Chad Crutcher

I attended one of Mike’s 2-day events. While some of the disparaging descriptors used in this thread may be true, I assert these harsh attitudes completely miss something about the man and what he does. First, he is a business genius…wouldn’t you like to be doing something you absolutely love to do and make oodles of cash doing it? His…[Read more]

I agree with Peter’s comment. A lot.

I simply say this if I think someone is just not quite getting it…
I do for the outdoors what an architect does for a building. I sometimes tell the architect where to put the building. I use plants, the sky, the ground, the views and built elements to define space and provide for the intended use just as an architect uses walls, ceilings,…[Read more]

Jay,
The best option is simply to be honest. Did you have any sort of job during that time? I don’t know how old you are but will assume you were not hangin’ out at your parent’s house. If your talents are good and you’ve kept them sharp and up to date, just keep trying. Anything less than honesty will be smoked out by your interviewer. Careers…[Read more]

A timely comment…
Just heard on PBS News of a court case in LA wherein a driver has been convicted of 5 felony counts associated with a car/biker road rage incident, including the charge of using his car as a deadly weapon. Google the story. Applies in spades to this thread in terms of the intensity of the conflict, as evidenced by the…[Read more]

I also suggest a copy of Architectural Graphic Standards…much more detail about construction and helpful if coordinating with architects.

Nick,
The market sucks in Reno-Tahoe with activity for residential landscapes mostly at the high end. Those firms/contractors that were focused in housing are dry. Our firm has its hands in a wide variety of areas, hence my staff and I have survived so far.

Here’s an idea about where you might find some data and market insight: look for local…[Read more]

Chris,

It isn’t and I aint. Monied, that is. I make a decent living, but, I’ve been at this for over 30 years. My wife makes twice what I do!

Take my comment about school with a grain of salt. Yes, most universities are doing an OK job for undergrads. Those fortunate enough to attend post-grad programs should be expected to deliver more. And, of…[Read more]

Nick said…”I just cant picture myself doing anything else really.”

Well, that gets the real BINGO!

And that desire will be the basis for the economic cull you are talking about. Who’s in and who’s out in any profession as competitive as ours will always be led by the dreamers that never say die. Yes, it is true that a decent lifestyle may have…[Read more]

Nick,

I live in Truckee, CA and totally get the ski thing! Problem is, I don’t ski! Old sports injury keeps me off the slopes. Hiking? My wife and I go with our dogs all year ’round…snowshoes are great excercise!

Anyway,

Violate the rules when job searching. If it says no phone calls, this was a strategy I used several times: I explained that…[Read more]

Nick,
I just visited your web site. You younger folks scare the crap out of me! Nice graphics, nice site.
I’m old as dirt now, never could draw quite that well, have a cheap, Go-Daddy templated on-line portfolio for a web site and never learned CADD. If I had to find a job right now, competing against younger talent such as yours, I’d be on the…[Read more]

Roland,
Aren’t you the young fellow from Reno I met at Mike Lin’s seminar last weekend? Remember me, also from Reno? If I have you confused, my apologies.

Anyway…

For most of us, even if you own a reasonably successful practice, but are not a superstar, your income in landscape architecture probably won’t make you financially independent.…[Read more]

I am very fortunate to have what in this economy could be called a relatively secure job in a good company well-positioned to make it through this. That has not always been the case in my career. Twelve years ago I had made the decision to try another way to make a living after the 90’s recession in CA pretty much sunk my San Francisco design…[Read more]

Roland,
Go take your own pix of those ‘more impressive’ projects and get ’em into that portfolio. Built works speak louder than great graphics. In deference to Chris’ point, whereas great graphics are important, evidence that they can be successfully translated into reality, or that you were able to keep the concept together after all the budget…[Read more]

“The cobbler’s children have no shoes” accurately describes the cumulative history of my personal residential landscapes…except for the last 6 years that my wife and I have been so fortunate to live in Truckee, CA. Dense forest is our yardscape…and we live in mortal fear of fire every June through October. When not at work, I am one lazy son of a gun!

As a trampolinist, I watched attorneys assault my sport because so many foolish people who did not take the time to understand the apparatus got seriously hurt. I could have, too, but the difference is I prepared myself with proper training. In the public realm, we cannot expect all to be properly prepared or even physically capable of addressing…[Read more]

Inherent danger has been translated by lawyers into attractive nuisance. Your point approaches the edge of liability thinking…should we as designers promote danger as a planned experience? Of course amusement rides have played to this psyche, but always within the constraint of public health and safety. Within the necessary confines of civilized…[Read more]

An interesting thread.

A tip to water enthusiasts regarding PFD’s. I live in Truckee, CA near Lake Tahoe. Last year there was a news story about a middle-aged gentleman in relatively decent physical condition and noted as a good swimmer who was knocked off his boat by a wave and drowned. Why did he drown? He wasn’t going very fast. He didn’t hit…[Read more]

I suggest this question has to be answered in terms of what the goal/objective of the LA firm is; I include sole practitioners in that label. If the firm is struggling financially, then the obvious objective might be to improve cash flow, thereby making accommodation of the team’s needs a priority in order to curry favor and land the project. If…[Read more]

Gentlemen,
A short reply. For those who find it hard to wrap their mind around the concept, consider this: in hot climates it is often necessary to irrigate natural turf during the heat of the day; not so much for user comfort, but for the health of the turf. Soil temperatures can soar, drying the turf and baking the soil hard as…[Read more]