3D Landscape Design: Less Time and Money, More Peace of Mind

Have you ever been presented with a landscaping design or contract and felt that you couldn’t visualize exactly what the final product would look like? Unfortunately, this happens all too often. Landscape designers traditionally present home or business owners with a 2D blueprint that shows the outline of the home and property and includes symbols for plants and hardscapes. Even the best drawn 2D plans can be difficult to understand. Elevation changes and the size of various plants or objects are difficult to convey in 2D. The home or business owner must trust their designer to implement the landscape project of their dreams. If the end product does not match the customer’s expectations, it can be incredibly frustrating for them to realize that they’re paying for something different than what they’d visualized.

3D Software Capabilities

Fortunately, design in the landscaping industry is changing for the better thanks to 3D design software. Customers can now see exactly what their yard or outdoor space will look like before they agree to move forward with their project. They can sit down in front of a television and be walked through a 3D model of their space, with all of the buildings and terrain matching their existing property. The new design will look almost identical to what the landscape crew will actually install for them. The designer will show proposed plant and hardscape materials. Even the sun and shade conditions can be altered to match individual properties. The property owner will be able to visualize what the landscape team plans to implement on their property.

Design Certainty

This is where 3D design really pays off. As a potential customer, you’d much rather realize upfront that you’d like the design to be changed. While a designer is never looking for this outcome, it’s a win-win for everyone if changes can be made before a shovel hits the ground. With 3D software, a designer can alter the design much more quickly than with traditional 2D design, sometimes even during the initial presentation. Perhaps the customer would prefer a different brick paver option or doesn’t like a particular tree that the designer recommends. With 3D design, these options can quickly be replaced within seconds, providing an instant visual to the customer and preventing headaches down the road.

Precise Installation

Installers also greatly benefit from 3D design. Crew leaders are usually trained to read a 2D blueprint. However, jobs with significant elevation changes can be difficult to read no matter how much experience crew leaders have. Landscape foremen love to have the 3D visual of the project before they begin the work. It saves them time, and it saves the customer money!

At Hollandia, we have been using 3D design since the software was first introduced. It has been a great complement to the expertise of our landscape designers and allows us to truly show our customers what they can expect. Our mission is to create an award-winning design and installation experience for every client. 3D design is an important part of how we accomplish that. Are you ready to see how we can transform your landscape?