eric green

Elif;
All the ideas written to you are good/great. I would also like to add how important relationships are, especially the more involved/complicated/pricey a job goes.

History shows that the great designers were also people who were great “relaters”. Be personable, be authentic, be passionate, and be honest with your clients . . . it’ll carry…[Read more]

Hi Elif,
Glad that you found my comments helpful. 🙂

Thank you very much. It’s always nice to get suggestions from experienced Landscape Architects as yourselves. I’ll try to follow and let you know about the result.

Hi Elif,
I have always maintained that there is a profound difference between ‘planning’ a space and ‘designing’ a space. A good design trancends a good plan, but a good design must be based on a good plan.

Part of what makes a design a good design is its uniqueness or as you call it, its identity.

In my opinion the first person to whom you need…[Read more]

Hi there,

I’m new to land8lounge and this is my first group to have joined.
Hope to explore all of these web-site’s features and to get in touch with a lot of new collegues…

Greetings from Croatia

Hi Elif,
Now this is an interesting discussion, and I agree with a lot of what Michelle has to say, and I would like to add some of my own comments just as soon as I have time , perhaps over the week-end. Greetings from Ireland.
Hugh

Elif,
Not all well healed clients speak the language of art or architecture.
If you use stories to relate your design charrettes then you have to speak to them in a language that they understand.
If your client is a doctor use medical metaphors. In essence you are meeting your client at a level that they feel comfortable and knowledgeable in.

In…[Read more]

Thank you very much Chris. I probably share a common problem with other Landscape Architects. Hopefully in time, it will change!
Greetings from Istanbul!

Thanks for the suggestion.
I also prepare images and perspectives. What I wanted to ask was: Generally the client doesn’t know what they want and when you come up with new ideas rather than the usual concepts, they don’t understand it. Therefore I develop a story for them. For example, I say ” It’s a Mondrian Garden and the design structure is ……[Read more]

Elif,
I hope I understand your question, here’s goes. When I present a project to a client I bring pictures of plants and I try and draw quick perspesctives or elevations of the job. A lot of people can not visualize a plan view into a real life project. They have not had the training we have and don’t look at plans as we do. When I go to their…[Read more]

I have a question!
Each time I prepare a project, I write a story for it. I try to present it telling this strory. I don’t simply say “Here a group of shrubs you like and some other here!”
My clients are quite high level people but I don’t know why they don’t understand much when I try to give an identity to the design I prepare for them.
I would…[Read more]

Hi; I m new in this group. I m working in some projects in the Emirates, but our office is in beautiful Sicily, Italy. I decided to learn the arabic language. People told me that at least in UAE you don´t need to know the language for working there, but for me It is a matter of respect, I would like to know the culture from the country / region…[Read more]

Hello Chris,
In regards to your question about marketing at a home or trade show, I have some experience in this realm.
20 years ago I designed and installed a small intimate garden exhibit at the San Francisco Garden Show. I had just recently moved to the Bay area and wanted to open my own design practice.
The show was a success for me.
After 5…[Read more]

Does anybody have any suggestions or tips on which ME countries have the best job potential? I’m trying to figure out if work in the region is a viable option these days as my home market (Phoenix, Arizona) has stalled completely. Contacts or resource information would be more than appreciated. Thanks!

I work in dubai right now in G C L A, the thing is that Landscape architecture companies stopped hiring but are not firing, as a respond to the crisis, but as a company we are minorly affected some projects un dubai were terminated. Gunther its weird because our abu dhabi projects are the one keeping us up.

Thanks Ammar. At the moment, construction and any new development is being put on hold in Dubai. There were speculations on Abu Dhabi to be the next player in the industry with a lots of exciting ‘green’ projects coming up..

~Just abit of an updates on the current situation in Dubai~

Abdulkader A. Al-Gilani,

Thanks for the reference for middle eastern plants. An Illustrated Guide to the Flowers of Saudi Arabia will be added to my shelf, and will be a great help for future projects in the area.

Syaryzad,

The market is Saudi Arabia is good. In fact, I’m now looking for three landscape architects to work with me. I work at one of the biggest design firms in the region “Zuhair Fayez Partnership” I am the lead landscape architect at the rapid projects department, and I urgently need three landscape architects to start working with my team…[Read more]

Hi guys..
I am wondering whether any of you are affected by the economical crisis at the moment? A few of my friends in Dubai were laid off recently due to the stagnant market..
Are there still market for Landscape Architect in the Middle East?

i would research xeriscape plants – there are a bunch of native drought tolerant grasses and sedge that could work – Festuca glauca, Muhlenbergia c. …Also some hardy vines like Wisteria or Honeysuckle or Grape – Sedum, Yucca and Agave of course…and you realize this as you mention succulents…Rosemary var., Erigeron, Gaura, Salvia varieties…[Read more]