Many building owners don’t consider their exterior to be nearly as important as their interior design. However, at MaintenX we believe that first impressions truly start before a customer ever walks through the door. By investing in proper landscaping, you can make your commercial facility stand out from the crowd. This is especially important if you own a dealership or restaurant with outdoor seating, where the outdoor environment is an integral part of the customer experience.
By adding hardscape to your landscaping design, you can instantly up your curb appeal. While hardscape is a major investment, it can reap incredible benefits. Here’s what you should know about hardscaping before you decide to put it into your outdoor design:
What is Hardscape?
Hardscape includes the entire built environment outdoors, ranging from simple decorative stones to paver paths and elaborate courtyards. Hardscape can add aesthetic and financial value to your facility in many ways:
- Adds visual interest to your landscaping
- Improves vegetation health (preventing erosion, pests, and other disturbances)
- Gazebos and pergolas provide shade to employees or customers walking outdoors
- Can improve the look and functionality of an outdoor showroom
- Can improve your facility’s functionality for outdoor events and fundraisers
Rules for Hardscape Design
Adding hardscape to your commercial landscape is highly advised, but you should think about layout and design before beginning the project. Below are our top three tips to ensure your hardscape designs adds value rather than detracts from your facility’s aesthetic appeal:
Match materials
Your hardscape materials don’t all have to match each other, but they should create a cohesive look with your building. For example, if your building is made of grey concrete, a stone pathway would look better than red brick for your entrance. However, if your building incorporates brick, you should try your best to match it in either color or material when building gazebos and walkways.
Add curved lines over straight lines
Straight lines and right angles can make your hardscape look unnatural against the green background. In nature, most walkways will curve along water lines or streams, so it’s best to mimic this in your design of pathways. Straight paths will work at entrances and along property borders, but otherwise, it’s best to stick with winding trails when creating a courtyard path.
Plan for drainage
Proper drainage ensures your hardscape won’t flood, and that your live plants and foliage won’t be deprived of rainwater due to the added hardscape. This should be at the forefront of your mind when designing a hardscape layout. Ask your MaintenX contractor about shaping your built environment for the benefit of your plants before starting.
If you want to learn more about landscaping options for commercial buildings, contact us today!
