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That is a great post Nick. …. and exactly the root of me not understanding how the motivation of working for a state transportation department is enough passion to get through it all.
 
Passion, Patience, and Persistance is the only way to get to Perseverance in the Profession.  I think I just spit all over my monitors sounding like Sylvester the cat.

I had a shirt from the University of Wisconsin that said, “No, I will not mow your lawn.” Then three years later, I was laid off from my landscape architecture job and ended up mowing lawns for a while.

I think it just comes from the feelings you get when even after years of hoping this would change, you state your profession and someone responds “Oh, I need you to come over and tell me what I can do around my mail box!” It’s not that doing a real artistic total solution garden is not noble etc. but that there is a tendency to want quickie free…[Read more]

No offense to anyone here, but it has occurred to me lately that probably about 15% of the average graduating class in Landscape Architecture should and will go on to practice professionally. In other words, I think a lot of academic programs out there tend to sell the profession to prospective students as something it’s not, hence some of the…[Read more]

I’ve heard it jokingly said: “I’m a landscape architect. I don’t mow lawns….but I will for the right fee.”
“I won’t design your garden or your back yard” is pretty extreme.

Toby, I don’t take issue with your experience or the opinion you derive from it. I also work at a firm that is primarily engineers, and my experience has been quite different. Landscape architects here do lots of grading, drainage, site planning, accessible design, parks and trails planning, etc. On balance, I actually do very little landscape…[Read more]

Yes Jamie, and remember, everybody is a critic…..
never heard of Tim the landscape critic. Never even heard of a landscape critic. I’d pay more attention to my stone mason….

Maybe you don’t live in California, Andrew, where the car is king. I work with several LA’s whose inspiration for the job was to make the entrances to communities look good.
Someone should do a study on the difference between LA from east coast to west coast. West coast is a LOT more plant design, very little site design. East coast is all site…[Read more]

Thanks you for your responses very insightful.

I initially felt that landscape architects were over extending themselves into other specialist fields but after talking to a number of professionals I realise that a broad knowledge of all aspects of the environment and how these specialist areas fit into the process of design is essential. Would…[Read more]

I’m not saying there is no opportunity or no necessity. I’m just scratching my head to think of it as the motivating factor to going into landscape architecture.
 
Not a bad position to land in, but a very strange place to target to build your goals around. It is hard enough to move forward in this profession despite the diversity of opprtunity…[Read more]

The answer to this is easy. If you can’t handle low pay, long hours and crappy job security, do something else. I would go for the engineering degree to be on the safe side, and if you still want to do landscape architecture, you can always get an MLA.

Where I work, engineers are in control of all programs and departments.  And it is unlikely they will cede responsibilities to non-engineers, even if the case can be made that LAs are better suited for things beyond planting and irrigation.
My opinion is a result of my experience.

Most DOTs have landscape requirements because the public/pols usually demand some type of aesthetic treatment…and since plans need to be stamped…
If one does get into a city or state DOT, the economic boom/downturn cycle is not likely to affect their job as much. 
And you might be suprised how difficult roadside design actually is.
 

Holy cow, when did the engineering lobby join Land8? I hope your primary source of information about the profession is not this site. If you believe everything you read here you’d think that there weren’t any practicing LAs left this side of Dubai. The truth, is that there is quite a bit of work for landscape architects in both public and private…[Read more]

Sounds like we have an identity crisis.

Well put.  I wish I could have put it this way myself.  The one thing I really struggle with is being dismissed by other professions as the plant person just because I have an MLA, when my focus is so much more than that.  Best of luck to everyone pursuing their own version of happiness!

Well said, Russell.

Who goes into landscape architecture with the goal of working in a government transportation department?

Well put. I a client who appreciates garden design also knows that Landscape Architects are professionally equipped to do it.