Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-10
r. FURMAN BELTS
On Landscape Architecture


T ANDSCAPE architecture performs one
- of its most important functions in the
cultivation of good taste on the part of
the public in matters pertaining to the de-
velopment of land of all types, according
to F. Furman Belts.
Tho term landscape architect, said
Mr.. Belts, "often miscaled landscape
gardener Is in itself vague and often mis-
used. frequently giving an erroneous idea
as to what sort of activities it is meant to
describe. Sir Humphrey Repton. in Eng
land, about 1T05, was probably the first to
cnll himself landscape gardener, He
laid the foundations for the best English
work and through his writings we have
gained certain fundamentals applicable in
our own American work, particularly oh
the treatment of natural park-likc scenery
IN broad. restftil manner. But the term
landscape architect, adopted by the elder
F. L. Olmstcad, whose work is probably
the best known in this country, Is III general
use here.
Planting Only Incidental
'"rhe principal work OF the landscape
architect is by no means restricted to
planting. but consists primarily in the
economical design of the whole area under
consideration and in the direction and
supervision OF all kinds Of construction.
Planting is simply means to an end:
'ln brief. landscape architecture Is the
| art of arranging land for human use and
| enjoyment. To be successful in this, the
| objects to be attained arC twofold, namely
"An economical division of the land and
| the objects thereon, for convenience and
"The production Of the most pleasing
| effect at a minimum cost of execution and
| of future maintenance.
| Every one will agree that q small, we'll
| planned house is more livable and economical
| than n larger house poorly planned and full
| of waste space. In the same way, land,
organized for the use to which it is to be
| subjected, can be made more liyable and
convenient when well planned.
The Plan OF Arrangement
THUS, for example. plan of arrange
! ment adapted TO the site. upon which inter-
| related buildings are placed in an orderly
| manner, connected by a CirCulatOry system
| of roads and paths, built suitably for their
| expected usage only and all carefully graded,
| even in Its bare outlines Of orderliness, i'm
| presses one with a sense Of dignity coupled
| with efficiency which may be further en-
| HANGED with plantations, the total effect
| being that the site existed for the design
| and not the design for thu site
| How infinitely better this appears than
a haphazard scattering of buildings con-
nected by, wriggly roads and paths, and the
| whole either SmUthered or el he dotted with
| exotic shrubs and trees, the results Of mis-
| directed and unconneCtcd growth. But,
| building upon firm foundation and ap.
| plying the principles Of good design and
| composition, the landscape architect pro-
| duces in his treatment of breadth and sim
| pliciry that unity and harmony combined
| with variety which give style and in
| dividuality to the land under consideration,
whether 1t be public or private property.
Its Financial Value
no piece of land, large or small can
| be brought to its maximum market value
| unless it IL carefully developed and all the
| space utilized. Nowadays, men have come
| to realize that there Is an advantage in
the employment of an architect for every
building, because they believe that in so
doing their interests will be better served
and the building will be erected for con.
venience and efficiency for the uses to which
| 1t is to be put and in the end, will appear
to better advantage before Il fast growing
! public demand for good appearances
| 'llere appearances have commercial
| market value; so have they in the develop-
ment of land under the direction of the
| landscape architect provided, of course
| that the development is economically sound
| and adaptable to the uses Of the site. In
addition to the best arrangement, by adapt-
ing the scheme to the site, by the correct
| placing OF buildings and roads, the landscaDe
architect will frequently save the owner
more than the cost of his fee on grading
| plans alone by the careful and studied adj
justment and handling Of earth work in
order 10 get Il balance OF cut and fill at a
minimum cost for handling.
'The ideal arrangement is where the
ldpdscape architect and the building arcbi.
! tcIt work together, producing between then,
fSeli-o organized and developed scheme CON.