Landscape Design – The Brigade Way

Brigade Group has always believed that landscaping features are important to any development as they contribute significantly to the well-being and quality of life. While engaging in the development of infrastructure around the city, Brigade Group contributes to the improvement of aesthetics and makes it functional for citizens as well. Brigade’s approach to landscape architecture and design varies across projects under different verticals.

Landscape design / architecture can be broadly defined as the art and practice of designing outdoor environment. Especially, designing parks, gardens, recreational spaces to harmonise with buildings, roads, etc. Landscape design is created keeping end users and the environment in mind. Brainstorming is done to identify requirements based on functionality and end users.

The goal of landscape spaces is to promote the well-being of society, improve lifestyle of community, create a better microclimate, create an environment to ensure the local flora and fauna thrive and provide spaces not just for humans, but also pets.

The city is losing its microclimate due to unplanned and rapid urbanisation that needs to be checked, and we at Brigade see this as an immediate and important requirement.

Residential landscape design accommodates a variety of spaces that cater to all age groups including children (toddlers & older kids), adults, senior citizens and any pets in the family. Childrens’ play spaces are thoughtfully designed in safer areas that are free of regular vehicular movement. Play spaces also include seating areas for caretakers / guardians. These spaces also promote the cognitive ability and introduce children to physical activity by incorporating several play equipment and sports arenas (soccer fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts, badminton courts, cricket pitches etc.) in most of our residential developments to promote the well-being of society. Outdoor gyms, reflexology paths and walking tracks promote a healthy lifestyle among residents. Most of the residential developments also have swimming pools with a kids’ pool integrated. Outdoor gathering spaces are planned for communities to come together, celebrate and bond with each other which fosters better harmony among them.

Landscape design for Retail and Commercial developments are mostly functional which include outdoor retail plazas, outdoor cafés and outdoor event spaces for shows. For office spaces we ensure that adequate outdoor spill out spaces are provided for people to work outdoors, walk paths into nature to improve overall productivity and water feature at arrival plazas to increase positive energy. Landscape design for Hotels revolves around the requirement for larger events and leisure spaces. This predominantly includes outdoor lawns for banquets, kids’ play areas for junior guests, water feature at the entrance to give a sense of a grand arrival (a relief from chaotic Indian roads and traffic noise), outdoor cafés and swimming pools.

Ecology and sustainability in landscape design-Tree and shrub selection is a crucial part of landscape design. Landscape architects, along with a team of horticulturists, collaborate and review the planting palette together. This palette includes indigenous varieties of trees that are a combination of fruit bearing, flowering, medicinal trees, native to the local environment. This impacts the ecology positively.

Towards an effort to educate people, we also put a name tag on the trees as an educational initiative in a few of our properties.

Living within aesthetically pleasing and culturally meaningful landscapes enhances our senses of well-being and contributes significantly to the quality of life. They provide the broader context within which we live our lives.

This article is authored by
Ranjita Rangarajan,
Senior Architect at Brigade Group