Cielo

Hey Chris,
We are in Phoenix, and we do mainly design and subcontract the work out on high end residential designs. I believe we are the main contractor, and the work is divided accordingly.

Chris,
I operated a design/build company for 25 years where most of the work we did in-house with some sub-contracting on the specialized features. I now work by myself designing and then managing the projects. I have a network of contractors that work on these projects. I have a design fee and then negotiate a management fee with the…[Read more]

Elif-

I have learned that high-level or not, clients don’t read a lot of text. They’re swayed by images, sketches, pretty colors, and your passion. If you say Mondrian, show them what/who that is so they don’t have to ask. Have images that clearly delineate the connection between a Mondrian piece and your design (for example). If you communicate…[Read more]

Chris-
My advice:
If you love design, find a couple of good contractors you can send work to on a regular basis. They will (or should) pay you a commission or referal fee for the work you refer to them. They will in turn send you work, some of which they will pay you for directly. Probably a little at first, then more as your relationship builds.…[Read more]

Hey Chris,
My principal here in AZ is a licensed contractor. It’s pretty involved here, but definitely opens up many opportunities…

Hello fellow irrigation designers! I am taking the Certified Landscape irrigation Auditor Exam in the beginning of October and was wondering if anyone has the 2007 manual? Let me know if you would be willing to part with it! Thanks 🙂

Hi all.. I just joined the group..I use eaglecad for irrigation projects for 7years. It also runs in Autocad. You may test yourself by freeware version if you want…
Greeting from İstanbul…

Rob-

We use Land FX; which it sounds like the same setup as Raincad. It is extremely simple to pick up on and their support is like no other. We have been using it for almost 5 years now without one complaint. I would give them a call and talk to their rep if you are interested.

Jay,
I have run into similar situations in my work experience, (I’ve worked at 4 firms and have ten years + of construction experience) where registered LA’s are “designing” things but have no practical knowledge of how the thing will actually stand up or be built and a very narrow knowledge of construction in general.It seems often-times the old…[Read more]

Hi Scott
I learned the ropes in the field prior to Licensure; I started at an ornamental tree farm then became manager and head of landscapeoperations, then lead designer, then partner in a design build firm, all the while not fulfilled in my carrer thinking that I took the wrong path by not stepping straight into a design firm. It wasnt until I…[Read more]

Hi Guys”
Greetings!!!!!
An innovative design in stone surfaces that offers a customizable line for interior and exterior wall claddings
Cheers / Bharat Mishra

I would like to think that it is the LA who knows best, but sadly I feel that the contractor is the one who is going to be the key in creating the finished project. I would love to get to know my contractors well enough to find out there likes and dislikes but I never seem to be able to work with the same one over again, the market is so cutthroat…[Read more]

Does anyone here have experience with Leit solar controllers? Any issues with long wire runs, durability, etc?

Thanks in advance

If you want a little marketing inspiration, listen to this months podcast from LandscapeLeadership.com.

Designers Susan Cohan and Rochelle Greayer discuss how they’ve built a following and presence online by blogging. Learn how blogging has directly impacted their businesses.

Both are members of The Lounge.

You can listen and download the…[Read more]

SOURCING NEW DESIGNS
I edit a FREE newsletter each month on a theme
– 50 new pots and planters [april]
– New outdoor kitchens [may]
– Shade solutions [june]

If you would like to receive copies please let me know anne.robert@btinternet.com
IF you have designs to share same thing!
A bientot
A http://www.TheOutdoorSTylist.com

Rob,

There are a lot of good softwares out there, selection really depends on your situation and needs. I would “demo’ as many softwares as possible to see which one fits your office best.

For Autocad, Raincad for Autocad works well. It runs in Autocad as a toolbar, similar to Express Tools. You still have the full function of autocad while…[Read more]

I was able to find some irrigation training and I am more confident now. However, I am looking to purchase irrigation design software. What are the best choices out there? Land F/X? IrriCalc? RainCAD? Others?

As someone who spent years as a contractor before going back to school, i can tell you that often the person you deal with in the office, or the supervisor, isn’t always going to be on site when the plan implementation starts. The few LARs that I worked with back home, made it a point to make sure that all plans were easy to read/understand, or in…[Read more]

For a Landscape Architect to truy be successful as a designer, he has to be able to communicate on the level of the contractor. Not to say that he designs to the level of the contractor, (which we all know contractors are alot like water, they always take the path of least resistance…) I say that coming from alot of years of being a contractor…[Read more]

I want to sharpen my irrigation skills and train one of my coworkers. Are there any free online tutorials with practice problems that we could download? Any help would be much appreciated.