Andrew Garulay, RLA

I sell design with my mouth.
 
I design with my mind.
 
I put it on paper for landscapers to know where things go – not sure if many of the eyes that see the plan after the plants are ordered can even read.
 
Nope, I’m not too worried about my Leroy-like L80 and S80 simplex text one bit. Nor would I get freaked out if it came out as papyrus or so…[Read more]

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The funny thing to me is that this whole thread is mostly about the fonts that OTHER LAs are using. Now for me, who spends half his time in a civil office dealing with plans by others including LAs, I am directly affected by it, but how much do the fonts of other LAs affect any of us other than looking better or worse than us? I’m probably the…[Read more]

I grew up in the seventies, but there is not enough flamable vegetation available over here to get me to look at a website devoted to dislike of a font, never mind dedicate a website to it.
 
There are stupid looking fonts. I like to think that I don’t use them, but I really don’t care what others use with the exception of those odd fonts…[Read more]

Kind of wondering ….  Is this an example of “emergence”?

1. It needs to read well.
2. If you exchange files with others and have text within blocks, don’t use something weird because it will get converted to something else (see this a lot with LA and Arch firm’s logos that go right off the sheet).
3. After that, it is a reflection upon your office and up to your office how you/your employer want(s) to p…[Read more]

I was trained by people who used to use Leroy lettering and they stuck with the same style in CAD within the plans – simplex. …not so rigid in  street names, water bodies, tileblocks, logos, etc,..

Just think how much more of advantage you have over those using crappy fonts. If it makes a difference, why not own the advantage?

Jones and Jones was another one.

This highlights the labor problems facing contractors. Between taking 53 whacks to drop the tree and the union steward interrupting the laborer several times because he was working too fast and raising expectations, the cost of doing business is out of control.
On the bright side: At no time did this laborer stop to either receive or send a text…[Read more]

1. I meant that you should save the original file unchanged for reference. Saving it under a new drawing name keeps the original in tact. (I think you and I mean the same thing)
 
2. Definitely draw in real units. I mean that typically all of the text and viewports that the surveyor or engineer will have set up are for displaying at twenty or…[Read more]

Drafting time and design time are two different things. So much of the time that you spend “in the drawing” is experimentation, critical thinking, asssessing and adjusting, …. I think that may a lot faster by hand in the early stages, but a little quicker when you get down to details in smaller space.
 
The hardest adjustmet that I had s…[Read more]

I don’t know if you are still at UI, but one of the classes (I beieve it is the seniors) used to do a firm visiting field trip in October every year. I would think that Steve Drown could hook you up with a list and maybe shoot a couple of emails to break the ice and “move things along”.
 
At minimum, he should be able to let you know which one…[Read more]

I am aware of that, but I think that the greater point that Melinda is making is that much of the work that is done by landscape contractors can impact these issues to some degree and that until any work crosses the threshold of needing a building permit in residential settings, there is no one monitoring potential impacts on health, safety, and…[Read more]

Oh, there is no doubt about that. It is too easy to produce something that looks like a good design whether or not it is a good design.
One of the things that I do to combat that is not to rely on graphics as a sales tool. That came naturally to me because I am not strong graphically, but I have since realized that because I focus on explanation…[Read more]

The biggest change that I have seen over time is the degradation of knowledge and skills as equipment and speed replaced it. As equipment gained speed it reduced pricing. That set pricing that more skilled work, whether construction or maintenance, can’t compete with. Some consumers may want it, but they expect to get it for “the going rate”. No…[Read more]

Actually, you don’t need a license to be a landscape contractor in Massachusetts.

Does this not spell OPPORTUNITY in a big way? I know excellent design/build people who find a way to get whomever the help that comes along put out a consistent awesome product. Not everyone can people manage, but those who can own it.

Is Land8Lounge not an altenative? Think about it. There is a lot of participation and nothing seems to be off limits. I think it is a place where you can share experiences, vent frustration, and get some guidance.
I think the frustration people get from ASLA is disappointment based on expectations. Some of those expectations may come from our…[Read more]

That is the best post that I have read regarding this issue.
 
“exploring ways we can more effectively deliver service”
 
This is what it is all about. Licensing is an extra that can support that quote, but many of us seem to be taught or come to believe that the stamp is where we need to put all of that energy and strategy into. We often plan o…[Read more]