Landscaping and landscaping

When buying an apartment, owners, in addition to the price, location, layout and technical equipment of the property, pay attention to the courtyard. For young parents, it is important that there is an equipped playground, motorists want to be calm about the safety of their vehicle, older people want benches and shady places to rest near the house. The level of comfort depends on the condition and grooming of the courtyard area of an apartment building (MAB). We suggest you find out whether residents of an apartment building can influence the condition of the site near their home, and what steps should be taken to ensure that the yard is landscaped and looks beautiful.

The local area is the main purpose

According to the definition specified in the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, the adjacent territory of an apartment building is understood as a plot of land on which the building itself, landscaping and landscaping elements, as well as objects necessary for the maintenance and upkeep of the house are located. Such objects include outbuildings, playgrounds, places for exercise equipment and active games, benches and even trash cans.

The local area should be comfortable and functional. If there are no vital elements on its territory, living in such a house will not be comfortable.

Choosing a flowerbed

The most successful decoration in the garden will be a flower bed; you can create it yourself or buy a ready-made item; the following elements are divided into types:

Elevated. The design is spectacular; it consists of a frame into which soil is poured for further growing flowers in it.
Vertical sample. The second name is “living walls”.
Carpets. The density of the colors creates a visual similarity to the pattern on the carpet.
Monoclumbs. To implement your plan, you will need to purchase seeds of plants of the same type in order to create the most striking effect.

When taking on the improvement of a private home, you need to remember that thanks to the right approach to choosing elements, you can change the appearance of the garden throughout the season.

When some flowers enter the stage of collecting seeds, the next ones will fill the area with completely different shades, which will delight friends or relatives who will again decide to visit the owner of the building.

Landscaped area with plantings at the entrance - prestige and comfort

The landscaping and landscaping of the site is carried out in such a way that the area near the house is safe and convenient for residents. It is used for relaxation, sports, joint games and social events.

Properly planned landscaping not only beautifies the yard, but also protects from noise, wind, sunlight and exhaust fumes. At the same time, the law defines norms regulating the location of trees, shrubs and flower beds.

Flowerbeds near the entrance, fenced with a low-height fence, emphasize the status of the residents. Houses with well-groomed grounds are considered prestigious, which means that real estate in such objects is more expensive.

More green

Residents of almost all of those included in the program of participating courtyard design have common desires - they want to see more greenery, and they also want to see children’s and other playgrounds made of natural materials. This is why architects prefer wood, stones, ropes, etc. In total, together with residents, the improvement of 25 objects is currently being designed - mostly courtyards, but there are also public gardens. In addition to the two already completed courtyards, three more will be commissioned in the near future. All details can be found on the website pro-raion.ru.

Requirements of sanitary standards and rules for the maintenance of the territory of apartment buildings

There are no state standards that regulate the creation of a landscape on a plot of land near a house. But this does not mean that owners can create and implement any of their ideas. When planning work, residents should be guided by the sanitary and hygienic recommendations that are prescribed:

SanPiN 2.1.2.2645-10 Sanitary and epidemiological requirements for living conditions in residential buildings and premises.
Rules and standards for the technical operation of the housing stock”, approved by Resolution of the State Construction Committee of the Russian Federation dated September 27, 2003 No. 170.
SNiP 2.07.01/89 “Planning and development of urban and rural settlements.

These and other documents indicate standards and elements for landscaping courtyard areas, including the distance between objects and fences, and the location of green spaces.

When planning work, you should take into account the number of floors and apartments in a residential building, the year of commissioning and other factors. Owners have the right to place in the local area:

places for recreation, pedestrian and play areas;
plantings and areas for walking pets;
utility buildings and vehicle parking.

It is worth remembering that the territory is clearly limited in area and most likely it will not be possible to place all of the above elements. In order to take into account the needs of all categories of residents, it is necessary to agree on a landscaping plan and a landscaping project at the general meeting of owners (GMS). And only after that begin its implementation.

Rights of residents when accepting work performed in accordance with the program

Upon completion of the project, an acceptance committee is created from representatives of residents, the city administration and the management company (if a house maintenance agreement has been concluded with it). If the quality of the work is not satisfactory or there are deficiencies, the acceptance certificate is not signed. In addition, a collective complaint can be filed against the contractor.

New facilities that appear as a result of modernization are included in the common property at a meeting of owners. If necessary, the fee for its maintenance is adjusted.

Landscaping the courtyard of an apartment building is a requirement of our time. People no longer want to live in an area with a dull landscape and disorderly surroundings. And in resolving this issue, the owners of the house have a significant say.

Attributes of landscaping of the territory of an apartment building

Landscaping refers to a whole range of measures, and not simple cleaning of the territory. Landscaping the yard involves:

landscaping and space zoning;
improvement of the earth's surface, for example: filling with crushed stone, paving or laying tiles;
construction of sports and children's complexes;
arrangement of recreation areas with benches and gazebos;
work on organizing parking spaces that are safe for people to move around;
high-quality lighting of the area according to established standards;
installations and equipment in compliance with sanitary and hygienic rules of business sites.

If the project for the development of the local area is not completed by the developer, or the plan has been lost, the owners can order it again from the city architectural service. The project will be drawn up taking into account all the requirements specified in SNiP and will comply with the concept of the urban appearance.

What is the difference between a landscaping project and a landscape project?

Landscape design can be defined as a constructive, aesthetic, artistic and architectural principle of organizing space. A landscape design project for a particular area includes:

The concept and its rationale
Improvement project
Landscaping project.

Therefore, if you read in an advertisement about the provision of landscaping services, you should understand that there is no talk of creating a unique design for the site. You will receive competently laid and installed utility networks, high-quality paved paths, trees planted at your choice, but nothing more.

plans landscaping within the framework of landscape project ideas. A group of specialists from various fields is involved in the development - agronomists, builders, dendrologists, designers. Therefore, in our company, the landscaping plan is the result of an individual and creative approach to organizing the space of the territory.

Types of landscaping near MKD

In an urban environment, green spaces are needed to preserve the environment and maintain the health of residents. To do this, ornamental plants, lawns, hedges and trees are planted around a multi-storey building and used as part of urban landscaping. It is worth choosing seedlings that will likely take root in the local climate and will be easy to care for.

The placement of vegetation should be related to the placement of objects. Particular attention is paid to landscaping adjacent areas that highlight the entrance to the house, children's and sports grounds.

On pieces of land near the entrances, from 3.5 to 8 meters wide, low shrubs, free-standing trees, and flower beds are planted. At the same time, trees should be placed at a distance of 5 meters from the house, and bushes - 1.5 meters.

Children's and sports grounds are also isolated from the roadway with the help of trees or hedges of bushes. The strip allocated for trees must be wider than 3 meters. All landscaping objects must be arranged in such a way as not to interfere with unhindered movement to the entrances.

It is worth considering that cutting down plants without permits is prohibited by law. If any of the plantings are damaged or destroyed, compensatory landscaping is carried out.

Vertical landscaping plan

Designing landscaping of this type is not only about choosing the place where its elements will be located. After all, in order for plants to be positioned in a horizontal plane, they need support. In this capacity, the walls of buildings located on the site or fences can be used, or specially made structures made of wood, plastic or metal. This landscaping plan, in addition to external aesthetics, performs a number of useful functions:

Divides the total space of the site into several zones. In a similar way, for example, you can separate the beds from the children's play area;
Emphasizes the aesthetic individuality of the selected area;
Provides protection from sun rays. A bench near the wall of the gazebo, securely covered with leaves of climbing plants, located on the sunny side, will become a favorite rest for the owners of the site on a hot summer day.

Contact our company and qualified employees will develop landscaping projects quickly, efficiently and at an affordable price.

Who should decide on the arrangement of the local area?

In accordance with Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 491, property owners must monitor the local area if the adjacent area is included in the list of common property. However, they do not clean it or remove garbage. Residents should also not install playgrounds or recreation areas on their own. They can delegate all this work to a management company (MC) or to contractors if the house is managed by a homeowners’ association. To do this, it is enough to conclude an agreement for the maintenance and maintenance of the apartment building.

In cases where the owner of the local area is a municipal service, the owners do not have any obligations to care for and improve the land. All work must be carried out at the expense of the municipality.

Development of a landscaping project

The best option is when architects and landscape designers work in tandem. Coordination of actions allows you to significantly optimize labor costs and financial costs when implementing projects. A unified water supply and drainage system, drainage system, and power supply system are being created. Project implementation timeframes are reduced. But such fruitful interaction is possible only at the beginning of site development. It also happens the other way around - the territory has already been developed, built up and planted, and the owners now have the opportunity and desire to improve their garden plot.

We carry out landscaping of a wide variety of areas - private cottages within the city and beyond, dachas, penthouses, luxury villages, local areas, city and municipal property (schools, kindergartens, sanatoriums), private commercial properties, etc. Regardless of the type of property , the social significance of objects, the area of territory that needs improvement, we always follow the once and for all established algorithm for developing a plan for improving the territory and its implementation, and always from the standpoint of landscape design.

General scheme for developing a landscaping plan:

The first, fundamental step is to study the site.
Next, the research results are compared with the customer’s wishes to determine the possibility of their implementation.
A concept is developed in the form of preliminary designs, and they are discussed with the customer.
A task for developing a landscaping project is formed and approved, and a layout plan is drawn up.
After this, groups of specialists are engaged in the development of utility networks and structures (calculations, drawings, diagrams).
In parallel, work is underway to compile a dendroplane.
The results of the specialists' developments are combined on a landscaping plan (the basis is a layout drawing), which reflects all the nuances of the planned work and which is the main document for the further implementation of the planned activities.

The above sequence of work is for an undeveloped and uninhabited area. If it is necessary to improve the developed territory, some of the listed points may be omitted, some may be supplemented, but, in general, the work algorithm remains unchanged.

Responsibilities of the management company for landscaping and landscaping

If the courtyard area is part of the common property, the management company, in accordance with the norms of Article 162 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, must monitor the local area, repair damaged elements, and also care for landscaping elements under the service agreement. At the same time, the list of her responsibilities includes:

equipment and repair of areas for children's games, sports or recreation areas;
repair of other objects located on the site;
cleaning up garbage, fallen leaves, snow and ice during the winter;
planting vegetation, caring for flower beds, lawns, and watering them.

Landscaping activities also include: pruning bushes and measures to prepare plants for winter.

Development of horizontal landscaping projects

Landscaping design consists of choosing a location for various plants, shrubs and trees, as well as arranging large areas of the territory with grass. The whole process can be divided into several stages:

Choosing a place to place lawns, which can be seeded or roll-type. In the first case, it is necessary to calculate the amount of work to remove weeds, dig up the soil and plant plants. For the second option, additional leveling of the ground under the flooring is necessary;
Plan for landscaping and arrangement of flower beds on the site. These elements may consist of annuals or perennials. Such islands of bright colors can add colorful touches to the overall design;
Selection of design options for natural relief features. The slopes of a small hill can be used to create on its basis a wonderful alpine slide or rock garden, which will become a special highlight of the site;
Improvement of reservoirs located on the site. Plants around a small pond or fast stream should not only complement the composition, but also strengthen their banks with their roots. Sometimes, pseudo-reservoirs are created in the form of a dried-up riverbed, the banks of which are decorated with stones and mosses;
Next, landscaping is designed by planting deciduous or coniferous shrubs. In this case, the direction of the winds is taken into account, since such plants are able to protect soils from erosion with their lush foliage
Lastly, it is planned to plant different types of trees;

Types of jobs. What specialists are involved?

The list of landscaping works depends on the seasonal factor. In winter, the janitor daily removes snow more than five centimeters thick, clears the paths, and sprinkles them with sand. In the summer, the area is swept and cleared of large debris.

A landscaping specialist takes care of the plants. He must have the appropriate qualifications and skills to work with special tools and fertilizers.

According to the standard, the landscaping plan and landscaping project must include work on cleaning the site, including the parking lot, as well as work on cleaning the territory, installing garbage cans and fences that do not interfere with travel or access to the house. Contractors may be hired to carry out some work.

Performance style

To implement proper landscaping of the site in English or landscape style, you will need to pay attention to strict forms. They should be used exclusively in favor of the natural lines created by nature.

An excellent addition would be: ponds, winding paths, and minimizing objects created by people.

The French style involves the introduction of artificial forms, alleys should be strict, sculptures should be installed on the sides of the building, trees and bushes should be carefully and evenly trimmed, giving them an exclusive shape.

Country music is also popular; there are no clear rules for its implementation; you need to be as creative as possible. Simplicity and naturalness will only emphasize the overall beauty of the site.

It would not be superfluous to use solid wood, wild stone, metal; a long vine of a weaving plant fits well.

Who pays for landscaping and landscaping costs at the MKD?

By law, owners must maintain order in the yard and pay for landscaping and landscaping costs. It is worth knowing that if the house is included in the federal program, the costs of improvement will be partially or fully covered by the state.

Repair work on the local area is also carried out at the expense of the owners. Current types of work include partial asphalt of the road, repair of fences and barriers, painting and repair of playgrounds and sports grounds.

Major repairs include: complete paving of the yard, landscaping, installation of sports structures and children's play areas.

To determine the cost of work, an estimate for landscaping and landscaping is drawn up, which is agreed upon by the OSS. A quorum of votes is required to approve expenditures. The estimate may include individual types of work or comprehensive landscaping.

Dacha in the yard

This is the name given to the yard improvement project at the intersection of Norilskaya and Izumrudnaya streets in the Losinoostrovsky district.
Once upon a time, these places were not an ordinary residential area with standard panels, but a dacha suburb of Moscow - Muscovites came here to take a break from the city and be in nature. Architects from the Druzhba bureau decided to remind about this in the process of working together with local residents. They began discussing the future of the yard a year and a half ago, before the pandemic. Things could have moved faster, but restrictions had an impact - discussions, for example, had to be transferred online. And there was something to talk about and with whom. Even before the discussion began, specialists from the architectural bureau studied the yard to understand its pros and cons. The site is formed by six high-rise buildings, where one and a half thousand people live. And mothers with children, and dog walkers, and motorists, and pensioners... Everyone has their own interests. Some were completely satisfied with the old yard; they didn’t want to change anything. Others, on the contrary, complained about the lack of infrastructure for children. The designers saw this themselves - they counted 240 children, who accounted for the only playground without normal lighting. In addition to this, in the yard there was also a sports box, fenced with a high mesh fence, and an abundance of paths.

I saw all this myself a year ago, when I came here with the architects. Now the yard is difficult to recognize. Firstly, instead of that one playground, several new ones appeared, designed for children of different ages. On one there are slides and a carousel for older children, on the other there are swings and an educational play area for very young children. The slides are also different - one is higher and steeper, made on an earthen hill.

Children climb onto it not by steps, but directly along the grass, holding on to handrails made of wooden supports and ropes. The second slide is smaller; you need to slide down it from a miniature wooden stage built right around an old birch tree - this platform was called the “Tree House”. The designers also worked with the landscape - for example, they made a hill with a hole in it. The little one loves to crawl through it. There are also unique stumps of different heights dug into the ground near the hole—you can jump on them. In short, there is a lot of entertainment for children here, and these are not only the usual swings and carousels, but also other, modern mini-attractions.

Programs for financing works on landscaping and landscaping of plots of land near apartment buildings

Since 2021, a federal program for the improvement of the urban environment, including local areas, has been in effect annually. At the same time, the residents themselves decide how to improve the yard.

The program operates in all cities with a population of more than 1000 people. From the federal or regional budget, driveways, sidewalks, facades and entrances can be repaired. Benches, lanterns and trash cans are being installed.

Owners have the opportunity to choose landscaping work from an additional list if they agree to pay 20% of the cost of the work. In this case, it is possible to equip children's and sports grounds, pedestrian paths, sidewalks, car parking, and even expand the courtyard passage. Landscaping the site also refers to additional work.

Owners have three options: engage in landscaping of the site themselves, delegate the work to a management company, or participate in the federal program. But first you need to study the legal documentation, draw up a landscaping plan and a landscaping project. The well-groomed territory of the apartment building with growing trees and flower beds always attracts the eye. Living in such a house is comfortable and cozy.

Courtyard with a hill

The architects working on the project admit that it is certainly impossible to take into account the opinions of all residents. And the implementation does not always exactly correspond to what everyone imagined. But in any case, this is better than improvement in which no one asks local residents what they want.

“The main goal of joint design with residents is to create a courtyard in which life will be in full swing, where it is interesting to spend time together, where neighbors get to know each other and find common hobbies. In the process of working on a project, connections between people are established, they are united by a common goal. Residents who feel a sense of belonging to the place become responsible users of the yard, support a prosperous environment and a long life of embodied ideas,” says Alexandra Chertkova, partner of the Druzhba bureau.

Another courtyard, which was transformed with the help of residents, is located in Kuzminki on Academician Scriabin Street. More than three thousand people live nearby. Many of them had long been unhappy with the small and outdated playground for more than 400 children from the surrounding houses. The main part of the yard was occupied by a sports box, which few people used due to its unfortunate location at the height difference. After examining the yard and discussing with residents, specialists from the People's Architect bureau came up with the concept of “Yard with a Hill.”

Participatory design helps neighbors get to know each other

The center of the yard became a large play area for children of different ages, along the perimeter of which awnings with benches for adults were installed. The height difference of three meters was used so that it became part of the playground. By decision of the residents, the sports area was reduced by one and a half times and moved to a level place, and exercise equipment was installed nearby. As on Norilskaya Street, residents wanted a ping-pong table and a remote, quiet corner for the older generation to relax.

“We wanted to experiment with techniques that are never used in municipal landscaping in order to make a courtyard that would be unique in its own way,” explains Anton Ladygin, partner of the People’s Architect Bureau. “We turned the natural topography of the site into a fully functional children’s slide and added geoplastics. This image of a green hill became the motto of the project. Thanks to the technology of participation, we knew that our proposals had the support of residents, and this gave us confidence at all stages.”

By the way