Land8 | Calico | Activity

Calico replied to the topic Trump as President? Meaning for Landscape Architects? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Wed, 25 Jan 2017 20:36:42 +0000

Agreed on the dicey thing. Several of our land development clients (domestic, not international) put their projects on hold following the election. Should be an interesting few years.

Calico replied to the topic How many of you (students and professionals) have subdivision and master planning experience? in the forum STORY BOARD

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 05:32:54 +0000

Among other things, neighborhood design is what I do. I tend to agree with your boss: it’s tough to find folks able to lay out a neighborhood anybody might want to live in, although many firms advertise the service. I don’t think the subject is emphasized as much as it once was in LA programs.

Regarding software… I did see an Autocad 3rd party…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Editorial: Eligibility requirements for State Landscape Architect Licenses in the forum STORY BOARD

Sun, 28 Jun 2015 21:19:21 +0000

Why stop at a measly five to seven years and only three mentoring LAs? Why not go for ten years and five mentoring LAs?

Calico replied to the topic Grading & Drainage tips, tricks and autocad tools in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Fri, 21 Nov 2014 01:54:12 +0000

If you are using LT, you are basically grading by hand on paper, scanning your design for use as a reference, and then refining your sketched contours while digitizing. If your contract docs are prepared with a 1′ contour interval at 1″ = 20′, prepare your draft at a 5′ interval at 1″ = 50′ to save time and not get hung up on too many details. All…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Books to Teach Planting Design in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 21:36:54 +0000

In a feeble attempt to return the discussion to its original focus, the primer I used was Theodore Walker’s Planting Design (1991). It was geared toward landscape architects, but would be very straightforward for an instructor teaching motivated non-designers. The only real drawback a couple of decades later is that the illustrations and drawings…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Master Plan Technics in PS in the forum GRAPHICS

Mon, 21 Apr 2014 20:04:37 +0000

Hmm…. normally when I get to PS, design is pretty much complete, so maybe i’m missing something. Moving stuff around in P’S means I have to repeat the feat in Acad when going past planning level… and I have to keep track of more moving parts. Creating a separate PDF for each type of entity (canopy trees, evg trees, bldgs, cars, etc.) is not…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Recommendations for Photoshop Rendering File Sizes? in the forum TECHNOLOGY

Thu, 03 Apr 2014 16:52:31 +0000

I use Photoshop for renderings. Here are my two cents that might save you some time.

Save your working file with the .psd extension. Creating the .pdf extension directly from within Photoshop is unstable on larger projects, leading to errors, data loss, huge file sizes and overall anarchy.
Confirm that you really need 300 dpi, especially if you…

[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic What steps should I take? in the forum EDUCATION

Fri, 28 Mar 2014 23:12:34 +0000

Agreed that there will be more than just completing the degree. The combined vows of poverty, stability, chastity, and obedience during the apprenticeship period are tough, particularly when facing student debt.

Calico replied to the topic High-resolution Trees/Plants for plan presentation in the forum GRAPHICS

Fri, 28 Mar 2014 17:40:38 +0000

Since you took the time to bump your discussion after receiving no response, I will take the time to tell you that my library is proprietary.

Calico replied to the topic What steps should I take? in the forum EDUCATION

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 17:07:01 +0000

It’s a broad profession. Your honest response is pretty common, even among students who are graduating (and probably more than a few professionals as well). Depending on where you live, you may have a community college nearby that offers some kind of intro to landscape design course or two, or even a full-blown associate’s degree in landscape…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic What steps should I take? in the forum EDUCATION

Wed, 26 Mar 2014 20:15:07 +0000

Get the MLA. It’s a less time in school and gives you a master’s degree. Also, getting a second undergraduate degree cheapens your first undergraduate degree IMHO. I have no idea of your financial situation, but taking on a ton of debt to go after a low paying but still scarce LA design job out of school sounds wrong. But who am I to judge? Good luck!

Calico replied to the topic Wood Fence Gate in the forum DETAILS & MATERIALS

Tue, 11 Mar 2014 21:01:36 +0000

Reuse and recycle.

Calico replied to the topic LA problems..... in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Fri, 07 Mar 2014 00:12:43 +0000

When I actually get to practice landscape architecture, it’s pretty easy. That said, I need a new tool – right now I’m thinking that a 40,000V cattle prod might do the trick – that magically encourages small-town surveyors who evidently face no competition to use those handy little thingies in AutoCAD called “layers,” while at the same time does…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Disc Golf Course Design Thesis in the forum RESEARCH

Tue, 04 Mar 2014 01:11:58 +0000

Glad I could provide irony. Remember: Fluff kills. Good luck

Calico replied to the topic All sheets in one file?... in the forum TECHNOLOGY

Tue, 04 Mar 2014 01:06:50 +0000

I can’t get past “cracking out”. Whether a typo or intentional, I’ve already used it on this call that won’t end. Thanks

Calico replied to the topic Sketch Up Topo in the forum STORY BOARD

Tue, 04 Mar 2014 00:53:42 +0000

Creating a TIN from that many contours would take quite a while… and the end result would likely be too big to be of much use in most models. If I was doing your project, I’d probably start by erasing about 90% of the contours, importing again to a new file, and seeing if the remainder looks reasonably close. Fewer 3D faces is the key to…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic All sheets in one file?... in the forum TECHNOLOGY

Mon, 03 Mar 2014 16:57:34 +0000

Just remember to set up each project file a little bit differently from the next so that you are the only person who can possibly navigate them, thereby ensuring at least a few extra days on every project for your teammates to identify and solve archaic AutoCAD problems. I swear that’s what our surveyors and civils do. 😉

Calico replied to the topic Highway Landscape in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Tue, 11 Feb 2014 18:14:53 +0000

Everybody has made valid points regarding unnecessary ornamentation vs. needed function next to a highway (although basing the level of detail on speed should mean in my twisted world that the 405 anywhere near LAX should resemble Versailles more than a DMZ). Unfortunately, places immediately adjacent to highways tend to lack any function -…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic another over-programmed playground by architects in the forum STORY BOARD

Thu, 19 Dec 2013 02:45:19 +0000

Bizarro world? Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit dropping acid. But I digress.
The vast majority of play structures I see are privately owned and operated, although we do have some decent publicly owned parks here in Flyover Nation. The play structures, for the most part, all look the same, much like the sterile breeding box neighborhoods…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic another over-programmed playground by architects in the forum STORY BOARD

Wed, 18 Dec 2013 19:20:54 +0000

Not necessarily lazy and thoughtless and inopportunistic, although that describes a few LA firms in the greater Denver area that relied heavily on national production builder clients to exist and thought the gravy train would go forever. It’s simply much more profitable for said LA firms to farm the playground design out to somebody else in…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic another over-programmed playground by architects in the forum STORY BOARD

Wed, 18 Dec 2013 17:25:33 +0000

I think it’s good to see some fresh ideas in the realm of playground design, even if the new ideas are coming from architects and involve foam blocks. Competition can be good. For too long, landscape architects have enjoyed a monopoly in playgrounds, and have squandered it by farming the design out to Kompan, Play Structures, and anybody else who…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Disc Golf Course Design Thesis in the forum RESEARCH

Mon, 16 Dec 2013 17:36:39 +0000

FYI, the link does not go to the thesis, at least for me. Cutting and pasting the URL into the address bar did the trick.
Interesting work from what I skimmed; see if you can pare it waaaaayyyy down (i.e., get rid of the fluff your committee had you include) and get published outside of academia. I can’t believe you transcribed each interview……[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Why don't professors teach more AutoCAD in schools? in the forum TECHNOLOGY

Mon, 11 Nov 2013 15:42:45 +0000

Andrew, I think that there is a bit of a disconnect between what firms hiring entry level say that they want vs. the talent they actually acquire. Most firms hiring anybody advertise that they demand somebody fresh out of school who is a rock star in every category, from amazing design abilities to solid understanding of construction to…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Seeking AutoCAD help resources that cater to Landscape Architects in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Wed, 06 Nov 2013 22:41:21 +0000

Your post is a good example of why professors don’t teach more AutoCAD in schools… given the steep learning curve, AutoCAD is difficult to teach, especially if your professors and GTAs have little or no real-world experience.
AJ Slater wrote an ebook that he shamelessly plugged mentioned several times in this space a while back. I have not read…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic LARE test: Who takes it and who decides not to? in the forum PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Tue, 29 Oct 2013 15:42:53 +0000

As but a humble and detail-oriented technician – really nothing more than your lowly drafting slave who speaks only when spoken to, and then meekly before true designers – so obviously unable to see the importance of history, art and literature in my craft, I applaud your decision to escape the tyranny by taking the unlicensed high road.

Calico replied to the topic LARE test: Who takes it and who decides not to? in the forum PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Fri, 25 Oct 2013 16:02:05 +0000

If you are eligible and are capable of passing a test and can afford to do so, just get licensed; it should not be a problem unless you have test-taking anxiety issues and/or have not been exposed to or learned much in your first few years practicing. There have been at least a few crazy-bad horror stories about the awfulness of sitting for the…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Job in developer firms in the forum STORY BOARD

Fri, 25 Oct 2013 14:23:25 +0000

I always pack a nickel-plated .45 in a diamond-studded shoulder holster to match my glamorous cape and beret ensemble whenever I meet with civil engineers to avoid being dissed.

Calico replied to the topic Job in developer firms in the forum STORY BOARD

Thu, 24 Oct 2013 16:53:46 +0000

To answer your question from my experience, land developers and commercial builders sometimes hire landscape architects, planners, architects, and civil engineers to work for them as salaried employees. These folks oversee projects and act as an entitlement manager rather than do much design. Occasionally they will work up an in-house concept…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Job in developer firms in the forum STORY BOARD

Thu, 24 Oct 2013 16:53:46 +0000

Calico replied to the topic Why don't professors teach more AutoCAD in schools? in the forum TECHNOLOGY

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 21:39:30 +0000

To take the landscapeplanner’s original post and flip it around, why should experienced professionals expect entry level designers to be anything but… well, entry level? They will need formal training in just about everything, and that training needs to be budgeted in their first two years. This $#@! ain’t cheap! If the firm refuses to provide…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Why don't professors teach more AutoCAD in schools? in the forum TECHNOLOGY

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 17:26:55 +0000

I don’t think you meant to reply to my rant. Oddly, with the exception the use of “CAD” of your last sentence, the post could have been written in 1963 just as easily as today. Now get back to work!!

Calico replied to the topic Why don't professors teach more AutoCAD in schools? in the forum TECHNOLOGY

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 16:12:11 +0000

Back in my day, we didn’t have AutoCAD, or any of these newfangled computer thingies! If we wanted to design something, we had to start by cobbling our base map together from USGS topo, lovingly interpolating each contour line by hand, use tape to draw property lines, templates for trees, and then redo everything from scratch when the owner…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Stone fire pit in the forum DETAILS & MATERIALS

Mon, 14 Oct 2013 17:39:04 +0000

If you are concerned about your existing patio, do not put a fire pit on it. Locate the fire pit adjacent to the patio (preferably downhill and downwind from the patio), draining someplace that can filter wet soot, bbq grease, etc. A fire pit in the middle of a patio as seen on HGTV should be connected to a subsurface drainage system that…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Non-Uniform Block Detection in the forum PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Sat, 05 Oct 2013 22:15:49 +0000

As indicated earlier I solved the problem at hand a while back. I tried to replicate the original problem and have not been able to replicate it. I suspect that a random acad error was the culprit, although the file seems to be clean. I did find a few different .lsp routines on line similar to what I described above… but not exactly. If I feel…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic What's Wrong with This Picture: Episode III - Revenge of the Site in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Fri, 27 Sep 2013 02:08:22 +0000

If installed the other way wouldn’t you still face the same problem with this type of paver in any pattern other than running bond? Even in this close-up I can see a few tabs that were chipped off to force the pattern.

Calico replied to the topic Non-Uniform Block Detection in the forum PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Wed, 25 Sep 2013 00:36:10 +0000

Again, I was able to solve the problem through the process of elimination and swearing (about 3 hours I won’t get back), and I did try something approximating your solution in the first paragraph. Those blocks were fine, so I knew that the problem was in an individual block and not global.
Thankfully, my blocks are not nested within other b…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Non-Uniform Block Detection in the forum PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 21:21:57 +0000

Thanks for the thoughts. I was able to brute-force a solution this morning similar to your approach above (perennials, trees, shrubs, etc., have unique layers), but need to figure out a lisp routine to get a solution more easily in the future. One &^%$* instance of one &^%$#^ block had a randomly huge z-value, which means that at some point I ei…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic What's wrong with this picture? Part Deux in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 02:51:24 +0000

Agreed. Dealerships can look decent without sacrificing program goals. My point was that every dealer I have worked for had to be peeled off the ceiling when informed that their municipality required landscape improvements as part of securing the building permit needed to upgrade the 1970’s showroom, citing the reasons described in Alan’s post above.

Calico replied to the topic What's wrong with this picture? Part Deux in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Sun, 22 Sep 2013 22:29:31 +0000

Take on some auto dealership work to learn exactly how much our profession is appreciated.

Calico replied to the topic What's wrong with this picture? Part Deux in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Sun, 22 Sep 2013 22:23:26 +0000

I have no idea where this project is, and am glad it’s not mine, but I run into this situation periodically when working for big-box clients from Arkansas who despise the notion of paying for construction administration, and then use my unstamped / unsigned NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION – FOR PLANNING APPROVAL ONLY drawings for… (wait for it)… bidding…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Made the jump and gone on my own in the forum PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Wed, 04 Sep 2013 14:04:16 +0000

Don’t worry about stepping on a former employer’s toes; we live in a small world and it’s bound to happen unless you move several hundred miles away. Rest assured that everybody else in town is attempting to develop relationships with those potential clients.
Not mentioned in the thread above: small civil engineering firms are in my experience…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Made the jump and gone on my own in the forum PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Tue, 03 Sep 2013 22:40:20 +0000

Absent a huge trust fund and wealthy spouse, the most direct way to survive the first few years is by snagging your former clients – especially those shining few who both have money and pay their bills in a timely manner. These will be your best leads because they hopefully know and love you / your work, know that you were the brains behind your…[Read more]

Calico replied to the topic Employer won't give me permission to use any of the work I've done here in the forum PORTFOLIO & RESUME

Mon, 02 Sep 2013 16:02:29 +0000

I am responding to this post because I worked for a principal for a few years who used similar tactics. The “why is this important, are you looking?” question is an intimidation technique designed to squelch your initiative to look elsewhere. Don’t fall for it.
Since you are not (hopefully) an indentured servant, and are (probably) not a slave, o…[Read more]