Hans C Stoll

Great post, great perspective, and I am glad to know that there are some firms like yours still around. A bright point in a bleak year. Thanks.

Not easily outsourced? Try again….. China and India and other countries in which 20 bucks-per-day is “good” are becoming a common source for just this sort of work. Owner or Manager does some sketch and then some CAD monkey in some third-world country cranks it out in the wee hours for peanuts and does the quick turn-around back to the US. No…[Read more]

Damn Russ……. I hope you are wrong about “add a decade to that”. Hell, my hair may be gray or GONE by that time if true.

I do however agree with you about the end of the “rainmaker with an army of CAD monkeys”. That is good. Always hated that particular biz model. There are still guys out there who want to slap something onto a piece of trace…[Read more]

Nope.

Laid-off 6 weeks ago. Watched a 29 person firm wither to 4 guys at half-pay (yes, you read that right…. half pay). Now the remaining get 75% pay because of my being pushed over-board to lighten the lifeboat.

14+ months at 50% pay teaches you how to survive on next-to-nothing in prep for being unemployed. 8 resume’s out so far…. not a…[Read more]

Thanks alland, I was about to respond to Rick that in Arizona Landscape Architecture is a required professional service for new-build (just about everything but S.F. residential).

Not at all “caviar”, but a necessary part of a new project municipal submittal and approval process. As necessary here as civil or structural in fact.

Certainly not a…[Read more]

Two of the most recent posts; (1) mac salesman back in 84 and (2) typewriter paper salesman……. both are perhaps better analogies. Mac was an out-of-favor product until later. Typewriter may come-and-go but the paper remains the same and is now used by printers instead.

I would accept either scenario over what it too often seems like within…[Read more]

Yes. And less work = fewer actual positions, shrinking firms, fewer firms, shrinking salaries for those who have positions at a firm.

What once felt like a valued and important occupation now feels like the “stepchild”. Trust me Architects and even Civil’s are feeling this too.

Point specifically was that the title “Landscape Architect” in AZ at…[Read more]

Tempted….. Could I get a root-canal instead maybe?

🙂

Hope all is well w/ you Russ.

(elaboration: Trying to sell a service or product that few people feel they want or need at this time)

Not sure who has the word-processor yet. Have one friend who is an RLA and has decided to chase Pharamcy as a career instead. Another RLA is becoming a teacher. Odd trend, ditching Landscape Architecture for something 100% un-related.