Living in a private house is always associated with many options for planning housing and the surrounding area. Owners of a plot of 15 acres can afford not only to place standard buildings on it, but also to equip a recreation area. Landscape design elements, such as ponds, lawns and flower beds, will be appropriate on it.
Planning a country plot of 15 acres is a responsible occupation, as the building plan must comply with all fire safety standards, and also have an attractive appearance.
Factors affecting site layout
If you want to make your site comfortable and beautiful, then you need to take into account several important parameters. Factors affecting the layout: relief, shape, location relative to the cardinal points.
15 acre site layout: highlights
The development of the plan begins on paper with a clear indication of the dimensions of each element and the contour of the site. Calculations are made in the required scale. This is necessary for the further implementation of the drawing. All site planning projects15 acres conditionally divide the area into three zones: buildings, garden and recreation. Their correct location is preceded by the determination of the cardinal points and the zone of insolation (sunlight). The intricacies of the placement of each part need to be told separately.
Building area layout
It is better to place a house, a bathhouse and a garage in the northern part of the square, as this will not interfere with uniform illumination of the garden in the summer. Windows of buildings should face west or east. Experts do not recommend making rooms on the north side. They attribute this to insufficient lighting in any season. On the south side of the house, you can plan a veranda for growing seedlings, a lot of light will do her good.
To avoid excessive shading of the site, you need to think over the height and type of the fence in advance. A blind iron fence will protect the area from street dust, but will let in very little light. On the other hand, a picket fence perfectly lets in fresh air, but is not able to hide the house from prying eyes. Therefore, in each case, the type of fence must be selected individually.
Planning the garden area
The borders of the garden do not have to have clear lines. This zone can begin near the house with small shrubs and end at a resting place in the form of garden trees that create a pleasant shade. The unifying element should be the same paths and irrigation system.
It must be taken into account that for each plant there is an optimal modewatering, lighting, nutrition and heat generation. Based on these data, the layout of a summer cottage of 15 acres should start from the north side of the house, since there are excellent conditions for shade-tolerant shrubs, such as currants. From the southern part of the buildings, the space along the fence is suitable for planting raspberries. These fruit and berry plants are perennial, that is, with the annual planning of the garden, their place will always be constant, unlike rectangular beds.
Growing vegetables has many nuances that must be taken into account. The beds should be protected by shrubs or fruit trees from the north and east winds. Taller plants are best positioned in such a way that they do not create a shadow of low ones (for example, onions or carrots).
Recreation area layout
In the place of rest, you can place a small artificial pond for ornamental fish, swings and gazebos. If the garden part takes up little space, then a great solution would be to build a swimming pool on the free territory. For outdoor children's games, you can sow the lawn.
The layout of the land plot of 15 acres will look more harmonious if the owners invite a landscape designer to work. In this case, the entire large area will become a single whole, a sharp division into zones will not be noticeable.
15 Acres Plot Planning Styles
- Regular (geometric).
- Landscape (free).
- Mixed.
Each of the styles has its own characteristicfeatures that we will get to know better.
Regular style
The layout of a plot of 15 acres, the scheme of which is still being developed, must necessarily take into account the terrain. For flat areas, it is preferable to choose a regular style. It is characterized by the accuracy of the lines of buildings, beds and other plantings. This arrangement is economical and convenient.
All compositions and landscape design elements that are created on the site in a regular style are symmetrical about one axis. This also applies to ponds and pools.
Landscape style
The distribution of buildings and recreation areas on relief terrain is different from flat projects. The layout of a land plot of 15 acres, located on a slope or hill, is likely to be made in a landscape style. Accounting for smooth ascents and descents can be successfully beaten with the help of winding lines.
Landscape style involves the complete exclusion of symmetry and correctness of the forms of elements. Irregular outlines are welcome here, taking into account the terrain. For example, all ravines and hills are sure to fit neatly into the project. There are no straight paths with this design style, but from a practical point of view, their bends should not be far-fetched so that the owner of the house can quickly move between buildings. Decorative elements made from natural materials are welcome. The layout of the plot of 15 acres, the photo of which is below, just provides for the availability of all the necessary details.
Flower beds and hills made of stones most often have an oval or close to it shape. Benches and gazebos are best chosen in retro style or forged. The unifying element of the gate, bench and gazebo can be a pattern of metal elements.
Mixed style
The bold combination of straight and winding lines is appropriate for areas with different terrains. Mixed style gives great opportunities for the realization of the ideas of the designer and the owners of the house.
The combination of straight paths and winding flower beds provides the fastest possible movement between the zones of the site and its aesthetic appeal at the same time.
Thus, the layout of a plot of 15 acres can be carried out in any of the styles. The main condition is to take into account the features of the relief and the personal preferences of the owner.
Features of planning plots of unusual shape
Ideal for the site can be considered a square or rectangular shape. In such a territory it is easy to place all the buildings and orient them to the cardinal points. The layout of a rectangular plot of 15 acres is not difficult. But often it does not have such forms. It can be elongated, triangular or l-shaped. Particular attention should also be paid to the site on the slope.
Errors and their elimination when planning an extruded section
Planning a 15 hectare plot with a straight path running through the entire area is one of the most common mistakes. From such a reception, the area is even morevisually stretched and narrowed. It is advisable to replace its geometric lines with smoother ones and use "separators" in the form of shrubs, arches or hedges.
In the summer, flowers will help to visually change the shape of the space. Plants with small leaves and flowers should be placed along the long side, and large compositions of bright colors should be planted on the far side of the site. Trees will help visually change the proportions of the territory. At the far narrow part, it is better to plant high ones, and at the near one, low seedlings. When they grow up, it will feel like a square area.
The best idea for placing buildings on an elongated plot is to place them in the central and far parts of the garden. The house and recreation area should be located near the near border.
Features of the triangular plot layout
This unusual shape is quite common. The triangle may not be isosceles. The main condition for placing buildings on the territory in this case is their correct orientation to the cardinal points.
Designers and builders are advised to draw up a detailed plan on paper several times. This is the only way to find the best option. Many owners of such plots prefer to build a house in the center, outbuildings along one of the sides, and a garden and a recreation area around the buildings. The only thing that all designers agree on is the placement of fruit trees in the far corner of the territory. This is because they do not needconstant care, and in this arrangement they will cast a minimum amount of shade on other plants.
With a certain shape of the triangle, the far corner may be unsuitable for planting trees, then it is better to place a compost pit in it, and plant low shrubs or chokeberry in front of it. The layout of a summer cottage of 15 acres with this arrangement allows you to hide from the eyes the unsightly appearance of harvested plants.
Designing a site on a slope: the basics
Specialists divide summer cottages into two groups: at a slope of up to 15 ° and more. The technology of construction of buildings depends on the category of terrain. Reducing the steepness of the slope will contribute to the division of the site into stepped zones with the organization of retaining walls. Each level of space in this case must be provided with a wastewater disposal system. Watering a vegetable garden on a slope becomes more difficult due to the rapid drying of the soil. This must be taken into account when designing an irrigation system.
Thus, today there is a wide variety of planning schemes for a summer cottage. An experienced designer can offer several options for each square shape. Planning a plot of 15 acres is an interesting and responsible occupation.
