[Matt Sprouse]

so sorry.  I just looked up that thesis and it is not what I thought it was.  Someone at UGA had a very similar thesis in 1997 or 1998.

[Matt Sprouse]

search the online UGA library for Philip Wislar’s thesis on this subject in 1998.  He now has a consultant business in this field near DC.

[Matt Sprouse]

1. Autocad 2009

2. tilemode.

3. the cost of the program

4. I’ve only used Autocad through my career by I have become increasingly interested in Bricscad and Vectorworks.  

Good luck on your project.

[Matt Sprouse]

I think one of our biggest assets as a profession is the (supposed) ability to communicate with our drawings – especially hand drawings.  I understand that not everyone’s hand sketching skills are at the top of their game, but it is critical that we deliver to our clients images that show our creativity and inspiration.  Hand drawings are, in a sense, our first line of defense.

Showing a client conceptual sketches and renderings has always seemed to put them at ease – like the design process is open and not etched in stone.  I have seen the opposite be true that showing a client a computer-generated image of the same conceptual work makes them uneasy.  It is as if there is no room for change or adjustment in the design.  When I have meetings with clients, i bring ALL of my trash overlays and sketches along with the ‘final’ presentation images.  I want them to see process and that I didn’t just pull the concept out of the sky.  It also helps in justifying fees that are associated with the design process.   I think the client needs to see the roadmap of how the design got there, not just the destination.

As a final thought, when we have interviewed new designers (back when folks were still hiring), I wanted to see hand sketches over computer graphics any day.  In a portfolio, a polished image of a school project does not relay thinking skills.  You have to show your process.  Process, process, process!  

 

[Matt Sprouse]

5th year BLA’s often do a large exit project which is called a thesis in some schools.  I would be careful to compare it to a graduate school thesis that is rigorously reviewed by a committee and then becomes a published document by the university.  Most major universities catalog their theses in their library.  BLA project typically are not. 

 

That said, a 5th year exit project does give you an opportunity to show what you have learned.  Also, it is usually the best work to show a future employer in a portfolio.  I think most employers (myself included) expect BLA graduates to have completed an exit project.  

[Matt Sprouse]

The only real reason to get an MLA after a BLA is to teach.  Even then, most universities are requiring PhD’s for tenure track positions.  MLA used to be our terminal degree.  I have a BSLA and and MLA.  If you decide to get an MLA, make sure you go to a different school for a new perspective.  If it is teaching you want to do, look for teaching assistantships that put you in the classroom.  

 

I did get my MLA for the prospects of teaching.  That hasn’t panned out and now I am an over-educated, private practicing, landscape architect.  Looking into a related field for a graduate program is sound advice.  MBA is a great idea.

[Matt Sprouse]

It’s a rookie mistake to assume that because a firm bills someone out at 2x (preferably more) their salaried or paid rate is being greedy.  It is that additional $ that pays for rent, supplies, computers, plotters, copiers, phone and internet service, the power bill, health insurance, liability insurance (general and errors & omissions), and – oh yes – the payroll taxes that are above and beyond what is taken out of your paycheck for income taxes.  There is also (in good times) profit and bonuses and raises that come out of that ‘additional’ money.  Let’s not also forget that the employers who started, own, and run the firm on a day-to-day basis put all of their worldly possessions on the line as a personal guarantee to the bank for lines of credit and business loans.  Granted, in boom times, many of the big corporate firms did go overboard with company cars, jets, and mega offices.  I don’t think this was at all the norm.  I would also like to know what you consider an inflated salary.  I can tell you from experience that the first person NOT to get paid if there is a cash flow shortage is the owner.

 

As for fancy swanky offices, even modest offices need to so some semblance of taste and design aesthetic.  Having a nice conference room artwork on the walls does not make you greedy.   I can say that in many cases, an office location and a place to meet can really legitimize a business to a client.  Clients want to feel like their consultants are established and will be there for the long run. 

 

I don’t begrudge anyone who wants to strike it out on their own and try and compete with bigger established firms.  I think it keeps the bigger firms on their toes.  There comes a point though where $ isn’t always the final determining factor for getting a project.  Bigger firms tend to get the bigger projects because they have employee behind them who can crank it out.  I can also say it doesn’t help the profession one bit when anyone discounts the fees needed to complete a project.  I can see a 10-20% reduction in rates due to low overhead, but if you are charging 1/4 of what other LA’s are, it is going to bite us all in the end.  Landscape Architecture (or any service industry) is not a commodity sold at the lowest price.  

 

If it seems a nerve was struck – it is true.  Most LA’s I know have struggled to keep their doors open and keep employees.  It is no fun to let anyone go.  Most don’t do it so they can keep the swanky offices or fancy artwork.  It is to keep the ship afloat so when the economy returns, those employees have a place to return.  

[Matt Sprouse]

Alex,

It’s been entertaining to read through this posting.  I too am a font nut, and I feel it is extremely important in how it expresses one’s work.  It is hard to believe that any design professional could be lackadaisical in their use of fonts on their own documents.  If we as a profession are going to be fastidious about details in the landscape, we should be just as finicky about the documents we create.  

 

There is a great quote by Massimo Vignelli (one of the great modern Italian graphic designers) who said:

 

“A designer should only use these 5 typefaces: Bodoni, Helvetica, Times Roman, Century, Futura.”

 

I love this quote.  Our firm has made a number of critical decisions about the fonts we use.  We began using Futura on everything ( including our logo) and have now moved on to Helvetica Neue for most of our lettering.  

 

Let’s hope the days of simplex and handlet fonts are over.  In my opinion, using Papyrus on a serious document is just amateur.  

[Matt Sprouse]

I have to agree about the lack of a real public awareness campaign about landscape architecture.   Granted we are a much smaller group than, lets say, AIA, but how often do architects and engineers have to explain what they do professionally? Several years ago, I was watching a PBS show and AIA was a sponsor.  Their add was extraordinary.  A few weeks later, I saw a similar AIA add on CBS’ Sunday Morning.  When was the last time I head the professional name “landscape architect” on general public or broadcast TV?  Believe it or not – The Simpsons!     We have a long long way to go in educating the general public on what we do.  

 

If I felt that ASLA dues were going into a broad reaching campaign to educate the public (and future clients) about landscape architecture, I might consider joining again.  

[Matt Sprouse]

I have to say I have been very disappointed over the years with ASLA and what I get as a member in return.  I am a big advocate for the profession and have carried that torch, but the value of being able to use ‘ASLA’ after my name has diminished greatly.  I still use ‘RLA’ or ‘Landscape Architect’ because of my licensure, because I feel it denotes a professional achievement, responsibility and reputation that I carry and with which I operate my practice.    I know ASLA is more than a magazine and convention organizer, but I realized over the last 2 years (of recession) that the $400-$500 I was spending on membership for both national and state dues could be utilized in other, more professionally relevant ways. Instead of that money spent on dues, I attend more locally hosted conferences that are usually more relevant and interesting than national meetings.  I did enjoy the travel of the ASLA meetings, but in these economic times, I can do a lot more with the $1500 it takes to go to one.

 

I may one day rejoin ASLA, but many things will need to happen before then.  I don’t think I will ever put those four letters after my name again, though.

[Matt Sprouse]

I’m in agreement with several people’s response – hand graphics are VERY important.  Hand graphics show how you think and express process and individuality.  In interviews, I go immediately to the hand graphics in someone’s portfolio (and I always ask if it is their work).  You will learn so much in an office about rendering style, color selection, line weight, etc.

 

As for Mike Lin, I have never taken his class.  Someone stated that you will learn valuable tricks, and I think that is a great choice of words.  Rendering is different from drawing because is it usually done quickly and as the last push before a presentation.   That said, tricks are important.  

 

If you can’t take the class, find someone at your school who is a good graphics renderer (professor) and do an independent study.  Definitely learn some computer graphics but don’t’ rely on it.  It is quickly becoming a commodity that can be outsourced.  Individual stylistic renderings will always be unique and can become a signature for an office.

[Matt Sprouse]

oh – forget Revit.  BIM software for landscape architecture is not there yet.

[Matt Sprouse]

draw draw draw!  I won’t hire anyone who can’t draw with a pencil and pen.  Know any CAD software – the concepts are interchangeable.  Sketchup is a bonus

[Matt Sprouse]

Thanks.  I’m very proud of my engineering experience, and now as a principal and owner of a practice, it has helped me with more pragmatic minded clients.  I can also communicate with civil engineers  – not to mention lead teams with them on it.

[Matt Sprouse]

I think having a year or two left in school is a good position to be in, rather than graduating this spring.  The prospects of new work increases almost weekly, and the phone is beginning to ring more than it has in over 12 months.  I graduated in ’95, and I thought that was a hard time to find an entry-level position.  I started in a civil engineering and surveying office with one landscape architect because the bigger design firms weren’t hiring.  These days, I would suggest looking at ANY peripherally related job to landscape architecture.  About a year ago, I sat in on a 5th year student’s final review who had great work.  When I asked if she had any job prospects after school, she started to cry and said ‘yes’ – that she would be working in her hometown’s extension service.  She was embarrassed to admit that she had a job that was not directly in LA.  I say find anything you can that will give you either public sector, horticultural, or technical experience.  Go hold a surveying rod and learn how that part of the design world works.  It is survival mode right now, and any job counts as far as I’m concerned.  If you are entering the profession now, you have PLENTY of time to grow your career.  Hell, most design-related professionals work into their 70’s anyway in private practice.  

 

As for the comment about employers wallpapering their offices with resumes – I can say many come through, but the ones that grab our attention and get filed away are the ones who call, stop by, and actually make human contact.  The blind emails of 20mb (please don’t do that) portfolios usually don’t get opened.  Do your research on a firm before you send info.  PLEASE get their names and firm names correct, and have a well-written, profession cover letter.  No cutesy stuff.  

 

I dont’ want to give a false sense of hope, but if the trend continues, then work is coming back, albeit slowly.  

 

Also, I think having a backup trade or career path is a good move for anyone.  Hindsight – I wish I had had that.

[Author]

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