Landscape Design for Happiness and Enjoying Life

When someone decides to hire a designer and start designing and constructing a landscape, they are most often doing this because they believe it will make them happier. This is not often discussed during the design process, but since it is often a main motivator, it is worth clarifying and discussing how a landscape design and installation could make someone happier.

Sometimes there is an underlying thought driving the process: “I’ll be happy to come home to a beautiful place”, or “I’ll be happy that I’m not embarrassed of how my home looks”, or “I’ll be happy to have a place to spend time outside with my family”, etc. It is worth thinking about what your deep motivations for a design project are before starting the process. Any design and construction process requires lots of time, and often a fair amount of money, so it is important to consider what you hope to gain from the process.

One way that landscapes can help deliver on this happiness, that are often overlooked. A well designed landscape can have a positive impact on your relationship with your neighbors. Creating comfortable space outside can increase the number of times you see your neighbors and the people in your neighborhood. These chance interactions may not seem like much, but over time offer a chance to feel more connected to your home, and to be a part of a larger network of people. This is especially powerful when you create semi-public areas in the front of the home where you can sit comfortably and engage with passersby if you choose, or sit quietly if you prefer. Front porches often served this purpose in older homes, but patios and landscaping can often create a similar effect. For more on this process, take a look at Jan Gehl’s book Life Between Buildings.

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