Jordan Lockman

Have you looked into pre-engineered bridges. I attached a link for a local MN company that sells about the size you are looking for.

http://www.wheeler-con.com/recreation-bridges/

I like this one.
http://www.wheeler-con.com/pdf/RTbrTrusPrat12-30-09.pdf

Yes you will have problems. Most people that I know with Environmental Design degrees only. Work in a design/build office as Landscape designers. Not a bad job, but it is a job that you can get with an Associates Degree. If you are spending the time and money you will want a degree that will you allow you to practice one of the specific…[Read more]

I have found that you need to be on the same page as your company or you won’t be able to sell. It is hard to represent something that you don’t believe in.
I would figure out what your long term goal is and then figure out how to get there!

Some of the great designers can make a go without a crew(subbing it all out), but you need to give the…[Read more]

I don’t know for sure, but I think that an Environmental design degree is a generic degree that is going to provide you less opportunity than a Landscape Architecture degree or Arch degree.
At my college they gave the Architects and Landscape Architects a BS in Environmental Design after 4 years(kind of a participation prize for the extra time in…[Read more]

In my experience it is not necessary unless, required by the state or you are potentially the only LA at your firm that would do work in multiple states. In my office my boss has a record since he is the one that gets the out of state licenses. So for me it would be redundant and another couple hundred dollars a year for no real value.

In my area there is a strong redevelopment of old warehouses on the edge of downtown. Turning the area into trendy residential area, that is both walkable and urban.

There are some good prefab kits out there. That might save you some heartburn.

I have found that the middle folks are being hit the hardest. The new folks out of school are the ones getting the “new jobs” as firms get busier. Since they are generally the best at the latest software and are cheaper. Just a thought.

So by now you know you will not be rich by becoming a Landscape Architect. Have you talked to local practicing professionals? Visited their offices and ask this question to them. They will usually give you a good answer for the location you are in. 

Agreed, that it is a bad idea to take on too much debt. We just paid off our school loans last year and it took 8 years of aggressive payments finish them off. If I were you, I would work while in school. I know that they say “you will be so busy you can’t work”, but you can do something somewhere. Even if it is just enough to cover your living…[Read more]

Each type of vine climbs differently; some by twining(best with mesh), some with tendrils, and some with aerial roots. I like using mesh with vines that twine, since they are the easiest to control. They tend to stay on the areas with your mesh and will not cover your entire building.

Woodpeckers generally only dine on trees that have larvae in them. Healthy trees do not generally harbor larvae. Is there something else wrong with the trees. Maybe the extremely mild winter is causing some irregularities?

Those I would make sure to ask before I used. It is probably okay if the project got installed in some form, but there may still be some proprietary items that the company or client would like to keep confidential.

We use a vines and a wire mesh system(like boilerplater linked) whenever we do “green walls”. Works well, covers the wall and satisfies any requirements by the city for green walls.
Cost – the mesh is not too outrageous and there are plenty to choose from.
Performance – time tested and works well with vines that do not traditionally do well on a…[Read more]

I did use the flashcard machine and found it useful also. You can make your own or share the ones others have made!

Did not get the Flashcards, but did buy the book and what was not a huge fan. I have heard that the flash cards are not all accurate. So buyer beware. I would stick to the info that you can glean from the google group and this site. The PPI books are a better choice also. 

As landscape architects we are generally on the fence on this argument. Developers only build where it is financially viable and having too restrictive of a landscape code potentially can be enough to be the “straw that breaks the camels back”. However, with most developers not all, the minimums become the maximums and then you are left with a…[Read more]

Depends on the grey water. From laundry it would be mostly soap. (soap=alkaline) perhaps sodic also. might do well with oceanfront plants.