Manipulating the Eye 1

Manipulating the Eye 1:
The Power of Lines in Design

Understand the clients’ desires and the space’s limitations, then use line to make it seem larger, or smaller, or more interesting.

John Brookes (shown standing with Cynthia Kinman) was creating a backyard space for his client in West Dean, England. He cut into the grade to create an opening for arched steps with returns. His use of materials was very interesting. He taught us about stitching bricks with stone to create a very visually interesting design in the walls and floor surface. This is common in historical homes in England, but something we had not seen or tried here in America.

As landscape designers, we are required to worry about so many structural and scientific elements in design that when it does come down to the look that the client wants, we’ve made many concessions. These concessions may focus on function, site assets, and the site’s constraints.

Before design begins
There is a hierarchy of priorities that usually take precedent before we can begin the actual design, such as:

Site — Its ecological forces
Grading — Local regulations and codes, plus landforms
Drainage — Type of soil plus the topography
Usage
Construction materials
Climate — Hardiness Zones and regional landscape issues
Design style — Line, form, pattern, Spirit of the Place

Once we’ve deferred to those demands, we can now get down to a design by asking several questions, such as:

Is the landscape somewhat small and does the client want it to feel bigger and more open?
Or is it the opposite – and the client wants a big space to feel cozy, intimate, or private?

This is what we call the “Spirit of the Design.” This is where artful design comes into play. It’s where lines, forms, and texture impact human perceptions of the space.

Manipulating the eye
This is the same concept we hear from realtors who advise sellers to reduce clutter and furniture to make home seem bigger or more spacious. They say to use lighter paint colors to make a room feel more open. Realtors advise against bold fabrics that might strongly affect cultural attitudes or social bias. In their case, a ‘neutral’ scheme is best and a ‘roomy’ area is preferred.

The concept of human interaction with a space is a reality. This is where the subconscious and conscious immediately determine a person’s response to a space. As designers, we need to be able to understand the human response to an outdoor living space and change the perception of a space to match the client’s desire, despite the site’s limitations. This ability to relate design to what is appropriate is the “Spirit of Design.”

Using line to manage human perception
Line is one of the simplest and most powerful elements of a design. The simple concept of a curving bed line vs. a straight bed line immediately sets the pace for the visitor to the site. The eye can visually explore a space first, then follow by physically exploring it.

For example, a curving sidewalk to a front door in a small space will make the viewer explore the site more slowly, giving the perception that the sidewalk is longer than it actually is. In contrast, a visitor will see the line of a straight, direct sidewalk curb to front door in a nanosecond. This makes the house seem closer to the curb than it actually is.

A false perspective sidewalk — one that is wider at the curb and narrower at the house — will give the perception that the home is farther away. You can see this done where the bottom steps are wider than the top steps. This technique is used in many memorials, courthouses, state capitals and libraries. This technique gathers visitors in and funnels them to the entry

In contrast, you may see similar buildings with one width of step from the sidewalk to the entry threshold, creating a very solid, straight appearance. This makes a strong statement for visitors of endurance, strength, and permanence.

Typically, the driveway is the largest element of a home, second only to the home itself. The driveway gives the opportunity to make the biggest statement about the home. Instead of a straight driveway leading directly into the utilitarian area (e.g., the garage), consider making the driveway important to guest arrival.

For instance, a curved driveway for a house with enormous historical character and central entrance into the house achieves two goals:

Guests arrive directly to the guest entrance, and
The walkway clearly funnels quests through the yard and up to the doorway.

The colorful border allows for visual details that are stimulating to the viewer, and sends subconscious directions on how to physically explore this space.

The homeowners are tremendous entertainers and this driveway solved the problem of a traffic jam of quests lined up along a narrow sidewalk. The driveway then funnels guests into a circular area by the front door, which is a great gathering spot. This design also encourages people to linger there and socialize.

The Kinman Institute offers classes in basic and advanced techniques of landscape design and construction. For more information, visit www.kinmaninstitute.com, email cynthia@kinmaninstitute.com, or call 614-764-8733 (TREE).