Dr.Thiruvelavan

nrschimid,

I know a few LA/Planners. AICP is a cool credential to have behind your name, a good friend of mine (who is a planner) says it stands for “Any Idiot Can Plan”.

Planning is an interesting subject. There are many professions that recognize the importance of good planning in our built environment but we take many different avenues to…[Read more]

Good to be here!

How much do you charge for landscape concepts? This question is for everyone!

Hello, hope this will be a constructive forum.

I am posting this for the sake of sharing knowledge. This might me the most comprehensive encyclopedia of native plants in Saudi Arabia.

An Illustrated Guide to the Flowers of Saudi Arabia. By Sheila Colenette.
Meteorology and Environmental Protection Administration, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Flora Publication no. 1.
Scorpion Publishing Ltd.,…[Read more]

The accreditation system seems quite blurry for now this side, save bulletins for seminars by the Emirates Green Building Council (initiative by HH Sheik Makhtoum), but developers are taking notice. Much talk in meetings about projects meeting Green Building standards, but not much push or initiative from the companies yet on getting on board the…[Read more]

I’m currently involved in a number of projects (mainly Qatar) going for LEED accreditation, some of the platinum.

It is not a directive from our consultancy (consider impact on client cost) but a desire from the client.

The main drive is in Qatar is from by QF / QP (Qatar Foundation) with the direct hands on influence of the Emir’s w…[Read more]

Hello all.

Three questions for all. (1) How significant is the LEED initiatives of the UAE (or the GCC in general) to your current projects and practice? (2) Is LEED accreditation a must in your office? (3) Have your office/EGBC/local LEED contacts informed you of the process to get accreditation?

A mouthful but important. Thanks in advance for…[Read more]

Looking for all gulf experienced LA’s to provide a true insight into the discipline in the region.

Thanks guys for the responses. They were very helpful! Next time though, make sure to respond to the actual thread instead of posting on the wall. Once more threads get started, it could get very confusing if everyone responded on the wall. But thanks again for the help!

Here’s a list that may be helpful: Plant List

I like to use the iris and peony myself. I also mix in Irish moss where I can with the rocks to display miniature scenes of vegetation.