 My
name is David Childers. This a photo of me in 1980 at Kenny Rogers'
mansion in Beverly Hills, CA. I was designing his estate in Colbert, GA.
and he was generous enough to send me to learn from his designers in CA.
It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I will be forever grateful to
him for it. Allow me to take you on a virtual tour of
Beaverdam Farms I have
enjoyed success in my career with his and other magnificent
projects, but I respect that most of my
clients have limited budgets. I invite you to let us help you build your
dreams with a masterplan, regardless of the size of your project. The
process is easy and incremental. Design
fees range from $300 based on the size and complexity of your
project and travel distance from Athens, GA. Call (706) 543-3395
or
email
for a consultation. See design process
for details.EDUCATION &
BACKGROUND I am a registered landscape architect and owner of
Signature Landscapes. I graduated from the University of Georgia
School of Environmental Design UGA SED In 1982, where I conducted
independent studies in energy conscious design as related to architecture
and site planning for residential subdivisions and home sites. I worked my
way through school as the principal designer for a design/build
landscaping nursery starting in the summer of 1975. I started my first
landscaping business in 1973 to earn my way through Jr. College in
Atlanta, Georgia.
EXPERIENCE I have designed
projects in climates and locations from Vail Co (climate zone 2) to Taif,
Saudi Arabia (climate zone 9 Arid), as well as all over the southeast
region of the US (climate zones 6-10) temperate to sub-tropical. I have
designed sub regional recreation communities, commercial properties, a
passive solar condominium complex, residential subdivisions, horse farms,
cattle farms, golf course estates, large estates to intimate gardens, and
everything in between. Projects that I have designed have been
featured in over 20 publications. I am currently honored to be included in
Who's Who in American Executives and Businesses. I am a former
chairman of Public Relations for the Athens West Rotary Club.
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY I enjoy
turning your dreams into a workable masterplan that suits your budget. My
designs respond to your needs. If it were not for the people part, it is
just rocks, trees, and dirt. Most people these days want color, texture,
seasonal interest, and low maintenance. Protecting the
environment is a concern for all of us. Environmentally sensible designs
are low maintenance. This is due to the required understanding of how the
forces of nature effect the design over time. Environmental design is one
of the few 4 dimensional art forms. During the day, a shady morning spot
can bake in the afternoon sun. During a season, plants and microclimates
go through many cycles. Over many years, a landscape that is designed by a
novice for short term impact becomes a maintenance problem and has to be
redone. My designs are prepared with an understanding of these processes
and the horticultural needs of the plants selected, so that your landscape
develops into an enjoyable sensual experience instead of a fight with
nature.
To clip, or not
to clip; that is the question. Said by W. Terrell in Marietta,
GA "I like to trim some shrubs - if that what it takes to get changes
in color. I want the yard to POP - I want it to slow traffic in the
neighborhood - I want people to want to have their picture made in my
yard - I want to look forward to pulling in my own driveway. I do not
want to see my neighbors on either side. I want a formal look or at
least a look that goes with the house."
To which I
replied:
I
am very happy to design a spectacular landscape with you, and appreciate
the opportunity! The choice to clip shrubs is a matter of preference,
and priority. Traditional formal design tends toward symmetrically
arranged clipped shrubs. The most popular request I have heard over
the past quarter century is low maintenance. When I was in college, I
was awarded the privilege of self-directed independent studies. I chose
to research design for low maintenance and design for energy
conservation. I have used that knowledge as foundations of my design
philosophy. Landscape maintenance has changed during the last 20 years
due to the abundance of ever increasingly efficient equipment and Latino
labor. Assuming you can afford to hire a Latino crew to maintain hard
edges, the question becomes: Do you want to? What is your tolerance
for fuzzy edges? Can you allow plants to look natural, or do they look
better with straight sides and domed tops? Must the edges between
lawns and beds be rigidly maintained, or can the plants spread out to
overlap? I’m not advocating everyone live in a “jungle”, nor am I
advocating that everyone have golf course style maintenance.
Sustainable Design, advocates using plants that are native to the
specific area. Many aspects of sustainable design are similar to my
long held low maintenance design philosophy, but I don’t limit myself to
“weeds” because there are thousands of plants that provide foliage
color, seasonal color, and interesting textures while requiring little
or now maintenance.
Symmetry or balance-
More later
21st
CENTURY DESIGN, PRESENTATION, AND COMMUNICATION TOOLS You can
see examples of near photo realistic 3d renderings and computer image
processing on the computer images
page. I am set up for video conferencing and online collaboration.
See Design_Online |
