Opening spaces

The art of designing both unites and divides landscape architecture and architecture. Despite having a long tradition, landscape architecture has lacked a concise presentation of the fundamental principles underlying its design and planning concepts. This much sought-after book has evolved out of more than twenty years of teaching experience. The authors distinguish between the variable factors such as climate, growth of vegetation etc., and the more abstract element of design. They describe the ideal design components and demonstrate the extent to which natural features such as surfaces, spaces, paths, borders, hard and soft materials shape the designs. This book reveals how concepts such as order and chaos, way and goal, intention and reaction form the basis for landscape design, just as they do in architecture. Hans Loidl has been Professor for Landscape Architecture in Berlin since 1982 and has headed his own atelier since 1984. Stefan Bernard works as a landscape architect and graphic designer.