"Designing & Building the Future"

By Pete Haran Vice President - 1998

As we approach the year 2000 and steer our way into the next millennium, we should consider the direction and the image of our built environment. The basic methods and materials used in building years ago have not changed. Cement, wood, steel, masonry, carpentry and iron work remain as our basic building blocks for construction. The efforts of the craftsmen of the past produced the many beautiful, historical structures that we still enjoy today. They remind us of the time and effort it took to do the job correctly and creatively. Our early landscapes were built on the same principle. The essential ingredients of stone, wood, concrete and, of course, plants, remain our basis of materials for design.

The difference today, obviously, is technology. Certain materials such as concrete, plastics and wood have gone through a metamorphosis, with variations of the original product being created. The results are products that replicate brick, stone, wood and other materials that have been developed for speed and ease of installation. In many cases, they even outlast the real thing!

Plants have also undergone this same manipulation to a certain extent. Nurseries now grow plants which are hardier, have better color or shape, resist pests and disease more readily and, therefore, are more maintenance free.

What will landscaping in the year 2000 look like? The answer depends upon how creative we can be now with all of these innovations. It also depends upon the amount of care, quality and pride that goes into the actual construction. Landscape architects and designers know landscapes that will sustain themselves for years to come require proper and precise planning. Applying technology to creative forms and ideas can result in a diverse range of landscapes for the future. Trees put in proper growing areas and structures and hardscape features set on proper foundations with unique patterns will create an image and develop a period style for the years ahead.

The landscapes of tomorrow hold a tremendous potential to be more diversified, longer lasting, more functional and more aesthetically pleasing. If we put the time, thought and energy it takes to design and build a sustainable landscape, the ideas we have now will serve us well and last long beyond the year 2000.

Lipinski Landscape & Irrigation Contractors of Mt. Laurel offers a full range of professional, award-winning design/build services to home builders and homeowners in the Delaware Valley.