📘 CodingMarble Learn

Landscape Design and Drafting

Landscape design is deciding what goes where in a space, using ideas such as balance, rhythm and unity. Drafting turns the design into drawings that builders can follow. A plan is the view from above, an elevation is a side view. Drawings use a scale (for example 1:100) and symbols for trees, buildings and water, so every length can be measured.

🎬 Step-by-step story

  1. Here is a small garden in 3D: a house, a pond and two trees. A builder cannot measure a picture like this.
  2. Now we flatten it. We look from above. This view from above is called a plan.
  3. We add a grid. Each square is 1 metre. The scale bar shows 4 metres.
  4. We write the sizes: the house is 4 m by 3 m and the plot is 12 m by 8 m. Now anyone can build it.
  5. Move the tree slider. Read how far the tree is from the house wall, then change the view slider to compare.

Tip: drag the 3D scene to turn it. Use two fingers to zoom.

🤔 Common doubts, cleared

Why not just take a photo of the garden?

A photo or 3D picture hides distances. A plan shows the true top view that you can measure. See how the 3D flattens in step 2.

What is a plan, exactly?

It is the garden seen from straight above, with objects drawn as simple shapes.

Why are there grid squares?

They help you measure. One square equals 1 m on the ground.

Why do we write sizes on the plan?

So the builder does not have to guess. The sizes tell exactly how big each part is.

How do I find the tree distance?

Count squares from the house wall to the tree. The readout does it for you.

Landscape design: from idea to layout

Design steps: 1. Survey the site (size, slope, sun, soil, water). 2. List needs of the users. 3. Make zones (play, sit, grow, walk). 4. Draw a layout and improve it.

Good design uses simple principles: unity (parts belong together), balance (not too heavy on one side), rhythm (repeat shapes) and proportion (sizes suit each other).

Drafting: drawing so others can build

Drafting means making clear drawings with correct sizes. The main drawings are:

Scale and symbols

A scale tells how much smaller the drawing is than real life. On a 1:100 plan, 1 cm on paper is 100 cm = 1 m on the ground. Real length = drawing length x scale number.

Symbols save space: a circle is a tree, a rectangle is a building, a wavy shape is water. Line types matter too: thick for edges, thin for details, dashed for hidden things.

Reading a plan

Find the north arrow, the scale bar and the title. Measure with the scale. Check each symbol in the key. A plan with these parts can be built by anyone.

Key formulas and definitions

Worked examples

1. On a 1:100 plan a path is 6 cm long. How long is the real path?

6 x 100 = 600 cm = 6 m.

2. A pond is 3 m wide. How wide is it on a 1:50 plan?

3 m = 300 cm. 300 / 50 = 6 cm.

3. A lawn is 8 m by 5 m. What is its area?

8 x 5 = 40 m2.

Common mistakes

Practice quiz

1. The view from above is called:
2. On a 1:200 plan, 2 cm is how many metres?
3. Which shows heights?
4. A circle on a plan is usually:
5. Drafting means:

Practice: answer these yourself

Type or choose your answer, then press Check. Use a hint if you are stuck; the full solution appears after you answer.

Frequently asked questions

What is landscape drafting?

It is making accurate drawings, such as plans and elevations, that show sizes and places for landscape work.

What does a scale of 1:100 mean?

1 cm on the drawing is 100 cm (1 m) in real life.

What are the main drawings in landscape design?

Plan (view from above), elevation (side view) and section (a cut through the ground).

Where this is taught

Japan高校（専門学科）1〜3年Landscape Planning

Learn first

Learn next

Related lessons

All Fine Arts lessons