David Cristiani

As goes the economy, so goes our profession. That is not a bad thing on its own. Chuck with a truck only takes business from you or me if we are not worth it to the person paying the bill. That is not ASLAs responsibility or the governments responsibility unless they are doing something that makes better projects unaffordable or making you and me…[Read more]

It WAS a nice change of pace from recent threads.
I have no problem with people changing careers as they may. Olmsted started off as a journalist, if I’m not mistaken. This guy in the article is doing a similar thing in reverse. I think it was a good trade from this profession’s perspective.
I’ll share some of my philosophy on the subject of…[Read more]

I’m glad it looks like it will work out for you.
I have not had problems with crossing lines. I’m not sure what you are running into with that.

Martin, I have not used the sketch app. I use the Disto pretty much for one purpose. That is to field locate existing objects or edges to add into and existing plan. It is a lot of money, so it only makes sense if it fits your needs and the frequency of that need. I very often need to supplement a plan with the location of individual existing…[Read more]

I don’t understand this at all. This is a website for Landscape Architects. The original poster states that she is a professional, makes a few comments on other threads, and then posts this homeowner in search of help thread.
…. with a link in it. Not looking for websites hits by any chance?

“I was just wondering – are you able to set the elevation to ‘0’ for your first measurement – like you can on a zip level? (For example – make the house floor level ‘0’ & the all the other elevations would relate back to that.)”
That is exactly what it does. The first point that you shoot will be 0,0,0 (x,y,z coordinates) every time and everything…[Read more]

Hopefully, the idea is not to stop the infrastructure work from happening by not hiring more government workers, but to hire it out to private sector companies that demonstrate the best abilities and efficiency for the specific project type. That is the expectation is that it opens opportunities for any of us to fill a need.
When a government…[Read more]

Hi Philippa,
I did get the tripod package. You are correct that the tripod is not great for the outdoors. I got a regular survey tripod and an adapter nut so that the unit can sit firmly and steady. I don’t regret buying the kit because it comes with a good case to carry it safely and you need the piece that sits on top of the tripod which co…[Read more]

I just want to remind everyone that while some people on the right are extreme in their views nearly half of the voters voted for Trump. You (generic you) can’t convince me and I can’t imagine that you have convinced yourself that nearly half of the country is extreme. The problem is that you never hear from the non-extreme right because every…[Read more]

I also have a ZipLevel. It is totally different. One does not replace the other. I still use the ziplevel to get very specific elevation differences.
I use this Disto tool for accurately locating things in relation to other things – usually to something that is already in a plan or in a cad drawing such as a building. The device is a laser range…[Read more]

Ideally, a young LA should learn more in an LA firm. However, it is not an ideal world.
The problem, if you have been paying attention since 2008, is that the opportunities are extremely limited and there are many LA firms who cycle through interns to do production work at low wages (or salaries) keeping them pigeon holed. They learn CAD and…[Read more]

Keith, I totally agree with you that internship in a CE office should be perfectly acceptable as long as you have a degree in an accredited LA curriculum. These are tasks of an LA done with the trained way of thinking that an LA has through education. It is different than doing the same tasks without that degree.
Certainly more valuable an…[Read more]

I’m often fascinated by the idea that sketching has to be done by hand. I understand where it comes from. It comes from the perceived disconnect between the human and the screen. I remember when I first started to draw in CAD and being very frustrated by the disconnect of scale and other perceptions as you zoom in and zoom out. You just don’t have…[Read more]

I think Bob’s comment that you will learn nothing about landscape architecture in a civil or an architect’s office is half right. This is very key to understanding why the appropriate education requirement for an LA license is in place in so many states.
The reason, in my opinion, that Bob is only half right is based upon how a person processes w…[Read more]

Another aspect of this profession that I think is overlooked is that there are not a lot of areas of this profession where we are not on a team whether working in a big firm, in a small office, or as a firm working with other professionals. There are very few times when you or I will be the person that is benefitting the most from our work. If yo…[Read more]

Jon, you started this last paragraph suggesting that everyone has talent and worked hard and then circled back to the expectation that advancement comes from talent.
You are making my point. If you approach this profession based on talent you are one of a big group of talented people. Someone like me stands no chance in that competition. Someone…[Read more]

Not exactly. The analogy is primarily about recognizing the current environment in which you are working in and adapting to it. The secondary point is that each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses from which to adapt from.
I’m anything but the “strongest”. I can’t draw with my hands to save my life, I don’t do perspective drawings or 3D…[Read more]

As someone who left a decent paying solid position doing civil site plans in a civil engineering / land surveying office in 2011 to go full time as a self employed landscape architect I think that the unrealistic expectations in the profession were based in the belief that the profession should provide a mechanism for advancement rather that of…[Read more]

I look at it this way. Experience is what develops you – no doubt it can be 100% effective at making a person fit the profession (that is so diverse that it can’t really be defined). The education can have a big impact on how you process that experience.
Because Landscape Architecture as a profession is so vague, it, if we are going to be honest…[Read more]

I have to ask what state issues licenses without the education element? CA is one with a weaker than most education requirement from what I have read. Most want at least a Bachelor’s from LAAB accredited degree program. CA has one or two lesser degrees that they accept if I’m not mistaken.
I have seen some that accept many years of experience…[Read more]