Activity

I did an internship at a D/B after I graduated and I learned a great deal that has helped with my designs. Not just on how to design a landscape so it can be built but how to do so efficiently. Then beyond that I worked for a large commercial landscape maintenance company and learned how to design so it can be maintained without great cost or he…[Read more]

Another program to look at is RISD – namely its connection to Brown University which includes Brown’s Sheridan Center for Teaching. 
A number of MLA students (myself included) have gone through this.  The Sheridan program is a one year long series of lectures, workshops, and seminars focusing on how to learn to teach at the university level.  Wh…[Read more]

These always remind of the West Wing episode with the wolf highway lobbyist…  I know they work for some species, but as mark pointed out can lead to kill zones (which I suppose means the prey are using them…).  One would think that the traffic safety factor for larger critters makes it more economically prudent to fund them.  Here’s to ho…[Read more]

I think Matt covered it well: GSD, Penn, UVA, and UC-Berkeley are the established older programs and maintain a level of academic standard that is a ground work or for pursuing personal research.  UT-Austin, UofMN, UGA, UW and LSU all also have very respected programs that integrate research into their curricula.  A number of new programs have b…[Read more]

Thanks for the insight!  BUMP, any more input guys?

http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Saving-deer-from-I-280-slaughter-3745285.php
 
relevant article

As with any good design, when the specific criteria needed to make it function is matched with the site it will be good. When a concept is imposed uniformly it becomes a box of chocolates as Forest Gump’s momma would say.
Some animals need this more than others and some highways need this more than others. Where there is density of large mamals…[Read more]

I talked with a naturalist (in Georgia?) about the wildlife tunnels they installed under the freeways.  She said the biggest unintended consequence was the predators hang out there–kind of a modern day watering hole affect.  

Wouldn’t this be better as a collaborative intern program? 

Justin – you might be interested in this; http://rawdesignbuild.com/ Its an architect that is an adjunct (I think) at the University of MN who put a summer design-build course together at some property near us. Students have come out for three summers to design and build various projects. The property owner lets them camp on the land and pays for…[Read more]

Its not a first. We’ve agreed before (though, it has been a while).

Commercial is slow here with the notable exceptions being car dealerships, banks, insurance companies, super markets (to some extent), and medical offices. Higher end residential is still quite viable if you enable others to hold on to at least some of the project management – people who work in investment firms, banking, and business co…[Read more]

This wasn’t uncommon at the college I attended, but with less build and more design.  Many times both grads and undergrads would do something based in the real world that mostly ended up as information/alternatives given to the ‘client’.  I recall our entire studio doing some community park work, including facilitating a public involvement s…[Read more]

I’d like to look at your focus on who is developing the land, or rather, who has money and growth to be able to even fathom developing land. Healthcare, obviously, you nailed it. But what else? Where else is there potential? Social networking, technology, internet based operations. These are and are continuing to get huge. And that changes the way…[Read more]

I believe that, in general, wildlife crossings work better as underpasses than as overpasses. Depends. The design that works for elk would not be used by Florida panther (yes, they are not in the same region…but designs are not interchangeable)
The natural behaviors of the wildlife in question need to be studied and a crossing designed to…[Read more]

This may not be a good barometer of anything, but just out of curiosity, I have had brief looks at elance.com and found site design projects within the help needed ads. They are varied, some just a one-time home plan, some as big as large apartment projects. And now and then you see one that wants a continuing relationship with a designer for a…[Read more]

Aiyou, thanks so much for the feedback! Great advice

Be very careful. Unless this is a three day a week thing and you have dedicated students, BE VERY CAREFUL that you can actually write a check your butt can cash. I led a student group in grad school on an independent study course that was to design a memorial. Just design, no install. I had pretty much to run everything, which I was not too…[Read more]

I agree; it’s kind of chicken-and-egg. There have always been “living in the interior only” people (the majority) and I don’t see a lot of changes in that other than perhaps more kids needing a cure for “last child in the woods” syndrome (decreasing outdoor play). But to catch a trend means to keep your ear to the ground on where society is going…[Read more]