According to Kevin Eckert from Build LLC, a Seattle building firm, the design of the exterior “hardscape” is just as important as the design of the actual home in residential work, both for new homes and remodels. These “hardscapes” include entry sidewalks and any sequence of “experiences” that leads up to the house itself, including — but not limited to — decks, private courtyards, or even driveways. Basically, “hardscapes” describes every hard surface that is exposed to the elements, from the street to the house itself. These elements were traditionally meant to be impermeable and to guard the ground beneath them from water, but this has changed in recent years.
Read the full article here: Brainy Drainage: Permeable Outdoor Surfaces