I am Björn Jóhannsson, a landscape architect. One of the privileges of being a landscape architect is that you get to draw and colour at work, of which my children and friends envy me greatly. Keeping the fun in the design process has always been very important for me and for that reason I love working with clients that enjoy creating and have a sense of humor. For the past 25 years I have designed the yards and gardens of Icelanders and provided home owners with advice on how to develop their outdoor spaces. Shelter from winds, low maintenance and useful amenities have always been my main concerns. All of the pictures on this page are my designs, but I may including a few designed in collaboration with colleagues.
The ways to design a garden are nearly endless and each way can influence how it is enjoyed and the quality of relaxation and recreation achievable. A carefully designed garden will cater for the owners every need instead of the owner becoming a slave to gardening. There are many ways to keep maintenance of a garden to a minimum and here are 3 easy concepts:
- Keep it simple and focus on the usability
- Use low maintenance building materials in a stylish way
- Choose low maintenance plants and go for quality rather than quantity
By keeping it simple, the types of different materials are kept to a minimum, which in turns means that there are fewer maintenance methods. Simple is by no means the same as boring and low maintenance by no means concrete and ashfalt on every surface. By focusing on the quality of space, the design that follows, will complement it’s surroundings. Plants are often the most enduring part of the design, so long term thinking is key, when deciding on the species and numbers.
I really hope you enjoy my website and that it will be an inspiration to you when developing your garden.
If you would like me to design your yard or garden send me a brief note telling me what you might want and where you and your garden are to bjorn@urbanbeatdesign.com along with some photos and the house plans if you have them. I can then send you a quote or we can have a Skype meeting to discuss your project.
