[Lori Molitor]

Not 100% relevant, but have you seen the Dirr iphone app?  I really like it; it is so much easier to carry around than the paper volume.

[Lori Molitor]

At my firm, if we’re only just hearing about the job from one of these sites or the client site once it is published, we are way, way behind and most likely won’t pursue the project.  Pre-marketing and relationships are essential.

[Lori Molitor]

“Green wall” has been mentioned on two of my projects in the past month and both assumed grid+vines was the only option available.

[Lori Molitor]

It is very aesthetically appealing.  I meant to add these close ups, but forgot until today. You can easily see the substrate.

 

[Lori Molitor]

I’ve visited the National Academy of Design museum in New York when they were exhibiting the work of a landscape architect. It was December 2007. I don’t remember who the LA was, but I found it very interesting.

[Lori Molitor]

I like the idea of a “Place Score” or “Place Finder”. It seems similar to the PPS Great Place finder, http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/, but I’d hope it would be an easier search that includes many more spaces based on location. It seems you could get a lot of data from the designers of the places themselves, especially when it comes to intended uses. It seems to tie in well with the idea of evaluating the sucess of designs after construction. You could provide a form for a designer to fill in to populate your database with info on each project. Once you’ve got some data, make it a moblie app like Four Square with a search based on location and out of towners would find it even more useful.

[Lori Molitor]

I’ve worked in engineering firms for the past 10 years and I’ve found that entry level Environmental Science folks don’t always have degrees in that field or even BS degrees at all. I knew one with a degree in Economics, another who had simply spent several years doing asbestos remediation work as a contractor. Many of the major firms doing NEPA or state environmental law documentation hire cheap labor that can learn on the job. Like someone mentioned before, it doesn’t pay as well, but it is a job. I’d say let the LA degree demonstrate your ability to think and start making calls. However, you might do some research into your state’s environmental laws and NEPA before picking up the phone.

[Lori Molitor]

Sometimes one must sell the drawings to get the plan built.

My RLA supervisor once had me change a concept plan drawing because it ‘had too many circles on it’. It wasn’t about the design he further explained, but more about what the plan looked like on the piece of paper that the client would see. He told me that on the ground, my original plan would work better, but that if we couldn’t get the client to buy the drawing on the paper, nothing would ever go on the ground at all.

That event made a big impression on me, but really the answer to your question is balance and expectations. As Thomas said, budget and scale make a difference. Do enough to manage and meet the expectations of your client, but keep it simple.

[Lori Molitor]

Ahh, it seems the ‘finding a balance’ arguement works here. Until we stop buiding roads, highways, bridges, houses, shopping malls, schools, churches and other buildings and structures, places like this will exisit. I’d venture to say that hardscape applications of quarried materils is a very low, single diget percentage of all quarried materials. Crushed stone for concrete is probably #1 on the list (in addition to creating air pollution for it’s production and recycling).

I would also expect that regulations exist in most jurisdictions which enforce BMPs, require permits and land use buffering, and reclamation projects. I don’t pretend to think the earth wouldn’t be better off without mineral extraction, but until we all learn to live in thatched huts and walk everywhere we go, I don’t see using alternate materials as much of a problem compared to the road construction projects that your new development or building site will require or induce.

For educational purposes, I did a google search and found one explaination of the process that one company uses: http://www.vulcanmaterials.com/social.asp?content=story.

[Lori Molitor]

Sure, transportation costs of stone = energy lost, but what are the other sustainability arguments against using stone?

It doesn’t really require chemicals to install or maintain. It has good insulating properties. Depending on installation methods, it can make allowances for water infiltration. It doesn’t require much maintenance and has an indefinite life span. It can be recycled or re-used. Other pros or cons?

Sorry, I don’t mean to by hijacking your thread, I just don’t quite understand your issue.

[Lori Molitor]

What is your rationale for making successful = sustainable instead of profitable or sellable? And what definition of sustainable are you using? It seems that your answers mix up a variety of values that may or may not contribute to profitablity or sustainablility. Maybe is my question relates to what perspective success is judged from: the developer, the community, the residents?

[Lori Molitor]

Yes, they are rather inexpensive and don’t bother me with spam. I used InDesign and Image Ready, along with a little HTML to build my site.

[Lori Molitor]

Let me clarify, while I’m not actively on the job hunt, I’m always interested in professional growth and open to discussing employment with Seattle area firms that may run across my site. =)

[Lori Molitor]

Mine is rather simple and presents only a sampling of my portfolio. My hope is that this gets me through the door where I would present a more complete picture of my work, customized toward the culture and values of the particular firm I am interviewing with. I’m not actively seeking a new position at this time, so this is mostly a toy. I agree that the navigation should be easy for your user.

http://www.lorimolitor.com

[Lori Molitor]

This story gives a better image of the final installation.

http://www.artknowledgenews.com/2009-11-17-21-01-03-ghost-forest-a-powerful-visual-statement-about-climate-change-at-trafalgar-square.html

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