Jennifer de Graaf

Does anyone know of any implemented green streets in the Southeast? We are completing a project in Nashville in the next few weeks and wondering if there are others?

I’ve used a variety of green roof techniques which have been more or less successful. I’m gathering information about what folks have done with green walls, the materails they have used and their success. I’ve read quite a bit about Patrick Blanc’s work but keep wondering about maintenance and costs. I’m currently looking into the nonwoven…[Read more]

I’m a residential Landscape Designer in San Diego’s East County. Has anyone mentioned Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano? They have a nice newsletter as well you can subscribe to.
I like to incorporate garden-friendly california natives in my designs.

Nick _here is a link to a gallery of portfolio work I have created so you can look at some of my works in a larger form… please take a look and let me know what you think… I will happily respond to any comments, questions, or critiques…

http://www.land8lounge.com/photo/albums/bob-luther-graphcs-portfolio

or you can just search in the album…[Read more]

Check out Land8Lounge member Jason King’s review of Esther Sternberg’s new book, Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-Being. An excellent review of an excellent new book.

I am pulling together a maintenance manual for a design studio that wants to install storm water mitigation in its projects. After reading widely, I have noticed that most information has the same maintenance guidelines. I find it difficult to believe that if sedimentation must be cleaned out 4-5 times a year from an in-street planter in Portland,…[Read more]

Jay,
I have run into similar situations in my work experience, (I’ve worked at 4 firms and have ten years + of construction experience) where registered LA’s are “designing” things but have no practical knowledge of how the thing will actually stand up or be built and a very narrow knowledge of construction in general.It seems often-times the old…[Read more]

Hi Scott
I learned the ropes in the field prior to Licensure; I started at an ornamental tree farm then became manager and head of landscapeoperations, then lead designer, then partner in a design build firm, all the while not fulfilled in my carrer thinking that I took the wrong path by not stepping straight into a design firm. It wasnt until I…[Read more]

Great idea for a group!

I’m glad to see someone else interested in SSI! I’m working on a children’s garden project for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. We’re designing the project to the preliminary draft SSI credits in hopes to create a sustainable landscape project, test the credits and criteria and eventually hopefully become a pilot project.

I like to share this document on sustainable site design. SSI_Guidelines_Draft_2008.pdf

Hi Guys”
Greetings!!!!!
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Here is another recent article from BuildingGreen.com regarding LEED changes : http://www.buildinggreen.com/live/index.cfm/2009/7/28/New-LEED-AP-Exam-Writer-Tells-All.

intheleed.com also has some good explainations:
http://www.intheleed.com/what-exactly-is-the-credential-maintenance-program-for-leed/

Go to the link below to download the “Credentialing Maintenance Program Guide” valid for July 2009 from USGBC – this is the official document addressing credentialling maintenance.
http://www.gbci.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=3665

Just got an e-mail regarding GBCI Credentialing Maintenance Program for those of us that have been accredited without specialization under the old system. Was wondering if anyone has dug deeper into what this really means for us and if upgrading to a specialization will pay off in the end?

Just slid into this group. Many of the Washington State funded building design projects require a LEED certification. I’ve been involved in the number of LEED workshops on projects for community colleges in the state. I am not up to speed on the newer landscape/site related LEED certification. I know from past projects, the landscape/site related…[Read more]

And new InformeDesign article review on Children’s Use of Accessible Playgrounds.

I would like to think that it is the LA who knows best, but sadly I feel that the contractor is the one who is going to be the key in creating the finished project. I would love to get to know my contractors well enough to find out there likes and dislikes but I never seem to be able to work with the same one over again, the market is so cutthroat…[Read more]

Hey Charles, Its good to have you in the group. How do you feel about this narrowing of role? Do you think that if we still had more of a role in related fields that there would be more work currently available for landscape architects? If you want you could start a discussion about it. I think it would be interesting to see what we could learn…[Read more]