[Adam E. Anderson]

I discussed this briefly a while back on DUS.

http://www.designundersky.com/dus/2009/12/12/local-codes-real-estates.html

[Adam E. Anderson]

Stephanie has what I think is the best established org to reach out to. Cameron Sinclair, the founder of Arch. for Humanity have been specializing in constructed relief efforts for many years.

While many of their projects have be architecturally based, he is planning on broadening into landscape for 2010.

You can contact him/them via twitter at:

@casinclair
@archforhumanity

[Adam E. Anderson]

What an absolute waste of a conversation. Perhaps if we spent less time worrying about what people call us and just do great things, then it won’t f*cking matter.

If you can’t tell, I’m exhausted with this frivolous conversation. Do good work and people will know what you do.

[Adam E. Anderson]

Marianne,

I have been interested in interactive landscapes for some time. I’ve touched on a few things on my blog, and I know Interaction Designers and Architects have been working together on several projects. I can’t think of specific historical projects off hand, but here area a few sites you can check out that cover digital spatial interaction/ubiquitous computing. Hope this helps, cheers.

AEA
Design Under Sky

Sites:

Interactive Architecture
Vague Terrain

[Adam E. Anderson]

Andrew | Tim

Mapping Landscapes and Architecture

This is well underway. As a project started by friend and member Kris Lucius in the Boston region. I myself am currently working on a LA based map.

But of course, this is a major undertaking, so any links provided would be of great benefit.

[Adam E. Anderson]

Why do we need the ASLA to handle this? Shouldn’t we be the voice and champions of our own profession? I agree that ASLA should play a part in promoting the profession. But the fact is that the role of Landscape Architecture is generally misunderstood, not only by the public, but by developers and even architects.

It seems Landscape Architects often have difficulties defining a role. If you ask twenty different LA’s what it means to be one their likely all going to tell you a different perspective. I don’t think is necessarily a negative, I think it’s inherent with Landscape Architecture, we are a spectrum of disciplines, and that is hard to define.

Our work is also at times less imposing. One might be admiring a piece of architecture, all the while standing in a landscape. The space feels comfortable, but the architecture is photographed and remembered.

How do resolve this? We would need to teach the public how to listen and understand the landscape. What it means to be “in the landscape”, how it effects the world around us, psychologically, ecologically. And this is the area that is lacking. We’ve seen Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry documentaries, where are the Hargrave’s and Dan Kiley’s? Architects such as Zaha Hadid immerse themselves in all facets of design including fashion, graphic and industrial design, while in my opinion LA’s generally limit their reach, and thus exposure to pop culture which architecture is clearly apart.

Is there a sexy defect factor? I don’t mean to diss the ASLA, but I recently saw a video they had up on their site discussing residential landscape architecture, and the corkiness of the video was embarrassing and sent a wrong message IMHO.

I started my blog Design Under Sky as an attempt to add exposure to uncovered elements of the profession. But for every one Design Under Sky their are fifty architecture blogs, not that we’re competing, but where are we at?

Jay-

Awareness and understanding would lead to more students and more LA’s. This isn’t a bad thing. It would inevitably lead to greater competition, which creates stronger education and production of greater LA’s. Public awareness and understanding leads to a vast increase in how our profession is utilized in preservation, ecological restoration, urbanism, planning, and spatial design. Nothing but good can come from it.

Adam
Design Under Sky

[Adam E. Anderson]

Hey Brian,

I know of a few firms that are doing this, one being Mia Lehrer. Typically you’ll create a non-compete disclosure agreement with a manufacturer which protects you from them making your design without proper royalties.

I would assume the manufacturer would have these contracts as it’s fairly common.

Unless your designs have a unique design feature, outside of a design patent, which is a bit lengthy and laborious, I think there is little you can do to prevent the public from reproducing your design.

Remember, competition is relatively meaningless to superior products.

[Adam E. Anderson]

Nick is right. Your talking about business development, which marketing is a large part. I think many try to overcomplicate things, for any sized firm you have to answer:

-What is our competitive advantage?
-How do we effectively communicate this to potential clients?

Naturally Web 2.0 applications are effectively being used, I would say not so much in the landscape architectural world. But your website is your “window” into your office. I believe it is absolutely critical for it to be properly designed to tell the story of your firm. Then you use your web 2.0 marketing tools to attract people to your site.

But in the end, deliver a great product, and the business will be there.

[Author]

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