Well, after putting a great deal of time into formatting the images and debating the merits of several layout options, the Outdoor Design Group Portfolio has finally been revealed:

A screenshot from the new Outdoor Design Group online portfolio

As with each of our websites, this was designed in-house.  We looked at several ways to display images before settling on a simple black background and clusters of images.  The main goal was to have something that showed off our work, yet was simple to navigate and that loaded quickly without the use of a spacial image viewer or flash.

We approached this design challenge by using many of the same principles we use to approach landscape design:

• Eliminate clutter, keeping the design simple and elegant, less is more
• Make the design functional and practical first, then integrate form
• Imagine and anticipate how the user will interact with, experience, and move through the space

The main portfolio page shows an example of our diverse areas of design work.  By clicking on “Residential”, “Land Development”, or “Site Renovations”, you are able to move into a separate portfolio section that displays each respective type of work.

I would love to hear what you think – Do you think this layout and navigation works well?

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

Related Posts:

• Outdoor Design Group Moves into Olde Town Arvada Office
• Outdoor Design Group Designing Landscape for New Assisted Living Project
• Using Aerial Photos to View a Water Saving Landscape Renovation – Before and After
• Outdoor Design Group Photo Simulations
• Arvada Residential Landscape Makeover

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In the project above, we worked with a home owner’s association (HOA) to design and oversee the installation of a water-saving landscape renovation.  Significant drainage problems were also addressed in the design. The aerial photo above shows Phase 1 of the improvements.  Because the high water-use turf areas were replaced with low water-use Xeriscape plantings, the renovation shown above will result in water savings of over 900,000 gallons of water per year that will no longer be needed for irrigation.  Because of the success of the project, the client asked us to design 2 more large phases that were subsequently completed.

The site in the second example, shown above, included a long narrow strip of irrigated lawn along the border of a multi-family property.  The lawn area was not being utilized by the residents, and since it was on a west facing slope the grass did not grow well and the irrigation water often produced wasteful run-off onto the parking lot and into the storm drain.  Furthermore, the adjacent wood fence along this strip was getting severely damaged by the overspray from the irrigation.  As I noted in a previous post, this is a condition to avoid.

The design solution for this landscape renovation was to limit the lawn areas to smaller, yet large enough to be usable, areas for the resident and their dogs.  We also utilized non-irrigated native seeding (visible in the lower left hand corner of the site) in the back areas along the fence.  This landscape renovation project resulted in significant reductions in water-use and maintenance, saving the community association a substantial amount of money in their annual budget.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

Related Posts:

• Xeriscape Rebate Programs Provide a Great Opportunity for HOA’s and other Property Owners
• Save Money and Water by Converting Sod to Xeriscape
• The 2 Common Types of Rebates Available for Renovating Your Landscaping to Save Water
• How to Design Your Landscape to be a Sponge for Rainwater
• Up to $25,000 Rebates Available through 2010 Aurora Xeriscape Program

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Below is a photo slideshow with before and after images of a residential landscape renovation that we completed in fall of last year:

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

Related Posts:

• Building a Deck – What is the Best Decking Material?
• How to Design Your Landscape to be a Sponge for Rainwater
• Using Aerial Photos to View a Water Saving Landscape Renovation – Before and After
• 5 Reasons to Reconsider your Hatred of Juniper Bushes
• Going from “builder bushes” to an Attractive and Unique Landscape

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This $400,000 project entailed correcting some serious drainage problems and replacing outdated high water-use landscaping with new low water-use landscaping as part of Aurora’s Xeriscape Rebate Program.  Outdoor Design Group worked with the HOA to design the improvements, submit plans to the City for approval, and apply for the Xeriscape rebate.  We then worked with the general contractor in the field on the re-grading of large areas, piping of downspouts, and the creation of drainage swales.  Finally, we provided bid procurement services for installation of the approved landscape and irrigation design, and worked closely in the field with the selected landscape contractor to complete the project.

Through careful planning, design, and coordination, we were able to obtain the maximum possible Xeriscape rebate for the HOA while reducing the water-use and associated costs by over 60%.  The maintenance costs for the landscaping are expected to be reduced by 20-40% with the new low-maintenance approach.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

Related Posts:

• Using Aerial Photos to View a Water Saving Landscape Renovation – Before and After
• The 2 Common Types of Rebates Available for Renovating Your Landscaping to Save Water
• Up to $25,000 Rebates Available through 2010 Aurora Xeriscape Program
• Save Money and Water by Converting Sod to Xeriscape
• Why Do Water Providers Want You to Use Less Water?

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Notice the overgrown and poorly placed shrubs that the builder had originally put in (in the “before” slides).  Not much thought went into the original plant selection.  I can’t blame the builder entirely, as they typically hire a landscape company to knock out a bunch of inexpensive landscapes in one fell swoop.  But this goes to show that a poor landscape design can have a negative lasting impact on a builder/developer’s image.  It may have looked OK the day it was installed, but they chose plants that were too large for the space- not to mention downright boring.  A couple of rows of 4 shrubs of the same species doesn’t cut it if you want to be competitive today with buyers and homeowners.

With our help, the owners now have a well thought-out landscape that will also require less maintenance and water.  No more mowing and trimming all that sod right up against the back fence-  instead they can enjoy plantings and a water feature to look at out their back window and from their deck!

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

Related Posts:

• How to Design Your Landscape to be a Sponge for Rainwater
• Using Aerial Photos to View a Water Saving Landscape Renovation – Before and After
• Arvada Residential Landscape Makeover
• Xeriscape Rebate Programs Provide a Great Opportunity for HOA’s and other Property Owners
• Building a Deck – What is the Best Decking Material?

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