How to create landscape sections: A step-by-step guide to designing stunning landscape sections

Creating landscape sections is a fundamental skill for both landscape architects and interior designers interested in bridging indoor and outdoor environments. A landscape section is a scaled drawing representing a vertical cut through land, structures, and vegetation, visually conveying relationships between terrain, plants, hardscape, and buildings. To start, gather or create a base map of the site with accurate topographical data. Identify the key axis or viewpoint you want to illustrate—often from a prominent boundary line through notable features or zones (such as house-to-garden). Next, use tracing paper or digital design tools to draw the section line on your plan and project heights and depths to scale, incorporating ground layers, retaining walls, steps, patios, water features, and major plantings.

Details matter: indicate materials, surface textures, planting heights, and spatial relationships. Use shading, hatching, labels, and color to enhance legibility and highlight focal points. If you’re new to this, digital design platforms streamline the process, letting you quickly iterate layouts and experiment with different section lines or planting options. As a designer, I often employ a floor planner's full suite of 2D and 3D visualization tools—these not only speed up drawing and presentation but also make it easier to communicate ideas to clients and contractors.

Tips 1:

Begin your landscape section with clear goals: Are you showcasing terrain changes, illustrating privacy barriers, or planning plant layering? Think like a designer—use sectional views to solve problems (like screening views or designing multi-level decks) before construction. It’s also helpful to overlay your section with color codes for different plant types or materials, which enhances both clarity and visual appeal.

FAQ

Q: What is a landscape section?

A: A landscape section is a vertical drawing cut through a site, illustrating grade changes, structures, plantings, and spatial relationships within a landscape design.

Q: Why are landscape sections important in design?

A: They communicate vertical relationships and help designers plan for sightlines, privacy, drainage, accessibility, and aesthetic layering.

Q: What tools can I use to create digital landscape sections?

A: Popular choices include CAD software, SketchUp, and specialized landscape design platforms that allow for both 2D section cuts and 3D views.

Q: How do I decide where to place a section line?

A: Choose locations that pass through key features or illustrate important transitions—like entrance to backyard or house-to-garden.

Q: Can I add interior spaces into landscape sections?

A: Yes, combining outdoor and indoor elements in a sectional view is useful for holistic designs, ensuring harmony between architecture and landscape.