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My advice to most young people looking, starry eyed, at a career is this –
if you go in this direction and stay, your career may be many things over time. If you stay you might design those pretty parks, but that will probably not be the bulk of what you do. Or perhaps you’ll never do it at all. Perhaps you’ll work on tract home developments in…[Read more]

I truly appreciate the kind words of encouragement. You are correct. There are many unjust things in life. As the old saying goes “life is not fair”. Not that I think that all the time… I will finish. I will not get any money back. Money is the last thing that I wanted in return.
What I had asked of CLARB and my Board was a chance to be heard,…[Read more]

Agreed. CLARB invented this crap by selling it as a way to keep records organized, including past employment. They sold it by saying things like, “If you were employed for 10 years with the same employer, and that employer dies, then CLARB will maintain proof that you worked for that employer.” As if we are a bunch of idiots that don’t know how to…[Read more]

Lauren
I want to point out that there are many landscape architects working for the federal government as well as state and local governments too. I’m one of them and I work for the US Forest Service and worked for the National Park Service too. A lot of people wonder why would the USFS or NPS need landscape architects…aren’t forests and parks…[Read more]

I think one thing newbies do NOT know about is the huge governement apparatus that is CEQR  and NEPA that provides many LA good jobs with benefits. Not to speak of zoning and site plan review and master plans. All this mandated government (federal state and local) is news to the newcomer. It is not pleasant, is MAY be a way for you to make a…[Read more]

The only reason I had to do more time under an LA is that the state that I was licensed in (ID) did not require any and Massachusetts required 2 years … which I was short on. Once I applied, it came through quickly, but it is a long time ago and I don’t remember exactly how much time.
I can see that it would be worth $175 per year if you are l…[Read more]

Just how hard is it to get reciprocity without CLARB? I applied for it in 2000 and had no difficulty at all. I went from an easy state (ID) to a tougher state. I did have to do more time under a licensed LA before applying for reciprocity, but once I did that it was an application to the state (MA), some statements signed by LAs who knew me (form…[Read more]

Hello Brian:

Vectorworks, LandFX AND standalone software for CAD Keyscape will do the job. I have had vectorworks for a few years. Student version is free, it is a little complex but they all work very well and industry recognized.

View them on YouTube first

Regards Richard

Seriously, all of what you have recently discovered is true. The only way to resolve this issue is through our professional community. ASLA and CLARB see that the way Landscape Architects and candidates get together is through ASLA. Which is why ASLA will not discuss these issues at the local or national level. And if they talk about it now, it’s…[Read more]

Paul, Thanks for sharing the example!  Awesome to see how others do it… 🙂

Glad to hear someone else is using hatch patterns to represent planting areas. Though, I typically still use symbols for large shrubs and trees,  hatches are a “clean” way to represent plant massing.  Regarding the detail, is this similar to the one you use?  
 

provide the contractor with the limits of the plant via hatch pattern and give the size, condition and spacing of the plant. let them quantify the plants. i have been doing this and it has worked well. we also have a spacing chart (detail) that they have to use to provide the correct triangular spacing and correct offset from edges of paving and…[Read more]

Yeah i wouldnt say that your life will be consumed by your job, in fact not atall. It will at university but thats just university life and its all fun at the same time.
If your unsure of what to do with your life at this point then i would suggest you look into it, as mentioned its alot of fun, you learn lots of computer skills and get to be very…[Read more]

 
You read the orientation guide… Let me guess, it talks about restructuring, but very vaguely. And it doesn’t say anything about when the next restructuring might happen, or that candidates might lose credit. Right? The do this so that candidates don’t know what can happen or when the next restructuring will occur. If candidates knew that they w…[Read more]

Wow! Dokumente bitte! Ve vill ask de questions! The only way to overturn this totalitarianism is for everyone to get together. This would have to be done without the support of ASLA or CLARB? It appears that some of the Boards still provide some hope. I can honestly say that all of the LA’s or candidates that I have met agree that license and…[Read more]

Thank you everyone!

Many of you suggested that I talk to professionals in my area. This is a good idea, but there was a reason why I came to this forum. Usually, if people have gripes with their job, they’re more likely to speak up about them over the internet. They’re less likely to say anything bad if you go visit them. I mean, they’re…[Read more]

I would say it’s about passion. The pretty pictures are great to look at, but at the end of a hard day, you need to have the internal motivation to say “I’m doing this because I love it, and because what I do can have a positive impact.” There is a high level of variety in the field, and if big, grand parks are what you want to do, then you need…[Read more]

A landscape architect, is a broad field. I was in practice and will be again one day. I’m a visual artist and engineer. I’ve gone back to engineering due to the un-stability in the UK. I also work freelance and design gardens. It’s good to specialize, touch base with all part of the discipline, and constantly download software that is required and…[Read more]

To CLARB’s credit, beginning in December 2012 they began offering the exams in multiple cities within my State. I think that’s nation wide. Although, the did remove all “graphic” requirements from the exam. Meaning, nothing is drawn anymore, it’s all preloaded onto a computer. You stare at a screen for 4 hours, and need no graphic skills.
This…[Read more]

If you enjoy late hours and weekends for little or no overtime pay, a salary that teachers would laugh at, constant criticism of your work, a public who undervalues and misunderstands what you do for a living, way too much time doing CAD drawings and complete job insecurity; then landscape architecture is for you!
That being said, most days I like…[Read more]