Brandon Reed, CVO, ASLA / Rooftop and Urban Designer / Landscape Architect

Anthony, Vectorworks has the ability to import DWG files in two ways, depending on how you expect to use the information. A direct import enables you you manage the geometry as if you created it, and can directly convert the lines and shapes to smart site specific objects. A referenced import is like an ex-ref (external referenced) file. Which…[Read more]

Goustan, Almost 25 years ago, we studied from this book, Planting Design: A Manual of Theory and Practice , which seems to still be used and latest edition shows to be around 2004. Not at all a tropical planting resource, but does provide the guidance you describe. 

Richard’s right. Vectorworks Landmark has a couple of tools that would help in this. The first is the plant placment mode for triangular array, which once you create the shape, you convert it to a plant, with the triangular array on and it will arrange the plant symbols, according to the specified spacing in that area. Another tool that helps in…[Read more]

Roland, The good news is that you can use Vectorworks on a PC as well as a Mac. Yes, it started in 1985 as MiniCAD and was Mac only, but that changed in the mid 1990’s when it became cross platform. There are getting started guides available on the Vectorworks webiste http://www.vectorworks.net/training/getting-started-guides (free) and the software has…[Read more]

John, I would recommend Include Software’s Asset if you are within the design/build realm…or you may also want to take a look at Fasttrack by AEC Software for project management within the LA’s construction document production process.

Scott, Every one of your examples would be well met with Vectorworks Landmark with Renderworks. The Site Model object would provide you the 2D grading plan, while also providing the 3D model which can be analyzed for cut and fill, water flow and slope categories. The Plant objects have 2D and 3D representations as well. With Renderworks, you have…[Read more]

Susan, I would suspect by CAD you are referring to AutoCAD, and for that I would not be able to offer a helpful suggestion. If you are looking for a CAD application that provides this currently, I would suggest you take a look at Vectorworks Landmark. With ODBC functionality, it does have the ability to tie the data from Excel to the worksheets…[Read more]

George, That is fantastic work that you have been involved with, especially the foundation you have established and the continued work in educating the legislators and public…the effort to become a part of the legislative effort is tremendous too. The details on ASLA’s budget is not known to me, but I do know that they have added (well over a…[Read more]

George, Jason is right, and if you were watching in the last few weeks, you would have seen ASLA staff and officers pleading with its members and non members to reach out to their lawmakers (aside from the lobbying they were also doing feverishly) to include language that made projects like green infrastructure and safe routes to school and…[Read more]

Keith, I would recommend to you to determine how many of your credits you can get that are not specifically approved by NJ’s board and attempt to secure those credits from other approved provider associations (ie. USGBC, AIA, AICP, Universities etc) And also check out distant learning opportunities through LA CES and other chapters of ASLA, and…[Read more]

How many crew members did you manage as owner? Sounds like you were the sole designer…I also came into a new position about 4 years ago where I had to give up creating real designs that were pulled from the printer/off the desk to be immediately installed (still miss that so I know what you mean). The last statement probably is one that you can…[Read more]

Jonathan, Good to seek feedback on this. I would ask what you would miss most about your role as owner, while transitioning to project manager. For example, do you expect to find it more fulfilling to focus your role on projects (specific sites, crew, clients and design teams), rather than on the wider, less intimate, role of owner?

Andrew, I know they are…they just aren’t weighing in this conversation. And to your credit, I never expected that you weren’t already using survey files generated by a registered surveyor. I think we all know that those surveys are available to us depending on the level of detail we pay for…so if a client has already had these done, not…[Read more]

Jim,
Another East-coaster, here…Isn’t it amazing how a site specific design application can revolutionize the way drawings are produced? I learned this almost 4 years ago when I transitioned from using AutoCAD to Vectorworks Landmark. Whether using a plug-in that makes it site specific or using a stand-alone site specific application, it makes a…[Read more]

Kelly, I suspect from your comments that you may also not be an active member of ASLA, so if this is not true, please fast forward…I think your dilemma is certainly going to be more common, but what is not common is your dedication to staying involved with ASLA, when you can hardly afford it. For that, I think many within ASLA would commend you.…[Read more]

Andrew, I would love to see all accredited LA programs include a required internship or co-op. As part of my first degree (Associates in Landscape Contracting and Construction), an internship was (and still is) required and this really sets a student up for success. Having progressed to the BSLA degree which I achieved afterward, the owner felt…[Read more]

Miles, Many projects I did in Ohio included iron work from Fortin Ironworks…their website has a gallery http://www.fortinironworks.com/images/fen/index.php which displays their projects, and they have a catalogue that allows you to see what they do typically…but custom work is always fun. They typically were also a good resource to talk with…[Read more]

I think the issue of licensure for full members (or not) is still yet to be decided. Though several States have polled their members and board for an opinion to take to their Trustees, several opinions exist on either side… but to answer your question about relevancy, I would maintain that you would be hard pressed to find another professional…[Read more]

“Way back” in the 1990s, at the Ohio State University, we used GIS to help make the best choice from available land for our class projects…not much different than would occur in the real world, but the progression of its use really didn’t start migrating to smaller scale land planning usage until the last few years. As you see LEED and…[Read more]