It is to say that there should be a predominance of materials that last over time, with seasonal elements added as you have staff to maintain them properly to provide color and brightness in appropriate areas. It is always interesting to look at how facilities managers assign their budgets for various aspects of the look of the environment. Quantifying tasks comes in next, followed by attention to standards and specifications, establishing maintenance zones, staff involvement, and monitoring and making adjustments. Among the campus landscape elements that tend to stay put in the face of constant change are its entrances, center, and edges. These and other areas can be maintained for both the present and the future by paying attention to key principles.
First impressions are crucial to public and internal perception of an institution.
While the location of an entrance tends to be static, its look may have to change as architectural and landscape design trends change. Consider using materials such as stone or brick when revamping such a landscape element, to create a look that can stay put over time. That center should be part of an intentional organization of both indoor and outdoor spaces. A brick plaza, for instance, is a center space that will last over the long run and retain its beauty as well. From where it meets its surrounding community to the scale of individual walkways, well-defined campus edges are crucial to defining spaces and creating character for all elements of the landscape.