John.Dallinga

Cliff,

This one is currently free. There are several others that you can download a trial off the SketchUp downloads page. Also, if you’d like the opinion of a more experienced professional, Daniel Tal has a list of non-photo and photo-realistic renderers in the SketchUp group here on Land8.

If you give Kerkythea a try, I would highly recommend…[Read more]

A general question:

I’ve seen it said on a number of threads that a digital portfolio would ideally be e-mail attachable (5 MB or less). What method have you found to be the best for keeping the resolution of images crisp while keeping ultimate PDF sizes low. Is it easier to do so by creating the whole package in InDesign as opposed to combining…[Read more]

Jay,

It’s true, there is a crisis and the most recent unemployment numbers don’t offer much encouragement. I took a few minutes to peruse the forum you linked to and I have to say it’s not a place I would care to spend a whole lot of time. I imagine that a great number of people posting there are unemployed and looking for a place to vent. That…[Read more]

Henry,

What would you say were the biggest short-comings to GIMP and Inkscape? I also swallowed the AutoCAD pill while in college and think I will be in that boat for a while.

Like most people, I’ve been exposed to AutoCAD, Adobe CS, and SketchUp. I really didn’t start getting into 3D until after I became unemployed 1 1/2 years ago and wasn’t CAD jockeying all-day. Knowing how competitive the job market is, I’ve been trying to expand my skills. I’ve taken a cursory look into Vectorworks. I think I need more time with it…[Read more]

Congratulations and best of luck!

A quick thought on the MBA issue…

I was required to take two semesters of professional practice in my fifth year and was taught by two very different people (one who was my boss at the time). The first was aimed more at architects and was taught by an MBA with little or no design experience, but heads up large institutional projects such as the…[Read more]

Andrew,

Again, I agree with the bulk of your concerns. Obviously, anyone who is facing an inconsistent flow of work, either working in a firm or simply trying to find an ‘in’ into the industry, will try to make the best of the situation. However, your last paragraph troubles me because it likens to other discussions I’ve seen here on the Lounge…[Read more]

“The danger in what you are doing is that when you start your own business you will never get the internship done in order to get registered (if that is your goal). Most also tend to stay close to the level that they went into business at in terms of type of work and clientele. It is much faster to climb to a higher market by working for someone…[Read more]

The best way I can think of is to contact the human resources or landscape architecture department directly. They may have adjunct positions open. Most full-time, associate professor positions these days require at minimum professional licensure and an MLA or BLA and masters in a related field (engineering, horticulture, environmental science).…[Read more]

Landscape Architecture Magazine-a mixed bag of large projects, firm profiles, and other tidbits
Topos-an excellent source of more detailed analysis of predominantly international projects, but also has great graphics which will be helpful to reference in your later studio work (Pricey to subscribe to at $40/issue. Check if your library has…[Read more]