I've got networking on the brain.  Despite increasingly digital interfacing, personal connections still rule, so here we are.  Of course, everyone uses the word "networking," and whether you're looking for work or not, having a network to leverage - for whatever - is a very good thing.…

View of entry gardens leading up to the rock fortress of Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. Photo by Barnard Gagnon. Source: Wikipedia. Image used under the GNU Free Documentation License.

In 2003, I visited Sigiriya while on a field study abroad in grad school. At the time, I was struck by the formal similarities between it and the…

Since 2008, the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) has honored student leadership through their Olmsted Scholars Program, the premier national award and recognition program for landscape architecture students.  The 2013 class, nominated by their faculty for being…

The video above was produced by Newschool of Architecture + Design (NSA+D)to help educate their potential applicants on how to make a portfolio for graduate submissions.  Not only is it a fun and useful guide, it is an example of great marketing.  (It certainly made me want…

We have all seen the girdling effects that can be caused by abandoned tree stakes and ties, metal clamps, string lights, and bike locks.  (If you haven't yet, look around.)  They are not only an eye-sore, they cause girdling and can weaken the integrity of the tree.  That is where Rob Birdsong's mission began.  He noticed an old chain on the trunk of a…

Were it not for its honor award in the 2012 ASLA General Design Awards, I might not have ever heard of the Quarry Garden, much less been willing to make the trip out to visit its rather remote location in Songjiang District--it took me over two hours on public transportation to get there from Pudong (foreign tourists…

Congratulations to the Winners of the 2013 Iron Designs' Challenge!  At the beginning of April, Iron Age Designs challenged you to design a winning site furnishing family consisting of a bollard, bench, and a bin.  From among the 77 design submissions, a group of the…

When most people think of Italy, their first thoughts are of the Colosseum, the Vatican, or Venice's Grand Canal. Not many imagine a colorful, imaginative, unique sculpture garden tucked away in Tuscany.

My first impression upon arriving was just WOW! This was not like the typical gardens I had been visiting all summer. I was engulfed with bright colors, intricate mosaic work,…

Ever go on a site visit and wish you could get an aerial shot of the property?  You may have climbed a ladder, or a tree, or perhaps even found a neighboring roof in hopes of getting a better vantage point. (Ya, I know you're out there!)  Then, when that did not work out…

We live in a technologically driven society filled with bits of information and data. We are the causers, the makers of this data. A definition, provided by IBM: 

Every day, we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data — so much that 90% of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone. This data comes from…

We are excited to announce the Top 10 finalists for the 2013 Iron Age Design's Challenge.

Thank you to everyone that voted for your favorite designs.  With 77 outstanding design…

Remember the first time you walked through a forest?  Do you recall the sounds, the light, the shadows, and the wonder you experienced?  The latest installation by Marshmallow Laser Feast, Musical Laser Forest, was created to awaken "feelings of curiousity and wonderment,"…

Voting is now open for the Iron Age Designs' Challenge!

Thank you to all of you talented designers for entering the 2013 Iron Age Designs' Challenge!  We received 77 amazing design submissions for Iron Age's "next family of site furnishings..." and we need your help selecting the finalists!  

We will be selecting…

The winners’ of the 2013-14 Rome Prize were announced last week at the Arthur & Janet C. Ross Rome Prize Ceremony held at the…

During this month of April and celebrated "landscape architecture month", let us introduce you to April Philips, a landscape architect and urban sustainability advisor and the principal and owner of April Philips Design Works in San Rafael, California.…

While reading through the March 2013 issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine and came across an article about Xiaoxuan Lu, student at the Harvard Graduate School of Design trying to make a true difference with her profession.

The Challenge:

During the Vietnam War,…

Hello all! Many of you have asked when I would come out with a drawing book. I am delighted to announce that after nine months of writing and another six of book design and production, my book …

This summer we are proposing to build a park in the Los Angeles River under the auspices of a film permit. This will be a prototype for future summer parks all along the river until the river is permanently modified. In order to compete for funding from the Goldhirsh Foundation. …

Vista Hermosa Park, Los Angeles, CA

We gravitate toward landscape architecture for many different reasons. Some enjoy horticulture and some are intrigued by the creative process involved. Whatever the reasons we all love landscape architecture, many people are still unaware that the profession exists. Luckily,…