STRUCTURAL PLAN

Now that we have identified the public, private, and service areas we should overlay another piece of tracing paper and begin addressing the following areas. We may want to do individual sheets of tracing paper for each section that applies. Here we will make adjustments to our existing space and accommodate the needs and desires from the questionnaire.

GRADING

This planning area is one that a lot of people get in trouble with as they did not place enough importance or thought here. The problems can be many. On a flat lot it can be fairly simple. On a hillside lot or one with elevation changes we should pay close attention. Common things to be dealt with will be how steep and stable are the existing or proposed slopes on the lot, can we control erosion, and protect the house. Do we need retaining walls, and if so are they of suitable structural or material types to suit the lot? Can we move people, material or equipment from one area to another? Is it to steep to mow a lawn? What soil types do we have? What is the surrounding area like? In most cases unless you have considerable experience in this area it can save many headaches and thousands of dollars to bring in a professional to help draw this plan. Certain engineers, most landscape architects, some design professionals, and a number of landscape contractors could help you in this department. Make sure to ask for qualifications and look at local codes. If you tackle this yourself, you will want to use a builder's level or some way to measure all the changes in elevation. Mark down all the existing grade lines, and list potential problems.

DRAINAGE

Here we will try to coordinate the drainage needs and grading. We need to pay close attention in this area as the success of many things will depend on proper drainage. Protecting the house is one of the first concerns and definitely not one to forget.

Plants for the most part have the need for good drainage and do not like to be under water on an on going basis. They will suffocate due to a lack of oxygen unless that is their habitat. We can often create raised beds that with proper additives will help.

Low-lying backyards that have neighboring hills draining into this area will need to use some form of a removal system.

Retaining walls will need in most cases to have drainage systems placed behind the wall and fed out away from the area.

There are many types of drainage systems used. A simple and decorative way to remove the water is to dig a trench following the slope of the land and make a dry creek bed that in heavy rains will move the water downhill and out of the area. This could be done out in the garden area or used up next to a path, drive etc.., where you would prefer to re-direct the water.

Using the grading plan, the area or slopes can often times be shaped so the water is directed to where you would like it without the need for other elaborate systems.

Using collection/grate boxes in low points of the grade and moving the water to other locations through solid pipe also works well.

We could do trenches excavated to certain depth x widths based on our needs that we then fill with perforated pipe, drain rock, sand, etc., that can also be moved out of the area.

Digging a large hole as a dry well, filling with drain rock and directing the water to this area may also work, depending on soil types.

Building retention ponds that are then piped out of the area or are used as decorative features may also work.

The existing and future site elevations will play an important part in how to solve the drainage needs. The predominate soil type and the type of conditioning you plan will also be a consideration. You may be able to use the grading plan or a builder's level to determine your needs.

It is well worth the price to have a competent professional look at this area initially as it could save you much heartache and thousands of dollars.

HARDSCAPES

Here we will place all the functional and aesthetic hardscape features. This section will have areas of functional needs that we have listed in our questionnaire, the beginning design phase, or have come up with due to the site grading and drainage plans. Other features we may want to include as accent points or of purely a whimsical nature. Here we will need to include as much detail as possible for the construction of these items. If necessary do additional plans that relate to the particular items at a larger scale. Lets locate and place all the following. Remember (no set rules) to expand this list as needed.

TREES

The larger trees on our plan in particular should be considered as part of the structural plan because of their life span and size. Most often these trees are picked for their ability to provide shade, screening for views and wind screening.

A lot of shade trees are deciduous, as when we reach less light in the winter, we don't mind the extra sun that will come through without any leaves on our tree. As a shade tree we need to think of the angle of the sun during various times of the day, as the shadow size and angle will change with the time and season . We can think of the sun's rotation based on the compass reading we took in the plot map design area. The primary times we will need shade will be during hotter times in the summer. We will want to think in terms of what the sun angle is at when we need the shade the most. This maybe for cooling the house, providing shade on a deck, or creating a shade garden area.

For wind screening we want to consider the prevailing wind direction and the areas we would like some protection in. For screening views we want to consider the height from the ground to the canopy as you may need to add some under story plants. A lot of these trees tend to be evergreen so that we can have year round screening.

The width of the tree is important as we don't want to encroach on others property or be to close to the house. Here is where some of our CC&R's may come in as we relate to height and view restrictions.

Another consideration in the selection of the larger trees will be the scale as it relates to surrounding structures. A large tree may dwarf a small house, and yet the same tree next to a taller house will provide a nice complement. We do not want to forget scale and balance. Always plan for plant placement thinking of what the cultured mature size, and shape each plant will reach.