Including a site amenity in a residential design proposal, or as a new addition to an estabished landscape, adds a new dimension for your client's landscape. You provide a bigger package, enhancing the quality of the site, perhaps even giving you an edge if in a competitive situation. If your client is interested, but feels the cost is prohibited, don't delete it from your plan. Suggest the addition as a future phase. This not only gives your client the potential to further develop their landscape, but also gives you a connection to be involved in the future.

The definition of a site amenity isn't found in the dictionary, but amenity is. The definition in Webster's Dictionary is: 1a: the quality of being pleasant or agreeable, 1b: the attractiveness and value of being pleasant or agreeable , b1: the attractiveness and value of real estate or of a residential structure, 2: something that conduces to material comfort or convenience, 3: something (as a conventional social gesture) that conduces to smoothness or pleasantness of social relationships. Given that definition, a site amenity is an element or elements designed into the landscape to improve the quality for the users.

The fountain also encourages outdoor activity, as does a shaded or sunny seating area. Seating is particularly popular if the sound of running water may be heard.

On a large scale, one may think of a golf course or community swimming pool as an amenity. On a smaller residential scale, there are numerous amenities to personalize and add the quality of being pleasant, comfortable, attractive and/or convenient. Examples may be areas for entertainment, a quiet niche for retreat, or a shaded playspace. The inclusion of a site amenity may stem from a client's request or a suggestion of the designer. Whichever, it is important that, as any feature in a landscape, the site amenity is carefully planned to tie into the entire compostion. Additionally, it should be customized for the homeowner. Therefore, it is necessary to inventory the site and to understand the lifestyle and interests of your client.

IDEAS

If you know that your client entertains frequently, it's important to understand the nature of their guests and type of entertainment. These facts can help you design spaces to accommodate the guests. If the entertainment is mostly family or close friends, a casual space may be created. If entertainment is predominately business or formal, a formal space is appropriate. The formality of the space is dicated by the style and material of elements used. An interlocking paver with a concrete edge may suggest a very formal style (although not limited to formal settings) while a natural stone with groundcover creeping over the edges may be informal and casual. If the number of people being entertained is small, one small area may be sufficient. But if a larger number people will be involved, obviously, more space is required. However, it is not necessary to depersonalize the space. In fact, people typically like to mingle or break off into smaller groups. Recognize this and offer several smaller seating and mingling spaces with a smooth flowing circulation pattern. For example, create easy movement from a higher level deck to a lower level with wide steps to accomodate two or three people walking together. Include a short riser for easy stepping. While maintaining correct proportions with the tread relationship, the steps would encourage a comfortable pace compared to long, narrow steps. Incoroporate landings, large enough to place outdoor furniture or containers, while not interfering with the traffic pattern. Include terracing so that plants may be incorporated to enhance the atmosphere and to accommodate the grade change.

The hot tub is "sunken" and placed in the sequencing of the steps and walls

Your clients may be private and enjoy quiet weekends at home. Their home may reflect a casual country style. Use bent wood for an arching entrance into an outdoor room. Use cobble or flagstones set in sand for the path and a patio area. Recommend bend wood furniture to compliment the style. Create small raised beds out of stones for herb and flower gardening.

If your client has a swimming pool and teenage children, recommend an extended patio area of pavers to accommodate friends and sunbathing. Use retaining wall stones to create planting spaces to soften the hard landscape elements. For adults, incorporate a hot tub into a space instead of freestanding on a deck.

While maintaining the integrity of the functional aspect, numerous opportunities arise for creative problem solving. Take advantage of these opportunities to uniquely address a problem area. Use grade changes, or the need to reroute drainage patterns on your clients property as an incentive to include an amenity. Design interesting drainage systems and retaining walls. Develop paths through the level changes and bridges over drainage areas. Add additional amenities– outcroppings to sit on,waterfalls, terraced gardens, or peaceful retreats. Recognize retreats. Recognize that walls and the sequencing of grade change may become a strong design element or subtly tie into the design. Utilize the need for climate control to incorporate an amenity. Interesting overhead structures or trellis provide shade over a patio . Simple or elaborate fences help buffer strong wind. Short walls help catch snow drifts before reaching a side walk or entry. Whatever the situation, spend time analyzing to increase the attractiveness and quality of your proposal.

The lines of the walls and sculpture placement became an innovative method of redirecting neighbors run off away from the swimming pool.

SITE LOCATION

Based on observations during a site inventory, a particular area in the yard may appear useless, yet that area may prove to be a perfect niche. The niche created is only limited by design. The concept is to create an outdoor room for the homeowner to use. It may be detailed and elaborate or simple. It's amazing how the addition of just seating changes the character of a space and makes it enjoyable. Although a seating area may include several features beyond just a place to seat. There may be a hard surface and a small water feature. It may be a gliding swing under an overhead structure to provide shade and a place for a colorful flowering vine to grow on. Or it may be a gazebo with buildt in seating.

The location may be one that overlooks a good view with an open feeling. If so, carefully orient permanent features to fully take advantage of the view. In contrast, the location may provide privacy and seclusion. If privacy created by the topography or existing plants, include a planting to screen and separate the area. If necessary, build a garden wall to offer an area for solitude.

To offer interest, develop a niche adjacent to a water feature or a speciality garden with a fountain. Seating is particularily popular if the sound of running water may be heard. An added benefit for clients who enjoy birdwatching is the attraction of birds to water.

Although the pool is covered for the winter the expanded patio allows for more activity by the pool and helps tie the amenities together. If the client has a swimming pool and teenage children, an extended patio area of pavers to accomodate friends and sunbathing is recommended.

Don't be concerned if the space is not adjacent to the home. Make it visually inviting to move through the yard to a pleasant place to rest. This may be accomplished by incorporating a meandering path leading to the area. In fact, the destination of the seating area doesn't necessarily need to be visable from the home. A pleasant walk through landscaped beds or under large trees may be invitation enough for the homeowner to be outside for enjoyment.

Returning in popularity is the concept of the front porch. This doesn't necessarily imply a big front porch, but the idea that family activity isn't limited to the back yard. The homeowner may enjoy sitting in the front and socializing with their neighbors. Propose developing an entry courtyard with seating, or an area detached from the home in the front. If the front yard has large trees, create a small woodland garden with seating.

A single bench and a simple planting designed into retaining walls provides a restful place to sit. It is important to recognize that walls and the sequencing of grade change may become a strong design element or subtly tie into the design.

For a formal home, develop a grand entry for a dramatic effect. Propose a circle drive with a guest drop off and parking. Utilize pavers with a detailed pattern complimentary to the residence. Suggest a statue or water feature in the center with soft lighting accentuating it. In fact, most site amenities are enhanced with night lighting.

Take advantage of an area and the distance from the home. Do not be concerned if the space is not adjacent to the home. Make it worth the walk and visually inviting to move through the yard to a pleasant place to rest.

LANDSCAPE CREWS

Offering the addition of site amenities may require creative thinking for the owner of a landscape business. It is essential that landscape crews understand correct installation of any amenity installed, unless a subcontractor is hired. A larger business may choose to have a crew or crews specialize in amenity installation, separate from plant installation. Or a business may require all employees to understand installation/construction techniques. Then, during weather not condusive conducive to planting, the crews have projects to be involved in. A smaller business may select to work on a fewer number of projects, yet specialize in site amenities.

Many businesses offer training courses within the company, while others take advantage of outside workshops. Overall, experience becomes the best teacher once the basics are understood. No two projects are identical.

THINK TWICE

The wall provides a separation of the front entry and the side of the house while providing the ideal place for a raised herb garden. Short walls can help catch snow drifts before reaching a side walk or entry.

Remember that site amenities do offer your client and your company diversity. A residential project is someone's home. Think twice about your design proposal. Offer your client a landscape which includes amenities to enhance the qualities of being pleasant, agreeable, attractive, comfortable and convenient.