While making some updated video slideshows for our website I ran into a problem- finding a nice soundtrack that I didn’t have to pay royalties for. After all, classical compositions from before 1923 are in the public domain right? Sure, but their recordings are not. Fortunately there’s Musopen.com, a website that has .mp3 and sheet music of public domain performances. A great concept and one that will hopefully continue to grow!
Monthly Archives: August 2010
Common Landscape Mistakes: The Napkin Plan
The Napkin Plan Syndrome is something we see a lot in our office when we are doing take-offs. What is a napkin plan? It’s a drawing that lacks sufficient detail to be bid properly (e.g. something that was drawn on the back of a napkin).
Landscape architects and designers can frequently omit important details or submit a conceptual plan for bid instead of a true construction document. While this may be easier, save time, or reflect the stage of the design process for the project, it’s enough to drive us crazy.
Common problems include:
- Poor material specification: Work labeled Stone Patio, or Wood Deck (what kind of stone or wood- 2 dollar tile from Home Depot? $20 Travertine imported from Italy?).
- No size/length specification: Yes you can have the contractor perform takeoffs of areas like irregularly shaped lawns, patios etc. Most of the time this information could be provided with a couple of clicks in a design program. It would save bidding contractors a lot of work, and result in more consistent and accurate bids for project clients.
- No plant specification table: Planting plans often don’t have a table counting the plants. Again, it’s easier to make the contractor count the hundreds of plants on your plan, but doesn’t produce help produce consistent bids. Planting tables also often lack container sizes.
- Bidder design irrigation: Also known as have the contractor design a complete irrigation system without any specifications or guidelines. Suffers from the same problems as the previous examples.
- No construction details: Often complex elements are not detailed at all- Install BBQ Island: This brings to light about a hundred detailing questions (what kind of counter, what type of island construction, what type of appliances, where does the gas line come from, etc, etc, etc…)
Exotic Landscape Fixtures from Hinkley
Hinkley is a less often specified light by most designers and landscape architects, but they have a very unique line of low voltage landscape lights that are more cost competitive than other boutique outdoor lighting brands (Hunza and BK we are talking about you).
Hinkley is not commonly stocked by local suppliers but good deals are available online. Here are some of their eye catching fixtures:
Construction Examples Video
We offer a wide range of landscape construction services. Here is a video slideshow showing various projects in construction.
For more visit our Construction Portfolio
Napa Project Video
Here is a video slideshow of our 2009 CLCA Design-Build Award winning Napa project. You can see more of this project on the portfolio page.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCJ_n0OrlcE
A Quick Word on Gratitude
We were discussing this a bit in the office today, while reviewing and debating the latest daily events at our company and thought it was worth sharing. Sometimes you just have to step back from the hectic busyness of each day and take a moment to express gratitude for what we have and the times we live in. A few things to be grateful for:
- We live in one of the most prosperous, freest societies on the planet
- We are living in the golden age of man kind. Witness to the greatest technological innovation in history, dwarfing all previous periods in richness, scale, and complexity. All while benefiting from being the longest lived, healthiest people to ever live.
- We have unlimited information at our fingertips at an instant. Your smartphone can access information that would dwarf the Library of Alexandria.
- A too large portion of the world lives on $1-2 per day. Has limited access to clean water, lives in poverty, lacks education, and is subject to all manners of disease that most of us do not even have to consider.
It seems like at times all people have an all to great capacity to take things for granted. To use one accomplishment as stepping stone for larger, greater accomplishment. Take a step back, a deep breath, and use your perspective to express some gratitude for all that we have. The poet Derek Mahan expressed this beautifully in his poem Everything is Going to Be All Right:
Everything Is Going to Be All Right
How should I not be glad to contemplate
the clouds clearing beyond the dormer window
and a high tide reflected on the ceiling?
There will be dying, there will be dying,
but there is no need to go into that.
The poems flow from the hand unbidden
and the hidden source is the watchful heart.
The sun rises in spite of everything
and the far cities are beautiful and bright.
I lie here in a riot of sunlight
watching the day break and the clouds flying.
Everything is going to be all right.
Derek Mahon
Source: http://www.panhala.net/Archive/Everything_Is_Going_to_Be_All_Right.html
Common Landscape Mistakes: Steel Edging
Steel edging sounds like a good idea. Steel is a stronger material than composite plastic benderboard that is commonly used, and has a much thinner profile. Instead of 2″ thick edging common with composite edgings, most steel edging is 1/8″ to 1/4″ in thickness. The steel also holds straight lines and curves better.
While these are certainly advantages, steel edging has one main drawback- rust. Steel edging is powdercoated and usually comes in black, green, or brown colors. Once it has been shipped, handled and buried on the project, the powdercoat is usually flaking off. This results in unattractive rusting edge or profile.
Another alternative that solves this problem is aluminum edging. Aluminum isn’t perfect either, it is softer and more easily banged up than steel, but won’t rust. The annonized coloring of the aluminum won’t flake off like the powdercoating on steel edging.
For more edging options:
Sure-Loc Edging: Offering both steel and aluminum options
Epic Plastics: Makers of Bend-a- Board composite edging
Current Project- Petaluma
This intimate back yard on the west side of Petaluma was an underused lawn area and deck with poor ground clearance and usability. The solution was to install a new permeable paver patio area, with matching block seat wall. Instead of using a permeable paver, a traditional paver was used, but downspouts and catch basins are directed into a permeable gravel field below the pavers, insead of the usual paver foundation of impermeable baserock.
Current Project- Mill Valley
This terracing project in Mill Valley is transforming a sloping back yard into a usable lawn space and play area. With some grading of the existing hillside and new wood retaining walls a good size area has been created that compliments a large patio space installed in the first phase of the project.
An Alternative to Grout
In the past few years there have been interesting developments in alternatives to grout and traditional joint fillers for flagstone and paver installations.
Ecosystems Grout sells a Eurogrout product that claims to allow water to permeate through the surface of the material, making it great for permeable pavement installations where rainwater is captured below the pavement, rather than redirected into a traditional drainage system.
These grout alternatives can also give a low maintenance more rustic appearance to an installation than traditional grout.
For more:
Visit the Ecosystems Website
A Different Style of Paver
For most residential paver installations there a few usual suspects that are installed from manufacturers such as Calstone, McNear, Belgard and others. While there are lots of nice styles from these manufacturers, sometimes a different look is desired.
Wausau Paving specializes in pavers that are better suited for modern projects or commercial applications, but for some installations these pavers would provide welcome relief from the usual suspects.
Image from Wausau Paving Website