Outdoor kitchens and firepits remain top priorities this year for homeowners, but mainly as part of larger outdoor rooms. A new survey of members by ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) found that homeowners are requesting outdoor "great rooms" that function as a combined kitchen, living and dining room for family gatherings or for entertaining.
ASLA president Perry Howard said homeowners are "reconnecting with their outdoor space, often in creative and imaginative ways. It's no surprise that people want to take elements that work so well inside their home and recreate them outside."
The landscape architects also reported that clients are looking for ways to reduce the costs of lawn maintenance and irrigation. In 2008, they expect to install gardens with smaller lawns and larger planting beds containing native and drought-resistant plants. The architects said that those particular trends can also make a landscape "significantly more sustainable."
(image: Jeff McNamara, Wesley Stout Associates, New Canaan, CT)
The survey said that commercial clients are also trying to reduce their costs by installing low-maintenance landscapes. The landscape architects foresee more use of native and drought-resistant plantings, as well as porous paving and bioswales to reduce stormwater runoff. Many commercial builders are also intent on obtaining certification from green rating systems such as the US Green Building Council's LEED® (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) metrics. Commercial projects are also expected to feature more gardens and walkways, and spaces that utilize existing natural features and plantings.
In the photo shown here, curbside gardens help filter and control rainwater. ASLA president Howard said that "more and more landscape architects see a demand for incorporating and quantifying sustainable design--especially on the commercial side."
ASLA is a partner, along with the US Botanic Garden and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, in the Sustainable Sites Initiative, which will create a green rating system for sustainable landscape design. According to Howard, it will "give clients and designers the tools and best practices for designing energy efficient, environmentally friendly landscapes."
(image: Kevin Robert Perry, ASLA)
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