Landscape Special Interest Group April (pm) 2017

In this session, we looked at retaining walls again. We used a site modifier in contour mode to create a straight retaining wall. We then adjusted the grade limits to change the retaining wall into a battered slope between the two levels of the garden, adding rocks, steps, and a landscape area with plants to go around the rocks.

• 00:49    First, we created a simple retaining wall by using two straight site modifiers. If the two site modifiers are placed close together and at different elevations, then it will form the appearance of a retaining wall. The calculations of the slope may not be accurate until a grade limits is placed around the site modifiers. My preference is to use these simple site modifiers instead of using a more complex tool like the retaining wall tool. By changing the distance between the two site modifiers, I can change the retaining wall into a battered slope. The grade limits then perform a useful role in controlling the relationship between the existing ground and the site modifier.
• 11:59    After creating the landform that we wanted, we decided to apply rocks and boulders to the site. If we use symbols from the standard Vectorworks library, we should be able to place them on the site plan and then use the Send to Surface command to lift these boulders to follow the form of the land. This command will place the insertion point of the symbol on the site model. Depending on the symbol, you may need to lift the rock up or down to get the rock to appear to set into the site model.
• 18:41    We had a discussion about using the 3D model to create the retaining wall details. We looked at the retaining wall detailing of some 2D details from the Vectorworks library. We discussed whether it is important to add the details to the 3D model information or whether it is better to keep the 3D model simple and create accurate 2D details.
• 22:11    The next thing that we wanted to do was to place a series of flat slabs or hardscape areas to form a stair from one level of the garden to the other. There are several ways of accomplishing this, but in this case we chose to use hardscape objects because they can form the textured slabs for the 3D presentation as well as creating the site modifiers needed to change the site. Part of the challenge is getting the correct elevation for each hardscape object. In order to achieve this, I used Vectorworks to do some of the mathematics for me. We also adjusted site modifiers to improve the flow of the land around the staircase.
• 34:25    We finished off by creating a landscape area that would follow the flow of the land and would work around the boulders. We also added plants to this landscape area so that they would appear in the 3D model.

Landscape April 2017 pm
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