Landscape Architect's Pocket Book

This third edition of the bestselling Landscape Architect’s Pocket Book, written by leading practitioners, incorporates updates and revisions to environmental and building regulations, contracts, and a range of design guidelines including materials, SuDS, environmental impact, and landscape character assessment.

The book is an indispensable tool for all landscape architects, providing a timesaving guide and first point of reference to everyday topics, both out on site and in the office. The pocket book covers all major subjects, including hard and soft landscaping, national guidelines and standards, and key planning policy and legislation.

Providing concise, easy-to-read reference material, useful calculations, and instant access to a wide range of topics, it is an essential resource for landscape architects, construction industry professionals, and students.

Table of Contents

1. Hard Landscape. 1.1 Natural Stone. 1.2 Metals. 1.3 Stainless Steel. 1.4 Timber. 1.5 Timber Protection. 1.6 Exterior Finishes to Timber. 1.7 Brick and Brickwork Construction. 1.8 Concrete. 1.9 Mortar. 1.10 Lighting. 1.11 Drainage. 1.12 Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems – SuDS. 1.13 Environmental Impact and Lifespan of Landscape Materials. 1.14 Recycled Materials and Products. 1.15 Typical Footpath Edging. 1.16 Typical Footpath Details. 1.17 Typical Fence Details. 2. Soft Landscape. 2.1 Definition and Specification of Tree Sizes. 2.2 Definition and Specification of Shrub Sizes. 2.3 Native Trees in Britain and Ireland. 2.4 Native Shrubs in Britain and Ireland. 2.5 Plants for Encouraging Wildlife. 2.6 Tree Science: The Benefits of Urban Trees. 2.7 Requirements for Urban Tree Planting. 2.8 Common Poisonous Plants. 2.9 Grass Seed Mixes. 2.10 Wildflower Mixes. 2.11 Subsoil. 2.12 Topsoil. 2.13 Times of Year for Planting. 2.14 Tree Planting. 2.15 Plant Protection. 2.16 Composts, Mulches And Top Dressing. 2.17 Soft Landscape Maintenance. 2.18 Soft Landscape Maintenance Programme; Routine Operations. 2.19 Green Roofs. 2.20 Geotextiles. 2.21 Rules of Thumb for Planting Distances and Densities. 2.22 Quantities and Rates of Grass Seed for Sports Pitches. 3. Planning And Legislation. 3.1 Planning and Development Control. 3.2 Listed and Protected Areas. 3.3 Tree Preservation Orders. 3.4 Hedgerow Legislation. 3.5 Notifiable Weeds and Control of Species and Pests. 3.6 Environmental Impact Assessment. 3.7 Landscape and Visual Assessment. 3.8 Landscape and Townscape Character Assessment. 3.9 Planting and Water Bodies Near Airfields. 3.10 Guidelines for Construction around Trees. 3.11 Construction (Design and Management) Regulations. 3.12 Ecology Surveys. 4. Design Guidelines. 4.1 Dimensional Data. 4.2 Steps and Ramps. 4.3 Guarding and Handrails. 4.4 Tactile Paving. 4.5 Design of Cycleways. 4.6 Playgrounds and Play Equipment. 4.7 Designing for Schools- Guidelines. 4.8 Standard Sports Markings. 4.9 Water Features and Ponds. 4.10 Signage. 4.11 Construction of Free-Standing Walls. 5. General Information. 5.1 Landscape Architectural Work Stages: Landscape Design. 5.2 Glossary of Construction Contracts. 5.3 Setting a Sundial. 5.4 Gradients. 5.5 Conversions and Calculations. 5.6 Paper Sizes. 5.7 Common Graphic Symbols

Biography

Siobhan Vernon, CMLI is a landscape architect with over 20 years in practice. Siobhan’s portfolio includes major public realm, streetscape, town centre and waterfront regeneration, public art, museum, historic park restoration, active travel, public transport, healthcare, and residential and industrial projects. Siobhan is one of the original authors of the Landscape Architect’s Pocket Book.

Susan Irwine, CMLI has 30 years’ experience as a landscape architect in public and private practice and also as a freelance landscape architect, working and taking a lead role on a wide range of hard and soft landscape projects, such as public realm, parks, gardens and courtyards, school and hospital grounds, business parks, residential masterplans, infrastructure projects, and landscape assessments across the UK and around the world (China, Russia and the Middle East), taking projects from inception through to completion.

Joanna Patton, CMLI has worked across all sectors of landscape architecture within the UK and Ireland for over 18 years. She is currently an Associate Director at WSP, where she leads their Scotland landscape and urban design team. Joanna has a particular interest in the design and assessment of renewable energy and power developments and has been involved in many nationally significant projects. She also regularly leads and manages smaller-scale projects from flood alleviation to public realm schemes, through all assessment and design stages.

Neil Chapman, CMLI has been working as a qualified landscape architect within the private sector for 35 years, predominantly in the UK, but with projects in Ireland, Europe, the Middle East, Hong Kong, and China. The majority of his work has been involved in urban interventions – city renewal, streetscapes, transport interchanges, and urban parks – frequently leading multidisciplinary teams.