Non-RLA’s using the title Landscape Architect

[Jason Morehouse]

Hate break the news to everyone, a landscape designer is a 2 year associates degree at most schools now so I wouldn’t consider anyone with a BLA a landscape designer. There needs to be a better tern for non lincensed LAs.

[Matt Boisseau]

As opposed to your job title, just tell people in short what you do if they ask. Saying you’re a landscape architect/designer or whatever will in most cases force you explain what that entails anyways. If they ask about your job title then be correct. Either way, to most people outside of our field the terms architect/designer are synonymous and the impressions are the same. If you must use designer, and you’re concern is a better impression, I’ve always like environmental designer. You won’t be confused as a landscaper then.

[Rick Spalenka]

You don’t get it Craig.  I’m not blaming the beauty of Western Colorado for our economic crisis.  When you start comparing us to Florida and other beautiful locations with regard to my argument you are out of touch.  We don’t have the population or high income mass like some places in CA, FL to support high demand for high quality design.  The local developers, like many of the long time residence and some newcomers,  live in an area with vast acrage of beautiful Public Land where they would rather spend their disposible income on ski’s, ATVs, RVs, bikes, and other outdoor recreation toys which give them a minimalist attitude to creating beautiful landscapes.  Their goal? Low maintenance so they can play.  When you look at high quality development it’s coming from outsiders.  A good example is a local office/retail out parcel development right across the street from, get this, a Wal-Mart.  The former development is done by a local developer and landscaped with a low maintenance goal.  Since we live in the “Rockies” rock and stone mulch is CHEAP!  The attitute is “rock it so I don’t have to maintain it.”  Where as the Wal-Mart is from outside development and it’s a virtual botanic garden in comparison.  You see this in outside franchise restaurant, box store, and other commercial development vs local developer development.  The outsiders bring an upscale flavor to development.  I can show you many million plus dollar homes with 5 and dime landscapes.

[nca]

The point of my state,ment you quoted wasn’t to show that I have an ego to uphold, but just the opposite. It doesn’t particularly matter to me. The only thing I wouldn’t call myself is ‘Registered Landscape Architect’ because I am not.

 

I don’t really see a problem with the other ‘titles’ if you want to call them that–they’re really pretty broad if not generic, which is how I would describe the nature of the body of work I’ve been doing lately, broad.

 

If and when I one day become an RLA, I will probably still introduce myself as a designer because thats what I do and thats what I care about most, not being ‘registered.’

[nca]

or when I’m on the ski lift–‘so now that it is winter what do you do?’

[earthworker]

“And it doesn’t matter if u call urself a RLA, LAIT, landscape designer, everyone thinks yo ur a landscaper anyways because no understands what we do.” 

Jason I’m not sure you understand what we do or understand what the point of this thread is.  If you did, you would realize it is about the regulations, knowledge of health safety issues, engineering and all the other little aspects of the profession that are needed for someone to legally call themselves a landscape architect.  There is no denying there are many talented students with ‘skills’.  It’s the ‘knowledge’ portion of your argument that is inaccurate.  If students had ‘knowledge’ then we should do away with state licensing boards and testing and let everyone who holds an la degree call themselves landscape architect.

If you really think that you will be called just a landscaper then why are you bothering with getting the degree or even care about commenting on this thread? 

[Anonymous]

Rick – Although I still totally disagree with you on the use of the title Landscape Architect. You have totally schooled me on what’s going on in your neck of the woods. I didn’t consider population density at all. Even though I have lived and worked all over the country, I have never worked in a sparsely populated area. In my head I thinking, “Hell if I could make a decent living in Cleveland, he ought to be able to making killing with the resorts, trails etc”. But know I guess the question is who is building resorts and trails right now. You were absolutely correct. I didn’t get it.

 

Hope this will make you feel a little better. I live and work in an area where it’s quite normal for people to spend $500,000 (including pool) on their backyard for their $5,000,000 home, but be too cheap (or ignorant) to hire a landscape architect because of his $8,000 fee. What they end up with usually are big gaudy over planted nightmare landscapes. The challenge is to be able to hunt down the people who understand the value of working with a landscape architect.

 

I guess I should be happy; at least I have a few lemons to work with.

[Anonymous]

Add retaking portions, travel, food and lodging. It can get costly for some of us.

[Jon Quackenbush]

+1

Also, architects say they are architects even if they have not yet become registered.  I have never heard someone say that they are a Structure Designer even once, so it is interesting that some in this profession insist on such a distinction.

I think this is thoroughly a non-issue and I find it very funny that there is at this point 17 pages of rants, proclamations & assumptions of character in this thread.

[Anonymous]

Here’s an idea. I was in ROTC in college and I like to go to the beach, maybe I should introduce myself as a Navy Seal. I’d have people lining up just to shake my hand at networking events. No more working the room for me.

[Alan Ray, RLA]

….to those that don’t see a problem using the title, primarily because you don’t have the title……IT’S THE LAW !!!!!!

get a clue please….or do you feel that entitled? ….we just don’t understand how special you really are…do we?

[Christopher Patzke]

I am calling myself a Landscape Stylist until I complete the exam.  Sadly, people still ask if I trim bushes…LOL

[Jon Quackenbush]

I just realized that Alan Ray, RLA is pretty catchy. 

In my opinion a junior landscape architect is still a landscape architect, albeit a limited one without the stamp.  If it walks like a duck…

Why do I feel this way?  Simple:  I do the work and I think like a landscape architect.  More specifically I have done complex grading exercises, put together construction documents, run design charettes, I know more about plant materials than most RLA’s and I have done site design that has won a NYS ASLA design award for built design. 

The distinction here is I do not advertise myself as a RLA, nor presume any responsibilities that a legally ordained LA has granted to them by passing the tests and putting in the time.  If someone asks what I do, i say I am a landscape architect.  You can’t jail or fine someone for that, at least, not yet.

So get off your high horse brother, because it is obvious I just don’t understand how special you really are.

[Christopher Patzke]

In the end it’s the stamp that really counts.

[Jon Quackenbush]

Sir no one worries about upsetting a droid.

That’s because droids don’t pull people’s arms out of their sockets when they loose…

[Author]

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