Author: Lucy Wang

Spring is just around the corner, which means that it’s time to start applying for summer landscape architecture internships! We’ve rounded up a list of seven of the best known landscape architecture firms offering paid summer landscape architecture internships for 2014. Good luck and don’t delay–some deadlines are approaching fast!

1. Sasaki Associates, Inc.

Sasaki is now accepting applications for our paid 2014 summer internship program! The program kicks off with an  interdisciplinary design charrette—a unique two-week project that serves as an introduction to the firm and the summer’s  class of interns. Interns will then work on current Sasaki projects alongside our architects, landscape architects, planners,  urban designers, strategists, civil engineers, and graphic designers. You’ll get hands on experience, develop valuable  relationships, and gain a deep understanding of how a leading firm operates and innovates. An internship at Sasaki is  exciting, rewarding, and a career catalyst for many.

• Application Deadline: February 21, 2014

• Notifications Made: March 28, 2014

• Location: Watertown, MA

• Duration: 10 weeks

• Application (upload through website): 

  – Resume

  – Work Samples 

  – One page explanation of goals and expectations for the Summer Intern Program  

  (You can upload up to 5 files throughout the application process and each attachment is limited to 10MB)  

  – One faculty letter of recommendation must be emailed to intern.recs.2014@sasaki.com with the name of the  student in the subject line.

• More Information – Sasaki Associates

2. EDSA, Inc.

Our internships programs are a great way to work on challenging projects and to be recognized for your talent and hard work, while giving your career a head start and bringing what is learned in the classroom to life. Every day presents new opportunities to apply your knowledge and creative skills along with the chance to collaborate with some of the best minds in the industry.

• Application Deadline: February 19, 2014

• Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL | Orlando, FL | Baltimore, MD

• Duration: May through August

• Application (upload through website): 

  – Education Details (School, Major, Degree, Anticipated Graduate Date)

  – Resume

  – Unofficial Transcript

  – 8.5 x 11″ PDF Portfolio (details on website)

• More Information – EDSA

3. SWA Group

The SWA Summer Student Program is an excellent opportunity for university students to learn, grow, have real-life design experiences.  Internships, part-time work, study abroad, and company summer programs are great ways to refine your professional direction. Take as many opportunities as you can to explore the arenas available to you through landscape architecture. We believe that our program may be one of the most important and enjoyable experiences you have in your early professional development. Apply now.

• Application Deadline: February 21, 2014
• Notifications Made: March 7, 2014

• Location: 4 weeks in the Los Angeles, CA office followed by a 4 week internship in one of SWA’s 7 offices (Benefits include housing and stipend)

• Duration: 8 weeks

• Application (email): 

  – Must be in 8 x 11 format

  – Letter of Interest

  – Resume

  – Letters of Recommendation (minimum 2)

  – Portfolio (maximum of 10 pages, can be front and back)

• More Information – SWA Group

4. OLIN

Our paid summer internship program, which takes place in our Philadelphia studio, teaches and challenges students with hands-on experience in a wide range of projects to facilitate the transition from scholarship to professional practice. The ten-week program, (June 2 – August 8, 2014), is open to graduate and undergraduate students advancing to their final year of study in an accredited program of landscape architecture.  

• Application Deadline: February 28, 2014

• Location: Philadelphia, PA

• Duration: 10 weeks

• Application (mail-in only): 

  – Application Form

  – Letter of Interest

  – Current Resume

  – Work Samples

  – 2 Letters of Recommendation

• More Information – OLIN

5. Design Workshop

This program is designed to expose students to a collaborative, professional office environment and a team of experienced design professionals.  Selected individuals will participate in a 10 week internship in a Design Workshop office, beginning in June.  Students will be exposed to both the creative and business environment.  Assignments will vary and may include project research, site visits, sketching, computer production, design reviews and assisting on marketing proposals.

• Application Deadline: March 28, 2014
• Notifications Made: April 30, 2014

• Location: Aspen, CO | Austin, TX | Denver, CO | Lake Tahoe, CA

• Duration: 10 Weeks

• Application (upload through website): 

• More Information – Design Workshop

6. PWP Landscape Architecture

PWP has a long standing commitment to linking education and practice. Since the inception of the firm, PWP has offered an internship program that provides students an opportunity for immersion into the working environment of a firm committed to built work. The PWP Internship Program allows students to gain exposure to the inner workings of PWP and our team. The students are not the only ones who benefit from the internship experience…the staff welcomes the energy, enthusiasm, and fresh thinking that the students bring to the firm. Every summer, a group of four to eight students are integrated into project teams where they experience all aspects of a project, from concept through construction documents, in order to understand the real world application of their studies. 

• Application Deadline: March 17, 2014

• Location: Berkeley, CA

• Duration: June 9, 2014 – August 15, 2014

• Application (mail-in only): 

  – Resume, including special skills and interests

  – Hard copy of portfolio work 

  – Contact information for 2 references

• More Information – PWP Landscape Architecture

7. Gustafson Guthrie Nichol

Gustafson Guthrie Nichol (GGN) is seeking talented applicants for two paid summer internship positions. The internships are open to current landscape architecture and architecture students, both in the United States and abroad. The GGN internship program will expose the intern to as many facets of modern landscape architectural practice as possible. Interns will work with GGN project teams to produce site plans, renderings, 3D and physical models, AutoCAD drawings and details, and presentations for our current projects. Interns will also gain experience working outside the office, by accompanying project managers on local construction site visits and project team meetings. At the end of the internship, each intern may prepare and give a presentation of their work to the office.

• Application Deadline: February 28, 2014

• Location: Seattle, WA

• Duration: 2 – 3 summer months

• Application (email): 

  – Cover letter

  – Resume

  – Portfolio (8 MB max)

• More Information – Gustafson Guthrie Nichol

Want to expand your scope? Don’t forget to check with your local ASLA chapter to get connected with nearby firms and additional opportunities! If you’re wondering what the day-to-day experience of a landscape architecture intern is like, check out LSU’s excellent Landscape Architecture Interns blog. 

More Landscape Architecture Jobs on the Land8 Job Board: http://jobs.land8.com/

Lead image via Sasaki Associates

The idea of watching people lay brick might sound as exciting as watching paint dry, but the amazing Tiger-Stone brick laying machine has actually made the laborious task a pretty cool sight. A product of Dutch innovation, the efficient Tiger-Stone machine rolls out brick roads like carpet and, according to the company, can lay up to 400 meters (1,312 feet) of road a day. 

If you’ve ever visited the Netherlands, you’ve likely noticed the ubiquity of the brick road. The abundance of clay in the country has made brick a popular paving material, particularly in low-traffic areas. The introduction of the electric-powered Tiger-Stone machine, however, has made the typically back-breaking work a breeze. A team of one to three workers stands on the Tiger-Stone platform and feeds loose bricks by hand into the hopper. Gravity helps click the bricks together into interlocking patterns which can be laid up to 20-foot widths.

Missed last week’s Filmtastic Friday? No worries, you can check out our full archive of featured films here.

Guerrilla gardener Steve Wheen is making the streets of East London greener and brighter–one tiny pothole garden at a time. “The Pothole Gardener project,” he writes, “is all about creating unexpected moments of happiness. My little gardens are a respite from the greyness of London.” In this week’s Filmtastic Friday, we take a look at the funny and heart warming public responses to these creative and charming pothole gardens.

From the description:

“Holes Of Happiness is a short documentary looking at the reactions of the public to some pothole gardens that have been popping up around East London.”

Missed last week’s Filmtastic Friday? No worries, you can check out our full archive of featured films here.

Women are influencing the profession of landscape architecture more today than ever before. Women in the Dirt highlights the work of seven award-winning women who have made their mark in the field: Mia Lerher, Andrea Cochran, Cheryl Barton, Isabelle Greene, Katherine Spitz, Pamela Palmer, and Lauren Melendrez. Though each has a unique body of work, their concerns overlap in the realm of sustainability and enduring design.

Director Carolann Stoney conceived of the idea for this documentary while she herself was studying landscape architecture. Her short film on the subject received the 2009 American Society of Landscape Architects Student Honors Award in Communication. — Women in the Dirt Website

Have you seen this film? Let us know if you have an upcoming screening!

Women in the Dirt Trailer 2 from Wind Media Productions on Vimeo.

Women in the Dirt Trailer 1 from Wind Media Productions on Vimeo.

You can watch the full film on Culture Unplugged (h/t Oana Chiriac)

Missed last week’s Filmtastic Friday? No worries, you can check out our full archive of featured films here.

Post-industrial Philadelphia is on the cusp of a green revolution. A team of landscape architects, planners, and community members are working together to transform an abandoned rail viaduct into a rail park that they hope will turn the “seriously under-parked” city into a more vibrant, sustainable and healthy place to live. Stretching over three miles, the proposed green spine will weave together multiple cultural and artistic landmarks and introduce additional green recreational space into the backyards of fifty city blocks. 

From the description:

“A mini-documentary about the proposed “Philadelphia Rail Park”, a three-mile long rail park that would run through some of Philadelphia’s most populated (but under-parked) neighborhoods. Featuring interviews with Governor Ed Rendell, Mayor Michael Nutter, and CCD President Paul Levy. Learn why Rendell calls this project “a game changer for Philadelphia”. Please become a friend, spread the word, and donate today.”

 

Become a Friend of the Rail Park from The Good Motion Project on Vimeo.

Missed last week’s Filmtastic Friday? No worries, you can check out our full archive of featured films here.

For many of us, winter is a bone-crushingly cold time of the year filled with long dark nights and barren, quiet landscapes. But in this short and moving film, videographer Paul Klaver captures the poetic beauty of winter through carefully crafted scenes of the frozen Dutch landscape.

From the description:

“Shot in Dutch nature reserve the Oostvaardersplassen during the production of De Nieuwe Wildernis (The New Wilderness). This was one of the coldest winters in Holland with record breaking temperatures.“

 

Winter from Paul Klaver on Vimeo.

Missed last week’s Filmtastic Friday? No worries, you can check out our full archive of featured films here.

Water is everywhere this week! Inspired by Eliza Pennypacker’s PSU Artful Rainwater Design post, this week’s Filmtastic Friday continues the spotlight on stormwater management with a feature on Waterplein Benthenplein, the world’s first water square. Completed this year in Rotterdam by urban research and design firm DE URBANISTEN, the water square doubles as a recreational center and an educational showcase for stormwater management.

From the description:

“On the Benthemsquarein Rotterdam the worlds first water square will be realised, an attractive city plaza that offers space for water, sports and greenery. The water square combines water storage with the improvement of the quality of urban public space. The watersquare makes money invested in water storage facilities visible and enjoyable and generates opportunities to create environmental quality and identity to central spaces in neighborhoods.”

VIDEO LINK

Missed last week’s Filmtastic Friday? No worries, you can check out our full archive of featured films here.

Earlier this year, the Landscape Institute released an excellent informational video on using sustainable solutions to create “water sensitive cities.” Based on the work by CIRIA, Arup and AECOM, the short film explores the subject from the individual stormwater capture methods to a holistic understanding of the water system. The strong visual graphics are especially helpful for the non-landscape architecture layman who wants to grasp an understanding of the relationship between stormwater runoff and urban ecology.

From the description:

“By creating ‘water sensitive cities’ it is possible to address the major challenges of water shortage, flooding and pollution. This film, commissioned by the Landscape Institute and based on work by CIRIA, Arup and AECOM, explains the concept of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) and argues the case for designing ‘with’ water when planning any new development.

WSUD is an integrated solution to flooding, droughts and water quality, which promotes a more rational and frugal use of water alongside the creation of beautiful and resilient places. WSUD is about looking beyond the idea that a pipe in the ground is the best option for dealing with rain water — it is about prioritising all elements of the water cycle when designing and developing new places. WSUD reduces flooding, harnesses the potential of flood water, cuts the demand for potable water and improves water quality — all measures which make the water supply chain more sustainable.”

Missed last week’s Filmtastic Friday? No worries, you can check out our full archive of featured films here.

Shake off the winter doldrums with a behind the scene’s look at Piet Oudolf’s bright and bold planting designs. The influential Dutch Master Plantsman has worked around the world, from Chicago’s Lurie Garden to Scampston Hall in North Yorkshire, England. Famous for his bold drifts of all-season grasses and herbaceous perennials, Oudolf is considered one of the first planting designers to popularize large-scale perennial plantings in the public landscape.

From the description:

Piet Oudolf is a renowned landscape architect whose designs can be found all over the world. Oudolf’s distinctive style has been described as: a thoughtful evocation of nature that emphasises the form, texture and natural harmony of plants and the result of decades of observation and work with plants, especially perennials.

Piet Oudolf works with the world’s leading architects to design parks and public spaces. One of Oudolf’s most famous designs is the High Line in New York City, a prestigious project in which an old industrial railway was transformed into a city park.

 

Having trouble viewing the video? Try this video link. 

Missed last week’s Filmtastic Friday? No worries, you can check out the rest in our archives.

We’re rounding out the month of November with an appreciative salute to one of the most stunning landscapes in the United States: Yosemite National Park. Keep reading to watch a gorgeous time-lapse video that’s sure to send shivers down your spine!

Of the 3.5 million people who visit the park annually, most stay in Yosemite Valley, an area that represents only one-percent of the total park area. Unbeknownst to many, landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Lawrence Halprin played a large role in sculpting the visitor experience. Halprin, for instance, was commissioned to redesign the approach to the awe-inspiring Yosemite Falls–a project that took three years to complete and $13.5 million in funding.

Having trouble viewing the video? Try this video link.

Missed a video? Check our archives for the full list of Filmtastic Fridays.

Happy Thanksgiving Land8! Get a head start on your big day of food by feasting your eyes on artist Carl Warner’s intricately detailed “foodscapes.” Built from edible ingredients, Warner spends weeks playing with food to recreate painstakingly detailed landscapes from the scrumptious London skyline to the Great Wall of Pineapple. Keep reading to see our favorites!

Warner, who cites Ansel Adams and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory among his main design influences, draws upon his imagination and photography skills to compose each carefully framed shot. With his talent for creating surreal and fantastical food scenes, it’s no surprise that Warner has been dubbed the ‘Willy Wonka’ of art. From boulevards of broccoli to cheese-covered mountains, these mouth-watering landscapes really do take us into a “world of pure imagination.”

Some of Warner’s latest works will be featured as part of a pop-up exhibition at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in London. You can check out more of his art on his website. 

It’s Friday and you know what that means–another fantastic landscape architecture video! Developed by Room60, the same video production studio that created the popular ‘I want to be a landscape architect’ film, The Olympic Park: Landscape Legacy is an excellent glimpse into the history, design, and making of this great landscape architecture achievement.

From the description:

“The 2012 Olympic Park in Stratford, London is a sustainable and contemporary urban park of international significance. This short film consists of interviews with some of the key players of the design and build of the Park, capturing the role landscape architecture had to play in it’s delivery.

This film was commissioned by the Landscape Institute; an Olympic Learning Legacy Partner.”

 

Having trouble viewing the video? Try this video link.