Barte Shadlow

Hi, I’ve recently started working for a small residential design/build company and I’m wondering how other people go about estimating construction costs. Is there some great piece of software that makes the process easy, or do people rely on their own knowledge of material and labor prices. It seems like the estimating software I’ve looked at are…[Read more]

Hey Folks! Just a quick note to say hello and introduce myself. After completing the 2009 report, I resigned as project manager of the Sustainable Sites Initiative to pursue other opportunities and spend more time with my 7 month old son. I am interested in the practical application of landscape sustainability in residential settings and look…[Read more]

Hands-on all-day workshop on Modeling Residential Sites with Slope in Google SketchUp (for intermediate/advanced users) in San Francisco Feb. 20th, 2010

tal_sketchup.pdf

hai nice to join in this group

Just a thought from Soil Science perspective on reducing the water requirements for any plant. Use lots of organic material and or peat moss around the plant,(not too much) and surround other areas with sand. Make sure the drip is going on the water holding material. Sand has the lowest affinity for water while clay has the highest and organic…[Read more]

Hello, Hope to exchange knowledge and experience. Regards to All. ümit harite from turkey

Check it.
http://exhibitions.pratt.edu/Design%20Jazz/DesignJazzHTML/DesignJazzevite.html

hello to all

So I started this discussion a while ago – considering a move back to Australia from the US. Well, I finally arrived in Perth this week (my new home) and I think I’ve answered my own question – there are so many construction cranes towering over the city skyline it’s bloody amazing. And I just landed a senor position with Hassell here in Perth. So…[Read more]

Also, is anybody in Sydney? I am going to go up to McGregor’s new park at Ballast Point if anybody wants to meet up and go.

Chris-
I know exactly what mean. It would be almost impossible to be a true advocate for the client if you were being paid a sales commission from the contractor. The commission I was referring to is more like maybe a “finders fee”, if you will. I run across all sorts of projects and not all of them are appropriate for a designer. So I refer the…[Read more]

Chirs,
Here in Texas we are not required to be licensed for landscape contracting. Sometimes I wish we were because every guy that has lost his job in the last few months has become a landscaper/maintenace contractor. I am sometimes bidding against people that are brand new in the business.
I am working with several Landscape Architects like…[Read more]

Hey Chris,
We are in Phoenix, and we do mainly design and subcontract the work out on high end residential designs. I believe we are the main contractor, and the work is divided accordingly.

Chris,
I operated a design/build company for 25 years where most of the work we did in-house with some sub-contracting on the specialized features. I now work by myself designing and then managing the projects. I have a network of contractors that work on these projects. I have a design fee and then negotiate a management fee with the…[Read more]

Elif-

I have learned that high-level or not, clients don’t read a lot of text. They’re swayed by images, sketches, pretty colors, and your passion. If you say Mondrian, show them what/who that is so they don’t have to ask. Have images that clearly delineate the connection between a Mondrian piece and your design (for example). If you communicate…[Read more]

Chris-
My advice:
If you love design, find a couple of good contractors you can send work to on a regular basis. They will (or should) pay you a commission or referal fee for the work you refer to them. They will in turn send you work, some of which they will pay you for directly. Probably a little at first, then more as your relationship builds.…[Read more]

Hey Chris,
My principal here in AZ is a licensed contractor. It’s pretty involved here, but definitely opens up many opportunities…

Hi, any landscape architects here from Adelaide?

Also, has anybody started the GradAILA in NSW?

Where are you getting practice materials for the registration process?