Inspiration from Nature

park, incorporated elements of the ancient water infrastructure in their work. Schjetnan was aware of the ancient water system and canals of the Aztecs. He developed a progression of canal-like fountains as the central design element with parallel walks to connect the two museums (see Figure 5.8). Along the walks he placed lounge-type furniture not only to provide seating but also to suggest lounging in reference to the original retreat purpose of the forest-park reserve.

Nature seems a tempting if not a fallback source, inspiring the designs of landscape architects. Many garden design traditions both in the East, such as in China and Japan, and the West, including North America and Northern Europe, contain natural elements and materials as well as designs informed by nature. Some of the natureinspired landscapes are steeped in symbolism while other designs are attempts to create a stylized or—and some people might acknowledge—a reasonable facsimile. For a garden or landscaped space to look natural, such as New York’s Central Park, it often requires that a romanticized interpretation of nature be taken.

Successful contemporary landscape designs are the result of creating new patterns and forms based on the natural patterns found in the landscape. Landscape architects attribute a significant influence to nature in their designs. They find design inspiration through observation and experience in their travels, hiking expeditions, and critically observing the surrounding project context (see Figure 5.9). Landscape architects also learn from nature and, for instance, select native plant species and their distribution and habitat when composing a new landscape. The regional landscape also provides clues to the astute and careful observer. They use what they learn about such factors as climate variability, wind conditions, soil composition, and hazard potential (potential for landslides and erosion), and hydrologic patterns when developing their design proposals.

Figure 5.9 A: Santa Barbara coastal mountain dry streambed; B: Dreamworks campus water feature in San Francisco, by Lawrence Halprin, landscape architect.

Donnell Residence by Thomas Church

The Donnell residence, located in Sonoma County, California, is one of the iconic Modernist landscape designs from mid-twentieth-century America (Figure 5.10). It was designed in the office of one of the early landscape architecture pioneers of California: Thomas Church of San Francisco. The design of the swimming pool is attributed to Lawrence Halprin, another well-known landscape designer who gained early experience in Church’s office. The inspiration for the pool design came from the prominent pattern of wetlands coursing through the valley below the Donnells’ hillside property.

Figure 5.10 Swimming pool, Donnell Residence, by Thomas Church, landscape architect, with Lawrence Halprin.

Figure 5.11 Levi Strauss Plaza, San Francisco, CA, by Lawrence Halprin, landscape architect.

Lawrence Halprin took frequent walking trips in many landscapes of his adopted state, California. The Sierra Madre Mountains were a recurrent attraction for Halprin, so what he experienced, sketched, and wrote of his observations often found translation in his later designs such as the Levi Strauss Plaza in downtown San Francisco. Halprin greatly appreciated the geologic phenomena he encountered, in particular the rock outcroppings for their sculptural quality. One of his outings in the Sierras provided Halprin inspiration during the early design development for the Levi Strauss Plaza (Figure 5.11). He selected and tagged large granite boulders that were later transported to the plaza construction site. The boulders were incorporated into the central fountain and other elements found in the plaza. Incorporating specific materials taken from a natural landscape in creating a public plaza or landscape has been a successful approach for Halprin. He has created many of his memorable and most enduring creations after being inspired by his walks in natural areas. There is a more park-like section to the plaza located across the street. This second section was designed to have a more passive, pastoral quality in contrast to the dramatic and sculptural approach for the upper plaza. The contrast between the two halves is striking and intentional to provide the visitor an opportunity to experience two sides of nature that Halprin found in his hiking and sketching trips to the Sierra Madre mountains. His observations of nature in his travels to other regions and countries where he had clients served to inspire other of his designs.

Taliesin West was the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright and was his winter home and studio from 1937 until his death. Wright had a powerful