One of the most important aspects of architectural design is how a home and its site interact. The same goes for a home’s landscape design.

Whether chief architect Marc Camens is working on Kiawah Island or in the Adirondacks and beyond, where preservation requirements necessitate an environment-first approach, he knows exactly how to design homes that integrate beautifully into the landscape.

But he also works collaboratively with skilled landscape architects and designers to ensure the spaces outside each home honor nature and create a cohesive story from the exterior to the interior.

By skillfully combining the elements of architectural design and landscape design, Camens Architectural Group creates properties that feel utterly different than others you may have experienced.

Defining Landscape Design

When you think of landscaping, you might only envision flower beds and shrubs. But landscape design actually encompasses both the hardscape and softscape elements of a property. 

Hardscape features include more permanent structures like stone retaining walls, walkways to the water, stone steps, wooden decks, fences, and even pergolas. Sometimes, hardscape structures are connected to the home itself, such as the decks, pools, and patios featured in many of Camens Architectural Group’s home designs.

Softscape elements, on the other hand, includes all the living features of landscaping — from flowers, to shrubs, bushes, trees, grass, and more.

The Connection Between Landscape Design and Architectural Design

Architectural design and landscape design have a symbiotic role, whereby they each are supported and elevated by the other. Indeed, many of the core principles that guide Camens’ architectural design can also be integrated into how he collaboratively approaches landscapes with other designers and contractors. 

Taking in Nature

People build homes in incredible places because they crave interaction with nature. The best way to integrate the indoors with the outdoors — and vice versa — is to blur the edges between the two. The better an architect and a landscape designer both seamlessly unify both areas, the better people feel and the better the energy flows. 

If a home’s landscape has enough detail and texture, it’s easier for people to feel like they are a part of nature. Beautifully detailed hardscapes and softscapes can make you feel hugged, safe, and secure, allowing you to see the majestic elements of nature without feeling overwhelmed by them. 

Wrapping the Landscape Around the Way You Live

Just as the notion of home means something different to everyone, so does the intent and purpose of landscape design. Front yards, backyards, side yards, and more must be designed in service of how the homeowner lives.

It’s the architect’s job to dig in and discover what makes homeowners unique so they can wrap the house around their lives — just as it’s the landscape designer’s job to do the same. The goal is always to relate the architecture and its landscaping to the people living within the spaces while enhancing their experience with the captivating site upon which their home is built.

Finding Harmony

The spaces around a home should also create a sense of harmony — the residence should open to the landscape, and the landscape should support the home. There should be a sense of balance to the landscape design, just like the balance found in Camens’ architectural design. 

For example, the materials used in the hardscape should be the same or complement those used for the structure of the home. And a patio or deck should be right-sized to fit the backdrop of a home’s square footage.

Designing outdoor spaces in human scale can turn an overwhelming yard into a peaceful, private getaway. 

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Whether we’re designing an elegant courtyard, expansive deck, or a graceful pathway to the waterfront, we take all these factors into consideration when collaborating on the landscape features for your home. 

Are you ready to experience the difference in how we approach architectural design? Contact us today and let’s get started.