Rob Halpern

Of course then you have an especially invasive plant to deal with.

Rob obviously has more direct contact with/knowledge of those in the field than the rest of us, or at least those who are LAs in that field.

All of my work is on these sorts of projects and the people Vi wants to join are the people I work with every day

And I strongly support your caution

The only way I see it not being useful is that it’s so…

[Read more]

Vi,

I can’t speak to any particular program, but I can say that — depending on which part of the industry you are aiming at — perhaps 75% of the professionals are Landscape Architects. Most of the rest are architects and then there are set designers, industrial designers, and misc people who have been doing it since before it became an industry…[Read more]

Toby,

Are you experienced growing it?
I know it is grown in California, but it is a forest plant and tolerates the PNW and other mild areas. Will it do in the reflected heat of a south facing concrete wall do you think?

Ues, two places to begin:

http://www.teaconnect.org/publications

http://www.iaapa.org/

If zoos, specifically, then http://www.aza.org

Vi

In addition to the issues and questions you raise, I encourage you to consider one more: Are there jobs doing what you want to do? How well do they pay?  And do they focus exclusively on the areas that interest you or only a small percentage?

My feeling is that you are aiming at a very exclusive practice and few among those people gets paid…[Read more]

The question, as always Terry, is what is the function? Why the wire/mesh and not a clinger? Clematis will not love all the reflected heat off of the wall I think.

Have any of you actually grown hedera or ficus on wires? They are not twiners after all.

This whole “smaller government” rhetoric is a red herring.
Government grew in response to specific needs which the electorate wanted and needed.
Going back to 1790 may be a nice image but leaves a great many questions.
Shall corporations decide when and where to build roads? Shall corporations decide whether or not you may use their roads and…[Read more]

So the future is just more of the present?

While this appears to be true for the actual candidate’s funds, the picture is very different when you factor in the PACs
http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/campaign-finance

Wait, so you’re suggesting that in a system where compromise is not a factor there could be a “perfect candidate”?
I can’t wrap my head around how all of those things come together. Except perhaps a military coup, the Nazi take-over of Germany, Khmer Rouge,  etc. Those examples enable a “perfect candidate” to get where he is going without…[Read more]

Timothy,
You haven’t yet stated (did I miss it?) whether the site is full sun all day or part day and which part, whether it is exposed to noticeable winds, whether the building extends above this floor casting shade. In NYC a rooftop can have any of a wide range of conditions and with the growing parameters already so limited you need to get all…[Read more]

As a horticulturist, I must urge you to recognize that plant selection is site specific. You must consider what region you are in, what sun/light levels and wind is like at the site, how the turf area will be used, cool season? warm season? blend? Light weight planter mix or actual soil mix?
3″ “soil” will not produce a usable lawn (one short…[Read more]

I doubt that malaria is an aberration due to wetlands out of balance. Malaria has been with us for a long time. Humans used to stay away from such places. Now we won’t. If that is the imbalance that makes malaria a problem (that is, we insist on living where our parasites flourish) then I suppose wetlands with malaria mosquitoes and humans are by…[Read more]

While the notion that

wetlands are always seen as a good thing to add to any almost any design

strikes me as extreme and that such absolutes go against the very soul of the design process, I question the conclusions stated so far that wetlands are problematic because humans can’t safely splash around in them!
The planet is not 100% our playground, folks!

And on your sarcastic rationality attempt labeled #9: gadgets can be useful towards sustainability if they provide information that allows one to monitor and change energy/resource use (cough, LEED, cough), can direct you to the most efficient route, encourage use of alternative transit, captivate young people to educate them on such initiatives,…

[Read more]

In my original post I asked about how people experience technology, and as it seems to be enjoyable by many, how can that experience translate to a physical one. And other various tangents of thoughts.

I believe we all know…from our own experiences, our observations, even research… that people are finding technology enjoyable because it…[Read more]

Botanic Gardens struggle to inform visitors that landscapes are changing and dynamic, what are the highlights of the landscape on this day (as opposed to “Summer” or “in general”), and what will be interesting and beautiful next week (next month, next season). Current data technology could address these needs because it is so specific, can be…[Read more]

Emily,
I don’t think anyone doubts that if you throw up a free wifi station it will be used, but I don’t see that as encouraging L.A. to design for such. The same effect occurs when a cafe offers free wifi. What design conclusions ought we draw from that?