3D Garden Design with a Wow Factor

Patrick Veenstra Tuinontwerp, based in Zwolle, is a contemporary design studio specializing in step-by-step conceptual 3D garden design. Despite his young age, Patrick has designed hundreds of gardens, ranging from small urban backyards to park-like landscapes for villas, as well as low-maintenance business gardens and the entrance of a new holiday park. His design foundation? SketchUp. In a conversation with us, Patrick shares more about his workflow.

Patrick has been a dedicated SketchUp enthusiast for several years, and his passion for the software is evident in his work. He relies on this design tool for all his drafting; however, he uses it exclusively for what is truly necessary. For instance, he explains, “What I draw in SketchUp are essentially just the volumes, such as houses, pergolas, and planters. Therefore, all the static shapes are created with SketchUp.” Meanwhile, natural elements and material details are deliberately added later during the rendering process, ensuring a more streamlined and efficient workflow.

Patrick Veenstra Tuinontwerp relies on one dedicated rendering application for rendering. “We aim to work quickly and efficiently. We design a large number of gardens every year, and we often need a high-quality design ready for clients without delay. As mentioned, vegetation and material details are added during the visualization process using the rendering software. This workflow suits us best, allowing us to pivot quickly in collaboration with our clients.”

Patrick doesn’t use any CAD software other than SketchUp. “Because we don’t handle vegetation or materials within SketchUp, the software runs quickly and efficiently. So far, it’s been sufficient for my needs. If I encounter a missing feature in SketchUp, I usually find a creative workaround or look for an extension to solve the problem. As a result, I haven’t had to explore other software packages.”

Communication and Collaboration with Clients

Client communication is conducted as much as possible online. “The traditional method is face-to-face meetings, and that’s still an option for us. However, we prefer to handle everything online for efficiency. This saves time for both us and the client. Otherwise, there’s travel time—at least an hour each way—plus a meeting of about an hour. That’s three hours gone, during which I could have spoken with three clients instead of one. Many of our clients are also busy and appreciate the speed of online communication.”

To collaborate with other tools used by involved parties, Patrick sometimes exports DWG, DAE, or 3DS files from SketchUp. This depends entirely on the requirements of the contractors and architects and how they prefer to view the designs.

“For example, for a holiday park at Het Eiland van Maurik, I designed the entire entrance and all play areas, including a playground, pump track, and water play area. Contractors often request DWG files to set everything out. I can easily export those from SketchUp for them to integrate into their workflow,” says Patrick.

Patrick continues to benefit greatly from his studies in architecture, which remain highly relevant to his work. “In modern garden construction, structural decisions often play a crucial role. For example, popular features such as verandas and pergolas must adhere to specific span limits. When clients request a larger span, my design, for instance, will incorporate a thicker roof or beam to support the structure effectively. Furthermore, every design includes carefully considered logical elements to guide the builder. As a result, they can quickly understand how to construct the intended design, allowing us to support landscapers in the most effective way possible. Ultimately, this collaboration leads to the creation of stunning, well-built gardens.”

For delivering 2D technical drawings to landscapers, Patrick uses LayOut. “A scaled site plan is effortless with LayOut, allowing landscapers to see exactly where planters go or how far paving extends. LayOut is perfect for this purpose.”

Patrick’s Vision on Garden Design

When asked if he designs in a specific style, Patrick answers affirmatively: “The prevailing trend in garden design is sleek and modern. That’s my style as well, so it aligns perfectly with market demand.”

“Of course, we also cater to clients with other preferences. A good example is the increasing popularity of organic gardens. I recently designed one, opting for rounded shapes and, where possible, a gently undulating landscape.”

Despite his often sleek designs, Patrick ensures every garden includes ample greenery to make it vibrant. “It’s challenging to create a cosy paved garden. You need greenery, and we always include it in the design. Even when clients request a low-maintenance, paved garden, we incorporate plants. For low-maintenance needs, we select vegetation that requires pruning just once a year. Interestingly, it’s entirely possible to have a lush garden with less maintenance than a paved one. We try to make clients aware of this contradiction.”

Privacy is another important consideration. “For large front yards or gardens adjacent to homes, we account for sightlines from the street. If visibility on the patio is an issue, we break the line of sight with organic planting, allowing people to relax on their patio unobserved.”

Three Distinct Companies

To cater to different markets, Patrick Veenstra has established three businesses.

Tuinontwerp Direct offers affordable designs for smaller gardens. Clients can enter their garden dimensions (up to 10 x 14 meters) and preferred style online, receiving a garden design instantly via email.

Patrick Veenstra Tuinontwerp works one-on-one with clients to create tailored garden designs that perfectly meet their needs.

Audax Visuals and Designs focuses on architectural and exterior space design, as well as interior visualization, with particular attention to structural solutions and how they impact the appearance of a building.

This blog was previously published in the Dutch SketchUp Magazine in 2023. The content may have been adapted for this online version.

Text: Robert van Dee   |  Visuals: Patrick Veenstra