[Daniel Miller]

I’d love to take a Mike Lin course.  I know you offer several different types of courses, but is this one only 7 day course?  As a contract employee I can’t really afford to take a full 5 days of work off unpaid.  Are you offering any 3 day segments within this or anything?

[Daniel Miller]

Well, this has been a re-assuring, confidence building read as I prepare to take Sections C and E next week…

[Daniel Miller]

I’m in the same boat (except taking both C and E next week…) and from my understanding you’ll essentially lose your D if you don’t pass either C or E before the new style is introduced.

 

Refer to this: https://www.clarb.org/Candidates/Documents/LARE-transition-chart-wi…

 

Section A will directly become Section 1, B will become 2 and C,D, and E will split to become tests 3 and 4.  If you pass either C or E prior to the new style being implemented you’ll only have to pass one exam instead of 2.

 

Is it that much different?  I mean, you still have to pass two tests at this point either way, but I guess it depends if you’ve already invested time into studying for C and E?  Will the new format be “harder?” Who knows I guess….

I just know that new style is all digital and I’ve heard from architects (NCARB has gone all digital) that the digital drafting is ridiculous.

[Daniel Miller]

First thing that comes to my mind is Tanner Springs Park in Portland, OR

 

http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=1273&action=ViewPark

 

Not sure it falls into the “restoration” definition — but it’s a re-purpose and is very successful at integrating public use with BMPs.

[Daniel Miller]

I’m not fully sure what you’re asking, but I’ll do my best.  I know that when applying to UC Berkeley you must choose only one program to apply for.  You can’t choose multiple degree programs in hopes that you’ll be accepted into at least one and make your decision from there.

 

Having said that, it’s about following what you feel your professional passion is.  I chose the MUD at Cal over the MLA because it’s the aspect of LA I want to pursue professionally.  It’s probably a bias, but I feel the MUD program is more versatile in the world of environmental design if you already have a LA background.

 

The MLA faculty at Berkeley is fantastic and progressive. The MUD faculty is awesome, knowledgeable and a bit more “old fashioned” — but not in a bad way at all.  They’re bringing in a new wave of faculty right now it seems as the mainstays begin moving towards retirement, so it’s a great balance. 

 

The MLA program (studio classes) tends to be a bit more theoretical in nature, while MUD is rooted in real world design issues/factors and is intended to prepare you for the working world by the time you leave the door.

MLA for you would be 2 years.  MUD is one continuous, no breaks kind of program that runs for about 16 months including thesis work. 

 

Cant’ go wrong with either really.  Hope it helps some.

[Daniel Miller]

It was part of one of those week-long class sessions (the name of that week escapes me) but I remember Carol Meyer-Reed giving a little talk in 2003….or 2004. =)

[Daniel Miller]

If you’re interested in urban design don’t confuse urban design with “the politics and paperwork of urban and regional planning.” Urban design and urban planning are different things. While all environmental design fields overlap and build upon another, these are two different fields of study/practice.

[Daniel Miller]

I find it crazy that people don’t use Xrefs. Even for small jobs that you do on your own — it just makes sense to have a site plan referencing into all of your drawings. Plus it’s just good practice, right?

[Daniel Miller]

Nick,

Hard to tell as of yet if it will give me a leg up on professionals without a MUD degree. I’m about a month out from completing my thesis and really getting into the job search. (I’ve sent out a number of resumes/portfolios so far, but as I’m sure you’ve heard — the market’s pretty slim.)

As for the notion that Urban Design might be something that could be self taught…I’d be a little skeptical. I’m sure you’re smart enough to pick up a number of the ideas/principles that form the ideologies of urban design, but a year spent in academia really really helps the process. The time spent in school and the exposure to the types of projects and knowledge of faculty helps out more than I could ever imagine doing on my own. Being a LA, there was a steep learning curve in urban design because a lot of it has to do with architecture and how it balances with the landscape, networks, systems, transit, codes, planning, etc…. that I imagine would be difficult to really grasp on your own.

If academia doesn’t work out my recommendation would be to find an urban design firm (or even an LA firm that does real urban design projects — not just projects in “urban” settings and calling it urban design ) and getting some real world experience that way. While not being a professional degree, it’s still a really complex understanding.

If you’d like I can get you a list of books you can check out that are really good that may help you if you’d like to read up and see how well you can teach yourself. Best of luck.

[Daniel Miller]

I’d say it depends on your individual interests and what you want to get out of it. If your undergrad tailored more towards the practical side of the profession then maybe you pursue a graduate degree from a school that is more theory based. If you’re interested in natural systems then there’s always horticulture, urban forestry, hydrology, etc…. that all can complement specific fields of LA. Personally my interests are in the public realm and working at various scales to improve the built environment through thinking about how we design cities, so i chose urban design.

it’s all a personal choice, but there’s probably 50 degrees that immediately correlate to LA, and another 100 or so that can be somewhat related.

[Daniel Miller]

I’ll take the liberties of plugging my buddy (and contributing member) Adam Anderson’s blog: http://designundersky.com

[Daniel Miller]

When I finished up at CPP I had a wide array of projects — ranging from 1st year VoF to 4th year senior projects. It doesn’t/didn’t matter what format or medium the original project was done in, but in my opinion you’re better off laying it out in InDesign or a program you’re comfortable with and creating a solid package that you can present to potential employers. Your portfolio is only as strong as your weakest piece, unfortunately I’ve seen a lot of people with decent layouts, but they didn’t create projects that were “portfolio worthy” while they originally doing them. Most firms aren’t going to expect that you’re going to be super proficient in Cad or InDesign coming right out of school, but they’d probably like to know that you’re familiar with it and can be an asset to their firm.

[Daniel Miller]

Like everyone has noted, it’s a difficult question to give a consistent answer too. You’ve got to charge an amount that’s commensurate with your experience and skill while not scaring client’s away. I agree that you have to value your services, but for sidework $100/hour is a bit high. A lot of the fees that go into professional fees are associated with the overhead costs associated with working in a professional office (rent, electricity, insurances, etc…) that you probably don’t need to factor into a side job. As a registered LA I’d say do what you’re comfortable with. In this economy, like all things, you may have to request a bit less than in years past.

[Daniel Miller]

I find that either Rhino or ArcMap are both more than capable – far superior to what sketchup produces.

[Daniel Miller]

Yes and No.

First and foremost, we’re landscape architects.

Secondly, whether it’s 1909 or 2009, graphics are an essential method of conveying ideas, so that the ideas you so thoughtfully created as a landscape architect can by demonstrated to clients and the public who may not have the experience reading a black and white technical drawing.

Third, there’s much more to the profession than just creating designs. There’s the whole business side, there’s marketing, there’s graphics, there’s techincal, legal…etc…and you need to be submersed in all/most of these to be a well-rounded, succesful LA.

I agree that it’s very easy to get pigeon holed into doing nothing but graphics within an office, especially being a younger professional in this down trodden economy. There’s little jobs, little money and little room for advancement. I came out of school 3 years ago and have become the “graphics master” in my office. Everything digital runs through me…do I get a cool title and a hefty pay raise? No…but it’s a skill. A good enough skill that I told myemployer I quit because I found a job in a different firm, for nearly 1.5x my salary. Do I want to do it forever…hell no, but if it’s something that people need, and I can offer it…well, heck we’re just going back to basic economics now.

[Author]

Posts