Bob Luther

why complain about what ASLA isn’t doing… many people run into the general public not knowing what they do, our profession is very diverse and confusing as to what a good discription of our work is. We should be promoting our own industry and profession within the public vision (at a local level) as well as the architectural engineering world…[Read more]

$35-50/HR would be a good range to target.

Andrew… you just came up with three or four good ideas… now they can be explored to see how they fit into the park. Sometimes you need to throw out two dozen ideas to find three that might work for this area. I think this is all this request is trying to accomplish.

I use AutoCad, Photoshop, and SketchUp. One of the thinks that I keep hearing is “office standard” I take pride in trying to make each project a little differnt and unique (avoiding standard). I think the client likes the fact that their project does not look like every other board up on our walls. Every rendering I do I try a new technique or…[Read more]

since you have such a smooth surface you probible don’t need the chalkboard paint but a dark color exterior grade paint would help set the area apart for the kids to know there boundries and make the art work show better.

paint it with “chalkboard paint” and make a horizontal chalk board for kids to create “everchanging” art

what is the overall size of the concrete area?

Excellent point Lori! What is the goal of the project and let that answer your questions rather than just throwing words around, a refreshing idea.

We just finished a conceptual design for an infill low income housing project were we proposed that the landscape be 85% edible, friut trees, berry bushes, herbs in pots, medicinal shrubs… not many people think of eating your landscape but it should be considered if you truely are looking at suistainability. The site also features a roof top…[Read more]

the future is in the use of hands to create digital artwork. the skill of the hand is not going to die, it is the application of the stroke that will change. I have been running a graphics studio for landscape architects and developers and all of my work is digital either sketchup line work with photoshop under color, scanned images, or direct…[Read more]

the future is in the use of hands to create digital artwork. the skill of the hand is not going to die, it is the application of the stroke that will change. I have been running a graphics studio for landscape architects and developers and all of my work is digital either sketchup line work with photoshop under color, scanned images, or direct…[Read more]

Are you running your own shop or are you looking to work for someone down the road? If you are looking to work for someone else then get used to PC, not many LA’s or architects use Macs. the advertising, graphic design world is the Mac mecca not LA ARCH ENG. What software are you running? Autocad can runn on slowwer systems but large files and…[Read more]

AutoCad with LandFX, Sketchup for 3D, Photoshop for Image Manipulation and color-up work.

This is a very interesting question… how about updating the costs and pricing, does anyone call various contractors, material yards, and/or nurseries to see how material pricing changes or has change in recent months or are you using “stock” pricing for each estimate. I am wondering because I am going to be updating a lot of company policy and…[Read more]

I don’t know of many landscape designers doing 60 to 600 acre masterplaned communities, I don’t see many LD’s doing urban plazas, or freeways, or golf courses, or zoos, or regional parks, etc. Landscape design seems to be irrigation, planting, some hardscape work, boulders, gravel, wood decking, gazebo, mostly at a residential scale. In California…[Read more]

I think for the Landscape/Landscape Architecture field SketchUp is the most common software for 3D. A lot of people then you add-on or rendering software to enhance there SU model (Piranesi, Vue, 3D Studio Viz, Podium, etc.). Just as AutoCAD is overkill for landscape design many 3D software platforms can be overkill for landscape design, thus the…[Read more]

check local community coleges, they often offer AutoCAD in a continuing education program during after hours time periods, generally very affordable and flexible, if not there are a ton of books and videos on the web… http://www.lynda.com is a great source for videos but there is a subscription fee.

The most important thing with any software is what you do with it. If you think that the images produced by the company for advertisments look to “video game”, then chances are you will never like the final output that you are able to create with the software. All these programs are just tools to convey your message, if you can get you message…[Read more]

Do you want the legal answer or the touchy feely answer? Legal answer… in the US…

States with practice acts (45) require a license to practice landscape architecture.
States with title acts (4) allow anyone to practice landscape architecture, regardless of their qualifications, but only those with a license may use the title “landscape a…[Read more]

Can I choose Both?!