Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
creatinG LandScapeS uSinG contourS
This chapter will incorporate what was presented in previous chapters
to advance our understanding of site grading and refine our skills. We
will explore how to modify a project site using contours as our initial
means of representing grading design intent. By manipulating, chang-
ing, and altering the location and shape of contours, we create graph-
ically what the resulting landform and ground surfaces will look like
as represented in the site-grading plan. The contractor will employ
a grid system to transfer the grading plan onto the site, to guide the
earth-moving operations. In addition to contours, the grading plan will
include spot elevations, which are used where more precisely controlled
elevations are necessary, such as the height of walls, built features such
as fountains, or paved and landscaped areas.
Design is an activity that involves a back-and-forth conversation
between linear and reiterative processing of information. The process is
linear in that the activities are done in a sequence, beginning with project
definition, site analysis, and programming, then progressing to concept
formulation and design development. The process is reiterative in that
earlier steps of investigation and analysis might be revisited several times,
reworking initial thoughts on the basis of new insights. The design pro-
cess usually begins with a meeting between the designer and the client.
For complex projects, several meetings with the client may be needed to
finalize project goals. Next, the designer would make one or more visits to
the project site and surrounding neighborhoods, to understand the proj-
ect site's physical features and contextual considerations that would be
important for project programming and later design considerations. Once
the project designer or design team have (1) gained sufficient understand-
ing of the project site and its context, (2) completed due-diligence research
of governing matters such as zoning, governmental regulations, and design
criteria, and (3) established programming requirements, the designer may
begin the design process. Working over a base map, the designer develops
initial design concepts and their spatial layout. This initial development of
a project design is referred to as the schematic design (SD). This is the first
phase of a professional service contract between the client or owner and
the project design consultant.
