Spatial Organization Garden

8/11/2019 Spatial Organization Garden

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Spatial OrganizationHidden Principles of Space Design

Spatial organizationconveys a powerful influence upon the way we live in ourgardens.

Garden design therefore is highly dependent upon a combination of our most

important needsand our aesthetic preferences. The two must be wedded in a

relationship that serves your most important requirements.

The perception of space in our gardens is also shaped by the way humans perceive the

world. We perceive the world though a maze of memories, impressions and emotions.These collected experiences shape our responses.

If you dont believe me take a look at the following two pictures!

In the first picture you see a 3 dimensional obect a globe. In the second picture

you see how that "obect# really looks in two dimensional space.

$lso notice two other things. %irst note the si&e of the artist on the 'top' of the

globe. (ow look at the si&e of the people beside him. They are the same si&e. The

globe appears very large so the artist appears very small.
http://www.gardendesignexposed.com/Landscape_Planning.htmlhttp://www.gardendesignexposed.com/Landscape_Planning.htmlhttp://www.gardendesignexposed.com/Landscape_Planning.htmlhttp://www.gardendesignexposed.com/Landscape_Planning.html


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Public Domain Street Art created by Julian Beever

Hover your mouse over the photos below to enlarge

This is an optical illusion which tricks the eyes at ground level and in the right

position into believing they see a three dimensional obect when the "obect# is

really two dimensional.

This is an example of how our emotional and visual perceptions alter our

sense of spatial organization.

)e process information visually through our e*periences and e*pectations. )e use

conte*tual cues such as shadow overlapping relative si&e orientation

elevation te*tures and colors as visual cues that help us interpret our 3 dimensional

world through our + dimensional vision.

)e literally calculate mathematically the depth width and height that make up our

perceptions of three dimensions in space.

In other words our depth perception is entirely dependent upon these conte*tual

clues. ,ur perception of spatial organi&ation is changed by the conte*tual cues

present.

So how does this apply to our question of garden design
http://www.gardendesignexposed.com/visual_texture.htmlhttp://www.gardendesignexposed.com/color_values.htmlhttp://www.gardendesignexposed.com/visual_texture.htmlhttp://www.gardendesignexposed.com/color_values.html


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Gardens are part of our three dimensional world. )e "see# the two dimensional

obects around us as three dimensional. %or more about how we see you can visit

this page on visual perception.

Therefore the conte*tual cues we use to perceive our world are highly applicable in

garden design.

Lets take a look at the following set of photographs to get a sense of how these

principles can be manipulated in order to trick the eye into drawing conclusions about ourgarden spaces.

Dimensional Space

%irst lets e*amine two dimensional and three dimensional space by comparing a

landscape plan to an actual photograph of a garden. )hen we look at this plan we

see several interesting characteristics.

(otice first that there are paths that wind throughout this garden. -lants hug the

edges of this path and a ga&ebo is nestled into the garden. This is a two dimensionalpicture of a concept of organi&ation for the garden space. It leaves us with a very

ordered impression everything in its place everything reasonably flat in our vision

in spite of the artists attempt to create the illusion of three dimensions.

The garden below is not the same garden. owever it is closely enough related in

design to illustrate the point that in + dimensions a garden may appear very

differently than it does in three dimensions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_perceptionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_perception


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ere we see the same sort of winding paths plants hugging the edges and a

wishing well nestled in the garden. /ssentially these are the same elements.

0et the impression we have emotionally is very different. )e want to walk into this

garden. It is an emotional and physical e*perience even in a photo that is entirely

lacking in any two dimensional representation.

1o we see here that there is a human dynamic that cannot be replicated in a drawing

that is present in our three dimensional view of the world. 2ore importantly our

perception of space is altered.

Spatial Planes in the Garden

This ne*t set of photos will help us see another principle of spatial organi&ation. )e

all grow up in a world that is much larger than we are. )e learn unconsciously over

our first several years of life that our world is organi&ed very consistently.

There is always a foreground middle ground and background to any picture we form

of the natural world. These are called spatial planes.

To illustrate this principle take a close look at this photo.


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ue to the simplicity of this photo it is very easy to see the three spatial planes we

are discussing. In the foreground we see a level and neatly manicured span of

grass edged by a planting of cattails. This is the plane upon which we live.

4ust behind the cattails there are hillocks in a very ordered progression across the

entire photo. These deep green mounds are in the middle ground of this space.

5ehind this middle ground we see a wall of rock. This rock forms the background of

our mental photograph.

This visual principle is in effect every moment of our day. )e see a foreground

middle ground and background in every view of nature.

6ets translate this now into another picture where the three planes are not quite as

clearly laid out.


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In this photo you may not see the three planes quite as clearly but they are very

present. This view is much more enclosed so the "distant background# we saw in the

preceding photo is not as clearly seen here.

(otice though that this view of a space still very much follows this principle of spatial

organi&ation. There is a foreground seen in the ferns at the base of the photograph

as well as in the brick pillar at the right.

The middle ground is furnished by the brick wall itself which stretches throughout

the middle of the picture.

The background is seen only through the arched doorway at the back of the

photograph. ,ur three planes are furnished even in this more confined space.

Atmospheric Perspective

$nother spatial organi&ation principle that is of value to observe is the principle of

atmospheric perspective. This principle states that as obects get farther away they

appear smaller and they become less distinct.

This spatial organi&ation effect is clearly seen in the photograph here. In vivid color

at the forefront of the picture are a planting of charming yellow tulips set against a

deep blue planting of hyacinth and another splash of red tulip. $ll of these plantings

are very clear and distinct.


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In the middle distance we see a couple of homes. These are less distinct and the

colors of these tones are slightly greyer less vivid and quite small in relative si&e to

the tulips at the forefront. )e know from our personal e*periences that houses are

much bigger than tulips!

6astly in the distance we see a very indistinct almost ha&y view of the hills behind

the homes. $gain these colors are more grey and indistinct than those even in the

middle ground.

In this photo these effects have been heightened by the angle of the camera and by

e*posure techniques but these principles are very much a part of our everyday

e*perience.

)alk outside and take a look and once you actually pay attention youll be ama&ed

that you have missed that all these years!


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In the ne*t photo of a garden more enclosed

by trees you will easily see the same effect.

In a progressive fashion from front to back

of the view you see a gradual graying of the

color palettes and less distinct lines of

division between the elements.

Linear Perspective

$nother principle of spatial organi&ation that

is useful to understand when designing a

garden is linear perspective.

6inear -erspective is a mathematical

principle that is applied to obects and vistas

which essentially states that when viewing

an obect or set of

obects that lines converging toward a single point in the hori&on will eventually

meet and that obects along its length may be the same si&e but appear to be

progressively smaller.

This is most easily illustrated using two sets of converging lines such as those in a

garden path.


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In this e*ample the curved lines are equal distance apart all along the length of the

garden path but to our vision from a position looking along its full distance the

lines appear to converge making the visual effect appear to diminish in si&e along

the length of the path.

This is one e*ample of linear perspective. 6inear perspective is an important spatial

organi&ation technique that is e*tremely useful in creating a sense of motion or oftension in a landscape.

Forced Perspective

$n e*citing variation on the spatial organi&ation technique of linear perspective is

what is called forced perspective. This principle is e*tremely useful in the garden for

creating illusions.

$nother e*ample of using forced

perspective can be seen in this photo

of a garden urn.

In this photo a very large urn is

placed at the forefront of the scenewhich causes the larger trees in the

back to diminish visually in si&e and

creates an illusion of space. This

technique is particularly useful in

smaller garden spaces.

This page has focused heavily on

6ook at the following photograph in

which we see this spatial organi&ation

technique in use.

In this photo there is an appearance

of slightly graduated stepping stones

laid against one another to create a

magical effect. The larger appearing

stones are laid at the forefront of this

photo while stones that

appear smaller are laid near the

garden bridge.

(ote that each stone is laid on top of

the other which gradually raises thelevel of the path up vertically as well.

The illusion is that the entire scene is

quickly closing in upon itself which

creates a real sense of enclosure as

you walk through the garden.


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understanding the basic principles

that can be used to organi&e space in

your garden. 1patial organi&ation can

help you optimi&e the spaces in your

garden creating a host of dramatic

effects which can add e*citing

dimension to your garden.

Looing at your garden spaces with eyes that seethese principles at work can

allow you to take advantage of distant vistas interesting focal points and optical

illusions that create more visual space in your garden.

0our imagination rules because with these spatial organi&ation tricks up your sleeve

you can organi&e your space in a pleasing manner no matter what si&e your garden

plot.

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Spatial Organization Garden