Visual Form

A landscape technically
organized so that its parts
work together, visually
coherent as well, and
whose visual image is
congruent with its life and
action.
Outdoor Spaces
In contrast to
architectural space, site
space is much larger in
extent and looser in
form.
Outdoor spaces are rarely created by complete enclosure, but rather partially.
One of the most demanding tasks of site planning is to fit a new addition into an
established landscape.
Since space is primarily
sensed by vision, the
direction and quality of
light which bathes that
space is a determinant of
its character.
Hearing
• Character of space is partially given to us by the quality of sound or
noise.
Touch
• to a lesser extent, we are affected by the
feel of a surface, or by how it looks
 Ground Form and Texture
Urban - man-made structures Rural - Nature (earth, rock, water, and plants)
Rock, Water, Earth
• A handsome material, expressive of strength and permanence.
Water
• Unlimited range of forms, yet has strong continuity and repititiveness
that is never boring.
Plants
• One of the most
fundamental
landscape materials.

• If in public we
worship the tree, in
practice we often
destroy it.
Detail
• “Near world” detail can be incorporated for the appearance of the
whole as its basic spatial structure.
Viewpoint and Sequence
• A landscape, or a feature, can be seen or appreciated in a rather
limited set of view points.
Therefore, to achieve visual success:
1. Space must be imageable.
Well-structured, vivid in form, pervading sense of place.
2. A sequential experience.
With variety yet strong congruity.
3. Meaningful.
Highly expressive of the name and uses that occupy it.
The Site Planning Process
Client
• The site planning process commences when the client conceptualizes
the need to develop a site and hence determines the need for a site
plan. The complexity of the site and the problems involved are the
determining factors in the composition of a site planning team.
Technical Team
• In the site planning team, many people are involved in the decision-
making process. They include:

• The client = the developer, the builder, the financier.

• The technical team = landscape architects, planners, architects,

engineers, surveyors.

• The community = the local community, the future users, and the local
leaders.
Identifying the Key Issues
Some of the major differences between sites, which influence the composition of the site
planning team, are:

1. The different nature of physical and natural environmental problems.

2. The different people who use it for different activities and needs.

3. The ownership of the land by different people.

4. The payment of land by differing means.

5. The different ways of maintenance of the land.

Site Inventory
• The accuracy in data collection of the site inventory enables us to
investigate with credibility the conditions of a site’s environmental
quality and context and the opportunity for change as it relates to the
client’s terms of reference, the user’s requirements and the site
planner’s decisions.
Site Inventory
These involves the following factors:
1. Geology
2. Geomorphology
3. Hydrology
4. Vegetation
5. Wildlife
6. Climate
Geology
…is the natural science that
studies the composition,
history, and the processes
that shaped the surface of
the Earth.
Geology
Earth is made up of rocks:
Igneous - solidification of molten rock material.
Sedimentary – formed by settlement of minerals in the ocean
floor.
Metamorphic – arise from transformation of existing rock types.
Geomorphology
…is the nature of the land, form,
and slopes.
…in planning, it is important to
establish the relationship
between soil composition and
land uses.
Hydrology
Natural science that studies the
waters of the earth, their
occurrence, circulation and
distribution, chemical and
physical properties, and reaction
to the environment in relation to
all living things.
Vegetation
Plants are essential in site
planning because of their
relevance to:
1. Climactic control
a. Solar Radiation – trees block
or filter glare from sunlight.
b. Wind – low velocity is
pleasant, high velocity
may cause damage.
c. Precipitation – plants aid in
controlling precipitation reaching
the ground by intercepting rain and
slowing it down, thus preventing
soil erosion.
2. Environmental Engineering
- Filter air pollution
- Erosion control
- Glare and reflection
- Noise
3. Architectural and Aesthetic Uses
a. Space Definition – plants as wall elements to form outdoor spaces,
as canopies to provide shade, or as ground covers to provide color
and texture on the base plane.
b. View Control – While trees and shrubs can screen out objectionable
views, they can also provide backdrops for sculpture and fountains.
Additionally, they may provide filtered views of buildings or spaces, or
frame a view, maximizing its effect.
c. Mood – Plants affects people’s moods.
Wildlife
Relates closely to habitats provided by plant communities. The three
groups of habitant elements essential to the different species of wildlife
are:
1. Open land wildlife
2. Woodland wildlife
3. Wetland wildlife
Climate
Can be classified into: In each, a site should be investigated in
• Cold terms of:
• Temperate • Solar orientation for buildings
• Hot arid • Best facing slopes
• Hot humid • Wind flows for breezes
• Solar orientation for buildings
• Best facing slopes
• Wind flows for breezes