The Elements of Great Commercial Landscape Design

Corporate Center landscaping with tall buildings

A beautiful landscape doesn’t happen by accident. Proactive planning, careful choices, and the right maintenance will ensure your building always looks it best.

The Principles of Good Commercial Landscape Design

You only get one chance at a first impression. At least that’s what the old adage says. And the sentiment rings true for commercial buildings because visitors and customers will make judgements about your business by the way it looks on the outside.

Another thing to consider is how your facilities look to the people who have to use it every day. A green, comfortable, inviting landscape is just as important to you, your employees, and your tenants as it is to people visiting for the day. This is why the right commercial landscape design is an important decision because it needs to accomplish a number of goals.

This blog will look at some of the important principles of commercial landscape design and how a landscape professional like Varsity can help you install and maintain them so your exterior looks great year round.

People like going to places that feel welcoming.

Form Should be Combined With Function

Landscaping does more than create a nice picture to look at, it has to be functional. Paths need to convey people from one area to another. Benches and trashcans bring functionality to open spaces. Parking lots can be more than places to put cars during the day. Its the attention that you pay to how these elements look and flow together that makes your landscaping a step above the rest.

Make note of where the sun rises and sets. Knowing what parts of your property gets the most sunlight is important to choosing the right plants for those areas.
Where are the focal points on your property? Parking is important, but so are things like courtyards, entryways, and water features like fountains and ponds. Landscaping can help these features stand out more or blend into the landscape.
How will people use these spaces? It’s easy to envision people eating lunch in your outdoor spaces or walking along paths through the landscape but is your climate really suited for it?

Make a Good Impression

Visitors really do judge your company or your tenants by how well designed and maintained the exterior of your building is. Something that looks stark and featureless and industrial gives the impression that the company inside is unimaginative and boring. Exterior features that look and feel cheap can convey the idea that the company inside doesn’t care for quality.

People like going to places that feel welcoming. While this notion seems obvious, it’s remarkable how many businesses and building owners think about it or apply it. If your business is one that sees a lot of visitors and clients, the focus should be on making that great first impression.

Create a Natural Flow to the Entrance

The building’s primary entrance must be welcoming and obvious at the same time because nothing is more frustrating than going to a new place and not knowing where to go. Appropriate hardscaping and vibrant plants will guide customers and clients right where they need to go.

Choose Landscaping That Works With the Seasons, not Against Them.

Plants peak at different times and when you choose a wide variety of colors, also keep in mind their seasonal characteristics. Think head for winter months by choosing foliage that looks good when it is dormant. Varsity can help you choose plants that are native to the area so you have a natural landscape year.

How Will Your Property be Maintained?

An important thing to consider when redesigning your commercial landscape is how you plan to maintain your investment. Of course you want to keep costs low and this is an important factor in the design. A professional commercial landscaper like Varsity Inc. is an important partner when you want to maintain your beautiful landscape. In fact, site maintenance should be an important part of the design, planning out how trees will grow, what foliage will do when it matures, and how stormwater erosion can be controlled.

When your business or property is ready to take its commercial landscaping to the next level, call Varsity, a professional landscaping company that can provide everything you need.