Heather Smith

I have a classmate that just took a job in China!

Yeah and in our neck of the woods they don’t even put out design/build bids. It is always separate. We already do a separate design contract from the build work, so there is no guarantee either way. A design/build firm could still put in a bid that could be compared…I think it is actually a lot more efficient to have the person designing oversee…[Read more]

Since we know a lot of design/build business is picking up while the larger design firms are languishing I think it points to the large decrease in public spending and the fact that many private individuals still have money, some of them a lot. In our little town we have very large firms from large cities competing for public projects they…[Read more]

Go Vandals!

I use facebook, we have a much underused blog and a website. We do get business through facebook recommendations and our website. We are the only design/build firm in our area that actually has images of their work online.
I post status’ regarding our projects on Facebook and also share quotes, designs we like, designs we don’t like, tips on…[Read more]

I have heard a successful business person tell us not to do profit sharing…just some advice we had passed on to us. They said that anytime you hire a new person or buy a new piece of equipment the other employees see that as taking some of their money, because they don’t understand overhead, etc.

I agree with Jordan. If the work is completed correctly the first time and on time perhaps bonuses occasionally would be incentive enough. We thought of this…our business is MUCH smaller then yours we had hoped to have two crews but really have all four working on one project at this point. We are still learning how to manage multiple projects…[Read more]

Wait a minute…I am a soccer mom, designer and occupier. haha. I protested then and I would again! The scourge you are imagining was a VERY small portion of protesters.

I think this is true…that design/build is doing better. I am still amazed that we have as much work as we do. Our area is busy for design/build work, we aren’t the only ones filling this need. We had our first larger commercial project and won a bid for WSU…on top of our residential designs. We have four full time employees right now and we…[Read more]

Piet Oudolf. Just a plant designer, nurseryman and author…

hahaha…love.

Hey Aaron,
I haven’t read all of the responses so hopefully am not being redundant. Both my husband and I have BLA degrees from the University of Idaho, graduated in 2008 and 2009. First off…the depressing news. Neither of us got jobs BUT I didn’t apply. My youngest is just two years old, so the plan would have been for me to get a job at a firm…[Read more]

Yeah…I understand kind of wondering about the LEED focus. I guess recently I have just realized that I am going to dislike a lot of what others say about any given thing. Being an election year, perhaps I give articles such as this a bit of a gloss over. I can’t be outraged over everything! haha.

I guess I didn’t see it as being too optimistic…I do see it as a sales pitch for what landscape architects can do. Honestly, what should he say? haha. Yeah…we have a lot of unemployed landscape architects? I will read it again to see if I pick up the vibe you feel, but just remember people like winners. People want to be part of something…[Read more]

http://www.ciclavia.org/
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/sustainability/los-angeles-hosts-10-mile-long-block-party
This would have been so fun to experience.

Hope to see you walking Justin! My husband says he has met you through the student ASLA club.

…”its the end of the world as we know it…and I feel fiinnnneeeeee.”

I agree…most have their masters. I believe only one of my profs had a doctorate and that was in GIS.

ASLA Magazine had an article on this either this month or last. The focus was on design competition during hard times and what that means for large and small firms. Pretty interesting.

I find the health benefits that a good design can afford one of the most compelling things that attracted me to landscape architecture. I am drawn more to the practical benefits of good design…not so much design for design sake. I know there is a place for that as well…for art, just for the sake of art. I have always loved using well designed…[Read more]