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yes

The way of the future with one foot in the past…part of your cultural heritage…

I believe it was actually a separate contract. Maintenance within the specs has never really seemed to work unless the landscape contractor is also contracted to do long term maintenance – its a communication gap I think.

Perhaps a happy client and “make a difference in the world” are not the same thing:
http://www.architectureweek.com/2007/1107/environment_1-2.html

Yes the devil is in the detail, both in if we completely neglect to correct design flaws as well as totally sterilize human experience. I would say from my own observations that many newer communities although are very efficently laid out, have ample lighting, good open sight lines, well marked signage, but are also very sterile. People don’t fall…[Read more]

So on the one hand our profession believes that we should follow the guidance of developed theories and standards, but on the other hand we are creating a homogenous landscape that we say we don’t like. I think that is a good point.

That is why I am a big believer in diverse development from rural living, to urban cores, and the most maligned and…[Read more]

Hi
I’ve just finished a 50 sq ms grass roof in my own house and I’m a happy client does that count? : )
well not happy with one of the outlets but that s my own fault, lesson learnt, i’m hoping it will inspire others. green roofs and rain gardens are the way of the future in Ireland hopefully

Not necessarily, but look at where catastrophic violent crimes tend to occur, ie Columbine High School, who the ‘perpetrator’ was, and what their motive seemed to be.

I’m not saying kids are angry because their parents raised them in a suburb, but I’m raising the question as a side issue as to whether or not there could be a correlation between…[Read more]

I think each design endeavour should take into account the health, safety and well being of the end user, but I dont believe it should always drive the design. According to CPTED principles, many of the great public spaces we’ve come to appreciate could be deemed havens for criminals and degenerates.

I may have miscommunicated the notion that I…[Read more]

You are right in that CPTED is not a new theory or process, but it is something LA’s should pay attention to. Not because we are building communities that are not worth living in. And not because community design is so dreadful that it causes crime. LA’s should pay attention to CPTED because there are real good basic design principles that not all…[Read more]

Was the maintainance plan just part of the specs?

Maintenance plan, maintenance plan, maintenance plan!

I have worked on two projects that illustrate the difference – one was a creek restoration with a 5-year maintenance plan with oversight by the landscape architect. It was a very successful project with almost no invasive exotics.

The other project was a parkinglot stormwater wetland system.…[Read more]

Things have definitely moved in this direction. I’m not in an urban environment, but I see several things that have changed over the years. One example is that all schools and playgrounds in my area have uplimbed existing trees and not planted shrubs in certain places in order to keep visibilty of the children and remove places for stalkers to…[Read more]

I am not familiar with CPTED at all. But you bring up a few interesting subjects. Do we need to design better communities or do we need to establish better relationships with developers that commision subdivision design (pursuasive)? Or encourage our communities to develop more enforcable standards in design? I don’t know the answer at…[Read more]

Is there a higher rate of violent crime in newer subdivision communities?

Yeah, long write up on the spaces and landscape architecture of the games in this months issue of Landscape Architecture magazine

We could also talk about how lame HGTV is or how insufficient Webster’s definition of Landscape Architecture is in this thread.

That’s thin ice your treading on there AG with that grammar stuff..lol. I think I’ll give LP a pass on this one because it looks like they slipped with the first.

See the title of this discussion ? If you are hiring… or know of someone or firm that is…. this is the forum by which to disclose that !!

I would agree with Artie’s more aggressive and hard-charging approach, with just one caveat. Most firms and the people doing the hiring within those firms, really detest spontaneous appearances and unexpected drop-ins.

If by some fortunate chance, you are able to ferret out the “classic” informational interview and it is a sincere not a…[Read more]