Claudia Chalfa

Still working as a planner, in SC. I have had some interest from firms saying they are busy and asking if I would be willing to consider moving…but honestly that scares me a bit. I know that if I am hired and things tank again, I am the first to go…and I won’t uproot my family and move with that kind of unease. I know when I see a good thing,…[Read more]

I agree with you about there being too many graduates. I think that those who have families to support deserve jobs. I am lucky, I have a job…albeit as a planner. But if I had to choose who to hire, I’d choose someone with a family over a single, young graduate fresh out of school. They can work in other jobs for a year or so, it won’t kill…[Read more]

Landscape architecture is a calling. If you feel called to do this, it won’t matter what the economy looks like. Do what you love and the money will follow.

The nice thing is that with an MLA, you can find work as a planner (as I did), and in many other related sidelines of the profession, and wait out this economic situation. It won’t last…[Read more]

Well, simply put: I visited Germany in 1988, and even then, I observed people riding their bikes to the end of their street with the basket full of washed items to be sorted and recycled.

Recycling is just one small part of being sustainable, of course, but what I am suggesting is that the cultural attitude in western Europe is very different…[Read more]

Sorry, I haven’t read the whole thread here, but read enough to get the gist of the conversation…

There are several problems with the distinction between a landscape designer and a landscape architect.

1) There are many highly qualified people out there who are not licensed or even trained as landscape architects. I had a background in art and…[Read more]

If you change the law, you’re on a slippery slope back to the land of very bad planting plans. I wish we had such a law in our state, so LA’s would be getting some jobs right now.

If the general public were educated more about what we do and how much we can improve a design, we would be more in demand.

I’ve said it before…ASLA needs to market us. And we need to start critiquing all of this shoddy work – even that which isn’t designed by us. (Maybe especially that work!)

I don’t think you are being naive with a statement…[Read more]

These are some great examples for me to use – I am currently designing a “green” parking area for a city that will include a small bioswale and possibly permeable paving.

Engineers here are very suspicious of the permeable paving because we have such fine, silty sands and they are afraid of the pavers becoming clogged over time – anyone have…[Read more]

More detail about my job situation, which is in SC: I was living at the coast and working in a planning dept. 4 years ago, and I went back to grad school to get my MLA (a dream of mine for about 15 years now). I graduated in May of last year. During the preceding months I had spoken to several firms that were very positive towards me and I was…[Read more]

Something I’d like to mention:

A silver lining on this economic cloud is that landscape architects are working in related professions right now – I am working in a planning department, for example. I am working on a greenways and connectivity master plan for my city, which is great for them because they can’t afford one outside of office now; and…[Read more]

I am a planner. At least for now…

I still love the “If there’s sky, it’s mine” quote. I like Kathryn Gustafson anyway, she’s cool.

No. I am working as a planner.

I thought it, thanks for being the one to say it, Eric 🙂

I like this, it’s simple and elegant. There are so many things that fall under this guise, but this really is the core thing. I also love Kathryn Gustafson’s quote, that’s great.

I guess we’ll just set aside for the moment the fact that there are some LA’s that practice “interior landscaping”. 🙂

I like that too!

I managed to find a planning job, and although I am not getting my experience requirements right now for the LARE (because I am not working under a licensed LA) I am still getting great experience with regards to the permitting process, not to mention dealing with people under stressful situations. I had to sell myself a little bit at first, as…[Read more]

Well I just graduated with my MLA from Clemson, and I concentrated on urban design in my terminal project. I think that with most programs you can make of it what you want. Clemson focuses on DESIGN, as opposed to a school like UGA which from what I understand is more technical or environmentally focused. Both great schools though. I know Harvard…[Read more]