Landscape architecture processes change with the emergence of new tools.
This article will show how the new tools, software, and technologies have changed landscape architecture in the last decade.
Dive in!
Landscape analysis got more straightforward as the quality of aerial photography increased
Open-source high-resolution images and numerous tools with a street view option make it easy to survey a geographical spot online. It is possible to make a precursory walk around the site to create an initial plan for further landscape development.
Another pro is the abundance of historical photography now present online. It may look strange, but accounting for how the site developed through time caters to harmonizing new buildings with the historical background of a site, thus supporting its spirit.
3D scans simplify modeling
Numerous site pictures can be easily converted to an interactive 3D model, which can be used for different purposes. It can show a preliminary review of how the new object will fit within the environment or give a try to various models to choose the best.
Apps for site inventory make site surveying more efficient
Today, we have software and apps for the identification of different objects (such as plants, hills, and rivers), property information (the value and size of surrounding objects), and climate analysis (showing the change of the sunlight throughout the day, wind direction, and shade).
Previously, collecting such information cost a lot of time and money. Now it’s available to architects in a couple of clicks.
Drones and car-mounted cameras make inventory views faster
Cameras make the territory footage faster and more in-depth. These videos can be viewed later to analyze the territory without returning to the site. This saves a lot of time.
Drones with sensors like LiDAR make the job even more straightforward. They do the job of the apps, which means they prepare models, object inventory, and asset identification directly during the footage.
It gives a precise analysis of the landscape’s current status and helps forecast the impact of future changes.
Augmented reality simplifies experiments
Street furniture suppliers, lighting companies, and gardening accessories providers employ mobile app development services to create augmented reality apps that place their products in natural settings.
And that simplifies the work of designers.
To select the best option, a designer has to go to a chosen site and try as many products they want to see in their landscape architecture.
Professional design tools cater to the sophistication
Tools like Sketchup, CAD, and Vectorworks allow architects and designers to develop plans, test alternatives, and spot imperfections in several clicks.
Thus, they have more space for creativity, not to mention they can exclude any potential bottlenecks before preparing documentation.
Online communities enable experience sharing
Open communities where web designers share experiences are not a novelty. And these connections bring good results as the domain of web designs improves.
Technology enables landscape designers to do precisely the same thing. Interaction in communities boosts creativity and helps to find solutions for annoying blockers.
Summing up
There are other ways technology can impact landscape design. Like in other domains, it simplifies routine tasks and leaves more space for idea development and new solutions.
Author’s bio: Anastasiia Lastovetska is a technology writer at MLSDev, a software development company that builds web & mobile app solutions from scratch. She researches the area of technology to create great content about app development, UX/UI design, tech & business consulting.