpensive and a great example of how you can RECYLE your existing landscape materials!

Most of the REmodel revolved around REmoving overly mature materials (like the vines on the wall), plants that were struggling, and the concrete mow strip. Then, I simplified the plant palette by REorganizing like-plants together and transplanting healthy speciments. Iused the bluging Ficus tree roots to guide the mounded planting area. I REused their flagstone by cutting it and REpositioning it. We placed them in a mortor bed for stability. And REplaced their boulders.

The minor additions to the courtyard were the small scale Feijoa tree which is to be pruned in a such a manner that it evokes a "bonsai' style small tree for the space. The Golden Euonymous was inserted for it's year rould yellow foliage brilliance and thick texture. And white bacopa was place atop the mound until the mondo grass fills in... it adds an airy and light touch while the white brighten up the shady garden. Along with cobble as the edge treatment for the planting area, I raked their gravel in a wave-pattern to give the space a sense of dynamic movement.

I left their duck figurines "swimming in the gravel" for now, but I am searching for a stone vessel or japanese style lantern/sculpture of some kind. It needs to suit their personal taste and will likely be the most expensive part of the garden.