Wood in the Landscape

by Daniel Winterbottom

"Wood brings us back to roots of our building heritage," says Seattle landscape architect Daniel Winterbottom. "The differing grains, colors, and expressions inherent in the material give wood a warm lively quality found in few other materials."

Winterbottom has written a new book, "Wood in the Landscape: A Practical Guide to Specification and Design." This book goes beyond the how-to books displayed in hardware stores, with a history of the craft, general principles of construction, and pointers for avoiding common problems. Excerpted here with permission of the publisher, John Wiley & Sons, "Wood in the Landscape" serves as both technical manual and design inspiration.

This article is the first in a five-part series.

Origins of Wood Decks

The prevalence of wood decks, attached to, or independent of the house is a relatively recent phenomenon in western cultures. Because wood was used for many other purposes—fuel, railroad and bridge construction—paved patios, dirt yards, and formal lawns were common for gathering areas, while wood was limited to the house or fence construction.

The closest forerunner of the deck may be the expansive porches found in the southern or Florida style of housing. Variations of the type can be found in the screen porches of New England, in the verandahs of the grand antebellum mansions of the south, and in the expansive roofed front porches of plantation style houses found in the southeastern Gulf States and Caribbean.

The historic use of decks in China and Japan can be traced back hundreds of years. In the Chinese garden, a miniature representation of nature with symbolic lakes, mountains, and trees is viewed from an open wood-decked pavilion.

A deck with railings, arbor, and planter boxes illustrates an integrated approach to this structure.
Photo: Daniel Winterbottom






A small circular deck with bent decking members and an integrated overhead trellis provides a good example of the flexibility inherent in the materials. This was built by a University of Washington design/build studio, Steve Badanes, instructor.
Photo: Daniel Winterbottom

American Colonial House Styles

When North America was colonized, European settlers brought building traditions from their home countries. Houses built along the northeastern coast, where the British settled, are quite different from houses the French colonists built in the Mississippi Valley and houses the Spanish colonists built in Florida and California.

German, Dutch, Swiss, and other Europeans also brought their own special traditions. Between 1600 and 1800, European styles adapted to meet the challenges posed by the climate and landscape of the new country. Using locally available materials and learning new building techniques from Native Americans, the colonists developed not one, but many, uniquely American styles.

Centuries later, builders borrowed ideas from early American architecture to create Colonial Revival and Neocolonial styles. Architecture from America's colonial period continues to influence the houses we build today.

How to Build for Accessibility

By Jackie Craven, About.com

Your dream home may have spiral staircases and balconies with sweeping views, but will it be accessible for everyone in your family?
No matter how beautiful, your home will not be comfortable or appealing if you cannot move freely through its rooms. Even if everyone in the family is able-bodied, a sudden accident or the long-term affects of illness can create mobility problems or visual impairments.

Universal design means creating spaces that meet the needs of all people, young and old, abled and disabled. From the arrangment of the rooms to the choice of colors, many details go into the creation of accessible spaces. Your local housing agencies can give you detailed specifications for construction and interior design. Listed here are some general guidelines.

Designing Accessible Spaces

* Allow enough floor space to accommodate a stationary wheelchair and also enough room for a smooth U-turn: at least 1965 mm (78 inches) by 1525 mm (60 inches).
* Include tables or counters that are a variety of heights to accommodate standing, seating, and a range of different tasks.
* Provide shelves and a medicine cabinet that can be reached by persons seated in a wheel chair.
* Make sure entry doors to rooms are at least 815 mm (32 inches) wide.
* Mount bathroom sinks no higher than 865 mm (34 inches) from the floor.
* Install grab bars in the shower and beside the toilet.
* Provide a full-length mirror that can be viewed by all people, including children.
* Avoid shag carpets, uneven brick floors, and other floor surfaces that could pose slipping and tripping hazards.

Portions of this article are adapted from The Stress-Free Home, a home design book by Jackie Craven, Rockport Publishers