Landscape Architect Articles

LASN Computers August, 198808-01-88 | News

Growth Simulation: The Key to Client Communication

by Scott Weinberg, ASLA

Figure 1. Plan view with plants drawn at two bird's maturity. (Illustration by Molly Pike) Ed. note: thanks for your effort Molly!

How many times have you explained to a client what the “symbols” on a landscape plan represent. How many times have you tried to explain that the symbols on the plan represent the plant’s size at a given time, usually at two-thirds of the plant’s maturity. How many times did you want to give up trying to explain anything about the plant symbol?’’ Welcome one of the latest computer aids to help conquer the problem of relating the drawing to the actual size of the plant. The program is called “growth simulation” and it is part of the LANDCADD package of computer software.

The program allows plants to be “grown” at any point along their individual growth cycle. For example, if the mature size (canopy size) of a given tree is 50 feet, it has the ability to show the progression of size from one foot to 50 feet. The plants are “grown” based on the actual plant data for a particular species. The only input needed from the user is the year that they would like to see the growth. The program also comes with a plant specifier, a plant selection program, which serves as a database for the growth simulator.

Figure 2. Plan view with plants drawn at illustration.

In figure 1, you can see the plan view of a small single-family residence with trees placed. The plan view is typical of how a drawing would look at a client presentation, with the plants drawn at two-thirds of their mature size, or in this case at year 15 of the growth cycle.

Figure 2 represents the actual size of the plants at installation. The original drawing was figure 2, whereas figure 1 was generated by the computer to provide a plan that represents 15 years of growth.

The program, as part of LANDCADD, works in combination with Autocad. As a result of this software combination, the growth simulator program can also produce three-dimensional drawings that add to its value. Figure 3 represents the plan in three dimensions at installation, a true picture of what the client is really going to see.

Figure 3. 3-D view of plants at installation.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 represent what the client would be seeing in 5, 10 and 20 years, respectively. Imagine being able to show a client how a group of pines will develop over the next 10 to 20 years to provide them with a wind screen or how the shade trees planted in the front yard will grow and produce shade for their house. You can easily see how this type of computer generated drawing can aid in the communication between Landscape Architect or landscape contractor and the client.

An additional feature of the program’s computer generated growth simulation is that it will scale down a plants size just as it will show growth. An example of this is the Witch Hazel tree shown at a given size upon installation (figure 3). Notice that the tree, computer” grown” in figure 4, in the fifth year of growth is actually smaller than the installed tree. The Witch Hazel was specified for installation at 8 to 10 feet, which is actually a 10 to 12-foot, year-old tree. It is important to remember that the computer will take the growth information from its own database to derive the growth rate and ultimate size of each plant.

Figure 4. 3-D view of plants at 5 years of growth.

With all the positive aspects of the program and how it shows how plants “grow,” there are a few assumptions that the user needs to be aware of. The first of these is how the growth rates are established. There are three basic rates at which plants will grow, fast, medium and slow. The fast rate is based on the fact that the plants in this category will reach their maximum size in ten years, medium in 20 years and slow in thirty years. The program will use their maximum size and divide the “growth” rate into equal yearly segments based on their growth rate. The maximum size is provided as part of the plant specifier database. By using this method, the computer can determine the plants size in any given year.

Another assumption the user needs to be aware of is that is a maximum canopy size is not provided the computer program will default to the maximum height of the plant chosen. This can lead to confusion on the part of the designer and the client.

Figure 5. 3-D view of plants at 10 years of growth.

The documentation (instructions) for the program is very clear and easy to follow. If you are familiar with Landcadd you can expect to produce your first growth simulation within 30 minutes. The plant database contains about 800 plants and is designed provide a generous cross section of plant species from across the country.

Along with other types of software that are specific for the landscape industry, the growth simulator saves time and can increase the level of communication between you and your client.

Figure 6. 3-D view of plants at 20 years of growth.

Scott Weinberg is a professor of landscape architecture at the University of Georgia’s School of Environmental Design in Athens, Georgia. He is also head of the computer workshops for the ASLA National Conventions and in charge of ASLA-CADD professional practice seminars. Weinberg (in conjunction with colleague Professor Roger Moore) is also a certified trainer for the Landcadd Company Training Center at the University of Georgia.