Avoid touching up

In good landscaping there is no need to touch up anything. For example, consider the materials of the embankment in Chicago. It was completed in 2016:

All metal in the landscaping is aluminum or stainless steel. It is not painted, has a natural color:

All wood is not painted, faded, has a natural color:

Concrete tiles do not need painting. All. There is nothing to rust or peel in public space. This is a long-lasting improvement. Yes, it is expensive, but in the long run it is more profitable for the city on a scale of several decades.

This approach has a huge advantage from an aesthetic point of view. The materials age beautifully; in the spring, utility workers don’t fill everything with paint.

Any ferrous metal that needs to be coated with paint is a short-lived story (primarily in terms of aesthetics), which should be avoided whenever possible in major landscaping. For wooden coverings, you need to choose strong, durable species and not paint them. The faded color of the wood looks seasoned, natural and fits any architectural palette. Wood can sometimes be painted a certain color to support some idea in a space, but there is no need to paint to imitate the color of another tree. Good architecture does not tolerate deception.

Tags: landscaping