Canopy & Column: seeing trees through a designer's eye - Hardcover

by Avery Schill (Author)

Raised in a small rural town and shaped by daily encounters with the natural world, Canopy & Column: Seeing Trees Through a Designer's Eye offers a personal and inquisitive exploration of trees as both living systems and designed forms. Grounded in the practice of careful observation, this book examines how trees express time, color, pattern, silhouette, light, and character-revealing far more than what is seen at first glance.

Through photography, sketches, diagrams, and visual analysis, each chapter blends scientific insight with artistic interpretation. Trees are presented as dynamic beings: shifting with the seasons, responding to light, and developing identity through structure and form. Personal anecdotes and design studies invite readers into the act of seeing more deeply-training the eye to notice nuance, intention, and meaning.

Designed as a high-quality, display-worthy book for classrooms, studios, and homes, Canopy & Column sparks curiosity and conversation across disciplines. It bridges landscape architecture, environmental science, and visual arts while remaining accessible to a general audience. By framing trees through a designer's lens, the book challenges readers to move beyond seeing trees as background elements and instead recognize them as central characters in the shared landscape.

Journey through CANOPY & COLUMN, where rich imagery and thoughtful observation sharpen the way you see trees-and the world around you.