Author: Susan P

As an exotic treatment for hotels and large office buildings, rooftop landscaping creates an environment like no other. With a spectacular view, and the sense of being "above it all," these special venues conjure a rarified ambience. Advantages are Many From a...

Having a house on the shore is the envy of many who don't. Owning a hospitality property on the shore—even more enviable. The question remains: is there an advantage in taking an opportunity to enhance the seaside landscape—with a shore shelter that also establishes...

At the local lunch counter, a florist was saying, "A friend of mine across town told me when they put in a little park, by his shop, he got more customers." "Yup. When a shopping area looks more like a neighborhood, more people come," the diner owner agreed. "People...

Playing scales on the piano is not a favorite past time for many—even a devoted few tire of them. Nevertheless, they are a necessary part of learning musical theory and applying it to the art of composition. Designing with scale is similar to musical composition in...

In temperate climates, an outdoor classroom could stimulate intellectual thinking, especially when surrounded with an inspiring landscape lush with large planters and vegetation. Leveraging Outdoor Classrooms to Enhance the Learning Experience The Greeks taught all...

Little surprises  make one's day. A small space treated with a large pot or a group of small ones now, that didn't seem important before, becomes a delightful setting. These little spaces are everywhere. With a landscape architect's sensitive eye for detail when...

Even though opportunities don't present themselves with every project, the grand entrance becomes the focus when the designer has a client who possesses the means and the property. However diminutive, every project has the opportunity for experimentation and an...

Australia's dry spells and restricted water resources are challenging landscape designers to create accommodations for prevailing conditions. Deploying drought-resistant outdoor planters, such as stone pots, and integrating soil retention tactics within a strategy...

Their handy locations attract daytime shoppers, working lunch grabbers and tourists. In addition to their accessibility, their presence adds beauty to the whole location coupled with nicely-arranged tables and chairs. Later, an evening's entertainment will end there...

It is a pleasure to find design that displays extraordinary talent, yet seems to hold enthusiasm in abeyance long enough to leave room for a decent game of croquet. Aside from winning, the better reward in this landscape is among gathered potted plants with a table...

Timeless has come to mean a design that hoves to a prescient view of the future, sits comfortably in the present and does the job as intended in both settings. In terms of landscape design, exterior furnishings must fill something of an entourage role that finds its...

The scene in airports, railroad stations and malls is familiar: crowds of people walking across a large expanse taking whatever route they choose. It makes it difficult for shuttle carts to navigate and much more so for those in wheelchairs, as well as families or...

Today, focusing on sustainable design, Australia is on the leading edge of engaging environmental applications. The landscape designer becomes one of the developer's major assets with ground floor participation on large-scale projects. Speed Bumps Being aware of the...

They’re rare. You don’t see them often—a quiet, complimentary space in a public realm. Yet, we subconsciously look for such places to meet for a quiet conversation, read the paper or to calm fluttering emotions. We regretfully acknowledge a world gone public where...

Particularly now, public and commercial building decision makers hesitate to add landscaping, aside from grass and a few shrubs, when contemplating renovation or construction of a new building. They think of these features as extraneous and find it difficult to...

Landscape design is a balance of aesthetics and function. Attention to aesthetics requires sensitivity to spatial harmony, while function allows the space to work, particularly in a public venue, where it's important to fit into an established order. Focal points,...