Claudia Chalfa

Stephen, you haven’t offended me, but at the same time I think you should know that not all Americans agree with this overzealous safety mentality. America has definitely gone overboard with fear of litigation, and this is what is driving much of the playground design these days. You should know that the UK is basically the same; l I worked in…[Read more]

I had a thread a couple of weeks ago about this topic. It’s on all of our minds right now – particularly recent graduates or those who are graduating this spring, like me. You can look up http://www.land8lounge.com/forum/topics/economic-crisis-and-what-it and read the great comments many people added in there.

I have wondered what the ASLA could…[Read more]

I think there are several wildlife bridges in Florida, I’m not sure if that is what you are referring to. Also, didn’t Lawrence Halprin design several green bridges in a city? I have a dim recollection of this although I cannot remember which city. Sorry to not be of more help!

I played in a creek my entire childhood. This was in Georgia, where there are numerous varieties of poisonous snakes. There were also dogs, poison ivy and a weird neighbor who carried a gun. But miraculously, I survived and am much the better it. I learned how to build dams and mud/reed huts for my barbies. I made little sculptures out of seeds…[Read more]

Thanks, Jeff. Do you know when the next upstate LA meeting is? And Rico, I’m going to look up UN-habitat right now. I had already considered HFH but wasn’t sure if they hired LA’s. I guess it never hurts to ask, though!

Claudia

I don’t even know how to pronounce that!

My last job before I came back to graduate school was in a t own planning office. At the last staff meeting the town manager formally said goodbye and that I was going back to school to learn how to ‘plant bushes’. I was horrified that someone with a background in politics (he had formerly been mayor of a…[Read more]

The arts community does, in fact, take care of its own. Whenever you go to a gallery opening, theater production, poetry reading, etc…you can bet that a large number of the people there are artists themselves, out to support their friends so the same will be true when it is their turn to perform or show their work. Artists also trade work with…[Read more]

Hi Matt! Thanks for your input. I wish I could have stayed longer for the after-lecture discussion, but as you knew, we had final presentations Monday. Your work was impressive and made me all the more ready to get out there!

I definitely see your point with regards to unfair competition against for-profit firms. As for the licensure issue, I am…[Read more]

Yes, I would love to go back to Egypt and work, I have so many friends there and the cost of living is so much lower than here. However, I have a personal situation that prevents me from doing so right now. It would only work if I stayed here in the US and perhaps took trips over there to do site analysis. Nothing would make me happier than to…[Read more]

I really wanted this thread to turn into a brainstorming session about how we can ride out this current economic crisis, and the non-profit idea has sort of taken control of the conversation. Please, everyone, feel free to present other ideas for us to discuss. I’d like to think that this discipline ‘takes care of its own’ and doesn’t allow…[Read more]

I am really hoping that our new President will arrive in office with an economic package that includes lots of public works projects for all of us to work on. Then we will be in demand again almost immediately.

Thanks for your dose of reality, John. Please don’t misunderstand me, I am really just brainstorming here and trying to create a “plan B” scenario in the event that I don’t have a job this coming May. I am a very optimistic person. I think the economy will make a turn by then, and I am hopeful that I will have a job with a firm and that will be…[Read more]

It varies from state to state, Noah. SC is, I believe, 2 years, and NC is three. I am not sure about GA.

Great advice, Eric, thank you. 🙂

Hi Brian – yes, I have heard of them, I actually have their book “Design like you give a damn”. Thanks for the links, they seem like a great group of people. However, I think it is a volunteer organization. I am going to need to pay the bills too…then once I have an income I can certainly consider volunteering on the side for projects such as…[Read more]

Unfortunately, Noah, I cannot take the LARE unless I have worked for a period of three years under a licensed landscape architect. therein lies the rub! If you are at Clemson, perhaps we can get together for coffee, it sounds like we could have an interesting discussion. 🙂

We have discussed this issue in class before, as well. Some of our thoughts on it were: Our profession is much younger than architecture, and in fact in many parts of the world it is still unknown. Also, Architects design OBJECTS whereas landscape architects usually design the OPEN SPACES around those objects. It is much harder to identify and…[Read more]

I agree with you to some extent. I don’t mind the questions either, I used to be a residential landscape designer and I have an avid interest in horticulture and botany. But those party conversations should include an explanation that, although there are some LA’s who do residential design and plant-related things, the profession is very broad and…[Read more]

As I said, I don’t know the specifics of it yet, but I plan to do a little research and will let you know what I find out about non-profits. Collaborating sounds good, too…I’ll definitely keep that in mind! Care to work in Egypt?