Bob Luther

where is the project?

LandFX is a great tool to use the computers ability to import smart objetcs and draw with smart lines in a BIM-ish system. Becaus we are not building “buildings” the massive amount of information that can be generated by BIM is not possible in a landscape project. when a building is designed in a BIM system each window is catalogged each header is…[Read more]

As to specific examples of what landscape architecture is in Southern California, I am currently working on project located in a native oak canyon south of Los Angeles. The developer will do massive amounts of grading to the canyon to carve in 48 homes on 80 acres of land. Of this 80 acres 51+ acres of the project will be replanted with 365 native…[Read more]

Okay so you give us one city on the east coast which requires native plants, and you have ripped a major project on the east coast, and again with the Kit fox thing. As for stewards of the landscape perhaps you are not looking in their proper areas, after numerous fires, the landscapes put back into the local hillsides of southern California are…[Read more]

Can you provide for us some examples of the attention to detailing and increased regulations that you speak on, you have repeatedy express disdane for how things are done in California specifically, but you seem to have isssues with a large portion of the Landscape Architecture field outside from the east coast. Your opinions have seemed very…[Read more]

Yes I would save my clients money and be environmentally sensative when possible, but I also reallize that desinging a landscape for a Best Buy or a Costco puts food on the table for the people I work with, if a sensative issue was on site then I would love to spring into action and find a way to save the fuzzy bunnys of the world but if there is…[Read more]

on almost two-thirds of the project we work on have access to reclaimed water.

what city or county are you doing work in that does not have any reclaimed water? Not possible, that is just as narrow minded as me saying shutting the water off to ornamental landscape is not possible.

Your views are extreem to the standard view of most people, most people on this forum are very green freindly and even some of us look at the kit fox and ignore it, our bad, the general public could give a flying fruit loop over the kit fox, the spotted owl, the xyx animal of the day, and that is sad but true. Eliminating all irrigation in the…[Read more]

Trace – purhaps Jason is right in looking not to eliminate landscape irrigation but to look into increasing the use of reclaimed water as an irrigation source. Irrigation of reclaimed water onto ornamental landscapes works as a great final filter for the water before it re-enters aquifers or waterbodies. Some people have issue using reclaimed…[Read more]

Well stated Andrew I totally agree!

I agree “forget the ethics” good design should take care of the issues that are put before you in the design development phase of a project. I like people who want to make their projects fit their environmental visions, but I feel that environmental ethics fits low on my list of priorities, for others it is the number one priority. If I have the…[Read more]

it depends on what YOU are trying to accomplish. If you are working for a firm they tend to use the accreditation of the principles and senior project managers (minimze liability exposure), and accomplishments that are held by junior members of the firm are generally ignored, other than and overall count (we have 6 licensed LA and 3 LEED certified…[Read more]

one major difference is that other than a broken pencil or a dried out marker you never have to worry about the power going out or a system failure if yo are using trace and red pencil!

Never say never… I use a Wacom Cintiq and Corel Sketchpad, project it on to a flat screen or projection system and I can digitally hand draw (at least two oxymorons in there somewhere) from scratch or over a photo or model. People can still sit around with Heinekens but now they can be in other offices, or other countries for that matter. You…[Read more]

I totally agree… neither is better every project has pluses and minuses and each project should dictate what way you present your designs

Would ther boards have been more impressive, in your opinion?

This is very similar to the discussions on hand graphics versus computer graphics. While Landscape Architects are not on the cutting edge of #D graphics and renderings, I know many firms that use 3D software everyday. I use SketchUp on 75-80% of my projects. I create signage, entry monuments, import grading and see how the shape of the contours…[Read more]