David Cristiani

I like to think that people hire me to look at things differently …. that is why I had to get out of the civil site planning office. Something like what is described would be a God send if it kept people from bothering me to put a row of trees in front of their strip mall. I think that probably goes for most of us.
 
If I’m “designing” using…[Read more]

off the rack HP desktop from Staples 2.5 years old cost about $700 at the time. I use it for my home office, but is no different than what I would have if I did not have an office in my home. Unless you are using some heavy graphics programs (gaming), the basic PCs are quite powerful for almost anything a normal person would use a home computer…[Read more]

My opinion is that in order to get into a position to further your landscape design career, you need to focus on filling existing needs of an existing landscape designer/architect or a firm. It took me a while to understand that there is a difference between looking at your career from the inside out and looking at it from the outside in.
 
We…[Read more]

Once you find the answer you must forward it to 10 friends ….

some playgrounds are for children, others are for adults to talk about.
 
……… and this one even inspires you to unwittingly get more adults talking about it. Mission accomplished.
 
I’m with you. traditional playgrounds are very successful to foster imagination and activity for the children.

Join LinkedIn and start a group – just limit it to city LAs, or you’ll just get the same repetition as the other groups.

Especially any job that will make you known to potential future sources of work whether it would be as an employee or as your own office in the future.

In my state, Massachusetts, it is possible with 20 years of experience in engineering (10 yrs responsible charge), that type of work has to be at a certain level to demonstrate competency, and an evaluation of your education, passing an interview, and then passing the exam.
 
That can be summed up by “not really” – possible but unlikely.
 
Land S…[Read more]

This is a profession of patience. Very little happens quickly. Think of it as compacting in lifts. After a while you are on a solid foundation.

Don’t forget that you get paid for every hour you work, not just the hours that can be billed to a client.
 
There is no correlation between what your boss can bill you out for and what he pays you. It might not seem fair to you, but you, me, or your boss are/were paid as little as reasonably (or comfortably, if the boss is a nice person)…[Read more]

Jacob,

It appears that an Associates Degree in Landscape Architecture in California is the equivalent of one year work experience.

Here is California’s requirements:
http://www.asla.org/uploadedFiles/CMS/Government_Affairs/State_Goverment_Affairs_and_Licensure/State_Documents/California2013.pdf

Here is the list of Accredited LA…[Read more]

Who is talking about limiting software to autocad or limiting ourselves to working for firms?  The only limitation right now is the number of opportunities to enter the field. Not having the skill set that that is the primary function of most entry level positions is further limiting. What you can do once you get into the profession may not i…[Read more]

Calico, I think you are right. The point that I was trying to make is that it appears that an AutoCAD station is going to be the first place to land when being hired at an entry level. I’m not saying that all have to be rock stars, but it is a mistake to bypass it as being insignificant while going through school. …. just like hand graphics…[Read more]

Look at the ASLA job postings. Like it or not, AutoCAD is, more often than not, the point of entry into this profession. Internships are not a company’s way to give back to the LA community. It is a way to fill a need in the office. That need is almost always about plan production. While most firms still create wonderful hand renderings, it is a s…[Read more]

I’m trying to visualize what you are doing and understand the problem since it is not a specific description. My response is on a total guess of what that problem is based solely on my past experience.
 
” I’m at the point of ripping my hair out while trying to create sheet sets with title blocks and annotated information.”
 
I’m guessing that yo…[Read more]

I still believe that anyone who is eligible to sit for the test and feels they have the ability to pass it will do it. The only things that keeps someone who can pass the test from getting licensed is either that they are on a path that keeps them from being eligible to sit for the test (already in business or have a solid job that they can’t give…[Read more]

Again, this points out the diversity of the profession of landscape design and that there is no one way to do things. I like that students and others get a chance to understand that when these topics are discussed outside of the stereotype description of the profession.

Trace, don’t you think that it would give you a competitive edge to have been…[Read more]

Yes, Bob, we are required to use structural engineers on walls over 4′. I do the layout plan with top of wall and bottom of wall spot grades, layout of stairs, height of risers and tread width. They do their structural design to match my finish design.
 
Most of the non-LA landscape designers in my area have a very difficult time designing…[Read more]

I think that another reason to get licensed is that it forces us to complete the whole process. Whether or not anyone knows or cares what a landscape architect is, it requires us to gain some education and experience that we otherwise would not.
 
I know that in my case I am much better positioned to compete for work that pays me enough as a…[Read more]

Bob, I don’t disagree with any of that once you are referred or have been contacted.
 
Where I have come to realize that there is a benefit by having the license is when someone is blindly searching for a designer and no nothing about us except finding a yellow page listing or, more likely these days, a web site. There are many websites done by…[Read more]