architecture - LJN Blog Posts - Landscape Juice Network2024-03-29T15:15:04Zhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/architectureStreet Furniture and The True Cost of Buying Cheaphttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/street-furniture-and-the-true-cost-of-buying-cheap-12015-03-04T11:14:16.000Z2015-03-04T11:14:16.000ZBailey Artformhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/PaulGarratt<div><p>First of all I'd just like to say that I'm not a Dr of anything and don’t have an "ology" to my name. In fact the only Bsc I have is a Bronze Swimming Certificate!<a href="http://www.baileyartform.co.uk/artformblog/street-furniture-and-the-true-cost-of-buying-cheap/" target="_blank"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314754933?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-right"/></a></p><p>What I do have however is over 20 years' experience in the Street Furniture business so I hope you enjoy reading what is my personal opinion on a subject that is close to my heart.</p><p>I was recently highlighting a particular design of seat to a client and the first words out of his mouth were...</p><p>"I really like the design Louis, but it looks expensive to me."</p><p>And although he was very happy when we discussed the actual cost his words kept coming back to me and it really got me thinking.</p><p>So I decided to write this guide...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>The 3 things you need to know when buying or specifying street furniture</strong></span><br/> <strong>(...in order to ascertain the true cost of an item)</strong></p><p>Over the years I've seen literally thousands of items of street furniture sold and far too often the "only" consideration has been the price of the product.</p><p>It's sad but true to say that when discussing outdoor seating for instance, I've had comments such as "it's just for sitting on" and "they all do the same job" used as justification for buying the cheapest possible benches for a scheme. Whilst yes they are all "for sitting on", those comments over simplify the decision making process and can adversely affect the life cycle cost of the product in the months and years to come.</p><p>Another factor which makes it difficult to accurately establish the overall "on-cost" of a piece of site furniture is when there are different budgets available for installation versus maintenance. As a result the two are never married up and the actual real world cost of a specific product over time is never calculated or understood.</p><p>Ok so to nail down this issue of "true cost" once and for all, what are the 3 things you need to focus on?</p><p><strong>1.) Original cost & material specification of product</strong><br/> <strong>2.) Cost of installation & delivery</strong><br/> <strong>3.) Ongoing maintenance costs and expected life-span of product</strong></p><p><br/> Let's look at the first point in more detail</p><p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>1. Original cost & material specification of the product</strong></span><a href="http://www.baileyartform.co.uk/artformblog/street-furniture-and-the-true-cost-of-buying-cheap/" target="_blank"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314749924?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a></p><p>I'm sure we've all seen schemes where the street furniture looks in need of some maintenance despite being installed for less than a year. This is usually the result of budgets being slashed as the project nears its completion and funds areQuote drying up, thereby specifications are being downgraded.</p><p>The decision of which item of street furniture is to be chosen for a particular scheme most often begins with choosing the material from which it is made, typically wood, metal, stone and combinations of all three. To illustrate the importance of choosing not just the right material but also the right "grade" of material at the outset, I will highlight two real world examples that cover "stainless steel" and "granite" as two popular material choices in contemporary landscaping schemes.</p><p><strong>Example A) - Stainless Steel</strong></p><p>Let us imagine then, that scheme A calls for stainless steel as a material choice. Stainless steel is widely acknowledged as being aesthetically pleasing, fully recyclable and viewed as a low maintenance material.</p><p>So is one <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.baileyartform.co.uk/browse-by-product/bollards/diffusion-news.html" target="_blank">stainless steel bollard</a> as good as another? The answer is a resounding no!</p><p><strong>Grade</strong><br/> If the installation setting for your bollard is a coastal location (which means there will be high sodium chloride levels in the air) then grade 316 stainless steel must to be used. Yes it’s initially more expensive than grade 304 but it will resist contamination resulting in a longer life span.</p><p><strong>Finish</strong><br/> Also we must consider the finish of the stainless steel. When the finish is specified in the more "cost effective" brushed satin or dull polished then although this results in a lower cost for the item usually it results in higher maintenance costs...</p><p><strong>Why?</strong></p><p>Because airborne pollutants can adhere to the stainless steel better when there is a surface that it can cling to, resulting in what many people refer to as "tea staining" <strong>(see image 1 below)</strong></p><p><strong>Cleaning & Maintenance</strong><br/> This can be cleaned with a specialist cleaning agent but again this comes at a cost that isn’t usually considered at point of sale (see image 2 below where a small area has been cleaned) So it’s always best to choose a bright polish finish which adds lustre whilst also minimising maintenance costs, as there's nowhere for these pesky airborne pollutants to stick to!</p><p><a href="http://www.baileyartform.co.uk/artformblog/street-furniture-and-the-true-cost-of-buying-cheap/" target="_blank"><img width="710" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314751870?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="710" class="align-center"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314758512?profile=original" target="_self"><br/></a> <span class="font-size-2">You know, all this metallurgical talk is taking me back to my younger days, when I was involved in the jewellery trade. On many occasions customers would come into my premises, really excited over the bargain gold jewellery they’d bought whilst on holiday asking me to test the quality of the "gold" and value it for them. I'd explain that the acid test would ruin the item if it was a fake but they always asked me to go ahead.</span></p><p></p><p>Nearly 100% of the time their faces would show shock when the acid was applied (to the item not their face) and it started bubbling away eating into the cheap base metal.</p><p><strong>It may have looked like the real thing and been able to be worn by the owner but did they REALLY get value for money?</strong></p><p>I am reminded of a quote by John Ruskin...</p><p><span class="font-size-4"><em style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="font-size-4"><em><b>"It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do."</b></em></span><br/></b></em></span></p><p></p><p><strong>Stainless Steel Bench Case Study</strong><br/> Here is a brief <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.baileyartform.co.uk/" target="_blank">Bailey Artform</a> case study to demonstrate how these principles apply in real world examples</p><p>The Bailey Artform <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.baileyartform.co.uk/libre-seat.html" target="_blank">Metalco Libre Seat</a> shown below was specified for the first phase of a scheme on the site a modern University Campus</p><p><a href="http://www.baileyartform.co.uk/libre-seat.html" target="_blank"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314772670?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-center"/></a></p><div id="stcpDiv"><p>However on the second phase of the project, a cheaper "look-a-like" seat was chosen from a different supplier as a "cost saving" exercise.</p><p>But look closely at the cheaper look-a-like benches installed on the second phase and you will soon see evidence of defects due to lower grade materials used. The surface has significantly deteriorated in a very short space of time and is clearly visible to the naked eye.</p><a href="http://www.baileyartform.co.uk/libre-seat.html" target="_blank"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314773677?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-center"/></a></div><div><div id="stcpDiv"><p>And the takeaway lesson from all this...?</p><h3>"Cheap is most certainly NOT always best when it comes to specifying urban furniture!"</h3><p>I'm pleased to say that our Libra Seat was once again ordered for the final phase!</p></div></div><p><strong>Example B - Granite</strong><br/> So let's move on to our second material of choice to discuss...Granite.</p><p>Granite as a material is extremely durable and is virtually maintenance free. It's a sobering fact to think that any item of granite street furniture that I provide to my clients is likely to long outlive me, and probably still be around when my grandchildren are grandparents!</p><p>For longevity of product lifespan combined with huge value for money, I genuinely think you would have to search for a very, very long time to find a better example than the Bailey Artform <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.baileyartform.co.uk/browse-by-range/gravin.html" target="_blank">Gravin Range</a> of Granite Street Furniture products. This attractive family of superior quality natural stone products offers a selection of exceptionally high-grade granite outdoor solutions, chosen specifically for outstanding quality and creative design.</p><p><a href="http://www.baileyartform.co.uk/estela-bench-951.html" target="_blank"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314770809?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-center"/></a></p><p><br/> As for the "looks expensive to me" syndrome, this range perhaps more than any other is the most surprising in terms of "actual cost" (very low) compared to "perceived value and material performance" (very high)</p><p><strong>Ring me and just ask how much the Couso bench pictured below is.</strong></p><p>No I'm serious!<br/> Pick up the phone now, call me, say you’ve just read my blog & ask how much the bench below is</p><p>Direct Line: 01625 855 903<br/> Mobile: 07795 246 400</p><p>I promise you’ll be amazed at how affordable it is, coming in at a lower cost than most "so called" cheaper and certainly inferior alternatives out there.</p><p><a href="http://www.baileyartform.co.uk/couso-bench.html" target="_blank"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314757452?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-center"/></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-4"><b>2. Cost of installation & delivery</b></span><br/> Understanding the different terminology used for street furniture fitting options is essential in ensuring the right fixing is chosen to minimise installation costs on a project.</p><p>I never automatically assume that everyone I speak to is familiar with the difference between root fixed and sub-surface, or base plated and surface mounted. (However I also try never to teach my grandmother how to suck eggs, so I apologise in advance for highlighting something that you may already know!)</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314776966?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314776966?profile=original" width="700" class="align-center"/></a></p><p><strong><span class="font-size-4">As installation of street furniture is usually at the end of the scheme sometimes issues can arise if the logistics haven't been carefully planned.</span></strong></p><p></p><ul><li><span class="font-size-2">For instance will fork lift trucks still be available for offloading as most items are delivered on pallets.</span></li><li><span class="font-size-2">For offloading of heavier items a crane or HIAB may be required. ('HIAB' is used as a synonym for a loader crane of any make)</span></li><li><span class="font-size-2">For the larger items will there be vehicular access adjacent to where the items are being installed?</span></li></ul><p><strong>Careful planning of the delivery and installation will ensure unnecessary costs aren’t incurred</strong></p><p><strong><span class="font-size-4">3. Ongoing maintenance costs & life-span of product</span></strong><br/> Taking care during installation ensures maintenance is kept to a minimum later on.</p><p>For example, bollards that are being installed where block paving will be the final surface finish. I have been to sites where all the protective packaging has been removed before the block pavers have been installed. The ground workers have been cutting blocks and the particles of brick and steel from the saw has been hitting the bollards contaminating the stainless steel.</p><p>Another issue being if all the packaging is removed, there is a good chance that concrete will be splashed onto the bollard during installation again causing contamination.</p><p>Before handover another "favourite" of mine is where a site operative has been given the task of making sure that all bollards etc are clean and an oily cloth is used to wipe the surface of the stainless steel. Guess what happens!</p><p>I feel like I’m the harbinger of doom being negative about the pitfalls of poor choice of products and poor maintenance but I genuinely dislike seeing the results of neglected street furniture.</p><p><strong><span class="font-size-4">Summary</span></strong><br/> So why does all this matter? What’s the point? Who actually cares?</p><p>Well apart from stating the obvious point that every single construction professional involved in delivering a project (from landscape architect, through to product designer & manufacturer, main contractor, ground workers & installation team) should strive to deliver the very best they can in order to give the client the end result they paid for, to the agreed quality standard and "fit for use" specification...apart from that?</p><p>I think the ultimate "customer" when it comes to public realm projects and shared urban spaces is the public, (that includes you and me) tourists, workers, young people, old people...the users of this space who live amongst these designs each and every day to meet, to communicate, to rest, to interact..and to appreciate (whether consciously or subconsciously) the true value of good design.</p><p>When we are in a public space that is well designed and well maintained we have an automatic personal feeling of wellbeing. We want to stop and interact with the landscape.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br/> So perhaps by specifying quality site furniture we’ve paid a little bit more, but by doing so we’ve not only ensured that these products stand the test of time... investing in well-designed street furniture means we’ve made a lasting positive impact on the lives of people we probably will never meet.</p><p>This is the point made by well-known British architect Richard Rogers when he said</p><p><span class="font-size-4"><strong><em>"My passion and great enjoyment for architecture, and the reason the older I get the more I enjoy it, is because I believe we - architects - can affect the quality of life of the people."</em></strong></span></p><p><strong>Now that’s what I call true value for money!</strong></p><p>If you're as old as me you might remember having to "save things for best" (usually an item of clothing that your mum or dad bought you)</p><p>They spent more on that special item than perhaps was usual but how did it make you feel?</p><ul><li><span class="font-size-2">Wasn't it really well looked after and you got told off if you got it damaged.</span></li><li><span class="font-size-2">You got pleasure and enjoyment from showing it off to your mates.</span></li><li><span class="font-size-2">You got envious looks and they wished they owned something similar.</span></li><li><span class="font-size-2">And it really did last a long time and still look like new!</span></li></ul><p>In my own daft way, I want to help my clients specify <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.baileyartform.co.uk/" target="_blank">street furniture</a> that is looked upon and treated in the same way</p><p>I want it to be looked after</p><p>I want people to be proud of what we've "given" them</p><p>I want it to be enjoyed for many years to come.</p><p><span class="font-size-4"><strong> Louis Lynch - Commercial Director, Bailey Artform Ltd.</strong></span></p><p><a href="http://www.baileyartform.co.uk/dahlia-planter-904.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314772910?profile=original" width="150" class="align-full"/></a></p></div>€2 million Properties at Dalkey Causing a Stormhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/2-million-properties-at-dalkey-causing-a-storm2014-09-05T15:30:00.000Z2014-09-05T15:30:00.000ZTobermorehttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/Tobermore<div><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314186131?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314186131?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p><p>Costing from €2 million, the hugely sought after homes at Dalkey Avenue, Dublin, each home measuring almost 3, 000 square foot in size, are complete with contemporary interiors and unique design features. An excellent location, tucked off Dublin Bay, the development is situated beside the tracks of The Metals, the old tramway which connected Dalkey quarry to Dún Laoghaire harbour.</p><p>A home at Dalkey Avenue is idyllic for family life and those seeking a creative and indulgent abode. With stunning views of Dublin Bay, gorgeous south facing balconies and high security facilities, it is plain to see why the properties at Dalkey Avenue are earning such interest. The lavish properties, designed by Peter O’Malley of LOM Architecture, London, have an array of features created to enhance home living including private garden areas which are divided into different levels for sunbathing, al fresco dining and play areas as well as purpose built garden outhouses.</p><p>Robert Doyle Ecobuild Ltd, Dublin, were the main contractor on this impressive project which showcases a variety of Tobermore landscaping materials. The grounds of Dalkey Avenue consist of Tobermore's Hydropave Sienna Duo in subtle Graphite and Sandstone and Sienna in sparkling Silver.</p><p>With the increase in flash flooding in areas of the UK in recent years, there is more demand than ever for permeable landscaping materials. For this reason, Tobermore offer the amazing Hydropave permeable paving collection. These quality products allow the creation of spectacular hard landscaping features, are environmentally friendly, and most importantly, significantly reduce the risk of flooding and pollution. Sienna paving is an ideal choice for the modern style of Dalkey Avenue. Sienna encompasses a coarse textured surface, exposing glittering granite aggregates which provide a distinctive appearance similar to natural granite. Sienna guarantees to create a sophisticated look for any application. Country Kerb in Granite is also incorporated which works perfectly with the paving style chosen.</p></div>Landscape Architecthttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/landscape-architect2013-02-02T14:05:37.000Z2013-02-02T14:05:37.000ZSteven Kingsleyhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/StevenKingsley<div><p>Our Landscape Architectural and Design blog is here <a rel="nofollow" href="http://studioconcept.co.uk/blog">http://studioconcept.co.uk/blog</a></p></div>Low Cost Alternative to the Landscape Institute Job Boardhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/low-cost-alternative-to-the-landscape-institute-job-board2012-04-27T14:53:21.000Z2012-04-27T14:53:21.000ZMichaelhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/Michael<div><p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font-size-5">Low Cost Alternative to the Landscape Institute Job Board</span></strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-3">Does £375+vat for a 2 week job listing seem reasonable to you?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-3">How about £750 for a months advert instead?</span></p><p>Well thats where we step in. For a long time Landscape Architecture pratices were happy enough to pay the large fee's charged by the Landscape Institute to post Job Listings on their Job Board. But now every penny counts and these figures are quite expensive by anyones standards.</p><p>We don't just provide a cheaper alternative to the LI; we also provide much more in terms of service and we work hard to fill the positions on our Job Board. We also make our Job Seeker database available online to the Employers who list with us, so if a Job Seeker catches their eye, they can contact them directly.</p><p>With every Job Listing on our site, we use our links on Social Media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Landscape Juice; to drive traffic to our job listings and help get the maximum exposure for every position.</p><p>So, don't just blindly use the LI website, come and try the low cost alternative which will work hard on your behalf to fill your position!</p><p>- Michael, Founder of Landscape People, <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.landscapepeople.co.uk/">www.landscapepeople.co.uk</a></p></div>Barclays Business Competitionhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/barclays-business-competition2011-04-26T09:53:56.000Z2011-04-26T09:53:56.000ZLandscape Peoplehttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/LandscapePeople<div><p><span class="font-size-3">Barclays - Taking The Next Step Competition</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Barclays</span> are running a business competition for new or existing business's and Landscape People need your support. We've entered into this competition because we need investment to help drive forward our online tools, which are currently in development.</p><p> </p><p>We need the support of Landscape Juice members & readers! Please click on the following link and view our short 2 minute animation, which explains what we are trying to do. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bit.ly/hLdWk2">http://bit.ly/hLdWk2</a></p><p> </p><p>Please then read the short paragraph below the video and leave us your comments. We appreciate you taking the time to take part in our support. All comments will greatly improve our business and we will try to take them on board.</p><p> </p><p>Thank You Everyone</p><p>Michael</p><p>Founder of Landscape People</p></div>Towards Modern Design?https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/towards-modern-design2011-04-19T12:38:13.000Z2011-04-19T12:38:13.000ZPaul Ridleyhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/PaulRidley<div><p>On another thread on LJN I recently posted a comment lamenting the innate conservatism of design in this country. The context of that comment belongs to a different discussion, but I think the point is worth exploring for its own sake.</p><p>If contemporary garden and landscape design is going to look at it best then it needs a suitable backdrop in just the same way that modern buildings need to be given an appropriate context in the nature of their setting. The general drift of modern architecture towards clean graphic buildings with multi-purpose living spaces, a focus on the use of new materials used honestly and an air of informality is not yet reflected in the buildings that are still being built in their thousands by the big developers. There are some exceptions of course, but for the most part these emerging design trends remain a lusted-for ideal in the pages of the design glossies.</p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314102304?profile=original"><img class="align-center" width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314102304?profile=original"/></a><strong>Yes, it really exists! Perhaps it's an extreme example, but it's pretty amazing...</strong></p><p> </p><p>Part of the problem (in design terms) is that in the UK we have such a vast stock of period houses – Victorian and Edwardian terraces and semi-detached houses dominate the fringes of all our towns and cities, the watered-down Arts and Crafts style of most of the latter having become the de facto vernacular architecture over much of the UK. Although these houses are capable of some internal reorganisation they will never manage to achieve the sort of clarity of which a new house is able – even an expensive architect-designed remodelling will ultimately run up against the exterior design: unless the house is demolished a compromise is inevitable. Since 1945 it seems that, although high-rise and other high density housing has attempted to embrace modern design, new stock of individual houses has generally followed the inter-War pattern, and even today we see otherwise perfectly liveable new houses dressed up as Edwardian pastiche. </p><p>Faced with this welter of ‘traditional’ housing design it is no wonder that potential clients think they need ‘traditional’ garden design to go with it. For a designer it’s an equally difficult tightrope walk – creating a garden that will respect and complement the architecture but that also allows a bit of current design flair can be a tricky one to pull off.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314110910?profile=original"><img class="align-center" width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314110910?profile=original"/></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>A new vernacular? Modern design which displays it's local roots.</strong></p><p> </p><p>I’d argue that, although there are some refreshingly different new housing developments around, we do not yet have the sort of critical mass that allows us to identify a new vernacular, and given that, it’s no surprise that clients are still requesting ‘traditional’ gardens. I’d also argue that the use of landscaping on new developments is rarely anything other than atrocious – having got a landscaping plan past planning control it seems that there is little appetite amongst developers to then push the boat out and do a decent job of designing and building the exterior setting for their houses. It’s all a question of the budget, and the impulse to avoid anything that will detract from the bottom line is a powerful one, especially when the prices for your product are falling anyway. As a result new projects invariably seem to end up with turf, a conifer and some yellow stained fencing, all jammed into sadly depleted soil over builders’ rubble.</p><p>How do we escape this cycle? Planning control would seem the obvious place to start, and if planners gave more rigorous attention to the detail of some landscaping proposals developers might be encouraged to be more creative and to put more effort into the settings for their houses. It would also help if developers could be encouraged to start moving away from the notion of the ‘traditional’ house – especially when there is an opportunity to integrate modern design into areas already bulging with ‘traditional’. One-offs by architects for individual clients are starting to break up the uniformity of the townscape in many areas, but the truly impressive modern development is a rarity outside the largest cities. Of course the resources available to enable the planning process to contribute in this way are limited, and becoming more so, and the likelihood is remote.</p><p> </p><p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314104462?profile=original"><img class="align-center" width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314104462?profile=original"/></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>The details which derive from the structural use of materials will always have greater integrity than applied decoration or pastiche.</strong></p><p> </p><p>In the end it is all about vision – on the part of developers to engage in good, democratic, sustainable and appropriate design, on the part of planners to allow new modes of building into our towns, cities and villages and on the part of landscape architects and garden designers to create spaces and surroundings that complement the structures. There are good examples out there, but with an ongoing need for affordable and economic housing there is a great opportunity to create the sort of contemporary buildings and spaces that reflect current approaches to design, if only there is the will. Chucking out the chintz is only the start!</p><p> </p><p>The images are courtesy of <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.molearchitects.co.uk/index.html">Mole</a>, an Ely-based office of architects I stumbled across this week - their buildings seem to combine a truly contemporary approach to sustainability and practical design with very beautiful results.</p><p> </p><p><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.paulridleydesign.co.uk/">Paul Ridley Design</a></p><p> </p></div>SketchUp 7.1 for Architectural Visualization: Beginner's Guide - Book/E-book.https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/sketchup-71-for-architectural2011-01-13T22:00:00.000Z2011-01-13T22:00:00.000ZDavid Beasley Garden Designhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/DavidBeasleyGardenDesign<div><p><strong>Hi Folks</strong></p><p> </p><p>A bit later than promised, I know, but I’ve now just completed reading all of <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.packtpub.com/sketchup-7-1-for-architectural-visualization-beginners-guide/book" target="_blank">SketchUp 7.1 for Architectural Visualisation: Beginner’s Guide’s</a> 408 pages from cover to cover and there’s so much fantastic information contained within it that it took me a little longer than expected!</p><p> </p><p>Anyway, on with my review of this book/ebook as promised.</p><p> </p><p>First of all, let me say that this book is rammed with links to websites/FREE computer software and detailed work-flows that are best followed with your computer switched on and preferably with a “live” design/visualisation project to work on to witness the results first hand. I didn’t do any of this and just read the book and imagined the results with my existing knowledge of SketchUp and the other FREE software mentioned.</p><p> </p><p>Secondly, as the title suggests, this book is not primarily aimed at Garden/Landscape Designers per see and there may be some content contained within the book that you might not think is relevant to our industry, however, the majority of it is and I think that anyone who reads this book with a basic understanding of SketchUp’s capabilities will truly be amazed at how this program can be extended though “plugins” and interacts with other related FREE design software such as Kerkythea (renderer) and “The Gimp” (Photoshop clone) to form a top class professional design suite to challenge any high-end (bought) competitors.</p><p> </p><p>As this book is so weighty and contains so much information, I’m not going to attempt to review the contents of each it’s 11 chapters but, instead, will try and give you a condensed insight of what’s covered.</p><p> </p><p>Chapter 1 is a great start for all impatient designers/visualisers (like me !) and jumps straight in at the deep end and guides the reader through the process of modelling a room scene (a gallery), texturing it, adding lighting and rendering it in Kerkythea to produce a photorealistic image.</p><p> </p><p>The next chapter then directs you to all the relevant websites where the FREE supporting software can be downloaded.</p><p> </p><p>The following early chapters of the book tell you how to do the basics right in a methodical/organised way without wasting any time/money. The author of the book, Robin De Jongh, is a professional, UK based architectural designer/visualiser and knows SketchUp, Kerkythea and The Gimp inside out and has his work-flow down to a tee so that at no stage in the process is time/output wasted.</p><p> </p><p>He effortlessly explains how site information can be “sucked” from various sources e.g. Digital Photographs, CAD files, Google Earth, Google StreetView and SketchUp’s “Photo Match” facility to quickly produce accurate, geo-located SketchUp models with realistic shadows and photo-real backgrounds.</p><p> </p><p>Also covered are ways to “flesh out” your model and populate it within SketchUp using ready made components from Google’s 3D Warehouse or within Kerkythea using 3D objects originally produced to be used with the “high end” 3D Studiomax program. Importantly, for us Landscape specialists, the importance of not over-populating your models with “memory hungry” 3D trees/shrubs is stressed and methods for producing homemade 2D “face me” trees is described as well as mentioning the use of the computer landscape program “Vue”.</p><p> </p><p>Chapter 7, I believe, finally answers the age old “hand-drawn v CAD” argument – in favour of CAD! Robin introduces us to “The Dennis Technique” which is none other than a simple technique using SketchUp and Gimp that produces professional looking “artist’s impressions” which look like they have been pencil/ink drawn then painted with a watercolour wash.</p><p> </p><p>An organised approach to producing “photo realistic” renders using SketchUp and Kerkythea is detailed in the next chapter and methods of “tweaking” these rendered images in Gimp follow in chapter 9.</p><p> </p><p>Reading chapter 10 will turn you in to a budding Martin Scorsese! Robin describes how you should start with storyboards to plan your SketchUp animations/walk-throughs and progress from simple low-resolution movies through to a sleek high res final presentation. During the process, no output is wasted enabling the production of video of varying quality from You Tube standard through to DVD and TV quality.</p><p> </p><p>The final chapter introduces SketchUp’s sister program “Layout” which comes free with the Pro version and is desktop publishing software which allows you to compose stunning printable drawings using your SketchUp model scenes, “artistic impressions”, photo-real render images and Layout’s own 2D graphic symbols such as plan trees, North arrows, scale bars, people, vehicles as well as text etc.</p><p> </p><p>Overall, to sum it all up, this book has been written by an author who knows his stuff and has a sense of humour! To the un-initiated, the technical jargon used sometimes and the very structured approach to working may be off-putting to some but the author always explains “what has just happened” later in plain English. This book is no “quick fix” for the impatient/occasional user of SketchUp, but for serious/regular users of this amazing software it tells you everything you ever wanted/need to know about using it to produce professional standard architectural/landscape visualisations.</p><p> </p><p>In short, a “must have” book packed with a lifetime’s knowledge that will take several readings to take it all in.</p><p> </p><p><a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.packtpub.com/sketchup-7-1-for-architectural-visualization-beginners-guide/book" target="_blank">SketchUp 7.1 for Architectural Visualisation: Beginner’s guide</a> is by author Robin De Jongh and can be purchased now directly from PACKT Publishing as a traditional book or ebook.</p><p> </p><p>Reviewed February 2011 by:</p><p> </p><p><strong>David Beasley</strong></p><p> </p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://a-design-and-build.co.uk/" target="_blank">a design and build company.</a><br/><p> </p><p> </p></div>Getting started in Landscape Designhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/getting-started-in-landscape2009-11-22T11:46:44.000Z2009-11-22T11:46:44.000ZDuncan Heatherhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/DuncanHeather<div>One of the first things students should be doing after graduating, is contact their local Architects.They are a ready made source of work and because of new planning regulations, many applications now require a planting plan as part of the planning conditions.<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314135670?profile=original" alt=""/></p>As qualified designers, you should be able to offer architects:A full planting service to include specification and 5 year maintenance schedule.A Arboriculture method statementA Tree survey to BS5837 (2005)A RPA plan and APN12 recommendationsIn addition to this you can also offer a full 3D perspective and rendering service if you CAD skills are up to scratchAll of the above should be laid out in a letter to the architect having first found out his/her name so you can address it to them personally.You then follow up this letter with a call a few days later enquiring if they received the information and if you can be of any further help.Think about it! If a homeowner builds an extension they will change the footprint of the garden. As a result the garden will need re-planning. By offering to assist the architect they can provide a cheep and very lucrative source of work.</div>