Start with the relationship to the house
Show the doors, windows and spaces that overlook the garden. A pool is not an isolated rectangle, and a pergola is not simply a roof. Their placement affects the view from inside and the way people move outside. A model helps compare these relationships before decorative finishes dominate the conversation.
Make level changes visible
Steps, retaining walls and sloping ground are often easier to understand in 3D than in a flat plan. Provide level information where it is available. If the model uses assumed terrain, label that assumption and resolve it with the project team. A visual model is a discussion aid; it does not replace survey information, drainage design or structural work.
Review from human viewpoints
An aerial view explains the overall arrangement, but it can hide how a space feels from the terrace or a doorway. Ask for a few eye-level views as well. Look at the relationship between seating, shade structures, planting and routes through the garden. These views can reveal which questions deserve attention before the final design is selected.
Compare a small number of clear alternatives
If you are choosing between two pergola positions, keep the viewpoint consistent. If you are comparing paving, hold the geometry steady. Changing everything at once makes it difficult to tell what caused your preference. Label the options and record the chosen direction so the next revision has a clear starting point.
Send site context with the plan
Current photographs, a site plan, approximate levels and references for planting or materials give the model useful context. Include the parts of the scheme still under discussion. The Los Gatos portfolio shows the house, pool, pergola and terrace from several viewpoints, illustrating the kind of spatial discussion a landscape model can support.
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