At Hertzler & George, we often approach a landscape design using the concept of a five part master plan. With this concept, there are five areas that must be addressed to create a cohesive, inviting and practical design. The five areas are:
- Approach & Arrival
- The Hub
- Outdoor Living Spaces
- Passages & Destinations
- Boundaries
Here are two examples of our projects where these principles can be see, one a residential scale project and the other a large country estate.
Residential Design
Approach & Arrival
The plan provides two approaches – a direct path to the front door and a meandering path to the children’s garden. The front gate makes an inviting entrance.
The Hub
The heart and soul of any residential property is the home itself. The views from inside looking out are critical. Furthermore, the home’s predominant architectural forms, colors and patterns must guide the landscape if the home is to truly fit its setting.
Outdoor Living Spaces
The east terrace is an extension of the interior rooms. A broad set of steps flows from the inside, and seating areas provide places to gather and learn.
Passages & Destinations
The American garden used to be about sitting on one’s deck and surveying one’s domain. Not any more. A beautiful pathway, pool, garden shed, flower bed, and simple bench or urn can all be used throughout a garden to add life, interest and value.
Boundaries
Fences serve a useful purpose by keeping children from wandering, but they can also be an attractive element in the garden: the wrought iron gate at the front of the building disappears into plantings, and higher fences in the back screen views to and from an overlooking parking garage.
Estate Design
Approach & Arrival
The first view of the house surrounded by gardens and fields, makes a connection with its historical uses, though the original entrance has long been abandoned. The renovated house now faces the road. The clear layout of driveways provide understated direction leading to the front door, and secondary driveways provide convenient access for family.
The Hub
The organization of the garden grows out from the house. The garden is loosely symmetrical around the main axis of the house. Direct views to distant fields establish the agricultural nature of the house.
Outdoor Living Spaces
Outdoor spaces range from architectural extensions of the house to garden rooms farther out. The plan is modeled on traditional spaces associated with plantations; kitchen garden, vineyard, and orchard. The various sizes can accommodate a variety of uses from intimate to large scale (the ellipse).
Passages & Destinations
A variety of paving surfaces draw visitors throughout the property. They also shape the design as seen in the large ellipse. While generally symmetrical, there is enough variety to avoid monotony.
Boundaries
The edges of the grounds are defined by a series of picket, rail, and split-rail fences, which become more rustic with distance from the house. Their low height allows views of the surrounding agricultural fields.
