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Kristina:
 
Here are my recommendations:
 

• If you have no direct or indirect project experience in Singapore, Hong Kong or Mainland China, you’re at a major disadvantage.
• If you do not speak Cantonese or Mandarin, your disadvantage just doubled. 
• If you cannot design and sketch  (freehand) persuasively and convincingly at the speed of light or ne…

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The business side of Landscape Architecture!  Contracts, insurance, HR, finance…  All very important to a successful practice but also very time consuming. 

Sorry…no less than 4″ and no more than 7″ for the risers. and the risers must be consistent. Single tread is 13″ min, more than one tread, 11″ minimum. 

You can certainly place a single step or a set of stairs in a landscape, especially on a patio. It is fairly common to do so. It is not recommended to do so on a means of egress for reasons of the general public not being able to see it in an emergency, but it is exempt in a private residential application on the means of egress. Off the means of…[Read more]

Its pretty common for a patio to be 6-8″ above adjacent grade, perfectly fine. The one step rule is intended more for high traffic walkways in my interpretation and interiors, though you see it all the time in interiors too. I agree with andrew, use a larger stone, planting, or paving pattern to distinguish the step if necessary.

I’ve noticed the same thing in Appalachian mountain areas and even lower coastal plain areas where grade changes and the construction of basements likely affected the level of the water table.  When trees are mature and have spent most of their life with a source of water at a level where they’ve put most of their roots, they’re not going to make…[Read more]

Curbs and landings are very common and safe single elevation changes we all see and experience almost every day. There is a safety issue associated with an unexpected elevation change. The key is to make sure that it is not unexpected.
The safety issue of a drop off all the way across an uninterupted patio is very difficult to mitigate, but when…[Read more]

Never one step, is what we learned – it’s weak design, and a trip hazard – and I disagree with Danile Miller, two 3″ risers are better than one six inch riser Two three-inches sound nice. Don’t know where you go the idea that to risers is veboten, Stephanie – for the pace issue, two is definitely preferabel to one.
There is a marvelous long…[Read more]

thank you, this is not the company that i saw. i will contact these people to see if they can make a wider 3 section gate. they seem to have a different mechanism than the other gate companies. i think i will need to find an inventor to make it. thanks again.

So was this the Aussie company? http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s2211221.htm
Seems like a good system.  What you’re talking about with a trolley system within a channel so the mechanics are concealed seems like the best option to me.  The leading section would pull the other leaves out or back in.  Are they saying it will not be ad…[Read more]

Scott,
You sound like your open to anything. I have had experience with both Vectorworks, Autodesk and Microstation and I would have to say that Vectorworks Landmark has been the superior software.
Once you have made a decision keep me in mind. With my practice I’ve also started providing technical guidance including transitioning to Vectorworks.

Scott, Every one of your examples would be well met with Vectorworks Landmark with Renderworks. The Site Model object would provide you the 2D grading plan, while also providing the 3D model which can be analyzed for cut and fill, water flow and slope categories. The Plant objects have 2D and 3D representations as well. With Renderworks, you have…[Read more]

It is a patio, not a walk way. A single elevation change is not uncommon on a residential deck or patio as are two risers in a set of steps (three risers can require a railing that many like to avoid). You should be cautious with any elevation change in a patio because they are gathering places where people often are interacting with theier back…[Read more]

As I learned it, a “step” is a tread, which would imply 2 rises from one surface to another?  This is ok.  The trouble comes when you have a single rise between two surfaces– I never do this. 
I have never heard the two step/tread rule….sounds like advice from someone who has never designed in tight spaces 🙂

For steps, it’s always safe to use the 2R(isers) + T(read) = 24″ – 27″ — that formula gives steps a well proportioned, non-awkward and safe feeling when being used

I tend to try to steer clear of the single step because it usually ends up being a trip hazard — but that being said, if the grading dictates that say a single, 6″ riser is all…[Read more]

Success?  Eh…. hard to say.  Jerry Hasting’s is incredibly helpful and knowledgeable — but if you can get your hands on the worksheets/study materials it’s almost just as helpful. I’d recommend studying a lot before deciding to sign up — and go in with specific problems/issues you’re having and get the assistance you need with solving s…[Read more]

No I haven’t contacted Andrew directly – I certainly can but if you don’t mind making the introduction that could help 🙂 Sounds like a lot of fun, I think the two workflows could mesh up pretty well.

Work is coming from lots of different places right now (which is good). Pretty good mix of residential and commercial – some schools and military…[Read more]

Andrew, Jason, and Andy-
Thank you for your comments. They have really helped me figure out what to do in our situation, and have stimulated some creative solutions we hope the client will go for. In this situation we hope to be moving the fence down the hill from the edge and possibly terracing/planting to hide the wall from below. Thank you…[Read more]

problem was I waited 3 months to receive that letter that never arrived, and even on calls they pick up, that person didn’t deal w/ new candidates (took a message anyways), or they could never find the file, or they just didn’t call back  (they sed they would). 
Finally got to the right person, and when asked when the letter was going to arr…[Read more]