Category: Landscaping

Good landscaping fuses art, design and technology to create the perfect outdoor space. Residential and commercial landscapers should be familiar with these essential principles to achieve the ideal design, while ensuring a functional and well-intended outdoor space—so that an outdoor space is a valid extension of indoor living.  

Designing a successful and functional landscape is about more than just visual appeal. It’s all about design elements working harmoniously to create the perfect green space, improving structure, sophistication and practicality for all types of properties.

8 Key Principles of Landscape Design 

Landscapers have the responsibility of ensuring a perfect balance between natural and manmade elements of a landscape. Whether a large or smaller scale project, the art of the design must balance in colour, form, texture and scale, working with (not independent of) the entirety of the project. 

These elements are then used to create and achieve purposeful design. Key design principles applied in landscaping include:

• Unity 
• Balance 
• Transition 
• Focalisation 
• Proportion 
• Rhythm 
• Repetition 
• Simplicity 

Applying the Principles of Design in Landscaping 

When designing a perfect outdoor space, there are a few principles landscaping professionals consider to help uplift and transform spaces across Sydney. Carefully implementing these principles in landscaping design allows for a more refined, sophisticated and presentable-looking space.

Below is a description of the design principles along with examples of ways they can be implemented throughout landscape projects in Sydney.

Implementing these design principles in landscape design can shape any landscape or garden and can create unity, flow and connection between all areas of a project. 

Landscape design can shape your property. Good landscape design serves purpose, aesthetics and functionality all the while improving its overall value. 

Here at Civil and Scape, we know that Sydney developers and homeowners value good landscape design. Our expertise means we create with intention and have the capacity to both transform and create new, appealing and functional commercial building landscaping for your property, whether commercial or residential. 

Get in touch with our Civil and Scape team today on 1300 457 457.

Computer screens, cubicle walls and loud coworkers are some of the less glamorous sides of the workplace that people don’t speak about all that often. As the working world continues to accelerate at a speed like never before, we’re seeing more and more people on the computer for most of the day and the speed of work continuing to ramp up. With this in mind, many employers are considering how they can make their offices as calm, enjoyable and stress-free as possible. When it comes to creating a therapeutic space, what’s more relaxing than sunshine, outdoor lunches, and sweet-smelling flowers?

Commercial property managers and business owners are uniquely positioned to improve their employee’s productivity and wellbeing through corporate gardens. Designed by landscape construction companies, these thoughtfully designed and well-maintained interactive landscapes are scientifically proven to bring plenty of benefits for the employees and the business too. Whether you call it a therapy garden or office garden, here are five reasons why commercial landscaping should be a priority for your business.

1—Improved memory

What if you could not only help your employees improve their performance at work, but at the same time, add to their overall professional development and enrich their personal lives? Turns out you can do all that and more with a single training topic: memory skills! In a recent study, the University of Michigan found that more time spent outside in close proximity to plants can help increase memory retention by up to 20 percent. The researchers believe these findings may also indicate that time spent outdoors can be super beneficial for anyone suffering from mental fatigue – aka office employees during their busiest times of the year! By also increasing an employee’s attention span and improving their concentration, you’ll boost the overall morale of your workplace and supercharge productivity at the same time. Not only will your teams be getting more done, but they’ll be delivering higher-quality work and enjoying themselves in the process. It’s really a win-win!

2—Stress reduction

There’s no denying that work can get stressful. No matter who you are or what you do, we’ve all experienced the stress that can come with work. However, corporate gardens that encourage employees to prune, pluck or water work wonders for reducing stress. A big part of this comes down to having the opportunity to get in touch with nature. It’s proven that the more time we spend in nature, the calmer we feel. However, few people have the chance to regularly go camping, take a hike in nature or even just enjoy half an hour in the sunshine when they’re working a full-time office job. By introducing a garden into the workplace, your employees will have the chance to introduce the outdoors into their everyday life and divert their attention to something completely stress-free throughout the day. With even just a few minutes spent in the garden, they’ll return to the desk less stressed and ready to tackle whatever the day throws at them.

3—Encourages on-site team building

Team building is common practice for almost every business across the world. Many employers even have dedicated budgets to help facilitate initiatives such as beach days, picnics, hikes, group dinners or even adrenaline-seeking activities. While there are some affordable options, the biggest expense for these events is often the transportation costs and time spent getting to and from the venue. With a landscaped garden on-site, you’ll have the perfect backdrop to host all your team-bonding events – without having to even step foot away from the office. Whether everyone rolls up their sleeves to plant veggies in raised garden beds or you’re hosting a barbecue lunch for the entire office, you’ll create a space for people to get to know each other outside of their professional roles.

4—Increased physical activity

Today’s office workers spend most, if not all, of their day behind a desk staring at a computer screen. After wrapping up the working day, most people then head home to spend the evening watching TV or scrolling on their phone. All up, that results in a whole lot of screen time and not too much movement. We know that any movement is good for the body and that every little bit adds up, so it’s important to look for ways to introduce movement into the regular working day. A free and accessible way to encourage a more active lifestyle is to create a space for your employees to move at work. With an on-site garden, they can head out for a walk in the sunshine on their lunch breaks, take calls on-the-go or even meet with clients in the garden. Regardless of why they’re stepping away from the desk, they’ll come back re-energized and ready to kick goals.

5—Improved social interaction

Did you know that spending time around plants can positively impact the relationships we have with others? Research from Texas A&M found that those who spent more time around plants are much more likely to have advanced social relationships – both at home and at work. For you that means, the more time your employees spend with plants, the more likely they are to reach out to other co-workers, show empathy for their colleagues, and put their hand up to help out when they’re needed. Creating an oasis at your work will bring plenty of short and long term perks that will benefit your company in a variety of different ways. When it comes to commercial landscaping, it’s important to work with a team that understands the scope and requirements of your project, as well as exactly what you’re trying to achieve.

At Civil and Scape, we’ve worked with plenty of businesses to design, construct and maintain commercial spaces that help improve the workplace for every employee. See more of our projects here .

While we value every client that we have, we also value our city and our country. At Civil and Scape, we look forward to contributing to civil projects as much as we do our commercial projects. Landscaping and civil works are important tools needed to both beautify and make our city more functional. 

Civil and landscaping works are integral to the beauty of Sydney

When people walk around the city of Sydney, enjoy time at our parks or simply drive to work, they bypass many important elements that keep the city running and as popular as it currently is. Even throughout the pandemic, there’s no denying that the city has remained lively, vibrant and as beautiful as ever. While a large part of that is due to the unique businesses and characters that fill the city, it’s also because of the landscaping and civil works that have been implemented.

The civil and landscaping services that we offer at our company have a lot of potential to improve and enhance the environment. Before we get into how they can do that, let’s first take a brief look at what civil and landscaping services are as well as what our offerings encompass.

Civil works

Civil works or civil construction is considered to be any service that contributes to the creation of infrastructure involving anything to do with water, earth or transport. With civil works, there are elements of design, construction and maintenance of the physical structure. Our services incorporate all three elements.

What civil works do we offer?

Landscaping

Landscaping services involve the addition of plants, manipulation of terrain and the construction of structures (this is commonly called hard landscaping). Soft landscaping refers to any service that improves the aesthetics of the natural environment.

What landscaping services do we offer

How can our civil and landscaping company add value to Sydney?

Beautify the area by planting trees and flowers

We love beautifying areas through the planting of native flowers, shrubs and trees. Civil and Scape has the capacity to revegetate areas that are barren and provide new life to the area. We’re also able to maintain flower beds and turf across the city. We provide seasonal colour enhancements so that there are flowers that bloom throughout each of Sydney’s four seasons.

Pave roads and access paths

Roads and access paths are important to the accessibility and mobility of the city. We’re able to provide concrete work, stonework and asphalt paving, depending on the suitability of the site. Each service we offer has its benefits, however, with the workmanship of our team, each promises a high-quality result that will improve the quality of life in Sydney.

Install stormwater management systems

Stormwater management systems are legally required in Australia and prevent the following from occurring:

• Flooding in urban areas
• Harmful bacteria can get disposed of in wetlands
• Reduced water quality 
• Loss of aquatic life

They are key for the maintenance of the hydrologic cycle and for avoiding flash flooding in Sydney. We install the pipes, pits and culverts needed for the system and ultimately, help avoid deterioration of the streets and Sydney’s aquatic life.

Provide access paths, ramps and stairs

A beautiful city is one that is also accessible to people of all abilities. Access paths and ramps are an important part of making that transition. We can construct ramps, stairs and access paths to provide better access to Sydney’s parks, businesses and sites of attraction. 

Install bike racks

Sydney is becoming greener by the minute with more and more people cycling to work, school and to carry out their errands. In order for this environmentally-friendly action to become even more popular, more bike racks are needed so that cyclists have a safe place to store their bikes. We can install bike racks in front of businesses or wherever the city deems it appropriate to help improve the lives of cyclists.

If you’re interested in seeing some of our civil and landscaping work, browse through our gallery to view our past projects. Want to have a chat? Give us a call on 1300 457 457 or shoot us a message here.

High employee productivity is integral to a business’ success and profitability. While many factors impact the level of employee productivity at a business, there’s one that many business owners forget about and subsequently neglect – the landscaping of their business. In Sydney, many businesses are located on properties that have the potential to transform into an impressive, professionally landscaped space. However, because many business owners aren’t aware of the importance of a landscape to employee productivity, it is not invested in.

On  average, employees who are full-time at an office work approximately 40 hours per week. Forty hours is almost equal to 2 days, which is a lot of time for a person to be cooped up in an office. A commercial property that’s surrounded by a beautiful and functional landscape is a great way to alleviate many of  the negative side effects that come with working at an office. It’s important for businesses to focus on  the  well-being of  their employees because valuable employees are hard to come by. Employee retention should be a priority.

To further explain why and how a landscaping company can improve employee productivity at your  business, we’ve outlined four measures and impacts that Civil and Scape can have on your team.

4 ways Civil and Scape can improve employee productivity in Sydney through landscaping 

Construct pathways for exercise

A Leeds Metropolitan University study found that workers who visited the gym during working hours were more productive, managed their time better, and felt more satisfied at work. While a pathway certainly isn’t a gym, it does facilitate movement outside of the workplace.

Pathways offer employees a break away from the concrete walls of their offices and allow them to get both mental and physical relief. Taking a 15 minute walk is linked to increased happiness, alertness and energy levels at work – all of which increase productivity in the workplace.

Install bike racks to encourage sustainability and physical activity

On a similar note, Civil and Scape can install bike racks at your workplace to encourage employees to ride to work and maintain their physical activity. Many employees would bike to work, however, the lack of security surrounding simply leaving your bike unattended and unlocked prevents many from doing an activity that could positively benefit your business.

Much like taking a walk, biking to and from work improves energy levels and alertness.

Create an outside sitting area for employee socialising

Adding a beautiful courtyard with street furniture to your landscape can encourage your employees to socialise outside of the physical building of the company. When employees have a designated area to socialise, or even to sit and mentally destress, they are more likely to handle the stress of work in an effective and healthy manner. Employees also feel more comfortable to actually take a break from work. 

Our Civil and Scape team can work with you to decide what your outdoor sitting area should look like. From landscaping a courtyard area, to installing outdoor sitting and water features, our recommendations can be completely customised according to your business needs. 

Decrease stress levels through the planting of trees and flowers

Trees and flowers can physiologically and psychologically affect employees. Psychologically, the presence of trees and flowers can improve an employee’s mood, whether they’re outside enjoying the landscape, or viewing it from the office. As mentioned before, an improvement in an employee’s mood is linked to their productivity levels.

Plants also clean the air that we breathe. This is particularly helpful if you ask Civil and Scape to produce a green wall for the interior of your office. A green wall will clean the air, providing employees with a healthier environment and a pleasant view, both of which can improve their productivity levels.

Together, all of these contribute to improved mental health and productivity levels in employees. If you’re unsure of the suitability of different elements in your landscape, contact a member of our team.

What  other benefits can landscaping have on my business?

Hiring Civil and Scape for your landscape doesn’t just positively impact your employees, but  other  areas  of your business as  well. Here are a few benefits you can expect if you hire a landscaping company for your business:

• Attract customers
• Improve business presence  at night
• Increase the length of time customers stay on your  premises
• Impress clients
• Add sustainability to your brand identity

We hope that we’ve convinced you of the value of commercial landscaping services and their impacts on employee productivity levels. If you’re interested in seeing some of our commercial work, browse through our gallery to view our past projects.

Want to have a chat? Give us a call on 1300 457 457 or shoot us a message here. 

Have you ever wondered what landscaping companies do during autumn or winter? Many company directors wrongly believe that landscaping companies don’t have much to do during autumn or winter. They come to this conclusion because of the gloomy weather which they then associate with an inability to grow or work on their company’s garden. While the rain and low temperatures certainly don’t make our job easy during these months, it’s a necessary evil. 

Contrary to popular belief, there is a lot to do on a commercial landscape during the winter months. With zero snow or frost and temperatures that seldom hit below 0, winter in Sydney is not as harsh as other countries. This means that, unlike other climates, in Sydney, you have more opportunities to tend to your garden.

Though we do not recommend ignoring your garden at any time of the year, residential properties tend to do so during winter as a way of reducing their costs; this is not a good tactic as costs end up being higher in the spring and summer due to lack of maintenance. However, for commercial properties, it is much more important to maintain a landscape throughout the year as this keeps the physical space of the property attractive for customers and on par with their competitors. 

Where can my company find the best landscaping companies in Sydney?

Before we dive into how your landscaping company will harness the few benefits that winter has to offer, let’s first answer one of the most common questions that many business owners have.

Civil and Scape specialises in commercial landscaping and civil construction. Our team will work with you to meet your needs and advise according to what your goals are for your business.

When winter hits, our team will engage in the following actions to capitalise on winter and prepare your landscape for spring and summer.

4 ways Civil and Scape will help your business during autumn and winter

Plant spring-flowering bulbs

Planting during winter is perfect for achieving a full blossom of spring flowers. Our landscaping team will assess your landscape, collaborate with you on the placement of these bulbs, advise on well-lit areas with well-drained soil and plant them in time for spring bloom. While bulbs should ideally be planted in autumn for spring bloom, planting during winter will ensure a late spring/early summer bloom.

Daffodils, dutch iris, hyacinth, lachenalia, ixia, muscari, ranunculi and tulips are popular flowers for blooming during springtime. For a summer bloom, your landscaper may plant hydrangeas, agapanthus, zinnias, hibiscus and crepe myrtle.

Trim and prune hedges and plants

Trimming and pruning hedges right before the onset of winter will keep them compact but voluminous and at the ground level. Pruning is stimulating to plants because there is a chemical contained in the cut buds which allow the buds to break once removed and ultimately, causing a bushy plant.

It can be very easy to ‘over-prune’; only one of our professional landscapers will be able to trim the bushes, short enough to benefit from volume in the spring, but long enough to avoid killing the plant.

Cover the soil

Leaving flower beds exposed during winter can cause a number of issues which can then lead to more work for your landscaping company and increased costs for their services. Exposed flower beds can allow weeds to grow during winter and into spring, which makes your landscape look unruly and drains the soil of its resources.

To prevent the weeds from sprouting our team will cover the soil with mulch, cardboard or another natural landscaping fabric. This curbs the growth of weeds and even prevents pests from disturbing the soil while allowing helpful organisms to proliferate.

Rake the leaves

During autumn and winter, trees shed their leaves to conserve resources. What most people know as a tell-tale sign of cooler weather, can quickly turn into a point of annoyance for many business owners. While a light shedding of leaves is not a major issue, it can turn into an undesirable element for a commercial property.

Our team will regularly remove leaves, debris and branches that have fallen onto your property. We will create a timely schedule, ensuring that you are always left with a clean and tidy landscape.

Have we managed to convince you that landscaping services are helpful for businesses during autumn and winter? Then, have a chat with a member of our team. Give us a call on 1300 457 457 or shoot us a message here.