5 REASONS WHY IT’S WORTH TO BE A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.

Landscape Architecture for Landscape Architects Forums EDUCATION 5 REASONS WHY IT’S WORTH TO BE A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.

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  • #233086
    Wiktor
    Participant

    1. Mobility.
    You will meet absolutely zero confined. If you can manage very well of your free time it is a dream job for you. In fact every single day at work it is new challenge for you. They wait for you travel across all country to make reconnaissance to different gardens. All trip is a adventure across all Poland with micro and macro scale.
    I passed over 700 km for make a design of beach in Pisz, 170 km to make a design beach in Lubniewice and 190 km to make a conceptual design of beach in Lagow. Becaouse all those trips I discover and know better all those places. I see those places from different points of views. From side which is not open for tourists. It was worth it!
    If you choose this profession, I am sure you will like it, the nature that you know what I talking about. Your office will be mobile. If you like work among people you can choose coffee house or library. You do not have a boss. You decided when is your deadline.

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    2. Cognizing peoples and places
    New gardens bring you cognizing new people. Every single client makes you better as a landscape architect, gives you the opportunity to grow up and get more experience. Gives you a frame which inside you move during all design process. Trust me, work which have some restrict give you more experience than design which have no single restrictions. That work gives you the possibility to do anything. You have one hundred ideas in one second which eliminate each other. As an artistic soul I like to have got frame. People say if you have some connections you have easier life. Now I know the connections they are not taken from nowhere. Only because of hard work in a couple of years I have met magnificent people full of passion. Positive energy and open mind brings me all goods things to me. You do not belive me? Check it by yourself. 🙂

    While I took pictures of plants in Lubniewice I have got invited by Major as a photographer on fishing competitions of actors… It was for me big surprise and distingsion, as a volunteer I go to Lubniewice as a official paparazzi:)

    3. Wide part of knowledge

    If you develop yourself, during new project you find a lot of news and undiscovered topics. You introduce new technology and science knowledge to your work. You will start writing a blog. You will learn many techniques, how to use a video camera and how to take a good pictures. To make a movie or make you pictures better you will find a way to learn programs to create movies and improve your pictures. This makes you get more experience and knowledge. Designing a garden is a process which develop yourself all the time.

    4. Health
    When I start my small business I knew it they exist 50 companies which do exactly what I want to do. All of them are working in Szczecin and exactly there is a lot of competition from the their firms. Beginnings are very hard and my competition make it I work very hard. In the first year when officially my business existed I built 3 gardens. Just me totally alone without any help. In total I worked on 3000 m2. It was not easy for me. But I had got the best price ever, I have got very good condition, best body shape, very good suntan and mischievous smile on my face. Once is obviously working outside gave me a strong lifetime. Contact with nature every day it is working on me like depressant. If I have got to many work in office I missing for touch the ground, leaf litter and smell of cutting grass. Tell me, did you not?:)

    Year: 2010 area: 200m2 roll up grass, 200m2 remove turf, 20 tons of gravel… and go to work by bicycle:)

    5. Satisfaction
    In the end of your work waiting for you huge satisfaction from your work. Nobody tell ‚what is that to design a couples of bushes’ 🙂
    I loved this profession. Period!

    #256270

    Wiktor…..I sincerely admire your enthusiasm for Landscape Architecture! I have to say, your “English” is much better than my “Polish”…since I don’t know a single word of Polish…*smile*.

    Throughout my design career, I too was able to travel throughout the U.S…but, it was to fly to various cities to inspect projects I designed. For many years now, when I needed to do “research” for a design project, I used the Internet; I didn’t travel to gather info. or photos. Time, just didn’t allow me to travel much…I needed to stay on my drawing board (I have always designed “by hand”…as I never could find the time to learn autoCAD.

    Starting a new LA design practice takes at least (2) yrs. Once you get established, yes, it can be very rewarding…it was for me. But, our profession has been going thru some MAJOR changes over the past 8 to 10 yrs. I don’t see a really bright future for Landscape Architecture. Even now, at age 68, I find myself “marketing” every week for new design projects…and I live in the Dallas, Texas area (population over 8 million)…but, even with 41 yrs. of experience & having designed 600 projects….finding new projects is VERY challenging!!!

    But, as an LA…..I ONLY do “design” work. The only gardens I have done myself were at homes I have owned…not for clients.

    I realize this is unsolicited advise….but, the best advise I can give young Landscape Architects is: first, join an LA firm that has 10 to 50 LAs where you who you can LEARN from…and don’t start your own LA practice until you have at least 10 years of solid experience; Learn HOW to “market”; Invest at least 15% of your monthly income…every month and don’t touch it; Build a very professional Portfolio (photos, sketches, autoCAD drawings, color renderings, etc…and keep adding to it every year, as you will need it in the future for “marketing” your services to new clients; spend some time each month improving “hand drawing skills”…as really, you should begin to design every new project “by hand”, not on computer software; Learn several computer software programs…sketch-up, 3D renderings are getting very popular, 2D color renderings; Learn everything you can about running an LA firm – there’s much to know (liability, safety, code compliance, income taxes, overhead issues, dealing with employees – hiring, etc.

    GOOD LUCK TO YOU…..Great to read about Landscape Architects who are so ENTHUSIASTIC about our profession. I’ve had a great ride…and hoping for a few more good years!

    Very Respectfully,

    J. Robert (Bob) Wainner
    Plano, Texas

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