Reply To: The Artist Dillema

Henry is helping you, Alissa, to understand that landscape architecture design does not occur only in your mind, on your drawing board or in your contract documents.

It actually fulfills itself in the construction and following maintenance.  If these do not interest you, then there is no question of sustainability, there is no future for you in landscape architecture.  Great design needs people who know how to build it, solve its problems during construction and nurture it through its life.

Hope this has been helpful.  Over many years, I have seen bad design come out of an office and get ‘fixed’ in construction and maintenance; and I have seen great design get lost during construction and maintenance.  The more you understand the people and ways of construction and maintenance, the better chance you will have to see your design become a living, thriving reality.