Activity

What would you say is the proper response when you’re handed a FUBAR project, due tomorrow?
(To be read in the voice of Peter Gibbons from Office Space) “Um, yeah, sorry. I kind of already have plans. I’m taking off at 6 tonight, going to the gym and then I’m going to make dinner for my gf. I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for a while now. I…[Read more]

For Android too! 🙂

I think it’s expected if you want to work for the best firms… it’s just like top law firms, advertising agencies and medical school. Minus the financial benefits…

Salary but in California labor laws are complicated. Basically, if you’re in a new career, as I was, an employer is required to pay overtime for the first two years. I’m not sure what happens beyond that… maybe I’ll find out… it’s been about two years now…

The Mac program that you probably heard about was likely Vectorworks.

Please mention if you are/were paid salary or hourly with overtime compensation, if you worked more than 40.

Thank you for your input. 
 

While I was working for a well known firm the hours were reasonable most weeks. 50 hours/ week was typical. Most principals were there about the same amount of time. Some late nights here and there. If you take out all of the meetings, etc the actual time spent on projects was closer to 45/week. It all depends on the firm. I’ll not call out…[Read more]

Autocad has another program called Impressions. I know that it was a freebie in 2009 if you had a subscription for Acad updates. It did rendering and other stylized things like pencil or different pen type looks to your Acad drawing. They had a free limited amount of time demo that you could download from Autodesk. I would guess that they still…[Read more]

I see BIM meeting a wall in Landscape Design.  Because there are so many different plants.  We all have trouble designing and rendering realistic looking 3D plant models now.  BIM will make this issue an even bigger problem.  Until someone steps up to the plate with an elegant solution I see landscape design participating only on the fringes of…[Read more]

does anyone know how to do a sketchy look with in AutoCAD civil2011..?

Wow! Do I live a sheltered life. I thought the sweat shops were mostly professor lore.
 
I have not worked for a large landscape architecture firm, just a couple of design/build (build with staff, not subs) and small local engineering firms (one owned by a PLS with a Harvard GSD MLA who felt no need to get an LA stamp). That one told me, “if we…[Read more]

I use BricsCAD (autocad clone) and LandFX and SketchUP Pro  (All PC)  Autodesk recently released Autocad for the Mac but It has a lot of catching up to do to be on par with the PC platform.  The PC paltform is till the platform of choice for most desigers.
 
s.

A smart design software could be developed based on that pre programmed tags and info – it will be very interesting in to see where BIM takes its places in the landscape architecture realm..it will definitely start with the systems design like irrigation,drainage,and material takeoffs before it can start to do cut fill and more organic land…[Read more]

Oh, sorry, I misunderstood your first statement about everything being on the zero layer. I thought you meant “everything” was on the zero layer! lol i.e. your drawings are flat…no layer management. I see what you mean now…
I like the idea of having all symbols (standards) on the zero layer. That makes good sense. Then you place them on…[Read more]

that is the appropriate thing to do in a standards library, once they are copied from the standards library they can then be placed on the appropriate layer. Are you currently working in an office that has their standards setup differently?

OK, you’re obviously messing with me… nobody leaves everything on the zero layer… funny. ha,ha…

@ Andrew,
 
Sorry I wasn’t clear, I didn’t mean that it sounded like YOU had an adversarial attitude, just that Land8 in general seemed to.  Your attitude toward your former employer was well deserved it sounds like.
 
@ Thomas,
 
Your point about needing a balance is spot on in my opinion.  The good employers understand that people have live…[Read more]

Most landscape architects are not business minded. They are sensitive, creative types that do it for the love but think about it… long hours actually reduce your salary. Lets say you make $50k/yr. That’s approx. $25/hr. @ 40hrs a week. If you work 50 hrs/wk you have effectively reduced your salary to $20/hr (before taxes!), 60hrs/wk =…[Read more]

Well done.