A 5-step recipe for design success
17 Jun, 2010 By: Gary Kinman, Cynthia Kinman LDB SolutionsDesign-build work is a cooperative endeavor between the contractor and the homeowner.
 New materials and entryway complement the scale, color, and architecture of the house, and please the clients. Still to come: benches, new shutters, urns, and lighting details. |
We are all familiar with the famous book, The Joy of Cooking. It’s a classic. Cooking can be fun and rewarding if we follow the two main rules: 1. Follow the recipe; and 2. Use high-quality ingredients.
These rules seem very straightforward and simple, and they also apply equally to landscape design-build. Yet, how many times have you tried to shortcut those rules? When you did, can you remember what happened? The results are never as good as you expect them to be, and most likely, the project is probably not “joy filled” in any way.
There are many parallels between the art of cooking and the art of design-build. Because there is usually a more considerable investment of time and money for landscape work, those two rules are even more critical than in cooking.
Recipe for success = a process that works
Success at landscape design-build is no accident. It is the result of a careful, professional process. Let’s call this our “recipe” for success. Here are the elements we think are necessary:
1. Prepare properly
All good projects start with the proper preparation. That means a careful and thorough site analysis. This should be a line item in your fees. A site analysis will help you (adnd the client) realize the value of taking your the time to do a thorough site study, and objectively explore assets and constraints. This takes time, and it should be valuable enough that you charge for it.
 this "before" photo of the house above shows uninspiring sidewalk. |
2. Have a solid design process
When you have a design process that involves the client, it allows the client to become enlightened and educated to all the options, the costs, and benefits of those different options. Then, they are ready to make educated decisions.
3. Client takes ownership
Once you get the client involved in the project and educated about the options, you empower them to make good decisions with your guidance. They make all the decisions, they take ownership, and they then understand what they truly want and need in the end. You are not selling. They have become an educated consumer who receives good guidance and wisdom from you, so they can make the appropriate decisions.
4. Material selection is critical
Clients can easily become exasperated, looking for materials. Because different materials have different performance capabilities and need different types of labor for proper installation, clients need you to offer what performs best and looks best.
  It was challenging getting samples to see if materials complement this house and add interest, but the selections worked out well. |
 Calculating the exact materials, including specialty cobblestone pieces and how they would be cut, required a layout. |
The next problem is getting materials on site, because many suppliers do not stock the material. Suppliers often want to move what product is in their yard at the time, not order more materials. Their inventories are expensive to carry, so if they can sell current inventory to a landscaper, all the better.
Just say “No.” Take the time to order samples, and clients will be happy to wait a week to make sure it is what is best for them. The ordered materials don’t cost the installer more, because you sometimes get it delivered right to site, so you can avoid labor costs for picking up and also use your trucks more productively elsewhere.
5. Use good design for good construction
When clients are part of the process, and are enlightened and educated about the relationship of scale, color, and texture, they become more visual. They have confidence in their selections, because they have acquired an understanding of design basics and good taste.
Gary & Cynthia Kinman have more than 35 years experience operating high-end, successful landscape businesses and creating multi-million dollar projects. They also operate the Kinman Institute, an organization offering seminars on professionalism, construction techniques, and presentations for landscape design/build contractors, at: www.kinmaninstitute.com or 614-764-8733, or email.
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