Healthy and visually appealing environments in our homes have become increasingly sought when designing houses and residential spaces. One of the ways that have proven to be most successful in achieving this, is through a well-thought design of the landscape that complements the built residence. 

Whether it is an outdoor living room, swimming pool, garden, or rooftop, any landscape design solution should act as a continuation of the story told inside the living space.

In this blog, we explore the harmonious relationship between landscape design and home architecture with the founder of JA Architects, Joe Aoun. 

Table of contents

1. Marrying architecture, nature, and the client’s needs
2. Matching landscape design to home architecture
3. Outdoor spaces that work for your home

Marrying architecture, nature, and the client’s needs 

As we already established, home architecture and landscape design are two entities that should work together.

As a first step in the landscape and home designing process, it’s very important to take the already existing environment into consideration, and make the residence fit into the landscape like a puzzle, especially if it includes specific vegetation or protected old trees such as pine or cedar trees. “Our priority as architects and landscape designers is to preserve the surrounding environment and execute projects in a way that doesn’t disturb the nature around the residence”, explains the founder of JA Architecture, Joe Aoun. 

Another important factor that affects the location and orientation of the residential unit is the view. It’s crucial to place the house in a way that allows its residents to enjoy or enhance the view available and provided by the surrounding environment, especially if it looks over beautiful landscape such as the sea or the mountains. 

“On a first scale, we basically plan, adapt, and work around the important subjects in the available field. On a second scale, we make sure the landscape design and the architecture of the home are coherent and responsive to the client’s vision”, adds Joe Aoun. 

Adapting to the land in place can be quite a challenge for architects and designers, especially when dealing with unusual surfaces that are practically harder to work with than easy-going areas. “We’ve handled many projects at JA Architecture, that were located directly on the beach coast or on a cliff, and these have proven to be the most challenging. In the process of landscape design, we would have to create flat areas to accommodate swimming pools or outdoor spaces that integrate well with the already existing land without compromising its integrity” clarifies the luxury residential architect. 

Matching landscape design to home architecture 

Although landscape design and home architecture are two distinct fields, these entities work hand in hand in all projects, especially residential projects. “When handling any luxury residential projects at JA Architecture, we treat the interior and exterior spaces as one. All units of the project are correlated and our architecture and landscape experts work in synergy to apply their extensive knowledge in their relative fields to create a harmonious living space that integrates with nature and reflects the client’s needs”, says the founder of the construction and design agency. 

The interior and exterior areas are an extension of each other, and together, they form the entity of the project, which is why it’s essential for a landscape designer to have a great understanding of the interior structure of the residence if they want to originate solutions that work for the current home design. 

On that note, Joe Aoun provides further explanation: “It all lies in the smallest of details. Once the landscape designer has a clear view of the interior architecture of the home, they will be able to make well-informed decisions that enhance and compliment the living space. For example, seeing the structure of the bedroom will help the landscape designer choose where exactly to place a certain tree or another element in a way that works as a separator between the residents’ space and that of their neighbors and thus provide more privacy while creating a green space that will set a positive mood for the rest of the day. We’re not implying that the interior of the project should be considered the priority, as much as we’re trying to insist on the importance of having a homogeneous outcome”.  

And this is exactly where having a team of experts working collaboratively on the same project and providing architecture and design turnkey services proves to be crucial.

Matching colors, materials, designs, and furniture between indoor and outdoor areas are also a great way to achieve harmony within the project. Not only does it offer a continuation between the two areas, but also makes the space look bigger. Simple yet smart ways to link your indoor and outdoor spaces are:

1. Choosing the same design scheme for both areas

2. Creating a seamless transition 

3. Smartly lighting up your outdoor spaces

4. Bringing the outside in and vice versa

5. Creating an outdoor room

Outdoor spaces that work for your home

One of the most important features of landscape design is its capacity to adapt to the entire project. A great landscape solution integrates nature with urban architecture and effortlessly blends with the surrounding elements and the unique identity of the project it’s working for. 

So the question here isn’t really a matter of trends, but of innovative solutions that transform and better people’s outdoor living spaces. 

For example, a rooftop with a beautifully designed garden is a clever landscape solution when you don’t have enough land space. If you like to entertain guests or simply relax outside on a sunny day, a swimming pool with its own pool house is a perfect idea. An outdoor living room with a pergola and an outdoor chimney to beat the colder days is your go-to design for winter. 

But no matter what you go with, be smart with the lighting of your outdoor space. A good outdoor lighting scheme can help you appreciate the space even after the sun goes down.

Landscape design is not ultimately about appealing visuals and aesthetics. It’s also about making the outside livable and more comfortable to accommodate the resident’s lifestyle and help them reconnect with nature. In conclusion, thoughtful landscaping will put the property together, create a well-integrated design view, and make the house look at home in its setting. 

Looking for an architecture firm that provides construction, architecture, and landscape design turnkey services? Get in touch with Joe Aoun Architecture and start building your dream home!