nca

Understood, but if we’re talking about tens of millions of public dollars for the development of open space, be it infrastructural or recreational, there MUST be some opportunity for integration of public use-ie recreation, trails, places with shade, seating, etc. Par tof the value of this is at the very least so people will CARE about the place,…[Read more]

Sorry you’re going through that Chuck. I personally appreciate the honesty. Best of luck..

Aside from all the stuff that we care about, the bottom line is that the author, a layperson, feels that the park isn’t interesting enough for people to visit.
 
Regardless of the ultimate purpose of the park it still has to be a place where people want to go. I think this says alot about the direction the profession is heading in terms of…[Read more]

I’d prefer Jason’s approach–ASLA or Associate ASLA.
 
PLA feels like we’re getting lumped in with engineers and surveyors. I like to think what we do is closer to architecture than engineering and surveying.

what was your billable rate at your last full time position?

They should be able to hire you as part time/temp and use you only when they need you. Thats what I do and usually I’m needed quite a bit. Yes, if you’re paying your own taxes and expenses you should have a rate probably well over $50/hour. That firm will bill you out as a regular employee at $65-85/hour most likely if not more.
 
BTW, if you…[Read more]

Welcome to the club Andy.
 
There are at least a few of us who are piecing several jobs/projects together.
 
With regard to your question I think it’s important to take into consideration how you get paid. If you’re hourly and filled out a W-4 with the employer, you’re an employee of the company and will have tax withheld. Their liability should c…[Read more]

You are desperate, it’s OK, everyone is. They already know that.
 
You dont want to be pushy..you DO want to be persistent, and they should appreciate that.
 
A thank you email or mailer note is a good idea immediately after an interview, but it’s never a bad idea to call and say hello.
 
Good Luck!

Well said.

Hmm..so is it better to be prepared for an unlikely worst case scenario than to be well-equipped for long-term goals?
 
The hiking boots are heavy, but last alot longer and weather better than the sneakers. The sneakers are light and agile, but wear out fast.
 
I agree that it serves us well to be agile and quick on our feet in this economy, but I…[Read more]

These are excellent observations in my opinion. I feel that I am lucky to be doing some of the most thoughtful work I’ve done to date due to the unique position I’m in–working from home (as well as in an office part time). Taking the stressful office tension out of the equation makes a huge difference both in productivity and quality and…[Read more]

Mike,
 
I bought a copy of your book in 2003 or 2004 and followed each exercise and copied the styles in the book on landscape plans I worked on before I went back to school for landscape architecture in 2005. Your book helped me a lot and in some ways led me to becoming a landscape architect. So, thank you.
 
I agree on the importance of hand d…[Read more]

Jason, I agree.
 
Maybe my statement was too broad. Maybe I would say design is design..until something needs to get built.

I’ve come to find that if you are a designer you can design anything. It’s only design. People that rely on titles probably have reason to feel threatened.
 
Then again, I also agree that architects can be difficult to work with, but so can engineers, planners, and other landscape architects for the same reasons.Design is design is design. If…[Read more]

sunshine state looks great..
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHgEOAkjTVE

Simple answer:
 
Know your audience. In most cases professional offices are marketing to clients who are typically most impressed by the finished product, ie built projects.
 
Individuals are marketing themselves toward professional offices who are most impressed/concerned with design ability.
 
Example: Try taking your academic coursework out to…[Read more]

ugh.

I cant speak to this competition directly, but I have been watching other competitions come up on competitions.org and reading their fine print–It’s disappointing to see the issues you mention, but also such restrictions as age, experience, education, background, location, etc. I think I read criteria for one competition stipulating that entrants…[Read more]

I was offered a job in China last year for about what you mentioned as previous salary. I declined the offer. From what I gathered, much of China (the offer I had was from Shenzhen) is pretty inexpensive, but I’ve also heard that the typical work day is around 9am to 10pm and there isn’t a lot of readily accessible outdoor recreation of you’re into that.

From my limited experience–
 
Sure, you can use your own name or even “your name DBA (doing business as) ________” However, you’d be considered a ‘sole proprietor’ and any legal liability would fall directly on you personally, meaning that if you omitted something from a plan or built something which led to you being liable for…[Read more]