Architects venturing further into landscape design…

[Leslie B Wagle]

I wonder if what the bad vibes are more about the issue of the AIA chapter placing this choice of speaker into such prominence, rather than a fellow professional (whether ASLA, a horticulture or environmental professor, a published author, or even a trained extension agent). Not to say that a plants lady has nothing to offer but it might feel a little weird showing up and trying to mingle in that context as announced. It might just further confuse people what level LA’s are working from.

[Jon Quackenbush]

Obscure micro-brews tend to be the best.

Just sayin’.

[Albert C]

Microbrew is the only beer I drink

[Jason T. Radice]

Let me clarify…I meant to imply that the PARTICULAR microbrew the arch’s were imbibing was swill…boiled grass clippings. Not all microbrews, they just pick the bad ones. Its all about the label and appearances.

[Jon Quackenbush]

I see.

I prefer stouts and porters, so microbrews are the only way to go.  Guinness is absolute crap.

 

[Albert C]

Oh I’m going to go, Im sure there will be some sort of introductions, I will tell them I am a landscape architect with 10+ years of experience, part of that in planting design and am curious about how architects approach planting design so I can better work with them on future projects, not as an adversary.

[Jon Quackenbush]

“We don’t want any trees in front of the building, it will block the view of it… how about a dwarf shrub or some juniper?”

[Eric McQuiston, RLA]

I just finished reading this entire thread and, wow, talk about a ‘hot button’! It seems to me there are a couple of issues weaving through this. The first being Architects muscling in on our turf. And, second, who is the better designer. I agree with Dennis that we must all become better ambassadors of our profession. While practicing in Pennsylvania I can recall hearing a radio commercial from AIA promoting their members while reading that legislation was passed allowing only engineers to perform grading and drainage design. Unless we as a profession educate the public about what we do and demonstrate the value of it, we will continue to find ourselves being marginalized by other disciplines.

 We also must continue to educate ourselves. For example, I have seen far too many irrigation designs done by LA’s that were not only inadequate but ignored costs associated with installation and operation. (I wonder how many LA’s know the cost/performance differences between class200 pipe and PVC?) As landscape architects we should be all over this! Instead of complaining that we are losing work to Certified Irrigation Designers, maybe we should join IA and become certified ourselves?

If we can show ourselves to be experts at the design of safe,practical, and functional outdoor spaces that are not only aesthetically appealing but also address the ‘unseen’ systems such as irrigation and storm water management, then we might not be having this conversation.

 

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

Eric, the key phrase in your post is “If we can show ourselves to be experts at ….”. That is what we all need to do. The problem is that so many want the profession to do that for them as if it will then apply to all within the profession. They want someone to promote the profession so that they do not have to promote themselves. It is a very strange penomenon to me, but very wide spread in our profession it seems.

 

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