Activity

Since there is no definition of “walking surface” this Building Commissioner is defining it as “anything that you can walk on”, so we are going to add planters in front of the wall to reduce the drop to <30″ where we can and add railings where we can’t. Fortunately the homeowner is fine with dealing with it. …. I’m just not sure about the other j…[Read more]

Andrew,

This is a really interesting topic (more frustrating for you I am sure). My first question to the commissioner would be, is it reasonable for pedestrians to use the top of the wall as a path? “Walking surface” is usually used in conjunction with a required egress point or to talk about a accessible path. Now, if any retaining wall is…[Read more]

Hi Suzan,
Thank you for your answers! I want to have as many options for employment as possible so I will look into getting an online masters degree in landscape architecture so I can get learn about drainage, grading, soils, etc. I’m also going to contact CLARB to see if I am eligible to take the LARE with a masters degree that isn’t LAAB acc…[Read more]

I would say it’s been more difficult not having the degree in Landarch but still practicing it. If you want to do residential design/build and work for someone else, no worries. IF you want to focus on plants, that’s also fine but be aware a lot of environmental science degree-holders have some of that locked down. Not having the actual degree is…[Read more]

Key phrase in your question is ‘higher median salary’. Depending on many variables e.g., policy versus physical planning, big/small market, private/public sector etc., LAs can make much more, or less than planners. And I would argue that the Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t consider the potential income from moonlighting available to LAs.

In…[Read more]

LandFX with FXCAD, Sketchup for 3D, Pixelmator for image processing (great Mac alternative to Photoshop). Wouldn’t change a thing!

Hi Erik, I have an M.Arch but didn’t get licensed and have been working in-between landarch, design/build arch, and planning.