LANDSCAPE DESIGN

4th year Architecture Students

By Gifty Mathewos
Summary
• The fundamental concept of landscape design is problem solving
through the use of horticultural science, artful composition, and
spatial organization to create attractive and functional outdoor
“rooms” for different uses.
• The elements (visual qualities)—line, form, texture, color, and
visual weight, and principles (guidelines) —proportion, order,
repetition, and unity of design are used to create spaces, connect
them, and make them visually pleasing to the eye.
 Landscaping situation in Addis Ababa

• Some attempts were made previously to plant trees according

urban landscaping standards along streets and avenues of Addis.
Today there is few designed greenery in the streets and open
spaces of Addis Ababa.

• Most of the trees planted and grew recently on important streets

and avenues of the city are random and not visually attractive.
 Design suggestions for Landscaping in the
project areas

• The major purpose of landscape design is to create quality

environmental conditions, aesthetics and visually attractive
built-up environment in order to achieve a sense of scale and
harmony between all natural and artificial elements in
commercially core neighborhoods.

• An attractive, inviting landscape is the result of careful

planning and application of landscape design principles.
Design Considerations

• In the design process, all established plant species need to be

assessed and information recorded showing:

• Species type, size in terms of height, canopy spread and trunk

circumference and location, along with a statement of the potential
impact of proposals on trees. When established trees are
designated for retention in development areas, the canopy, trunk and
roots must be protected from damage.
• A decision to retain, prune or remove trees should be made at the
early design stage with full recognition of their value, potential
costs, advantages and disadvantages, and alternative design
strategies available to retain the trees.

• Therefore ,different species of trees, shrubs, climbers, flowers and

grass to be planted in different parts of the project area according
to the existing conditions of the surrounding project area.
 The main elements of built environment considered as:
a. Streets
b. Parking Lots
c. Open spaces
d. Courtyards and pocket spaces
e. Greeneries around the buildings
f. Paved walkways and alleys

Criteria for selecting suitable plant species for urban

landscaping
• Foliage , shade, and ornamentation are the sole criteria for
selection of trees for landscaping
• Protection level against sun, dust, storms, cold and hot
winds and screening unwanted views etc.

• Appropriate Plant Selection:- Choose trees, shrubs,

and ground covers that are either native or adapted to
your climate and soil.

• Soil Evaluation and Improvement:- The very best thing

you can do for your plants and be Water Wise is to build
deep, high quality soil. A minimum depth of 6 inches of
good soil is desirable, but 12-18 inches is preferable.

• Native and adapted plants do extremely well with native

soils, but improved soils benefit most plant species.
 Recommended plant species for landscaping
Scientific Name:Phoenix reclinata
Common Names: Senegal Date Palm
• Distribution: Africa
• Habitat: Swamps, and river banks, usually close to the
coast.
• Description: A large, clumping palm, to about 10m tall.
• General: Too large for most gardens, but very good for
parks.
• Culture: Sunny, and moist position. Likes lots of water,
(it doesn't mind wet feet.
• Used :as Ornamental and also good for shading in
small sized street. Suitable for street planting and in
small sized.
• Native: exotic

Species name Months Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept Oct. Nov. Dec.
.
Flowers
Phoenix reclinata
Leaves
9
• Scientific name: Prunus africana
• Common name :White ash
• height: 80 feet
• Foliage : Evergreen
• Feature: Resistance to storm damage: Good
• Soil: Will grow on poorly drained soil: Good
• Climate: Will grow in hot, dry areas and
moist areas
• Use : shade / ornamental
• Native: Exotic

Plant species Months Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
Flowers
Prunus africana
Leaves

10
• Scientific name : Acacia Umbrelifra
• Common name : Acacia
• Leaf : small leaf semi-deciduous and in time of water
stress the tree can drop leaves entirely.
• Height : maximum matured height is about 12m.
• Width : wider than it is tall or almost equal to its height.
• Climate : dry and semi-dry areas.
• Ecological important in arid and semi arid areas. It
Grows in any tropical
• Use: Ornamental, suitable for parking shades and wind
breaker;
• Slow growth and Drought resistant.
• Native: indigenous
Species Name Months Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Flowers
Acacia Xantophyla
Acacia Umbrelifra
Leaves

11
• Scientific Name: Acacia Saligna
• Common Name: Cyanophylla
• Height: 6.00-9.20 meters
• Type of plant: Large multi-trunked shrub or small
tree;
• Bluish-green leaves are 152-254 mm long; Foliage:
Semi-evergreen
• Blooms clusters of orange ball-shaped flower;
• Primary color: Blue green
• Spread: 4.60-6.00 meters
• Use: Shade tree; screen

Species name Months Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept Oct. Nov. Dec.
.
Flowers
Acacia Saligna
Leaves

12
• Scientific Name:Acacia
Saligna
• Family:Casuarinaceae
Casuarina
• Plant Type: Tree
• Height:18.00-23.00
meters
• Foliage: Evergreen
• Exposure: Full Sun
• Use: street sides,
medians parks and
lawns
• Native : Exotic

Species name Months Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
Flowers
Acacia Saligna
Leaves

13
• Scientific name: Ficus Sur
• Common name :Sholla
• Type: tree/shrub
• height: 6m
• Foliage: evergreen
• Feature: Resistance to storm damage
• Soil: Will grow on poorly drained soil
• Climate: Will grow in hot, dry areas and moist
areas
• Use : shade / ornamental, screening and
parking shades.
• Native: indigenous

Species name Months Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept Oct. Nov. Dec.
.
Flowers
Ficus Sur
Leaves

14
• Scientific name :Delonix regia
• Common name : Flame tree
• Habitat: Tree
• Leaf : Feathery fern like leaves ,deciduous,it drop all
its leaves once a year.
• Flower : Red flowers, pods are dark brown when
they mature.
• Bark: gray with smooth texture ,rough when mature.
• Form : single trunk ,spread branches.
• Height: height greater than 15m.
• Width : spread more than it is tall.
• Climate : Grow in tropical and sub-tropical regions.
• Use :Ornamental, in gardens, public parks and
Suitable for streets and car parking areas.
• Native: exotic
Species name Months Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept Oct. Nov. Dec.
.
Flowers
Delonix Regia
Leaves

15
• Scientific Name: Jacaranda Mimosifolia
• Family: Bignoniaceae – Bignonia;
• Plant Type: Tree;
• Height: 5-15 meters tall;
• Leaves bipinnately compound with 13-31 pinnae,
each with 13-41 sessile these 0.3-1.2 cm long, 0.1-
0.4 cm wide, glorious or slightly puberulent along the
midrib and margins;
• Flowers: In open, terminal panicles;
• Seeds: 0.9-1.2 cm long;
• Use: ornamental, shading

Species Name Months Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Flowers
Jacaranda Mimosifolia
Leaves

16
 Choosing Landscape
Construction Materials
(Hardscape)
 Your selection should be based on:

• Quality
• Durability
• Cost
• Affordability
• Long-term maintenance requirements
 Quality
•A measure of excellence or state being free from defects,
deficiencies and significant variations
• It is brought about strict and consistent commitment to certain
standards that achieve uniformity of products in order to satisfy
specific customers or users requirements
 Quality

• Quality is an experience of the customer. Product quality

perception comes from your design specifications and the
manufacture standards achieved. Service quality perception
comes from your service process design and the customer
contact impressions.
 Durability
• Able to exist for a long time without significant deterioration in quality
or value
• Assurance or probability that an equipment, machine, or material will have
a relatively long continuous useful life, without requiring an inordinate
degree of maintenance.
• Ability to undergo permanent deformation without cracking or fracturing.
• Ability to exist for long without significant deterioration by resisting the
effects of heavy use, drying, wetting, heating, freezing, thawing,
corrosion, oxidation, volatilization, etc.
 Cost and Affordability
• The act of breaking down a cost summary into its constituents
and studying and reporting on each factor
• The comparison of costs (as of standard with actual or for a given
period with another) for the purpose of disclosing and reporting
on conditions subject to improvement
 Affordability
• “Affordable” is defined as housing costs which do not exceed 30% of gross
annual household incomes for City residents whose incomes are below the
Housing Income Limits (formerly the Lower Mainland Income Ceiling levels)
established periodically by BC Housing (formerly BCHMC) in conjunction with
CMHC for specific unit sizes (see below).

• “Affordable housing” means housing which is affordable to households of low

and moderate incomes, targeted to those whose incomes and family sizes
meet the income thresholds set from time to time by BC Housing (formerly
BCHMC) /CMHC for the Lower Mainland
 Affordability

• "Affordability Gap" is the difference between what people on

low or fixed incomes receive and the maximum income limits
established by BC Housing.

• Conclusion drawn from the analysis of the 'life cycle cost' of a

proposed acquisition, that the purchase is in accord with the
resources and long term requirements of the acquirer.
 Earth/Soil

• Can be graded into any 3-dimensional shape > sculpted to the

form you desire:
berms, mounds, etc.
• berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier (usually made of
compacted soil) separating two areas. It can serve as a
fortification line, a border/separation barrier, in industrial
settings, or in many other applications
 Earth/Soil
• A mound is a heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris.
Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills
and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound
may be any rounded area of topographically higher elevation on
any surface.

• Artificialmounds have been created for a variety of reasons

throughout history, including ceremonial (platform mound),
burial (tumulus), and commemorative purposes
 Rock

• “Rock” could be boulders, cobbles, stone and gravel as paving,

for building walls as groundcovers and surfacing.

• Can be used in its natural state or as cut stone, sawed stone or

polished stone. It is more expensive than most artificial
materials but it is very durable, with interesting texture.
Transportation costs can be higher than the stone itself!
 Rock

• Its appropriateness depends on how well one uses it in relation to

the site and to other landscape materials.
• Guideline: natural rock should be placed as nearly as possible to
the position it occupied in nature.
• Emphasize horizontal dimensions - they should give an
impression of stability.
Chinese-style garden
• Flagstone has horizontal layers that can be split into large,
flat slabs. It is most suitable for paving patios and walks
and comes in various colors.

• Fieldstone is composed of irregular blocks of uncut stone

of various sizes found on or under the earth.
Flagstone
Examples of flagstone applications
Using fieldstone in informal applications
Using fieldstone in formal applications
Formal pattern
• Granite is a very hard, strong and durable. Its texture can
be fine or durable and may be found in various colors but is
most often gray. Granite pavers, also referred to as
cobblestones or granite setts, are quarried and are set in
mortar/sand mixes.
• Pebbles are small stones, rounded by the action of water.
They can be used as a textured ground cover.
• Gravel results from the disintegration of rocks or blasting. It
is relatively inexpensive but it is hard to confine, difficult to
walk on and may present a glare problem.
• (Alternative loose aggregates: bark and wood chips)
Granite Pavers
Pebbles
Gravel – in several colors
Using rock in the landscape
Using rock in the
landscape
 Concrete
Concrete is an inexpensive form of paving but it can be dull
and uninteresting. A large expanse of concrete can be
visually overwhelming as well.
There are several ways to finish the surface of concrete:
• Colored
• Jointed
• Exposed aggregate
• Stamped
Available
concrete
colors
Colored, jointed concrete
Exposed
aggregate
concrete
Stamped concrete applications