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no no no!! I am saying that people who actually believe that groups are unniform, i.e., that the blanket statement , “all LA from california are flashy” must be absolutely true – people who are unable to nuance their opinon of groups for individuals are the jerks..

You guys are making the OPPOSITE argument (most recently..) You are saying that…[Read more]

I’ve never been to a Mike Lin workshop, but I was living in Reno till February of 2008. I worked for Tom Stille (Interpretive Gardens/Pinyon Design) for about a year and a half. Now I’m in Boise, ID, though. Do you work for Hansan Landscape Architecture?
Nick, it’s kind of funny how all the newer LA’s seem to be going through the same thought…[Read more]

hm..was not my point at all, Melanie..I am saying the opposite of what you are reading, as far as I can tell..
The jerks or non observant statement refers to people who actually believe ALL of a type are one way..You, as far as I can tell, were arguing the opposite of that – that of course it is not ALL LA or ALL architects who are one way.. A…[Read more]

Andrew is exactly right, this is more of a legal/permit question rather than a design question, every city has its own set of laws and regulations which dictate sizes and dimensions of parking spaces and turnarounds, I would check with the planning department and see if you can find someone in the planning department to walk you through the city…[Read more]

I have also been seriously considering either a career change or a backup career/source of income. I’ve been looking for work as an LA for almost 18 months after 8 years in the field. I’m relaunching my search this week with a new portfolio/website/cover letters etc. I really hope the fish start biting this time around. The recession seems to be…[Read more]

Hi Andrew,

Thank you. That makes sense. I will check with the City of Santa Monica and see what their standards are exactly.

Cheers.

Too funny Andrew!

Hmmm… first let me say that because I have never had the privilege of meeting you, nor am I too adept at reading minds…
I tend to respond to what is actually said, or in this case what was written. So, if I am replying in a way that feels to you as “a real jerk or non-observant”… it is based on what has been expressed here.

I don’t know if…[Read more]

I don’t think anybody is saying ‘all or nothing’ (except maybe Alsop).I find that Americans like to reduce everything to , “well sometimes, and some people” – you can’t learn ANYTHING when this is introduced into a conversation- it is a complete conversations stopper, like “I don’t recall,” in a Senate heargin…I have an aquaintance who always…[Read more]

Ha! Good catch, about Alsop, Melanie!..You read the Guardian!! good girl..I mean, good woman! Alsop actually sounds like kind of a fun guy, in the article..
And I agree,I sort of just like getting fired up about Landscape..
🙂

Roland,
Aren’t you the young fellow from Reno I met at Mike Lin’s seminar last weekend? Remember me, also from Reno? If I have you confused, my apologies.

Anyway…

For most of us, even if you own a reasonably successful practice, but are not a superstar, your income in landscape architecture probably won’t make you financially independent.…[Read more]

The problem is not with Lin or Leggitt, it is the fact that most people learn a technique in school, then they work to perfect that style and that is what they do for the rest of their career, some designers with more artistic background or talent explore more original styles but the mass majority of LA students are just trying to develop skills…[Read more]

I have been asked to use reclaimed water for many recent projects. I am finding that many municipalities and water districts are providing more opportunities to work with reclaimed water. the biggest limitation is access to the supply lines, if the supply is available then the only design changes needed are the use of purple components and…[Read more]

I think the first key is the fact that the area of southern California includes LA, Orange County, San Diego, and Santa Barbara, not just one city, there are a huge number of firms in SoCAL reducing the amount of great opportunities to do great “hot” work.

Second “hot” avant garde work is like art, it is eye of the beholder stuff, and as someone…[Read more]

Our industry follows the economy and for the younger members of the forum we are experiencing this massive downturn for the first time. Most of the older LA I have talked to about this are not worried they went through the early 80’s and the early 90’s recessions and scratched and scraped to get through, they got through and built or re-built…[Read more]

Do any of you more experienced LA’s have decent back-up ways of making money? What I’m thinking at this point is that the first thing I’ll start doing when I find a job again is start saving to buy a duplex or something, and then live in one part of the duplex and rent the other half. Does that sound crazy? I got the idea from my current…[Read more]

I am very fortunate to have what in this economy could be called a relatively secure job in a good company well-positioned to make it through this. That has not always been the case in my career. Twelve years ago I had made the decision to try another way to make a living after the 90’s recession in CA pretty much sunk my San Francisco design…[Read more]

Thanks Henry.

I used to have my own landscape design-build business before I attended school, but it seems the market for landscapers is more flooded now. I’ve thought about hanging a shingle for landscape and graphic design services, as you said, to help with presentations and doing residential design on the side, but I can’t bring myself to put…[Read more]

Evidently, just about anything health-care related, but not really my thing.