APPENDIX 339 



self as far as he may with his client and with the ground before he 

 gets far with his design, for his design should be before all things a 

 reasoned meeting of a definite problem, and not a scheme conceived in one 

 style and for one purpose and then mutilated or stultified to fit another. 



On his first visit to the ground the landscape architect may make Topographic 

 notes enough of existing conditions to enable him to produce some kind ^^'■'^ 

 of preliminary sketches for discussion with his client. If the work is 

 at a considerable distance from his office and he has but little time on 

 the ground, a rough sketch of the topography, perhaps merely from 

 paced measurements of the principal dimensions, but accompanied 

 by photographs of more important features taken from places desig- 

 nated on the sketch, may be sufficient data. At the same time, however, 

 the landscape architect should note such features as must later be very 

 accurately located on account of their importance in the design. If 

 the work is to go ahead, it will be desirable, on a topography of any 

 complication, to have a topographic map prepared showing bound- 

 aries, buildings, fences and walls, roads and paths, trees where they 

 will affect the design, and the elevations and modelings of the sur- 

 face of the ground, particularly in those places where this surface is 

 likely to be changed by the new construction. This topographic map 

 may be made by a civil engineer, or it may be done, in smaller work, 

 by the office of the landscape architect. In large work an engineer 

 would usually best be employed, because this is his professional busi- 

 ness and he will be likely to do it better and more cheaply than the 

 landscape architect can do it. The advantage of having a topographic 

 map made by the landscape architect's office is that some one in the 

 office In this way acquires a detailed familiarity with the ground which 

 will be very useful in subsequent design. In any case, the landscape 

 architect should inform the maker of the topographic map as to what 

 landscape features must be recorded accurately and what may be neg- 

 lected. Otherwise much labor may be wasted in acquiring data that 

 are never used. If there is any doubt as to the use of the data, however, 

 it is much better to err on the side of getting too much rather than too 

 little. Special pains should be taken to record such things as the 

 existence and elevation of cellar windows and areas, where there is a 

 building, the elevation of the ground at the tops and bottoms of steps 



