So here is an earlier drawing where I was looking at the possibilities from head-on; that is, from a person looking from the lower level.
I liked this look . . . but wasn’t sure if it was working. Then after I was done scribbling this I noticed that the wall heights were really 3 levels!. Well if i were to have to patios at different levels for this plaza-it seemed to me this would not be the look.
Unless one of the lower walls was not a seat wall(wall on right?). That could account for the difference in height.
I had even looked at the possibility of splitting it up this way. With an upper plaza area, some steps, a large landing-like space and then more steps out onto the connecting walkway.
It was around this time I had got the word that two distinct levels would make people happier. Something along the line of “lets have plaza space for both sides of the apartment complex”.
All of this looks much different than the original proposal(s) part of which is the drawing on the right. this color rendering is showing a more benign set of steps and a long serpentine wall going the length of the landscape.
This wall could still be part of the final plan. Again; looking at this as I type, I am now not sure if I like the idea of a long serpentine/curvilinear wall with a couple of right angle terraces at different levels.
1st thing that comes to mind is easy . . . where does the wall tie into the terraces? Upper or lower? Does the wall stay with the curves as I had earlier shown? Maybe the new set up calls for an even kinder gentlier(sp?) flow to it.
Maybe the entire area would look much better if the budget was put into making the terraces the absolute best they could be, add some other detailing, or embellishment to the walls, or change the material for the plaza floors to something a little heftier in size, texture, and emotion.
Maybe I’m crazy . . . no comment John, we already know what you think about that.
One thing is for sure the previous post(drawing below) had something in that perspective drawing that I was looking for. I think I’ll go back to that(for my amusement) and try to add walls to that perspective. My guess is they will make no impact from the angle I was drawing at.
This drawing . . .seems to be the closest I’ve some yet to solving my problem. I’ll try and add a wall(s) and see what happens to the space.
If the wall doesn’t work then we would have a gentle slope run the entire length of the landscape. It wouldn’t be the end of the World as we know it.
Heck it might look just fine.
The Whispering Crane Institute 