[lance millward]

Absolutely agree with the snob aspects of landscape architects over landscape designers. I’m a landscape architect and have found many believe the license to practice demands others respect their status as ‘experts’. In my current work in tender administration and evaluation as well as contract pricing I come across plenty of poorly detailed, poorly conceived and generally flawed plans, specifications and construction details. When the designer is also the builder you find these details are taken more seriously as it affects their bottom line. I have nothing but respect for landscape designers, despite not being one of them.

[lance millward]

A lot of you seem to be missing the point here. Landscape design is being referred to by many as a small part of what the landscape Architect does. The Urban designer and city planner would also probably think of landscape architecture as a small part of what they do. Sociologists have it over all of us in that sense as they are concerned with all aspects of the health and welfare of the public and we can only claim to practice in a few areas.

Scale of projects is not a valid argument either – I know many landscape designers who rarely do residential work. Regardless of scale or budget landscape is designing place for people.

As mentioned previously not all countries have licensing of the term landscape architect – I just had a reply to a tender from a project manager / Quantity surveyor who called himself a landscape architect, but has had no landscape training of any kind.

Many architects do their own landscape design. One of our better NZ Architects told me ‘ he is just as good at designing gardens as anyone else’. It is all about perceptions, relationships and respect. Pigeonholing and expecting respect based purely on qualifications and license are not good roads to go down… in my view.

[lance millward]

Not as simple as that actually. In New Zealand the Institute of Landscape Architects does not have rights and protection over the term ‘Landscape Architect’ so any landscape designer could still call themselves one. We also don’t have the same 5 year programme that north american universities use. You need to submit a portfolio of work and have an interview after 2 years of practice to become an associate, but not all landscape architects are even members of the Landscape Institute. Also there are many older professionals who don’t have the degree that other practicing professionals have, but are still LAs. Urban Designers, Environmental Designers, Project Managers and other related professionals all start to blur the boundaries of practice.

The way many have described it, you wouldn’t even see design as a subset landscape architectural practice. There are many landscape architects who focus on residential design and even interior design.

[lance millward]

What a hairy one. I’ve worked in both types of business. I wouldn’t like to pigeonhole myself in either profession personally. Urban design seems to be the new catch-cry in New Zealand. Especially in a recession, different professions are trying to grab more of the pie and doing all sorts of work they wouldn’t normally and probably shouldn’t.

[Author]

Posts