Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
the need for ScaLed draWinGS
While it is possible to build a landscape design without any drawings—
and in some special cases it may be a reasonable approach—in the liti-
gious world we live in, it is probably not a good idea. One could build a
garden, play area, or any other landscape design on-site using shovels,
picks, and possibly earth-moving machinery without a set of drawings.
The opportunities of doing so are limited, in large part due to the com-
plex nature of our lives in the context of governmental requirements and
legal constraints. You could create, say, a small garden following a design
in your head, and a “build as you go” approach—for instance, your own
garden or the garden of a friend or relative who is confident of your design
sensibility and skills. However, grabbing a shovel and proceeding to con-
struct an urban plaza or wetland restoration project without first going
through a design process that follows a paper trail of reviews and approv-
als is next to impossible in today's world of regulation and contracts. The
practice of landscape architecture consists of a series of formalized steps
following a paper trail whereby preliminary designs are first developed
and presented for client feedback and governmental approval.
Drawings and sketches, either drawn by hand or using computer
software, are involved in a process consisting of a sequence of steps. Each
step requires refining and developing more detailed plans, with technical
details, sections, and technical written specifications. At the close of each
step, the client and governmental units having jurisdiction for design and
plan review will evaluate the drawings. The design review process often
involves, in addition to governmental review, a requirement for sched-
uling and conducting public hearings and outreach to gain public input
and approval. A number of governmental authorities are tasked with
reviewing landscape designs—including grading plans—to assess their
conformity to a range of public safety and health standards. Examples
of governmental entities having review and approval authority would
include municipal government departments, state public works and envi-
ronmental quality agencies, federal government resource managers such
as U.S. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and additional agencies hav-
ing jurisdiction over water quality and wetlands management.
