many layers

©2003 mark laurence

design principles note no. 1002

subject:	Successful design depends upon a building up of depth in layers.
problem:	A garden that has no depth will never develop a sense of place

A sense of place is a most elusive thing to grasp, yet all poignant places and moments have it. It occurs in time, as well as space, so can only be addressed through expression of intangible elements. But we cannot build with intangible things, only physical matter, so we have to understand that tangible elements can give rise to intangible results. To achieve this end, we must work with simple things that build up many layers.

problem:

It's easy to know what a wall will look like but not what the space it contains will feel like.

solution:

The best way to build up layers is over time: create something, step back, observe, absorb, adjust. Move on to the next element, the next layer: create, absorb, adjust. In the space of our own back gardens we can afford this luxury of time, for it is our greatest ally in the deepening process of many layers.

This layering should not be confused with adding clutter, for unwanted or unnecessary things can overburden a place. In a garden, you can add to the whole by taking something away. For example, removing a shrub which casts a heavy shade can liberate a sense of light and joy hitherto unknown in that space. You have added nothing physical - yet dappled light is surely one of the best intangible elements to discover.

We have to generate enough energy through our construction to allow the building of many layers to continue with the passing of time. As gardeners we can see this process through our use of plants. They are the indicators of time.

You can imagine perhaps how much "style" can get in the way of this process. If it is arbitrarily applied, style can actually conflict with the emergent sense of place. Often an applied style has no connection with the space, so it sits at odds, like ill-fitting clothes. Style has to emerge along with the sense of place.

Of course, the preferences of an individual do and should take tangible form in the garden - often someone will give a theme to a garden which is close to their heart, or is perhaps suggested by the style of architecture present. Often it will be love of a particular type of plants that will be the main influence- all these are valid reasons to express a style. A style should therefore serve some purpose and must be a response to a situation or set of circumstance that are presented at the site.

The elements we work with are like words. Each element, a brick or a stone, contributes to the generating of a sentence. Each sentence adds to the building of a paragraph, each paragraph builds a page, every page builds a chapter. As we read these pages, through time, meanings emerge which are greater than any individual component or word. These are the intangible qualities and we generate these through many layers to create a sense of place.

Finally, remember that we must use our words in a poetic manner, not just that of prose. Every word then takes on many meanings, deepening the effects of many layers. We must work, not just as gardeners or landscapers, but also as poets.