[Keven Graham]

Aaron,

Visit our Chapter web site il-asla.org and I am sure any one of the chapter leaders will be more than willing to talk with you.  Also depending on when your in, should it align with one of our planned events we would be happy to have you attend. 

Keven Graham, ASLA

Illinois Trustee ASLA

[Keven Graham]

She certainly got the conference off to a exciting start. One comment I over heard was “She Gets It”. And I would agree with that comment. She is very inspiring and her message is wonderful. I have to say I heard nothing but positive comments and the link to LA was good with other sessions being offered throughout the ed sessions. I am not sure but I would not be surprised to see more on it on the ASLA web page. You can also always communicate to ASLA and ask about it. It may give them cause to provide more if not already planned. Sorry you were unable to attend.

As mentioned already her presentation covered how she got to be and focused on the social and economically beneficial impacts she has been able to make in her area of NY. She highlighted a park and showed the turnaround it has made in the community.

[Keven Graham]

Good question and debate – How about recycled product. Recovering and recycling stone products can extend the life cycle. Of course it has to be the right application.

[Keven Graham]

Carla,

It is nice to see this being done. I too have heard of a community discussing the use of it in a review process. can you share with us what community it is that is using the SITES program in the review process?

[Keven Graham]

The lines are blurred and yet there are landscape designers doing very good work and yes some are using titles incorrectly. We now only have a very few states that are not practice act states and how and what we do will be legally dictated. There are many exemptions that allow designers and many others to continue doing work. I can not speak for others or other states, but as someone who was on a legislative committee and work on state license effort, I can say our goal was not in excluding those doing good work, but rather focusing on opening doors for those with certain qualification (RLA) to do more work and serve as prime on certain types of projects. With professional credentials we can do more in some states and it does put us on a plane (not going to say level) as architects and engineers and others. I prefer to look at my RLA as something to be proud of and allows me to rise to a higher level in competing for work and to be seen with authority or respect.

I am glad to see ASLA working hard to educate the value of licensed LA’s and positioning our profession and the profession of choice. I can say I have seen ASLA’s dedication to licensure, its value and benefits.

[Keven Graham]

You really can’t answer this question based on type of work. You will have a never ending discussion (which is good) if you try and define “Architect” v “Designer” merely based on the work you do. I would say your answer comes down to, like many professions the education that has been recieved and based on that education the testing that you take and pass. Now, I am sure someone is going to argue that this does not mean you know how to design or know how to map out an eco-system. But, you can make the same case for engineers, doctors, lawyers you name it. It is how the world of professions work and we set baseline requirements for taking a minimum competence exam and there are is a peer reviewed set of educational requirements. With completion of that you attain a level of professionalism. You get that piece of paper and continue to take additional education to grow and thus are deemed an landscape architecture. Or, you can make the choice to not follow this precribed path, and your not a landscape architect. The great thing is we have alternative professions, designers, legal assistants, nurse practitioners that get to do work.

So I think the answer comes to level of education and meeting minimum standards of practice based on helath safety and welfare and various specialties. It does get frustrating to hear individuals complain about it not being fare, I put my time and vested myself in achieving these experiences. So while I do alot of different and sometimes not so traditional landscape architecture, my background, education, broad expereience and testing allows me to prudly say LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.

[Keven Graham]

You are right in that CPTED is not a new theory or process, but it is something LA’s should pay attention to. Not because we are building communities that are not worth living in. And not because community design is so dreadful that it causes crime. LA’s should pay attention to CPTED because there are real good basic design principles that not all designers use. I can not tell you how many times I review plans that have such bad lighting design in them or have design elements in a public space poorly located. Design that CPTED outlines. I would urge any LA to get to know what CPTED is about and think about it when you design public spaces. It does not have to be a limitation to design, but it can be a good basic principle to follow.

[Keven Graham]

There is one being done now on Jens Jensen I believe for PBS.

[Keven Graham]

Jenny,

There are several good examples in the Chicago area. Alot of the projects are larger like the US Cellular Field (White Sox) parking lot, Buckingham fountain and othersdone by a variety of firms in Chicago. Our firm has done several for smaller parking lots at park districts. Not sure what type of info you are looking for we use Unilock and they have some good pictures of installations on their web site and good back up material. look up Unilock Chicago and you should find some good information. Their eco-optiloc and eco-preoria are the ones we use alot. You might also google the Morton Arboretum as they have a great installation.

[Keven Graham]

Thanks for the input, these are good leads and we will be tracking them down. keep them coming if you all think of others or run across addition sources.

[Keven Graham]

Permeable paving in the Chicago area is big. We have many installations and big high profile areas. It works and the cost is not as big a leap as some expect. There are good options available. It is our belief it it work in Chicago were we have great extreme in the freeze thaw cycle, alot of up and down it should work in alot of more consistent climates. We promote it as a sustainable good option in alot of different settings and project types.

[Keven Graham]

Andrew,

Not saying LA’s are the only ones with the ability to do Green Infrastructure Design, but I would ask who is better suited? I would not say all LA’s can or should be going this type of work. But Green Infrastructure is built on the premiss that all the elements work together, the hydrology, soils, vegetation and human interaction of the infradtructure improvements. Sounds like a pretty good definition of landscape architecture to me. By all means there are other professions that should be promoting, advocating and executing the work, but just like LA’s not all civils should be doing this. Testing concrete for ten years doesn not make a civil that should be designing infiltration bioswales. Green Infrastructure needs to be integrated design and that is what we we do right?

[Keven Graham]

I don’t know if it is as much about advocating at this point, there are a number of programs be looked at that are considering requirements for “Green Infrastructure”, i.e. the EPA. As agencies look at requirements for infiltration, water quality and potentially stormwater utility taxes, green infrastructure is a cost effective, environmentally suitable measure to manage stormwater. LA’s are in a great position to be the suppliers of the service. I know alot of engineering firms are lining up to serve this sector, but LA’s have the background to play on a more even field now. So if it is advocating your asking about, we all should be doing it.

[Keven Graham]

HGTV is certainly focused on the smaller home improvements for the most part and the weekend type project, But I think they do represent the time it takes on many of their programs over the years. Groundbreakers for example cronicles months of work and tells the length it take to get the work done. Over the life of HGTV I think they have edone a decent job of identifying LA’s if they have been involved. Remeber it takes LA’s to self promote and get placed in these shows, then the credits can be given. I agree it is targeted at a segment that we might not always consider our market and reprenting LA’s in general, but there is a segment of our profession that it does cover.

I am not sure there is really a program out there that provides the market for what we often consider the higher end aspect of our profession. If we want to showcase that aspect we need to get ASLA members with cred placed in prominent media outlets like CNN or others as experts. When I do talks to various professions and groups on sustainability I often mention we can thank HGTV and other home improvement programs as well as Al Gore for bringing the landscape and issue to the front page of media. So it does not always matter if you agree with these ppoints or not, at least they are being discussed and now we can take the conversation further. yes HGTV’s market focus is the homeowner and the landscapes are not all that inspiring at times, but at least they are doing something. I do know that ASLA is focused on placing ASLA members in a position to be expert and they get requests often to offer opinions. But remeber most of the general media is for the do it yourself home owner and we can help them too.

[Keven Graham]

Mike, good stuff and like this there is good information being formed by various engineers, we need to do this as Landscape Architects. The nice part of your recommendation is the green infrastructure examples are or can be work LA’s do as well. Thanks for giving your input.

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